Daily Habits to Keep Your House Tidy
Tiny tasks for a clean(ish) house 24/7
Visual clutter and mess overwhelms and stresses me out. It keeps me from enjoying my home, and my mind keeps wandering to what I need to do next. That’s why I’ve instilled simple habits throughout my day to keep my house looking (mostly) tidy. I’d much rather do little things throughout the day than tackle a disaster before bed when I’m beat… or even worse, waking up to crusty dishes in the morning when all I want is to drink my coffee.
These teeny tiny habits are easy to fit into the day, and ensure things don’t get too out of hand. And having a clean-ish house helps me be more present with my kids, sets my mind at ease, and gives me joy! So if you’re like me and feel grumpy and stressed out when the house is a disaster at the end of the day, read on, my friend.
But if this DOESN’T make you want to jump with joy like it does for me… no big deal! Skip this post, and read about why your mess is totally welcome here or how to make mix-and-match meal prep work for you instead. And now, on to the tips!
9 tips to keep the house (mostly) tidy
1. Run the Dishwasher at Night. Don’t you hate it when you forget to run the dishwasher, or even worse - when it’s clean so the family just stacks the dirty dishes on the counter? I invite you to end this madness.
We run the dishwasher in the evening and empty it in the morning. This leaves room for dirty dishes throughout the day (now you can put the dishes in rather than leaving them on the counter!), we never have to reach into the dirty dishwasher for something we need to cook with, and it’s easy to remember to do because it’s become a habit.
2. Tame the Laundry. I do one full load of laundry each day. I wash, dry, fold, and put it away. The time it takes to do one load of laundry a day compared to seven on the weekend is probably the same… but for me, when I have to tackle laundry mountain I never seem to have the energy to get all of it put away. Add to that a very messy baby, and there’s always something soaking in OxyClean and ready to launder anyhow.
3. Have a Pick-Up Routine. Spending an hour picking up before bed sounds exhausting, so I split my pick-up routines throughout the day. So before heading down to breakfast, we make beds and put laundry in the hamper. Then before naptime, the kids pick up their rooms, and I spend about ten minutes after they fall asleep doing a quick tidy of the house. Then again after the kids go to bed in the evening, I do a final sweep of toys, dishes and whatnot so I can relax in the living room without my clutter-radar going off.
4. Clean the Little Mess. Remember that little things add up, including messes! Rather than step over the stray sock in the hallway, pick it up. Wipe the sticky spot on the table before it has a chance to harden. These little one or two minute tasks take no time in the moment to do, but add up to a lot if you leave them all for later.
5. Clean Left to Right. When you are faced with a big mess, rather than go at it from all angles, start at one side and work your way across. Put away the things and clean up as you go so you aren’t wasting time choosing what to do next.
6. Remember Why It’s Important. When I think of the calm feeling that I get from a tidy home, it’s easier to do the tasks to keep it that way. I know not everyone agrees with me (and that’s fine!), but it’s important for my well-being to keep things somewhat orderly.
7. The Floors. Our floors are atrocious by the end of any given day. Again, I can thank the toddler. If we leave them too long, things get tracked around and really stuck on. So as part of my daily tidy, I grab my cordless vacuum and do a quick once over of the high-traffic areas like the kitchen and dining room.
8. Do Small Things with Great Love. I believe that tending to the home is a worthwhile endeavor and something that matters. I want a home that feels good to be in and where we can create memories, not one where I feel overwhelmed and cranky because it’s a mess. Which leads me to number nine…
9. Involve the Kids. It’s important to us to teach our children how to pick up after themselves and help around the house. We talk about our family values a lot, and one of them is that we take care of what we have. These little routines are an example of that, and show how we take care of our blessings.