What if I told you that the secret to a spotless home isn’t cleaning more… but cleaning less?
Sounds crazy, right? But here’s the truth… Your home doesn’t stay messy because you don’t clean enough. It stays messy because you don’t have the right daily habits to keep it effortlessly tidy to begin with!
When most people clean, they are usually playing catch up. But it doesn’t have to be that way! With just a few simple habit shifts, you can maintain clean, clutter-free home without spending hours tidying up the same areas over and over.
These 10 daily habits I’ve listed below are the secret to a home that looks effortlessly clean all the time. Even if you can adapt just a few of these into your day, your home will feel so much cleaner!
1. The End-of-Day Sink Rule
Waking up to a messy kitchen can make your entire house feel messy. This starts every single day off with a fresh clean slate, and you’ll be more likely to keep it clean throughout the day!
HOW TO DO IT: Set a timer for 10 minutes on your phone and do as many dishes as you can. (Usually once you start, you’ll want to continue until they’re finished, and you’ll be so grateful you did!)
TIP: Keep your sink filled with soapy warm water to clean as you go, or have an easy clean up to rinse off at the end of the night.
2. The 2 Minute Bathroom Reset
A clean bathroom really does make your whole home feel fresher, and sets the tone for a clean inviting space everywhere else. Bathrooms can feel extra messy quickly because of their size, and sinks & mirrors can quickly build up grime.
HOW TO DO IT: Before leaving the bathroom in the morning or after your morning routine, do a quick 2 minute wipe down of the sink and mirror. Put away any self care products back in their place. Grab any dirty clothes off the floor and place them in a laundry bin on your way out.
TIP: Keep disinfectant wipes under the sink for easy access for wiping surfaces. A laundry bin with a lid nearby makes tidying up even easier – I use this one in my home and it keeps everything organized!
3. The 5 Minute Basket Reset
Lets face it, clutter happens fast! The longer it sits, the more overwhelming it gets. Taking a few minutes to gather “items that don’t belong” in your living room, kitchen and hallways will make a HUGE DIFFERENCE in how clean your house feels! *I like to do this mid day so the house stays clean!*
HOW TO DO IT:
-Take 5 minutes and grab a large tote basket and do a quick walk through of your living room, kitchen, and hallways.
– Fill the basket with clutter and items that don’t belong. Put things away as you go or, fill the basket first and then take a few minutes to put everything back in its place.
The key? EMPTY the basket so things get put away.
TIP: Use a basket as a blanket storage in your living room, and it will double as a cleaning and gathering basket when you tidy up! We use this one in our home and it holds all the clutter when I do a quick walk through and it looks cute!
4. The 2 minute Evening Sweep
Dirt, dust and crumbs accumulate over the day. Doing a final evening sweep sets you up for a clean floor in the morning (and a fresh start to your day!).
HOW TO DO IT: Take 2 minutes before bed and start at one end of your house and do a quick sweep of high traffic areas from one end of the room to the other.
TIP: Use a cordless vacuum for a better thorough cleaning in cracks and corners if you have the time. We use this mini cordless vacuum at home, and the suction is amazing.
5. The 10 minute Night Time Tidy
This habit is a GAME CHANGER. Taking a simple 10 minutes to tidy your house before you go to bed is the BEST way to save yourself from the stress of waking up to a mess in the morning, and you’ll be more likely to keep it clean the next day! The key? Set a timer so it doesn’t feel overwhelming and feels doable!
HOW IT WORKS: Set a timer for 10 minutes, no more no less. Focus on high traffic areas like your kitchen, living room or entry way. Start from one corner of the room and work your way to the opposite corner. No deep cleaning, just tidying, resetting and putting things back in their place.
TIP: Getting your family to help will make the job that much faster, and more effective!
BONUS TIP: Put on your favorite podcast or songs to make it fun and easy!
6. Never Leave a Room Empty Handed
This very easy rule keeps your home tidy without extra effort. Every time you leave a room, take something that doesn’t belong there with you and put it away quickly. Simple!
HOW IT WORKS: Before you leave a room, scan for out of place items. Grab one or two items and take them with you to put back where they belong. If you repeat this throughout the day, it will consistently prevent clutter and pile ups! It can take effort to remember to do this, but once you get in the habit, its SO effective.
TIP: If you have kids, ask them to do help you as a game. Not only will they put things away but also learn where they go so they can put them away in the future!
7. The 5 minute Daily Declutter
This 5 minute declutter rule has transformed my house slowly each day and I swear by it. It is the simplest way to maintain a clutter free home without dedicating hours to cleaning, which is exhausting. It feels manageable, and that’s what matters.
HOW IT WORKS: Set a timer for 5 minutes and pick ONE small area: a drawer, a counter top, a secluded surface. Throw out any trash, purge, and put things back where they belong. REPEAT DAILY. Over time, these small efforts make a HUGE difference!
PRO TIP: Do this at the same time each day (morning coffee, before lunch, before bed) to make it a real habit!
8. The Weekly Paper Purge
Once a week, sort through all of your paper clutter including receipts, mail, notes etc. This stops paper clutter from becoming overwhelming, and makes life much easier when you need to find an important document.
HOW IT WORKS: Set a timer for 10 minutes and sort through every piece of paper into 3 piles: Keep and file pile, trash pile and a digitalize pile. Digitalize what you need (take photos or scan them), and file or throw out the rest.
PRO TIP: Keep a large file folder with monthly tabs in a safe area to file important documents that you can not get rid of and need a hard copy of. I use this one from amazon for my family paperwork and it keeps everything neat and organized.
9. The Drop Zone
Having a designated spot near your main entrance as a “catch all” in your home reduces last-minute searches for lost items, keeps clutter contained and organizes your house effortlessly!
HOW IT WORKS: Designate a small space (a tray, shelf, basket) near the entrance of your home for items such as wallets, keys, mail, glasses and other items you use every day. Keeping these core items in the same spot prevents things from becoming lost or dumped in random places all over your house.
PRO TIP: Do a quick reset every few days to keep it sorted and ensure its functional.
10. The One-Load-a-Day Laundry Rule
Instead of letting laundry pile up, doing one load of laundry daily prevents laundry overwhelm, which is a very real thing! It keeps your clothes fresh and ready to wear and it only takes a few minutes at a time, which feels manageable.
HOW IT WORKS: Commit to washing, drying and putting away one load of laundry per day. Start a load in the morning, switch it right away when its done and fold/put away in the evening.
PRO TIP: If you are home, set a timer on your phone for when your washing is done. This prevents the dreaded forgotten wash cycle from turning into a 3 day smelly re-wash. Pop them in the dryer right away so they are ready to be put away ASAP!
Keeping your home tidy doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. By adding small, intentional habits into your daily routine, you can create a space that feels organized, calm and easy to maintain.
All of the habits listed above do not take any longer than 10 minutes, but they make a huge impact in your home when done consistently! Habits can be difficult to form, so writing these steps down and sticking them on your fridge can help you get into a routine.
Which habit are you most excited to try? Let me know in the comments! And if you found this post helpful, pin it on Pinterest or share it with a friend who could use some inspo!
Want more easy home cleaning tips? Checkout my next blog post to keep building a stress-free clean and organized home.