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Recent data from the American Cleaning Institute show that American adults spend about six hours cleaning every week. Whether you do all your housework on one day or a little bit at a time throughout the week, you likely spend a considerable amount of time cleaning. While tedious work, the science is clear: your mental health gets a big boost when you live in a clean and and stress-free home.
The following three steps can help you streamline your housekeeping process.
1. Organize
The easiest way to keep your home clean is to declutter. The fewer things you own, the fewer things you have to clean and maintain. Throw away, donate or recycle everything that is not sentimental or useful to you.
Although some documents, such as tax returns, must be kept for a certain number of years, you can shred or throw away plenty of other papers. For example, if you have online access to your bank account, you can probably shred old bank statements. Going paperless minimizes future clutter and makes it easier to find important records when you need them. See if your bank offers e-statements and if you can receive e-bills from credit card and utility companies.
Everything that’s left after you declutter should be organized. Find or make a place for everything in your home and do your best to put items where they belong when you are not using them. If that’s not possible, collect scattered items at the end of the day and put them away. If you do this every night, it should not take too long.
2. Strategize
There are many tips and tricks for cleaning your home more quickly. Spray surfaces and let them soak for a bit so that you spend less time scrubbing. Wash hard plastic toys on a gentle setting in the dishwasher. Many soft items, such as small rugs and stuffed animals, can go through a gentle cycle in the washing machine. Better Homes & Gardens suggests keeping your cleaning supplies organized so you don’t spend time looking for the tools and cleaners you need.
The best way to manage your home is to make a plan and stick with it. Decide if you are going to do a little every day or tackle it all at once. Create a checklist so that you don’t forget anything. Remember to dust before you sweep or vacuum. Otherwise, you end up with dust on your clean floor.
3. Personalize
It may seem superficial, but you are more likely to clean your home if you enjoy doing so. Use supplies with scents you find pleasing and purchase helpful tools that make cleaning easier.
If you are proud of your home and find it aesthetically pleasing, you may be more inclined to keep it clean and tidy. Consider doing a quick home refresh to update your space. Painting walls and purchasing a few rugs and throw pillows can really spruce things up.
Instead of painting your walls, consider custom wallpaper for your home. Peel-and-stick wallpaper is removable and repositionable, and you can order a huge variety of vibrant designs from artists around the world. With print-on-demand options available, you won’t have to worry about your wallpaper being out of stock.
Keeping your home clean and tidy is hard work, but there are things you can do to make the process easier. Stay organized and make housework as simple as possible by decluttering, sticking to your cleaning routine, and personalizing by updating your space with some wallpaper or new throw pillows.
