I’m the first to admit I’m not the neatest person the world. For a time I was. Growing up, everything had a place and there was a place for everything. Down to the mini horse figurines arranged perfectly on my desk! But somewhere in the teens that all went out the window and I’ve struggled to stay on top of messes ever since. But now that I’m a mom (why does it still feel so weird to say that?! My kid is nearly three,) it’s dawned on me that I finally need to get my act together. It’s not cute to have your house looking like it’s run like a teenager when there are no teens in sight. So I’ve slowly but surely begun putting intention around my neatness goals. Just saying “I want to be neat and organized” isn’t enough. That leaves way too much wiggle room. Instead, I’m making specific to-do’s for every room our house. I figure if I master these tips, by the time my kiddo starts his first day of pre-school, I might finally look like I have my sh** together. Fingers crossed.

I also thought a little moral support would both keep me honest and keep me motivated to practice what I’m preaching. So I want to share the 10 tips I’m using to keep my domicile looking, well, civilized.

IN THE KITCHEN

10 cleaning tips

Clean as you go. The secret to keeping a tidy kitchen? Never let it get dirty! Think of your kitchen like they do in a restaurant. It starts the day in tiptop shape and ends the day in tiptop shape. That way you never find yourself overwhelmed by crazy mess. Accomplishing this goal requires the following:

Wipe up spills as soon as they happen. This is especially true around the stove or in the oven. You don’t want to let that stuff get caked on. I love a good scrubber to get off the sticky mess my cooking tends to leave behind.

Wash pots, pans, knives and the like as you’re cooking. Whenever you finish with a pot throw it in the sink with some water and soap. As something bakes, sautés or marinates you can give that pan a quick rinse and put it away.

Immediately fill the dishwasher and put everything back where it came from. Force yourself to take the two or three minutes after you finish eating – you know that time when all you want to do is grab your wine and sink into the couch – but quickly load the dishwasher and put away any remaining cooking implements or ingredients. Then, and only then, is it wine time.

By implementing these tips, you’ll be ready to settle into your binge-watching sesh after giving the counter one final quick wipe.

IN THE BATHROOM

10 cleaning tips

Cleaning the bathroom is quite possibly my least favorite thing of all the things. But is it really anyone’s favorite? I can’t imagine. Thankfully, if you’re diligent about implementing a few quick cleaning tips, you can avoid the dreaded deep cleaning session.

Wipe down counters and hardware daily. Be it in the morning after you get up, or just before you head to bed, give your counters a quick wipe down. Sometimes that might mean simply drying them off. But if you got a little overzealous with your dry shampoo or some toothpaste spilled in the sink, grab a spritz a little good smelling cleaner on there and you’ll get all that grime off in one swipe.

Clean the toilet more regularly. If you’re like me, you don’t think to clean a toilet until it needs it, aka when it’s really bad. But if you take 60 seconds at least once a week to give it a quick clean you won’t ever hit the gross-out point. I never have to worry about the state of my toilet if an unexpected guest drops in.

Give all surfaces a thorough clean weekly. This includes the mirror, the floors, the tub and shower walls. This will fight against soap scum buildup and that layer of film from the various beauty products we all use.

IN THE BEDROOM

Apt34-cleaning-tips

It can be easy to neglect your bedroom, especially if, like me, you only collapse into it at 10pm every day. But, if your bedroom was organized, clean and inviting, would you be inclined to spend more time there? Thought so. Try these tips to help keep your room feeling more like your sanctuary.

Keep the dust at bay. Allergens are a huge issue in the bedroom. To keep them down, dust at least weekly, if not every three days. A pretty duster is great for this. You want to especially dig into windowsill corners and the nooks and crannies of your headboard or bed frame.

A fresh bed is a happy bed. Washing your bedding weekly is the best thing in the world. I love my all white beds and Clorox Oxi Max Radiant White helps me keep mine nice and bright even with a little human and pets.

Kill germs. If you get nailed by a bout of norovirus, like our household did a couple of weeks ago, you will want to wipe down all door knobs and hard surfaces with a disinfecting solution. You can check out my post on how to do that right here.

Do you have any pro-tips for keeping messes at bay? I’d take as many suggestions as I can get!

 

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For more cleaning tips CLICK HERE.

 

image 1 by tom blachford / image 2 by elizabeth roberts / image 3 by aubrie pick for apartment 34

 

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3 Comments

  1. Yes of course, these tips are helpful. Take care one more thing regarding the chairs, always get the chairs Chairthrone from market which gives healthy sitting because now days spine related problems faced by users who always sit in the chair for long hours.