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Women who always have clean homes don’t just magically have an extra 2 hours in the day to keep up with cleaning. They actually work differently to make the most out of the same 24 hours we all have in a day.
These women form habits that naturally fit in their schedules.
Here are 17 quick wins you can turn into habits that will keep your home in a constant state of clean.
1. They Toss Mail Daily
Productive women don’t keep piles of mail or paper.
They routinely toss things they don’t need so there’s no unnecessary clutter in random piles around the house.
Anything that requires action is taken care of immediately or added to their calendar so it gets done.
2. They Work Top to Bottom
Always start with cleaning things from high up so when the dust and gunk falls down, it goes to the next level to be cleaned.
Dust your ceiling/corners first, then fans, then table tops, counters, electronics, appliances, etc., then finally the floors.
Baseboard Hack: When you get to the floors, if it’s time to clean the baseboards, wrap a towel around the bottom of your broom and secure it with a hair tie. Use vinegar to wet the towel and wipe the baseboards while standing. This saves your back and it actually goes faster because you can get the top of the baseboard easily from that angle.
Once the baseboards are done, sweep and mop the floors. If your broom got wet from the vinegar, just use a different broom, use a handheld vacuum or let it dry out before sweeping.
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3. They Focus on One Room
To be the most productive, you shouldn’t move back and forth between rooms when cleaning.
This wastes time because you’re constantly walking back and forth wasting precious time.
Instead, focus on cleaning one entire room before moving to the next. Always try to start with the easiest room first. This would be the room you and your family spend the least amount of time in.
If you start with the room that gets used most often like the kitchen, you’ll lose motivation and steam to get the rest done. Start easy and work your way up to the harder areas.
4. They Keep Cleaning Products Close By
In order to keep a clean home, you need to keep cleaning products easily accessible in each area that requires them.
This way you aren’t always moving them around to get the job done.
I have cleaning products under my sink in the kitchen, under each bathroom sink, and in the linen closet.
Each area has products that make sense for that area and nothing more.
5. They Don’t Have “Stuff”
Women who always have clean homes don’t accumulate “stuff”.
They only have items that either make them happy (decor), productive (appliances that make cooking quick), or are necessary (a toothbrush).
When they buy something new, they get rid of something else so they aren’t constantly adding to the things they have.
Women with clean homes don’t keep excess cleaning products either. They have maybe 1-2 of each product as a backstock and that’s it.
When you do this, you have more room for other things and these areas look organized rather than cluttered.
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6. They Don’t Wear Shoes in the House
I actually have my hubby to thank for this.
Although my mom tried really hard to make this a thing in our house growing up, it didn’t always stick. She constantly had the carpets professionally cleaned because of how much we tracked dirt and germs through the house.
This was a non-negotiable for my hubby. He grew up with no shoes in the house so we’ve adopted it over the years and it does keep the floors cleaner.
Now it’s Nora’s job to remind guests to take their shoes off when they visit. It’s much nicer and cuter when it comes from a 4 year old.
7. They Plan to Clean
Always have a plan if you want to make sure something gets done.
A cleaning schedule is a great way to make this happen. It’s a routine and you know exactly what needs to be done daily, weekly and monthly.
This also ensures that all areas of the house are touched regularly and a deep cleaning can get thrown in as well.
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8. They Clean as they Cook
This is where my hubby and I differ.
When I cook, I think ahead and try to use the least amount of dishes possible and I clean as I go. While something is simmering or baking, I do the dishes, clean the counters, etc.
This works out really well in the end. I have less dishes to do at the end of the night and it’s not as messy in the kitchen.
My hubby on the other hand literally uses as many dishes as his heart desires and does not do any type of cleaning while cooking.
He is 100% focused on the outcome of the food and nothing else.
Although his food is tasty and I don’t complain about the mess (usually), it literally looks like my 4 year old took the food and threw it all over the stovetop and on the counters.
Needless to say, while he’s cooking, I try to clean up around him so I’m not stressed out when he’s done. It’s a team effort.
9. They Don’t Let the Laundry Get out of Control
Productive women who have clean homes never let the laundry get out of control. Ever.
Laundry suuuuuucks. However, it must be done, so don’t fight it. Just have a routine for how often you do it and get it done.
Whether it’s daily or weekly, do it regularly so it doesn’t get out of control.
