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This Modern Mess

Declutter + Organize Your Life

How to Keep Your Home Clean Every Day (Like Magic!)

March 5, 2019 by Andrea Brame 24 Comments

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In this post: How to keep your home clean, even when you aren’t tidy by nature.

Ever wonder how to keep your home clean like those moms who seem to have a magic wand or fairy godmother at their disposal? (They must! Their homes are always so clean!) You show up after an impromptu playdate invitation and somehow they have effortlessly maintained their houses. They aren’t even worried. It’s like they were born ready to host.

Come on over!

tidy living room

This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

I envied those women for so long. Was there a skill set I had not yet unlocked as a human being? What were their secrets to keeping a clean house? Even now, after forming better habits, I would rather read a good novel or get lost browsing social media than vacuum. It’s a constant challenge.

But ten years ago, I decided enough was enough.

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How to keep your home clean every day (like magic!)

How I began decluttering

Back then, my husband and I were newlyweds. We lived on my customer service job salary and his new consulting business income and were on a tight budget. Our favorite frugal hobby was to crash on the couch and binge-watch sci-fi shows.

Then we discovered the show Clean House, and that inspired a massive decluttering of our possessions. You can read more about that journey here. (Pro tip: watching decluttering shows as a couple is excellent for starting conversations! And with Marie Kondo on Netflix, what better time to start than now?)

But once our son was born, our progress came to a screeching halt. It took several years to bounce back.

How do you keep your home clean?

woman mopping floor

Since then, I’ve renewed my quest to find how to be a better household manager. Over and over I’ve found there are some common habits tidy people have—ones they do without thinking—that can magically keep your home clean with minimal effort. Y’all. Since I began implementing what I’ve learned, the following six daily habits have changed my life.

1. Clean the Kitchen Sink

empty clean kitchen sink

Every morning, unload the dishes in the dishwasher. During the day, load the dishwasher as you dirty dishes. Then at night, before bed, turn on the dishwasher. Finish the handwash-only items or any stray random dishes that don’t fit in the dishwasher. Then clean the sink.

The magic here is the sink has to be empty to be cleaned. By emptying it you complete the circuit and set yourself up for success the next day.

2. Put Away the Laundry

laundry basket with laundry

Every day, do a load of laundry. And every day, take the dry clothes out of the dryer, fold them, and put them away.

Don’t pile them on the laundry seat (you know what I’m talking about!) Don’t pile them on your bed. Don’t leave them in the dryer to deal with later. Wash them. Dry them. Fold them. Put them away. (If you can’t put them away that night, at least do it the next morning.)

The magic here is that emptying the dryer and putting the contents away immediately makes it easy to keep the cycle going. If the dryer is full, you can’t put a new load in. If you can’t put the wet clothes in, they start to stink and you have to begin all over again.

So empty that dryer. You’ll have a chance to do your next load and won’t get behind. Then, fold and put away the clothes. Then you won’t have a pile that collects dust on the floor and has to be cleaned all over again. (Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything. Ahem.)

3. Wash the Kitchen Counters

smiling woman cleaning kitchen counter

This one is so simple and very satisfying. Once or twice a day, take a microfiber cloth and wipe down the kitchen counters. Or use your favorite multi-purpose cleaner.

If you haven’t made a mess early on, just wait until after dinner. But if you’ve cooked or used the counter for a kid’s activity, try to always wipe it down.

The magic here is in the necessity to declutter the counters before you can wash them. It’s a sneaky way to force you to put away the things on the counter and throw out any trash. But don’t focus on that part. Focus on how pretty your counters look after being washed!

4. Sweep the Kitchen

woman sweeping floor

This is a simple task that is easy to ignore once a layer of crumbs has made its way to the floor for the umpteenth time. After all, it’s just going to get dirty again, right? But if you sweep even once a day, after dinner, it will keep the dirt to a minimum.

The magic here is that the kitchen usually gets the heaviest traffic in the house. By sweeping it you can feel good about this minimal effort having a maximum effect. Dirty footprints everywhere, crumbs from snacks and meal prep, trampled pieces of forgotten Play-Doh, you name it, it’s probably there. By sweeping it at least once a day, it helps to refresh the house as a whole.

5. Clean the Bathroom Sinks

clean bathroom sink with running water

Once a day, run a microfiber cloth over your bathroom sinks. All of them. It’s amazing how such a simple act can improve the overall impression of your home. Treat yourself to shiny faucets and toothpaste-free basins.

Pro tip: this is a great daily chore for kids!

The magic here is if your sink is clean, the whole bathroom feels cleaner, even if just that one part of it has been wiped down daily. It sounds strange. But it really is true.

6. Do an Evening “Reset”

woman putting away toys in plastic bucket

This is a catch-all tidy that includes, but is not limited to, several habits on this list. And it’s where the magic really happens.

Every evening, at a convenient time for your family, insist on a quick tidy of all the living spaces. We do this right before bathtime. Then we can finish up while our son takes his bath and relax after he goes to bed. That downtime is sacred in our household.

Have your kids grab their toys and take them back to their rooms. Help pick up family toys or activities, like board games or blocks. Grab any laundry from the day that needs to be put in dresser drawers or closets. Throw out trash.

