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a clean and organized house
15Sep

How To Keep Your House Clean & Organized Working Full Time

Written by in Cleaning Tips, Organization Tips
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There is an overwhelming amount of tips and hacks online to help you figure out how to clean and organize your house. Unfortunately, it’s tough to find tips that are actually useful and practical — and for real people, looking for long term results. So let’s cut to the chase — if you’re ready to learn the things you need to have to have a clean and organized house while working full time, keep reading!

But I need to share one thing with you. I am not sharing cookie-cutter cleaning tips. I don’t think they are effective. Consider these cleaning and organizing tips below as lifestyle changes you’ll need to make. To take your home from soul-draining to a place of eternal bliss — and keep it that way most of the time — you need to think long term.

So let’s go, a few simple things you can do to have a clean and organized house all the time!

how to keep your house clean and organized

 1. LIVE BY THE TOUCH RULE

It does not matter whether you need to clean and organize your entire house or just a pantry.  There are always going to be things that are simply out of place – and you need to handle that if you want your house to stay clean and organized. This is where you need The Touch Rule

What’s The Touch Rule? Well, it’s actually deceptively simple. Whatever you touch, you put away. Like all the way away. When you walk into the house, instead of dropping your jacket on the couch, you hang it up. You put the mail in the mail spot & put your shoes wherever they go. You put everything you touched away. Simple right?

Kind of like decluttering except it’s not a big project. The Touch Rule is more of a lifestyle habit – something you just do. When you touch something where should it go? Don’t overthink it.

Now with all that being said, if you want a step-by-step guide to declutter your entire house, read my post, How to Declutter Your House – The Smart Way!

2. GET LAUNDRY UNDER CONTROL WITH *THESE* HACKS

Laundry is a headache for most people I know. The most common thing I hear is that there’s just too much of it to handle!  Keeping laundry managed is an often overlooked part of keeping a clean and organized home. But if you can keep the laundry managed, you can keep the entire house under control!

Think about how messy huge mountains of clothing look. How much of your time does it take to get the laundry under control? Do you ever get it under control? Let’s solve this problem once & for all with simple laundry hacks.

START HERE TO STAY ON TOP OF LAUNDRY

  • I personally do one load of laundry a day. One load a day is very manageable for even the busiest people.
  • Have a spare laundry basket ready for items that need to be “washed now.”  Think your workout clothing, the kids’ team uniforms or super soiled clothing in general.
  • Your jeans really don’t need to be washed after every wear.  Unless they are terribly smelly, spray them with a fabric refresher (I LOVE the Love + Home + Planet brand!) & hang them up – you can get at least 2-3 wears between washes.  
  • Another item that can be used a few times before washing – bath towels!  You can use those 3-5 days before swapping them out for a new one. Oh and keep a separate basket for towels too!
  • Wash all of your clothes together! That’s right, I’m telling you not to sort your clothes. You can only do this with special types of laundry color catchers but it can be done! This will save you so much time!
  • Drastically cut down on your laundry time by using dryer balls! This is my favorite hack because it saves me time and money but helping my clothes dry so much faster. I alternate between tennis balls and these wool dryer balls to get the job done.

If you want to learn the secrets to cleaning your entire house fast, you should check out my post: how to clean your entire house in 2 hours! It’s a game changer!

 3. EASILY HAVE A CLEAN AND ORGANIZED HOUSE BY EMBRACING MINIMALISM

The true spirit of minimalism is simply having items that bring value to your life & discarding what no longer serves a purpose in your life.  Yes, you can still get the crazy Harry Potter mug – you just don’t need twenty! Basically, stop filling your house with junk & useless items!

I like to think of minimalism in terms of buying behavior. I used a minimalistic approach to help me curb my impulsive buying when it came to beauty products. Now, instead of buying whatever catches my eye on a whim, I only buy a new product once I’m officially done with my current one. Can this approach help you too?

The other side of minimalism, kinda like decluttering, is making sure you’re getting rid of things you’ve outgrown. By doing this, your house is always a current reflection of where you are in life. Less junk makes for a cleaner, easily organized house – minimalism for the win!

CRAFT THE RIGHT MINDSET ABOUT YOUR HOUSE

Make your home look the way you want it to look. You see the drool-worthy pictures of other people’s homes on social media – so why not recreate that look for yourself? Cute decor is everywhere at all price points. Make your home loveable & you’ll definitely be motivated to keep your baby clean and organized!

YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO READ // The Smart Girl’s Guide To A Clean & Organized House – 5 Drool-Worthy, Must-Have Things You Need To Get Now!  Who should read this?  Anyone that wants to learn smart ways to set up their home so that it stays clean. 

 4. CLEAN YOUR HOUSE WITH PRODUCTS YOU’LL ENJOY USING

HOW TO HAVE A CLEAN AND ORGANIZED HOUSE

If you hate cleaning, this is huge! Having nice tools will certainly make the tasks wildly – ok maybe just noticeably more – enjoyable! Spend a few extra dollars on a better vacuum or just some decent cleaning towels & you’ll see what I mean.

