I love a clean & organized house. It gives me a sense of peace to relax in a tidy space. Even if there is a lot going on in life, just having that little bit of comfort can make a big difference. But, as much I love a clean home, I really hate cleaning. 

So, in order to have the best of both worlds; a clean home without cleaning all the time, I have come up with some tips & tricks. And, lucky lazy girl’s everywhere rejoice, because I am sharing this cleaning guide with you! See my other Lazy Girl Guides.

Get a Robot Vacuum

I stand by my opinion that this is an amazing thing to own. I pick up cords & small items, then I hit the button and let it vacuum while I do other stuff. It is the easiest way to have a clean floor. Forget sweeping & vacuuming by hand, this bad boy gets it done for you. Especially if you have pets. This is also in my must-have gadget guide!

Downsize & Declutter

Get rid of junk & stuff you don’t use. Or if you want to go the Konmari method, get rid of items that don’t bring you joy. This is less of a cleaning hack & more of a preventative measure. More stuff means more to clean. More stuff means you have to make more space for it. And more stuff means more clutter. Taking the time to clean out saves you lots of time later spent on cleaning up.

Organize!

Ok, so not all of us can or will have minimalist spaces. We are going to have stuff & things, it’s inevitable. But having organized, determined places for items can cut down actual cleaning time. Get baskets and other organization tools to keep your smaller items & put them back when you’re done. Taking 10 seconds to put stuff up as you use it can lessen later cleaning time by minutes.

Rugs at Entrances

Putting down rugs at your doors & taking off your shoes when you come in the house is a great way to keep your house clean. This is another preventative measure. Leave the dirt, muck, leaves, & mud outside, instead of throughout your house. And smaller rugs can be thrown in the washer easily as needed. 

Clean After Cooking

Cleaning dishes as you cook and right after you eat is a best practice, as well as wiping down countertops. Whether or not you have a dishwasher, doing this will prevent a sink full of dirty dishes later. Then you inevitably put off taking care of them for longer than you should, right? I always try to keep my kitchen sink clean & clear just because it’s the focal point. If it’s clean, it is more likely the rest of the kitchen is too.

Everyday Cleaning

I said I hate cleaning, but I still take a few minutes everyday to clean or tidy something. While I am drinking my coffee in the kitchen I’ll organize, wipe down the counters, or put dishes in the cabinet. While I am waiting for the shower to get hot, I’ll clean up the sink & toilet. After I shower, I spray cleaner in it to keep it sparkling.

Just doing a few little things each day, can keep you from having an intimidating mess later on. It gives me more time to relax or work on things I actually want to do (like this website!).

Actual Cleaning Tips, Tricks, & Hacks:

• Use a pillowcase to clean the ceiling fan blades by putting it around each blade and pulling the dust into the case. Then just throw it in the washer!
• Brush your dog if they are a shedder. Take them outside to brush once a week so there is less fur coming off in your house.
• Use a bath towel to mop your floors. I lightly dampen a towel, stand on it, spray a little cleaner on the floor, then slide my way around the room. No mops, buckets, or wringing required.
• Throw some lemons & ice in your garbage disposal. The lemons freshen the smell & the ice sharpens the blades.
• Make sure your AC filters are clean. Good for the AC itself & good for keeping dust from recirculating through the house.
• Keep your sponges fresher for longer, by microwaving a damp one for 30 seconds or running it through the dishwasher.

I hope you find this guide useful and helpful to your life. The more you can do to prevent a mess, the less you have to clean later! If you have some cool cleaning tricks or hacks, let me know in the comments below!