How To Keep House Clean Without It Taking Over Your Life, Honey

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Knowing how to keep house clean daily without it taking over sounds life-changing, doesn’t it?  Because, let’s face it, stinky laundry, dirty dishes, and dusty spaces aren’t going away.  AmIright?  Please hear this… my house is never perfectly clean – just ask the fam.  The better question I love answering is “What is the fastest way to clean a house daily so it will stay that way?” I’ve discovered ways to keep a fairly tidy house on the daily AND without it stressing me out or taking over my life.  I can’t wait to show you how I “get it done” quickly! 

view of woman wiping counter - keep house clean daily



HOW TO KEEP HOUSE CLEAN DAILY

Let’s get one thing clear… my house is not perfect – ever!  I like a tidy home but it’s certainly very “lived in.”  And that’s OK! I have struggled greatly through the years with always feeling like our house was a mess and praying that no one would show up unexpectedly.  I remember have many near panic attacks when I’d hear a vehicle in the drive or a knock on the door.

One day, I decided that I needed to figure out an easy system where our home would at least be decent if unexpected company arrived.  I have to finally resolve (with small kids) that as long as the living space and kitchen were picked up and tidy, friends and family would overlook the rest.

But I have figured out a few hacks that have become little habits that make me happy with my home – without wasting time or stressing about it always.  Perfection is not allowed around here when it comes to housecleaning.  

HOW TO KEEP HOUSE CLEAN DAILY SERIES

Guess what?!  This is the first in a new homemaking series for the working and stay-at-home women that just want to not only know how to keep house clean the fastest way possible and freedom from cleaning all the time.  If there’s a ‘shortcut’ in cooking or cleaning, I’m gonna find it and ride it to the moon!  Here a peek at this series:

  • Prepare our hearts and home now
  • How do you clean ceiling fans FAST without mess everywhere
  • Keeping clean toilets without being a constant toilet bowl cleaner
  • Organize the refrigerator quick & easy & quit wasting food
  • How to stay ahead of dirty laundry & actually enjoy it!
view of laundry on a clothesline for how to keep house clean

FORGET PERFECTION

I’ve never wanted a home that is museum-like with cold, lifeless rooms that look as if no one really lives there. But I have fallen into the trap of feeling less-than-enough because I couldn’t seem to keep our home from looking like a train wreck.  

I finally learned that my family appreciates the coziness of a lived-in home more than living with a woman who’s grouchy all of the time trying to keep it perfect.

Conviction much?!  Yeah, I still have to fight that “guilty” mindset and remember that there are more things in life than a perfectly-groomed home.  These days, I have my simple habits in place so that most of the house is decent most of the time (just don’t go snooping around my closets though where all the stuff that doesn’t have a home gets crammed sometimes).

FORGET THE EXCESS

Too much stuff makes me crazy, but I still have to work at de-cluttering because stuff just has a way of sneaking in, doesn’t it?  I’ve found that how to keep house clean includes less stuff that is around the first place, the easier it is to organize and keep home tidy.  A great place to start clearing out the clutter is to read anything by Joshua Becker.

FORGET YOUR TIMELINE

Start in one room at a time to de-clutter.  Do the same with cleaning.  Just like with parenting, you have to pick your battles and stick with it.  Which room does your family spend the most time in?  Declutter and clean that one room today.  Tomorrow, move to the next room on the list.  Don’t try to do everything in one day!

Q&A – COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT KEEPING HOUSE CLEAN

  1. How do you keep your house clean all the time?  As I said before… I don’t.  I worry a little too much about germs most days, so I like to think that things are clean, mostly germ-free, and I try to keep the main rooms tidy.  I straighten up first thing in the morning, and before I go to bed.  The rest of the time, I am happy knowing that my family’s home is comfortable and lived in.
  2. What is the fastest way to clean a house?  Whether I have just a sink of dishes, a stack of laundry, or a full room to clean, I love to set a timer and try to beat it.  I make it a game and involve family members when they are home.  It’s pretty fun, actually.
  3. How to keep your house clean and organized when working full time?  Refer back to the part in #1 about how I have a morning and night routine.  That’s what I did when I was working outside the home daily.
  4. How to keep a clean house schedule?  After much practice, I have certain things that I make sure are done in my quick morning and night routine.  Besides those daily cleaning chores, I decide which more time-consuming chore is most pressing for that day… scrubbing bathrooms, cleaning ceilings fans, clean blinds, mop floors, etc.  After my two daily pickups and one time-consuming chore each day, I’m pretty pleased with what gets accomplished each week.  That’s the only schedule I keep.  Anything more complicated and it stresses me out!  😉

YOU MAY NEED…

As mentioned in the scrubbing bathrooms link above, there’s nothing better to me to clean gross toilets than clinging bleach gel toilet bowl cleaner.  Not only does it kill the nasty germs, but you can squeeze it and forget it.  If you haven’t read my toilet bowl cleaner post, do that now!

my fave toilet cleaner

One of the major ways of how to keep house clean is cutting down on the dust and pollen in our home, so I use two weapons… dust magnets and dust catchers.  😉

Related:


Do you have any secrets you’d like to share on how to clean house without losing your sanity?  Let me hear from you in the comments!


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Shan

Published on HuffPost, Okefenokee Living Magazine, and more, Shan is a Family Travel Journalist with a passion for helping women lose the overwhelm of planning family-friendly trips in the south. She shares travel reviews & insider secrets that Women REALLY want to know about Georgia, Florida, & the Carolinas vacations.

☕️ It’s THE REAL DEAL around here ☕️

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9 Comments

  1. Gaby
    December 5, 2017 / 7:21 am

    I’ve been meaning to declutter my space for a while now, yet I keep putting it off. Thanks for these actionable tips!

  2. Ayanna
    December 5, 2017 / 2:17 pm

    I am definitely looking forward to this series. I have been on a decluttering kick lately and play to get rid of a lot more before the new year.

  3. Becca
    December 6, 2017 / 8:10 am

    I’m such a hoarder, I definitely need to de-clutter one of these days. I basically keep everything & anything that has even a tiiiny bit of sentimental value, haha

  4. Kristen Raney
    December 6, 2017 / 8:41 am

    I need that post about staying on top of laundry!! I am the worst!!

  5. Ericka
    December 6, 2017 / 10:05 am

    These tips are so helpful. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with cleaning my house and with two kids that are constantly bringing new toys out. My main place to be cleaning is always the kitchen and the floors its like I never even clean that space. Im taking your tips into consideration today.

  6. Wendy
    December 6, 2017 / 2:39 pm

    Great tips! Looking forward to the series. It’s hard to stay on top with a full time job and a blog on the side. will keep all of this mind.

  7. Jazz
    December 6, 2017 / 9:41 pm

    I definitely agree with all of your points. My house is rarely a mess–though I do live alone, which helps!

  8. Mike
    December 23, 2017 / 1:20 pm

    Maintaining a clean home is so much easier than letting it get a mess and trying to do it all at once. I particularly like the idea of a Rumba vacuum to keep tabs on the vacuuming. Doesn’t replace doing a thorough vacuuming, but keeps things clean enough while you focus on other things.

  9. Dennis N. Rutledge
    November 8, 2018 / 1:38 am

    Great round up of tips. I’ve been feeling the itch to do some deep spring cleaning. So these are perfect!

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