My favorite is doing a bunch at once and throwing on a t.v. show to take a break while folding it all. At that point at least it’s a mindless chore I can do while getting in some self-care.
10. They Never Ignore a Mess
When something spills, clean it up immediately. When you see a toy on the floor, pick it up right then and put it away.
Don’t let messes sit or walk past them and not do anything about them. Just get it done in the moment.
If you’re constantly in the mode of picking up as you see things, you won’t have an overwhelming amount of things to clean/pick up.
11. They Get Everyone Involved
Involving the entire family spreads the wealth and doesn’t put the burden 100% on mom.
I am a huge advocate for chores early on for kids. The earlier, the better. They learn the importance of being a part of the family, discipline, and they learn to like a clean home.
You don’t have to make it boring.
Turn on a timer, tell them you have to hurry so they can get a reward (t.v. time, iPad, coloring, dessert, etc.) or turn on music and dance.
12. They Delegate The Things They Suck At
This isn’t the same as getting everyone involved.
What I mean here, is narrowing in on the things you are not good at and finding someone else in the family that is good at it or likes it.
Perfect example: The hubby LOVES cooking. It’s literally how he shows his love to people. He is also not good at cleaning, but I am. So, we don’t try to force one another to do the things we hate. Instead, we work together and focus on what we’re good at.
This makes things easier overall and things get done faster because the people who are good at certain things are more efficient at that task.
13. They Don’t Leave Dishes in the Sink
Did you know it takes 20% more time to do the dishes after they’ve sat and accumulated a hard food crust?
Yah, so work smarter, not harder. No need to put in extra elbow grease. Just get it done right after dinner and be done 20% faster!
One of my daily cleaning tasks is the kitchen.
It really isn’t so bad when you keep up with it. I don’t do the floors each night, but I make sure there are no dishes in the sink and the counters are cleared and clean.
14. They Work Smarter Not Harder
I swear Baking Soda and Vinegar are the best cleaning inventions of all time.
Those two plus some boiling hot water make the secret weapon used to easily clean oven tops, microwaves, and sink drains.
Mix baking soda and vinegar with some boiling water and make a paste. Leave the paste on the stovetop or the inside of the microwave for about 30 minutes.
When you’re ready to clean the appliances, the tough work has already been done. Scrub a bit, but mostly just wipe the combo off and viola!
15. They Literally Clean Every Day
I have a daily cleaning schedule and I don’t go to bed until it’s done.
Sure, there’s the occasional day where I’m overly tired or don’t feel 100% and I skip some or most of it, but that’s when I ask for help and the hubby will do it for me.
Having a small list of things to do daily can really help keep up with most of the house. It doesn’t need to take long either, just give yourself an hour max.
It will make all the difference.
When you have a daily list of small items, you’re ready for surprise guests at any time.
16. They Know Where Everything Goes
Every item in the house should have a place to go. This avoids losing anything and there’s no guesswork when picking up around the house.
Know why my hubby never knows where his wallet or keys are? Because he doesn’t have one place that he puts them when he gets home.
Know why I always know where my wallet and keys are? Because I always leave them in my work bag, by the front door, every day when I get home.
I wonder how many minutes the hubby wastes each week looking for his stuff????
17. They Invest in Good Products
Get the good stuff that makes cleaning easier.
Don’t buy cheap cleaning products if you want the product to do more work than you.
Invest in tools and products that are known to cut into the grime and work effectively.
Essential Tools & Products That Get the Job Done:
Vinegar & Baking Soda combo
Borax (for laundry stripping!)
Magic Erasers (love this for oven tops, bathtubs and shower doors)
Reusable Cloths (instead of paper towels!)
Be a Productive Woman Who Always has a Clean Home
To recap, here are the 17 habits we covered of Productive Women Who Always Have Clean Homes
- They Toss Mail Daily
- They Work Top to Bottom
- They Focus on One Room
- They Don’t Have “Stuff”
- They Keep Cleaning Products Close By
- They Don’t Wear Shoes in the House
- They Plan to Clean
- They Clean as they Cook
- They Don’t Let the Laundry Get out of Control
- They Never Ignore a Mess
- They Get Everyone Involved
- They Delegate The Things They Suck At
- They Don’t Leave Dishes in the Sink
- They Work Smarter Not Harder
- They Literally Clean Every Day
- They Know Where Everything Goes
- They Invest in Good Products
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