Getting back into class schedules, homework, working from home for your job and other activities mean juggling massive amounts of details from home, work, and school. If you don’t have a system in place to stay organized and tidy, it will be impossible to keep a clean home at a time in history when cleanliness truly is next to godliness. Forgotten science projects and misplaced permission slips can be troublesome for children and parents alike. Having a system and even a chore sheet can go a long way towards keeping the home tidy so that the cleaning is much more effortless.
We know it can be hard to keep your house clean sometimes, and we understand that is often due to having clutter on countertops and toys on the floor and clothes strewn about the house. Honestly, we get it. It’s very hard for us to clean a home to our professional standards if the home isn’t picked up first. Although your house cannot always be neat and clean, we want to help you with a few tips that make it easier to keep your home stay tidier and sanitary longer.
Tip #1: Tidy as You Go Allows for Less Stress and Fatigue
Visual clutter creates mental clutter. You might think you’ve learned to live with your piles of various clutter, but, honestly, they’re likely to affect you more than you can realize. A messy home is nothing more than a task that you must cross off your list, becoming another stressful part of your already stressful schedule. But it doesn’t have to be a chore or even make it onto a specific To-Do list. How long does it take to pick up the towel(s) on the floor and hang them on the rack while in the bathroom going about your own business? 30-seconds tops! Would it be overly stressful to take a bathroom or kitchen wash towel to wipe down the counter into the sink after putting away the dishes and clutter? It adds 15-30 seconds to your day and buys you hours of peace of mind.
PRO TIP: Don’t leave dishes in the sink overnight unless you absolutely have to do so - going to bed with dirty dishes in the sink is willing yourself into a morning filled with grime. Who wants that kind of morning routine to accompany their morning coffee? Remember the old adage, “A stitch in time, saves 9 [stitches later when the task was put off so long that more work is required].” With a well-organized and tidy home comes the peace of mind you and your family truly deserves!
Tip #2: Use Collection Points for Improved Well-Being
Trash cans are wonderful. Use them. A lot. Throughout the house. One trick that really works magic is to throw things left on the floor into them from room to room. At first, family members may freak out, but if the house rule is that they have to reclaim their items from the waste receptacles before trash day, then you are providing fair warning!
Another tip is to keep laundry hampers in every room. Clothes on the floor or really anywhere other than hung-up in the closet or in a dresser get put into the laundry hamper without consideration. Wash day is coming. Require family members to take their own hampers to the laundry room for washing on wash day and then to fold their own laundry and put it away… otherwise… it goes right back into the hamper.
Furthermore, picking up regularly with simple systems like the ones mentioned above help keep everyone safe. Loose articles of clothing or toys all over the house increase the risk of slips, trips, and falls. Falls and fires are two leading causes of injuries inside homes. If you want to have fun, grab a fire marshall toy hat or badge and patrol your house’s rooms and do regular trip and fire hazard inspections - take pictures of violations on your phone and give family members 24-hours to clean them up. Set up a household points system that rewards fast action… redeemable for activities or fun food items, like Klondike bars.
Tip #3: Keep Microfiber Cloths Handy to Improve Health and Sanitation
A poorly-maintained home is a haven for germs and bacteria. Dust and allergens build up in carpets, beddings, and upholstery over time, contributing to worsening allergies and asthma. If you want to keep yourself and your family healthy, regular cleaning is a must. However, do not jump into vacuuming or dusting your home right away. Give yourself some time to come up with an efficient plan. Tackle an area of your home for 15-minutes each day. Declutter your surfaces first. The more items you have, the harder it is to dust and sanitize. A streamlined aesthetic makes it easier to keep everything truly clean, helping your family’s health. Also, microfiber is a wonderful modern invention that cleans so well and lasts so long, that you really ought to buy a pack of these magical cloths from your closest department store or through Amazon. Use them with water to clean up messes and wipe down counters. If you are ready to get started, here are the nine dirtiest areas in your home to take into consideration.
And remember, that life is too short to spend it cleaning, so leave the heavy dirt removal to us! Get started with a professional maid on your side through our cleaning quote service here. Just remember, the more you declutter prior to your cleaning with us, the more we can focus on what we do best!
Tip #4 - Putting Items Away Improves Focus and Productivity
When everything is in order, your mind finds it easier to get stuff done. Do you need more proof that your space directly impacts your productivity? Check out this study on the way visual stimuli compete for your attention. Have a house rule - if you pull something out, then put it back where you found it when you are done with it. Sounds simplistic, but this one little habit will transform your living environment. Go back to Tip #1 and you’ll realize that 15-30 seconds more of effort on the front end will save you a day of work on the back end.
Purchase storage cubbies or bins to help everyone in the house know that everything has a place. This will help everyone know when something is out of place and help as a team to keep things picked up and put back and away. Out of sight is truly out of mind.
Once adults or children find themselves in a well-organized environment, they will always know where and how to find what they need, which gives them more time to study and relax. At the end of the day, a night of good sleep on a clean bed will allow children to maximize their potential in school and adults their performance in their jobs.
Do the benefits of a clean home put a little drive in your chore-handling step? Do these tips help empower you not to feel so overwhelmed with small steps? If you want a professional team always on your side, remember You've Got Maids of Northern Virginia! We’ll be happy to get you started and serve Fairfax and Loudoun Counties. While you focus on keeping the house tidy, we will focus on making your home clean and healthy. Together, your home could be peace of mind in every corner.
