Now that everyone is cooped in their own homes having a clean living space has become much more important because of all the pandemic restrictions. As more and more people also stay in for work-from-home, remote work setups, or online classes, a clean home is necessary to be more conducive at work to maximize efficiency. Even for non-working people, it just generally is nice to be living in a cleaner environment.
Here are 8 habits you should pick up to always have a clean home:
1. Making the bed first thing in the morning
You have probably already read this in almost most self-help blogs and books, and it might have gotten to be cliche, but there are tremendous benefits in picking up the habit of making the bed start your day.
There is a science to this; aside from better sleep and better rest, studies from the National Sleeping Survey and other surveys found that in addition to increased productivity, bed makers experience brighter moods, tidier and cleaner homes, and it has reduced their stress levels.
Admiral William McRaven said in a 2014 commencement speech at the University of Texas, “Making your bed every morning makes you have accomplished your day’s first house chore, and that will give you a sense of satisfaction. It will give you the encouragement to do another house chore or task. At the end of your day, several tasks are completed starting from one. Make your bed every day, and it will reinforce you to do more things.”
2. Clean as you go
This is probably plastered all around schools and workplace cafeterias, but CLAYGO (Clean As You GO) should also be enforced inside your home as well. Cleaning as you cook or going about your day ensures that your place is always tidied up and clean. Even the simple act of putting used plates, utensils, and glasses in the sink as soon as you finish eating or throwing disposable stuff as soon as you’re done using them does wonders in keeping your place clean.
3. Have a designated place for your stuff
Aside from knowing where to put your stuff and not misplacing them, having a designated place for your things ensures your place is kept tidy and arranged. For example, you could designate a shelf, a cabinet drawer, or even a box for your stationery or office supplies., or properly segregating your kitchen utensils in kitchen cupboards by their use is really important. Even simply designating a cup or container or placing a keyholder near your door to place your keys on goes a long way to keep things organized.
4. Putting tools and utensils in their proper places after use
In relation to the previous point of picking up the habit of designating a place to arrange your stuff, make it a point to return them to their proper place after every use. Aside from keeping your home tidy, the whole point of keeping these things together is to make sure you know where your things are. Having this habit guarantees you know where your things are, and you don’t end up turning your entire house upside down to look for your scissors or bottle opener.
5. Sweeping and wiping surfaces every day
Now, this might sound like an exhausting chore already, but sweeping your floors and wiping surfaces that you come in contact with regularly every day is kind of what makes or breaks how clean you feel your living space or home is. Doing this every day also prevents dust build-up, becoming challenging to clean if it gets thick enough. This becomes extra important if you keep a furry pet like a dog or a cat. A regular sweep will take your mind off doing heavier tasks and keeps your home generally clean.
6. Cleaning appliances regularly
Your handy-dandy appliances that make your life easier need some regular loving too. Pick up the habit of cleaning out your refrigerators, coffee makers, even stoves, ovens or toasters, washing machines, dryers, and other appliances every week, or deep clean them every month or so. Cleaning appliances out regularly is essential to make sure dirt and other icky stuff don’t build up. They also last longer and work better if kept in a condition where they are regularly cleaned and maintained.
7. Doing laundry often
Do not wait for your hampers to pile up high before deciding to do your laundry. Some people wait until they don’t have anything clean to wear anymore before deciding to do their laundry in one go. Not only is this improper hygiene, doing your laundry little by little actually saves you a lot more time and ensures you always have something clean to wear. If you already have an in-house washing machine and dryer, you could do your laundry as soon as they are enough for a single load. You could also go to commercial laundry outlets like Liox if you don’t have a washer and dryer. Just drop them off and come back for them or schedule when they could do it for you. For heavier linens and textiles like curtains, bedsheets, and duvets, availing laundry service is needed to clean these out, as they also must be laundered regularly.
8. Making a quick comb before going to sleep
No, not combing your hair, but to take a quick run-through of your place before hitting the hay. Making a swoop of checking for things to tuck away or prepare before going to sleep quickly is a habit you should also start picking up. You could make a quick comb by closing (or opening, depending on your preference, really) curtains, putting stuff in their places, arranging shoes, coats, clothes that you might have missed to tuck away and during the day. You could also prepare the things you need to bring or use the next day like preparing your bag and your clothes if you need to go out. This will save you a lot of time the next day and ensures you wake up to a clean and tidy house.
So there you have it! 8 habits you should pick up to keep your home always clean. The entire point of a habit is to pick up and practice small tendencies and actions enough for you to keep doing them consistently. Being tidy and maintaining cleanliness in your home and living space takes work and while it does seem like a lot of work, picking up habits to ensure you keep living clean and tidy keeps the mind out of the novelty of the chore. The key to picking up these habits is to be consistent in doing them.
Now, do the dishes.
