Nobody likes to spend hours cleaning the house and, sometimes, there are few hours to spare. Yet some people seem to have a knack for keeping their homes looking spotless even when the time spent cleaning is minimal.
Country Living Magazine polled home bloggers and other busy women to come up with several little tricks that help keep a home looking spiffy:
Take your shoes off
Shoes carry in dirt and germs. Train the family to remove them when coming in the door and put up a cute sign in the entryway asking visitors to do the same.
Make the bed
Even if the bedrooms are not picture-perfect, a neat bed makes the space look pulled together.
Squeegee the shower every time
It only takes about 20 seconds, and it keeps the glass looking clean and bright.
Clean the bathroom sink
A quick swipe with a baby wipe will keep your sink sparkling. Keep the wipes handy under the sink.
Wipe down kitchen counters
To avoid using harmful chemicals, keep a spray bottle filled with a homemade solution of one part vinegar with three parts water. It cuts through grease and easily removes fingerprints from stainless steel appliances.
Clean up as you go
When cooking, clean up the pots you're finished with, mixing bowls and extra ingredients as you work. The goal is to have nothing much left to do after dinner but to put your plates in the dishwasher.
Do a five-minute cleanup before bed
Get the whole family to pitch in. Five minutes before bedtime, pick up the dog toys, newspapers, and personal items; hang up jackets; put away the mail; and put things back in their place.
Put your clothes away
Almost every master bedroom has one chair that starts empty on Monday and ends up covered with clothes by Friday. Before you go to bed, put dirty clothes in the hamper and put the clean ones away.
Open a door or window
Letting in fresh air at every opportunity is a good way to help keep your home feeling fresh and breezy.
With these quick tips and some discipline, you can keep your home looking spotless.
