Keep Your House Clean in 20 Minutes a
Day
There is no
worse feeling than looking around your house, realizing that it looks like
a trash heap, and then finding your in-laws standing on your doorstep three
minutes later. My in-laws happen to be wonderful, and very non-judgmental
people, but I still prefer to have my
house clean when they
drop by. There are some people who are natural neat freaks, and their
houses are always spotless. I am not one of those people. I lead a very
busy life with three messy children. Rest assured that if I can keep my
house reasonably clean in just 20 minutes a day, then anybody can do
it!
First of all, there is no way you can
possibly clean your whole house in 20 minutes. You have to start with a
clean slate for my tips to work well, so I'll start by giving you some
ideas on how to overhaul your entire house over the course of a day or
weekend. No matter how awful you might think your house looks, it isn't
that hard to clean it up if you have a system. First, start with the big,
easy stuff. Kitchens and bathrooms are what really make your house look
dirty, so start by making those sparkle. I generally do these rooms at the
same time because they require the same cleaning products. Pick up all the
dirty laundry and wet towels. Replace dishrags and hand towels. Do all the
dishes so you have a clean sink. Make sure you wipe down all the counter
tops in both rooms, and scrub out the tub. Make sure all the stuff that
gets left out on counter tops is put away. Your home will look much neater
and cleaner when you hide all your clutter. If you have too much clutter to
hide in drawers and cupboards, then you need to get rid of it! Last, sweep
and mop the floors.
Once you have a
clean kitchen, the
rest of the house seems easier to clean. Make all the beds, put away clean
laundry, and pick up all the junk that gets left out. Again, if you have
too much stuff, get rid of some. Sometimes it seems stressful to have to
decide what to keep and what to throw away, but clutter wastes your time
and space, so make a clean break now!
Once your
house is clean, it
is super easy to keep it that way in just a few minutes a day. You just
need to have a schedule. I happen to work from home, but even if you
don't, you can still keep a neat house. The first
thing you need to decide is what has to
be done every single day, and make that a priority. Make your bed every day
as soon as you get up. Don't let dishes build up in the sink. Make sure
they go directly into the dishwasher (or get washed by hand) right away.
You might have to nag your family for awhile to break this habit! Wipe up
the bathroom sink when you are done using it. If these little things become
a habit, you won't have to do a deep cleaning as often.
Next, pick things that only have to be done every few days.
For example, vacuuming can be done on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays,
while mopping the kitchen floor can be Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
The trick is to only have one major task to do every day. Everything else
should be nothing more than a quick pick up. To really make the 20 minute
system work, you have to become a master of the art of the quick wipe down.
Little spills only turn into huge messes when they don't get cleaned up
right away. Don't wait until the end of dinner to wipe off the counter.
Do it while you are waiting for the microwave to finish. And speaking of
microwaves, wipe it out each time you use it to avoid nasty build up in
there. If you see something that belongs in your bedroom out in the living
room, bring it with you on your way.
My next tip
to keep your house presentable is to prioritize. If you have unexpected
guests, they will be much more appalled by a sink full of dirty dishes than
by the newspaper that got left out on the chair in the living room. People
associate food left out with "dirty", and general clutter as
"messy." There is definitely a difference and I certainly hope no
one has ever thought my house was genuinely dirty. Just make sure the most
obvious stuff gets taken care of first. Nobody cares if your silverware
drawer is perfectly organized if there are ground up Fruit Loops all over
the floor in the kitchen!
Last, don't forget
to delegate. Chances are, you don't live in your house alone. Make sure
that everyone is helping you out. Even a six year old can make their bed
and pick up their toys. Older kids can empty the dishwasher and wipe down
the table when dinner is done. They can sweep and vacuum if need be.
Don't be afraid to ask for help. They might not like it, but hopefully
you will instill a habit in them that stays with them when they are grown
and out of your house. A little peer pressure never hurts either. Invite
over some of their friends that you know are neat. It only took one little
girl to tell my daughter that her room was disgusting to get her to keep it
picked up ever since!
My 20
minute tips are still a work in progress. There will probably be one area
that plagues you, no matter what you try. Mine happens to be laundry. I
don't mind doing it, but I detest having to put it away. Your
house
doesn't have to
be spotless to be totally presentable. Just remember to deep clean your
house once and then do little things to maintain that appearance. Throw
away all your clutter. Wipe things up right away. If you follow these tips,
your company will be pleasantly surprised the next time they knock and you
say, "Come on in!"