PURCHASING POINTERS

  • Your floor tools, including your vacuum, broom and/or mops, should be able to bring a smile to your face.  Splurge a little and you won’t regret it. Never buy the cheapest! And always buy wide, XL or long floor mops or brooms — doing so will speed up your floor cleaning time.
  • There are a lot of great non-toxic cleaners available. Something about using natural cleaners makes me feel good inside. I actually love Method and Mrs. Meyer’s all-purpose & wood cleaning products!
  • The Shark vs Dyson debate has a clear answer – in my humble opinion.  If your home is mostly carpeted, get a Shark.  If it’s mostly hardwoods, get a Dyson.  Just be sure to shop around because prices for these bad boys vary wildly from store to store.     
  • Get inspiration for how you are going to organize certain areas before purchasing containers. Make whatever area you want to organize beautiful by buying pieces or sets that are complementary to your home and current decor. Large baskets always come in handy!

CREATE AN EPIC FAIL-PROOF CLEANING CADDY // all-purpose cleaner + apron + bucket + caddy + disposable gloves + extension cord + floor cleanerfurniture polish + glass towel + high duster + microfiber towels + mold & mildew remover + mop + pumice stone + scour sponges + small trash bags + soft scrub + tile & grout brush + vacuum

5. FOLLOW A SIMPLE CLEANING SCHEDULE FOR A CLEANER HOUSE

How to have a clean and organized house

Remember, the key to having a clean and organized house is building good habits. Following routines are the intentional way to do that – basically, you’re setting aside time to do something over and over again until eventually, it becomes a habit.

Set aside 30 minutes a day to clean something in the house. Set aside 30 minutes a day to make sure everything is still organized in a particular area of the house – like your desk. Mine get’s crazy so I have to stay on top of it!

Just remember that you’ll need to perform the routine quite frequently in order for it to really “stick” and become natural. 

You may want to check out my very popular Daily, Weekly & Monthly Cleaning Schedule With A Simple Morning Routine (built into the schedule).

MAKING CLEANING ROUTINES WORK FOR YOU

  • When following a routine, try it as-is a few times and see how everything flows.  From there, mold and tweak that routine until it’s a perfect fit for you!
  • Don’t overload yourself with too many routines at once!  In your quest to get your house (life) together, take it one step or routine at a time.  If you take on too much, you’ll run the risk of not making any of your routines stick or worse, abandoning all the routines and making zero progress.  

And if you work from home, creating a cleaning routine that works with how you work can be an anxiety-inducing challenge. Luckily, our friends at Redfin gathered some home organizing & lifestyle experts, including moi, to dish out some much-needed advice on how to keep your home office clean – or just under control. (Yes, it can be done even if you’re a workaholic!)

READ | How To Have A Clean House For Life.  It’s a huge list of simple ideas & habits you can start using literally today to help you have a house that virtually stays clean forever!

Cleaning Planner Printables

6. BUY FURNITURE THAT IS FUNCTIONAL TO KEEP YOUR HOME ORGANIZED

how to keep your house tidy

It’s a great idea to buy furniture that doubles as storage, but I want to give you a word of caution.  Sometimes, having too many storage options can turn into trouble so just make sure you’re storing items that add value to your life and not junk.

However, if you approach this wisely, it is a great way to keep items in your home neat, tidy & organized. Below are four ideas for furniture & decor that are both beautiful & functional!

  • Storage benches and ottomans are an absolute must-have.  Luckily there are plenty of trendy options available which means you can really have fun with these options & use them anywhere in the house!
  • Storage baskets — I truly can’t live without baskets! They are in every single room of my home. Big, small, short, tall – they are the secret weapon to creating a more organized home. When in doubt about where something should go, drop it into a basket!
  • Clear containers are also huge for organizing. If you’re like me and have a hundred pairs of shoes, clear containers are heaven sent! Wait, I also use clear containers in my pantry & bathroom cabinets. Ok, so I stand corrected – clear containers are life-changing!

 7. PREP WHENEVER POSSIBLE TO KEEP YOUR HOUSE TIDY

To keep a clean & organized house requires time. If you’re not organized – I’m talking about your life here – you probably feel like you never have enough time to do anything, but you do.

HERE A FEW WAYS YOU CAN PREP TO HELP BALANCE WORK + LIFE + HOME FOR BETTER TIME MANAGEMENT

Getting outfits ready for the week, meal prepping, gathering everything you’ll need in the morning at night and planning out your days more precisely with time blocking are excellent ways to prep. Doing these things give you more time to balance work, life & home which is absolutely necessary for a clean house.