Shelve books. Stash papers in their appropriate spots. Clear homework and put it in easy to access spots for the next school day, if applicable. Fluff couch pillows. In other words, put the room back the way you found it in the morning.

Fair warning … the first time you do this, it will feel like a lot of work at the end of an already exhausting day. But the second time will be easier. And the next even easier than that. Before you know it, it will be a natural habit.

Note: For stay-at-home moms who have a young child at home, consider implementing a mini-reset earlier in the day. In our house, if my son has had a particularly enthusiastic morning of play, I will do a mid-afternoon reset. This way only the new mess will need to be cleaned up during the evening tidy.

The magic here is you get to walk into an already tidy living space every morning. No matter what chaos happened the day before, you get to start fresh! You won’t be backlogged and start behind the game from the beginning.

You’ll be able to keep your home clean more easily and will feel empowered to keep the ball rolling and continue your new habit for each day after.

You really CAN keep your home clean with these simple habits

Why should we clean our homes daily? Because a little bit of work each day—just a handful of consistent habits, really—is all it takes to stay on top of things. And that’s the secret that tidy moms know.

These habits changed my life because even when I mess up and don’t keep up with them every day (which is more often than I’d like), it does not take long to get everything back to a manageable level. And that feeling? Totally amazing.

And you can have that amazing feeling, too! Because with these six simple daily habits you can keep your home clean. Pinky promise.

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  • How to Change Your Mindset and Declutter Your Home at Last (Part 2)
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Filed Under: Habits, Mom Life, Tidying Tagged With: clean house, habits, tidying

About Andrea Brame

Andrea Brame is a decluttering coach and professional organizer in Nolensville, TN. She is the owner of Nolensville Home Organizing, author of Room to Live and the creator of the Time to Declutter Toolkit and Rule of 3 tidy habits mini-course.

As a reformed messy, she helps women declutter and organize their homes and simplify their lives so they can take back their time and create room to live, even if they aren't tidy by nature.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. erin says

    May 9, 2020 at 10:16 AM

    Great ideas! And simple and easy enough to do to incorporate it into a daily habit. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      May 9, 2020 at 11:08 AM

      Yes! The trick is keeping up with the habits but once you have it really is like magic. And even if you fall off the wagon, so to speak, it’s easy to get back on again.

      Reply
  2. Queen♛Tee♛ says

    March 29, 2019 at 5:09 AM

    THANK YOU for this =)

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      April 6, 2019 at 11:46 PM

      You’re welcome!

      Reply
  3. Anna says

    March 16, 2019 at 5:00 AM

    I read this post on during the Build Your Blog Boot camp on 3/5/19. The article was genius. I wanted to tell you I’ve been following the suggestions for two weeks now and it works! Your blog post did have a direct affect on my routine for the good! Thank you and good luck!

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      March 19, 2019 at 4:26 AM

      Oh my goodness! That is fantastic! I’m so glad it was helpful. Reading this made my day.

      Reply
  4. Andrea Scovel says

    March 9, 2019 at 4:36 PM

    I really like these ideas and am going to make a goal to implement them. Can’t wait to hear more!
    -Andrea

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      March 10, 2019 at 6:03 AM

      That’s fantastic! Glad it was useful for you.

      Reply
  5. Paula says

    March 6, 2019 at 7:53 AM

    Well done! Great tips and really enjoyed reading it

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      March 6, 2019 at 3:12 PM

      Thank you! Glad it was useful to you.

      Reply
  6. Belinda says

    March 6, 2019 at 5:39 AM

    Loved this article! So practical and inspiring!!

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      March 6, 2019 at 3:12 PM

      Thank you so much.

      Reply
  7. Alyson says

    March 6, 2019 at 1:33 AM

    Really enjoyed this article! Thanks for listing it all out – having a list always helps!

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      March 6, 2019 at 1:36 AM

      Absolutely! I’m glad it was useful for you.

      Reply
  8. Jessica says

    March 5, 2019 at 4:52 PM

    This is really well written! Just the kick in the butt I needed ;p felt like you were talking right to me! Well done!

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      March 5, 2019 at 5:09 PM

      That’s awesome! I’m glad it is useful. You got this! And thank you so much. 🙂

      Reply
  9. Cinn says

    March 5, 2019 at 3:03 PM

    This is perfect! Just what I needed to read, now that we’ve finished (almost) unpacking after moving to a new home. Time to get into a routine and keep the house looking great. Thanks for the motivation!

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      March 5, 2019 at 4:01 PM

      You’re so welcome! Moving in can be chaotic, for sure.

      Reply
  10. Mary says

    March 5, 2019 at 2:46 PM

    Great job!

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      March 5, 2019 at 4:02 PM

      Thanks!

      Reply
  11. Laurie says

    March 5, 2019 at 12:45 PM

    Nice work!

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      March 5, 2019 at 4:03 PM

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
  12. Jenn Knapp says

    March 5, 2019 at 12:06 PM

    Good job!

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      March 5, 2019 at 4:03 PM

      Thank you!

      Reply

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