Better Cleaning Habits for a Cleaner Home

There aren’t many people who actually love cleaning, tidying, or otherwise organizing. There’s a reason these tasks are often referred to as chores. But love it or hate it, cleaning every now and then is necessary to keep your home livable. While seasonal deep cleaning is an important step to keeping on top of your space and its inevitable messes, there are also some easy ways to tackle necessary household chores without letting them build up to epic proportions. That’s where developing cleaner habits comes into play.

Habit building involves making daily changes little by little and slowly integrating them into your routine — a worthwhile endeavor, especially for those of us who tend to put off cleaning until becomes an almost insurmountable task best left to a massive seasonal clear-out. But how can we develop these habits and stick to them? What are the best approaches to living a cleaner lifestyle?

Below are some of our best tips for developing a cleaner, less stressful lifestyle:

When is a Chore Not a Chore?

This may seem like a riddle, especially for those of us who tend to avoid household tasks like the plague. But cheer up — this is actually a riddle that’s worth solving, especially if you want to develop more approachable cleaning goals. The key? Integrate everyday tasks into your routine without fuss and fanfare. This will take some of the stigma out of even the most annoying “chores.” Start small. Think making the bed every morning, doing the dishes after every meal, tidying one corner, area, or section at a time, and cleaning as you go. Taking these so-called chores and integrating them into your daily routine may seem like a small step, but overall, they add up to a big difference when they become commonplace.

Making “To-Do” Work for You

Developing smaller, more approachable cleaning habits is a great way to integrate simple daily tasks into your daily routine. But what happens when even the smallest tasks feel overwhelming, never mind those larger cleaning projects you’ve been pushing off for who knows how long? This is where to-do lists come into play. Setting goals is a good way to help you manage both your time and your tasks, and completing them can give you a real sense of accomplishment without using up all your energy. Use the time that you have to complete attainable tasks, and once that time is up, move on.

A Little Goes a Long Way

Everyone has days when they have neither the time nor the energy to devote themselves to anything. The key is to not stress over what you can’t accomplish, but what you can and do accomplish, even if it’s the simplest and smallest of tasks.

Five-Minute Rule

Got five minutes? This may seem like no time at all, but it’s often enough to get something productive done, and believe it or not, it can also contribute to those good habit-forming routines. If you see something that’s out of place, put it away. If you see a dusty surface, wipe it off. Even these seemingly minuscule tasks can add up over time and leave you feeling like you got something accomplished. All it takes is a quick five minutes.

The Empty Hands Rule

There’s a reason why this habit often makes the list when it comes to tips and tricks for a cleaner home. That’s because it works. The “rule” is simple: never leave a room empty-handed. Almost everyone has things around the house that are out of place; an errant coffee cup here, a pair of shoes there. Whatever the item, chances are there’s something that can be picked up and put away in a matter of seconds. Simply make a point of scanning the room and grabbing said item on your way out of the room. It’s a relatively easy habit to form, and it keeps you cleaning in small doses.

Sometimes it can feel overwhelming to tackle even the most mundane household chores — after all, who really loves cleaning? But by developing better cleaning habits that integrate seamlessly into your daily routine, even the most hands-off house cleaner can keep a tidier home.