 8. PREVENT & TREAT STAINS ASAP WITH A STAIN REMOVER

No matter how clean or messy your house is, stains will always stick out like a sore thumb!  The next time you get a stain on your shirt, sofa, carpet or where ever, be ready by always having a stain remover ready to grab.  Stains scream dirty so let’s make sure we don’t let stains hang around! 

PRO TIP | PREVENT STAINS BEFORE THEY HAPPEN

  • Do yourself a huge favor and pretreat upholstered furniture in the home with a stain repellant so that stains don’t get a chance to set in!  The application process is usually pretty straightforward and will greatly extend the life of your furniture or carpets.  A mega win in my book!
  • Here is a great, 5-star option for a stain guard product that you may want to take a look at called Trinova Stain Guard from Amazon. I have three kids running around so this or a little 3M is always close by.

9. HOUSE RULES CAN HELP YOU CREATE A CLEAN & ORGANIZED HOUSE

How to have a tidy and organized home

Your home is your castle, but that doesn’t mean you can live without order your majesty!  If your house is unorganized and dirty, you can easily get it cleaned once you know where to start.  But in order to keep it clean and organized, you’re going to need to set some rules! 

A FEW GOOD HOUSE RULES TO HELP KEEP THE HOUSE CLEAN

The people you see that have seemingly perfect homes don’t get them by wishing for them – they work for it but it’s easier to do than you think!  Here are a few good rules to follow:

  • Keep shoes at the door to help cut down on dirt and grime tracked throughout the house.
  • Limit eating & drinking to designated areas. This cuts down on the chance of stains and other avoidable messes.
  • Make your mornings easier by making sure dishes are placed in the dishwasher or hand washed every evening before going to bed.
  • Personal items in common areas at the end of the day is a no-no. Take your crap to your room.
  • Toys are a pain to clean up so limit them to bedrooms or toy rooms. And make sure your kids get into the habit of picking up after themselves.

10. LET’S GO LABEL CRAZY

Creating new habits to create a clean & organized house is exciting & fun – until you get busy, start to forget, lose enthusiasm, forget it was even a goal, and then wake up one day with the goal to get your house clean & organized once and for all – again lol.

Regardless of what anyone else says, the #1 key to keeping a clean and organized house is labels – oh and signs too.

WHY YOU NEED LABELS ASAP

When you see that label, not only will it stop you from dropping an item in the wrong place, you’re going to want to find the perfect home for it. Thus a spot will be picked & a new label will be created just for that item.

If you want to get in the habit of turning on the dishwasher every evening at 7pm, make a sign & plaster it everywhere. Want to get into the habit of making the bed every morning? Make signs & you guessed it – plaster them everywhere! Labels and signs are powerful hacks that will help you keep your house clean & organized all the time.

IDEAS FOR USING LABELS & SIGNS TO KEEP YOUR HOUSE CLEAN & ORGANIZED

Use a paint pen to quickly & easily label containers – this is so cute!

Photo + Tip + Cred

Easily recreate this super cute look even if you’re short on time! All you need are: Paint Pens + Glass Jars With Airtight Lids!

Who would think that one of the wildest places in the house, the linen closet, could be tamed with chalkboard labels + baskets!

Photo + Tip + Cred

This is a fabulous example of doing more with less! You don’t need a ton of baskets & containers to tame your wild spaces. To pull off a look this look, all you need are chalkboard labels + small square baskets + large square baskets + a hamper + an over the door hook!

👉 If you want an idea of how to use signs, boom! Create attention-getting signs anywhere in the house with chalkboard or dry erase boards.

Photo + Tip + Cred

What I love about chalkboard signs is that they go with almost any decor & they have a way of making your house really feel like home. If you want to recreate this look you can try chalkboard paper so that you turn any surface into a sign or just grab a chalkboard sign – oh, and don’t forget to get chalk markers!

Top Selling Items This Week!

  • Dye Catchers Cut down how long it takes to do laundry with these! Toss everything into the washing machine and get on to all the other things. Without worrying about those whites turning pink.
  • Scotch Brite Non-Scratch Scrubbers If I have to choose between these & my husband, I’m definitely taking the scrubbers. They seriously do allllllll the work when it’s time to clean. Unlike him.
  • Window/Glass Cleaning Cloths Ok, if you believe it’s impossible to have streak-free mirrors or glass, prepare to be impressed. You don’t even need window cleaner with these things. Just a little water & shizam. All clear.
  • The Roboroc Robot Vacuum It sweeps, mops and is soo smart, it avoids both cat puke & dog terds 🤯. If you have pets, you know that’s huge. It’s also $30 off right now.

Top Blog Posts This Week!

How to Deep Clean A Bathroom Super Fast

How to Clean A Very Dirty Bedroom in 7-Steps

The Fail-Proof Cleaning Schedule For Working Moms

Good things are meant to be shared! Save this to your Pinterest account so you can actually find it later and so others can see you’ve got all the good stuff!

how to have a clean and organized house
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