When we think of how to spend our Saturdays, we often think about how we should be cleaning the house. But how often are you actually getting around to it?
When I used to think about all the steps involved in how to clean my house, I would get completely overwhelmed and end up not doing anything. Breaking it down helped, so here are some tips on how to clean your house so that it’s sparkling and fresh on a regular basis!
Or, you know, at least mostly tidy and clean most of the time.
Why it’s important to clean your house
It’s important to clean your house for a number of reasons. Obviously, we want a clutter-free and clean house. But let’s take a look at why it’s important to actually DO the household chores and daily tasks…
- Cleaning allows us to live healthier lives by removing germs and hazardous materials from our homes.
- Good housekeeping also helps create feelings of wellness and accomplishment, which encourages positivity in other areas of our lives.
- A clean home contributes to a safe and welcoming atmosphere for our family and friends.
House cleaning inspiration
Before it’s time to clean, you have to get motivated!
If you have a problem with a dirty AND cluttered house, you’ll want to read 7 Ways to Get Motivated to Clean and Declutter. Sometimes ‘cleaning’ actually begins with digging down through the clutter to the surfaces that need attention. But that can be mentally difficult, so we put it off. These tips and tricks should help.
Or… maybe we ‘just don’t wanna’ because our brains are full, yet there’s actually no reason on earth why we don’t do the work. How To Stop Being Lazy and Clean My House: Solutions for the Overwhelmed provides a little bit of tough love and ideas to break through the mental wall.
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Sometimes when we’re overwhelmed by all the dirt and mess, we just need ideas for how to make cleaning easier. Here are 10 tips that should help you with that!
You can never go wrong with a good inspirational quote to get you moving! Motivational Quotes For Cleaning: 20 Positive Clean Home Sayings might be exactly what you need for finding that ‘spark’ to help you get to work.
For even more season-specific motivation, you’ll love these 24 Spring Cleaning Quotes That Might Actually Motivate You To Clean!
And finally, check out Cleaning Motivation Tips: 7 Ways To Stop Procrastinating and Channel Your Inner Neat Freak for even MORE motivation.
Haha. Yes, it’s true… getting started is OFTEN the most difficult part of cleaning! Once we get up and get going, the job is usually easier and faster than we expected.
When it comes to housekeeping, even the smallest job makes a difference!
How to clean your house
When it’s time to clean my home, I like to keep things simple. Honestly, I never clean the whole house at once.
Because I’m often tired, cleaning can seem overwhelming. If low energy is preventing you from cleaning, this post may help: 7 Practical Ways To Get the Energy to Clean Your House
One of the best ways to stay consistent with cleaning is to use a home cleaning schedule printable. I keep mine on the refrigerator in a magnetic page protector. That way I can use a wet-erase marker (I prefer them over dry-erase markers) to check off my tasks, then erase everything at the end of the week to start fresh.
Many of us who have a problem with staying on a consistent cleaning schedule also tend to have clutter issues. Cleaning when there’s clutter is a little different, and this post will walk you through how to begin: How To Start Cleaning A Cluttered House
Unexpected company popping in soon? Having an action plan really helps when you need to keep yourself on track for cleaning your messy house quickly. Check out How to Clean a Cluttered House Fast: The One-Hour Cheater Method
These 19 Cleaning Hacks That Will Make Keeping A Clean Home Easier might be just the incentive to try something new and get excited about doing some cleaning today.
How often should I be cleaning my house?
Well, I hate to break it to you, but it’s actually easier if you do some things every single day. I promise it’s not that hard! These 4 Fast + Simple Habits to Keep a Clean and Tidy Home will help you get into a good habit of keeping up with little things on a daily basis.
For a more detailed checklist, click here for a free daily + weekly home cleaning schedule that will be delivered right to your email.
But not all cleaning tasks need to be done every day or week. Some are more seasonal, which can also be time for a more thorough cleaning. This Simple Fall Cleaning Checklist To Get Your Home Ready For Cooler Weather is a good example of seasonal cleaning.
And of course, we’re familiar with the classic idea of spring cleaning. Here are 9 spring cleaning tips that make the process simple and (almost) enjoyable even if you would *always* rather skip spring cleaning.
Favorite Cleaning Supplies
Everyone has those favorite cleaning products and tools that make the job just a little easier. Here are some of the things I use:
Method Products: I use the all-purpose spray cleaner (which also works fairly decently on glass), the Wood for Good daily cleaner, and the foaming hand soap every day.
I also love the bamboo-scented antibac spray cleaner, but a little scent goes a long way… You don’t want to douse your entire bathroom with it or clean every single door handle and light switch in the entire house at once.
*Tip: You can refill the foaming soap pump with some dish soap and water several times before having to replace it with a fresh container.
Concentrated Murphy’s Oil Soap is a great all-purpose cleaner. I keep a spray bottle with a slightly heavy-duty mix on hand for quick cleanups. It’s also a good floor cleaner, especially with the amazing O-Cedar EasyWring spin microfiber mop.
There’s pretty much zero chance I’m going to vacuum the entire house and mop every day. But I have pets and live in a dust-magnet house, so I love my lightweight Swiffer sweeper and heavy-duty refills (a DIY version works if the floors aren’t too bad).
Even if I don’t get every corner, I can quickly zip around and stay on top of the worst of the dust tumbleweeds and pet hair.
Bar Keeper’s Friend: This stuff is magic for stubborn stains and rust in my stainless steel kitchen sink and does pretty well with burned-on stovetop messes. It’s also perfect for removing rust stains from the white porcelain bathroom sinks when we forget to fill the water softener.
Cleaning with this product is also the ONLY time I ever use a sponge (I think they’re really disgusting) — and it’s usually this one by Scotch-Brite.
Want to know about ALL the cleaning supplies and tools I use? Here you go… ‘What Do I Need To Clean My House?’ My List Of Essential Cleaning Supplies
Need more help for regular cleaning? My 27-page Essential Cleaning Planner has everything you need!
This cleaning planner was designed to take the stress out of cleaning. Create your personal scaled-down cleaning plan, or use the checklists as-is to stay on top of the exact cleaning and maintenance tasks that will keep your home clean and comfortable.
Next Steps…
If you’ve started to neglect how often you clean your house, now is the time to get back on track. With these tips and ideas, you can get motivated and jump right in on doing the cleaning that will make the most difference for a tidy house right away!
Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect! A ‘clean-enough’ home can still be living space that is plenty clean and comfortable.
You’ve got this!
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