Tips for a Tidy Home

It's no secret......I like a Tidy Home!

Hence the name, TidyMom.

Ever wonder HOW I got that title?

My oldest daughter assigned me that title years ago when we first got online. Does that girl know her mom or what? LOL

I'm not neurotic or one of THOSE moms. I don't really LIKE to clean, I just LOVE the end result. I like to look around the house and see clean. I don't like the stress of seeing a mess.

Trust me, I have piles of junk like everyone else, some are just hidden in closest (remember this post).

How do I keep my house looking tidy?

I'm going to share a few of my tips (what works for me)

Don't let it sit for later (Clean ASAP) - a mess is much easier to clean up when it happens. Once food or dirt is allowed to dry or soak in, it's going to take a lot more time and elbow grease to clean it later.

Don't Put it off - this is probably my BIGGEST household tip! Clean as you go. You'll be amazed that many things only take a few minutes to do if you clean as you go, rather than hours of cleaning if you put it all off to do at once. If you stay on top of these things daily your house will look nice and you will be more organized and relaxed. Some of the things I do daily are:

• make my bed
• wipe down the bathroom after I have gotten ready - I keep Clorox wipes and a cloth diaper under the bathroom sink - and I give the bathroom a quick wipe down daily.
  
• clear the dinner table AND do dishes as soon as we finish eating.
• load the dishwasher any time there's a dirty dish - it really only take a few seconds, instead of having a sink or counter piled with dirty dishes.
• wipe off the counters and table.
• sort mail, throw out junk.
• do at least one load of laundry
• fold and put away laundry as it comes out of the dryer
  

By doing these things daily you can reduce stress and have a visually cleaner home.

Set a Timer for Quick Clean Ups- Many days I will give myself 15 minutes and run thru a few rooms and just pick up stray times, fluff and straighten the room. You'll be surprised how often this will motivate you to keep going. Get the kids to help - make it a game!

Dust While on the Phone - often if I'm on the phone with my mom or daughter, instead of sitting on the couch, I will get up and dust a room while we chat! Multi tasking is my friend

Don't walk to another room empty handed - there's almost ALWAYS something in a room that belongs some where else - don't pass it up, grab it on your way - even if you just open a door and toss it in!

Clean up as you cook - I have a small kitchen, so I really get stressed if I have no room to cook or bake. Like wise, if you're waiting on dinner in the oven, clean up the mess while it cooks.

I LOVE to come home to a Clean House- I try and pad my "to go time" by 15-30 minutes and do a quick run thru before I leave, put dirty dishes in the dish washer, wipe off counters, pick up stray items, even vacuum if I have time. I especially did this when I worked, that way I could walk in to a clean house and start dinner with out the stress of a messy house to pick up as well.

These are just some tips that keep me sane, more relaxed and a happy mom.

Do you have any quick cleaning tips?

I'm Hooked on a Tidy Home.
See what other's are hooked on at
Hooked on Fridays

I've also linked this post at Remodeling this Life