How to Keep a Clean Home

How to Keep a Clean Home 

How to keep a clean home. Fall is upon us, and that is soup season in my house! The change of the season is when I go through my pantry and cabinets to get rid of any expired items, and it inspired me to make a list of things I do daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonally to keep my home clean and organized. 

I must confess that I love organization. My motto is a clean space is a happy space. Physical clutter leads to mental clutter, and I find myself fidgety and agitated when things aren’t organized. Because I work at home, I find cleaning even more important. 

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Come on in and let me show you how to keep a clean home! 

Every Day 

• Wash dishes and wipe the kitchen sink 
• Wipe down all countertops 
• Take out the trash and recycling 
• Wash and hang one load of laundry 
• Sweep floors

Notes 

If you don’t have a ton of laundry to do daily, don’t worry. I don’t end up doing my laundry daily either. If you have a bigger household than just you and your husband, this one would be more important to keep up with. Mine falls more into the weekly category for laundry, and I do just fine. 

If you don’t produce a ton of trash either, I would move that to the weekly category. I would recommend doing this on whatever day is trash day in your neighborhood. Or the night before. My husband and I do it every Friday morning, as we’re up early. We go through the house and take out the kitchen trash, check the office, bathroom, and bedroom trash cans and make sure that there’s nothing missed in the refrigerator that is about to become a science experiment. 

Every Week 

• Wipe down kitchen appliances 
• Clean toilets, bathtub, shower, and sinks 
• Polish the mirrors 
• Dust from top to bottom 
• Change bedding and wash 
• Vacuum carpet, rugs, and upholstery 
• Mop floors
• Fold and put away laundry 
• Do any hand washing necessary 

Notes 

I will be the first to admit that I love washing my bedding each week. I always wash them on Friday, so my weekend starts with clean sheets and inspires more relaxation. I also tend to do a lot of self-care on Friday, long shower, shaved legs. Ahh, there is nothing better than clean sheets and freshly shaved legs! 

I also like to wash any bath towels weekly as well, and do so on the sanitize setting, to avoid and remove any gunky buildup from lotions or conditioners. 

Dusting in nooks and crannies and behind shelves is an important natural way to keep spiders away. They love dust and cobwebs. If you have pets and/or allergies, dusting is even more important, as this will help both. 

Every Month 

• Clean inside the oven and microwave 
• Wipe down the inside of the fridge 
• Clean the inside of the bathroom cabinets 
• Clean the lights, wipe down switches and doorknobs 
• Vacuum the baseboards and vents 
• Disinfect the trash can 

Notes 

If your microwave has been neglected and is on the gross side, put some water in a bowl, and microwave it for a good five minutes, and you’ll see it boiling. Leave it in there, as you don’t want to handle a bowl immediately after being in the microwave that long. The steam created from that will help to loosen any caked on food particles, making cleanup a lot easier. Repeat a couple of times if necessary. 

In the winter time, I do increase the number of times I wipe down door knobs and light switches, just because winter is flu season and it is so easy to get sick. That’s the most likely time to bring home germs. If you have a larger family, I would definitely recommend moving that one into the weekly category. 

Trash cans… I highly recommend that if you have a plastic trash can to upgrade it to a stainless steel one. It is more expensive, but it is much easier to clean and disinfect, and will not retain smells the way a plastic trash can will. It really is an upgrade! This is my favorite trash can that I’ve ever owned. I also have these smaller cans in my bedroom, office, and bathroom. 

Every Season 

• Clean the pantry and check for expired items 
• Clean the refrigerator and check for expired items 
• Clean the inside of the kitchen cabinets 
• Wash couch cushion covers, throw pillows, and blankets 
• Wash the windows, curtains, and blinds 
• Sort closet for items to clean, donate, or repair 
• Shampoo carpets
• Wash comforters
• Shred paperwork

Notes 

If you aren’t sure what to get rid of in your closet, each season, turn hangers around to face backwards. When you’ve worn a specific item, face the hanger correctly. Once the season is over, take out everything that is on the backward facing hangers and donate it. 

When you restock your pantry, write the date on cans and boxes with a permanent marker to make things easier when it is time to go through and toss things. It is also important to rotate all pantry items, with the newest in the back. That way nothing gets stuck in the back for years past the date. 

How to Keep a Clean Home Notes 

Keeping a clean home isn’t difficult, if you stay consistent, much like everything in life. Consistency really is the key, and having a routine to do things daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonally. 

If you struggle with staying consistent, I would recommend a quality planner to make notes of these things. I literally write these things down as I do them, that way I know I’m not forgetting. Time is a slippery thing, and it can often feel like “just the other day” when it has been weeks and that can cause these simple tasks to feel overwhelming because they’re backed up. 

If you find that you’re overwhelmed for whatever reason, don’t let these tasks fall behind. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your husband or kids. Life gets in the way, and sometimes we get sick or busy. You may not always be able to do it all by yourself, and that’s okay. 

How to Keep a Clean Home Discussion 

Do you enjoy a clean home? Has this list of what to do and how often been helpful for you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

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