From Drab to Dreamy: 23 Creative Ways to Keep Your House Clean and Organized

Dave Pedley, Founder and Editor of YourCub.com has a similar take on the cleaning schedule: As any parent will testify, keeping a home neat and tidy with young kids in the family is, well, just not going to happen! So I concentrate on keeping it clean – messy is OK! I adopted a strategy I used when I was still working as a software developer –  I look at the whole house as a project, divide it into subtasks – and tackle one task at a time. While the kitchen and bathroom obviously need daily attention, the rest of the house-cleaning jobs are divided into sections, and each part gets its special day in rotation. I don’t even try to keep everything under control all the time, just the essentials. And the routine stuff is handled in turn.

Take Advantage of Empty Time

For example, while the food is cooking, I rinse the dishes or do other quick cleaning tasks in the kitchen.  While chatting on the phone, I put away laundry, and when walking from one room to another, I try to grab one or two things to bring with me.

Don’t Waste Movement

Want to maintain a tidy house? Make sure not to waste a movement. I can always find something that needs to be picked up or placed back where it goes. For example, let’s say I am taking laundry to the washing machine. As I walk from my bedroom down through the hallways, I am simultaneously picking up the random piece of trash in the hall and grabbing some toys on the floor.

Do Laundry Every Day

If you have a big family, do a load of laundry every day. Don’t let it pile up until it is too overwhelming.  You can also follow FlyLady’s system of washing each load, immediately drying it, and putting it away (instead of having finished loads piling up).

Related: 10 Laundry Mistakes You Didn’t Know You Were Making 

Sort Your Laundry

Use two laundry baskets or one that has dual compartments. One for white clothing, one for dark clothing. If you sort them into the correct basket as you change clothes, the washing is already sorted into colors and whites for you when it is time to do laundry! This is a great way to save some time, and since it takes so much less time to do laundry, you can throw in a load on your way out the door in the morning.

Pick Up, Then Clean

First, do the simple things like picking up things and putting them back where they belong.
Straighten pillows, fold blankets, and pick up stuff that doesn’t belong in each room.
Get into the habit of putting dirty clothes in the laundry hamper, hanging them up, or putting back other clothes where they belong. You can’t really clean until you have picked up the clutter.

Have a Place for Everything and Keep It in Its Place

I know this is super cliche, but it really works! Cleaning is much easier and goes much faster when your house is picked up. So get into the habit of putting things where they belong to make cleaning easier. If you have items that don’t belong anywhere, make it a point to find a place for them. If you can’t find a good spot for it, then maybe it’s time to get rid of it.

Mini Cleaning Stations

Instead of having one centralized cleaning supply center, create smaller mini-cleaning stations via baskets or fabric cubbies throughout your home (bathrooms, mudroom, kitchen, upstairs/downstairs, etc.). That way, you can customize each one based on the specific needs of each space.

Use Storage Baskets

Storage baskets are your friend.  There are so many fun, stylish storage baskets these days that are ideal for toys (kids and pets), books/magazines, small electronics such as a tablet, remotes, and other clutter-causing items.  While ideally, these items should return to their original storage place, the reality is that doesn’t always happen.  Baskets are a quick, easy way to declutter a space so that only the items you want are seen or visible.

Always Make Your Bed and Do the Dishes

I have lived by this rule for years, and it works to help my house be neat. At the very least, if I don’t have time to do anything else before I leave the house, I make my bed and do the dishes.

Make It Enjoyable

Use products you enjoy, and you’ll be more motivated to clean! Ex: Choose or make a daily multipurpose spray that smells great, get a high-quality dish brush and store it in a pretty ceramic holder, or purchase a set of pretty reusable glass bottles.

Make It Short!

When you’re struggling to feel motivated to clean, try setting a timer for an un-overwhelming amount of time, like 10-15min. Then focus on the task at hand and do your best until the timer goes off. You’ll most likely find you accomplished more than you thought you could, or you may even have the momentum to do a little more!

Involve the Whole Family

The best way to keep a home clean is to involve the whole family! Maintaining a clean home is a huge task for just one person to take on. If you have kids, assign age-appropriate cleaning tasks; this gives them a sense of accomplishment and teaches responsibility. Cleaning together is also a great and fun bonding opportunity. Create a cleaning schedule together and make it fun! Offer rewards and incentives, too, especially for the kids.

Celebrate!

Celebrate the accomplishment! When the task is finished, plan to reward yourself with something you enjoy, like taking a walk, connecting with friends, taking a relaxing bath, or indulging in your creative hobby.

Related: How To Pamper Yourself (Without Spending a Lot of Money) 

Keep Your Drains Clean

You can often avoid drain clogs and fruit flies by cleaning the drains. Pouring baking soda down the drain, followed by white vinegar, can keep a drain spotless! Flush the drain with hot water after about half an hour, and you’re golden. (Thanks, John the Plumber!)

Don’t Vacuum Too Often

Tip: Vacuum the rug twice a month. Many people make the mistake of vacuuming every other day or week, which can damage the rug. Vacuuming it after every 15 days will make the rug even more durable. If your rug is stained, you can easily create a solution of white wine vinegar, detergent, and warm water and then rub the stained area with it. The stain will vanish away quickly, leaving a spotless rug.

Clean the Toilet Regularly

Keep cleaning products in the bathroom to help make cleaning easier. Spray your shower with white vinegar until you can thoroughly scrub it on the weekend. Get into the habit of putting the toilet bowl cleaner in and swishing it around with a brush once daily to keep it fresh.

You Must Clean Grease!

A common fire hazard that is frequently overlooked in terms of cleaning is the stove and oven. Surfaces like the burners and the oven floor can become covered with grease and food bits that can combust and quickly get out of hand.

Keeping Our Homes Organized Is Worth It

Keeping our homes organized is really important for ourselves: our emotional and physical well-being.  It also can save us a lot of money. A lot of frugal living tips only work if you are organized. If your life is organized, you can shop when items are on sale and put the items away for next year. If your life is organized, you can meal prep for the week. If your life is organized, you can put up a crock-pot dinner instead of getting takeout. If your life is organized, you can shop in bulk without throwing lots of extra food out.

An Ode to Flylady

I can’t finish any post about cleaning or organizing without recommending the best cleaning and organizing book of all time. My mother bought FlyLady’s Sink Reflections book when I was a child, and I still remember how life-changing it was. Now that I have my own home, I use many of her tips and tools to keep my life and house organized. I really cannot stress enough how much you should read this book.

A Dime Saved

Hi! I am a millennial mom with a passion for personal finance. I have always been “into” personal finance but got inspired to start my blog after a period of extended unemployment. That experience really changed the way I viewed my relationship with money and the importance of accessible personal finance education.