How quickly your home becomes cluttered has little to do with how much time and effort you put into cleaning. It really depends on two things:
- on how well organized your home is;
- depends on whether you have formed habits that help you maintain order.
Accordingly, in order to restore order once and for all, you need to organize your home and move from regular cleaning to systematic cleaning.
Test “My type of cleaning”
As a psychologist, I usually recommend to my clients that the solution to any problem begins with a diagnosis. Therefore, if you really want to restore order once and for all, first of all, determine the starting point - the situation in which you find yourself now.
To do this, try on statements from each group of questions.
- If this does not apply to your situation, give yourself 0 points.
- 1 point – partially similar to what is happening in your home.
- 2 points – if you can say with confidence that this is about you.
Group A
- The order lasts from an hour to several days. As soon as I put things in order, things begin to spread throughout the house again.
- You need to allocate special time for cleaning (for example, on weekends)
- Things in the house get lost. Sometimes I have to buy a second copy because I can't find what I'm looking for. About some things I don’t even remember that I have them.
- In every room in the house there are several rubble-warehouses where things accumulate.
- When cleaning, I move things from place to place because I don’t know where to put them.
Group B
- Order in the house is maintained at all times. Sometimes during particularly busy periods of life or on some unusual days there can be a little chaos, but this is the exception rather than the rule.
- There is no special time allocated for cleaning; usually cleaning is done in the “background”, between times. It takes no more than half an hour a day to maintain order.
- I know exactly what things I have and where to get them when needed.
- There are 3-4 places in the house where things tend to “settle”, but these accumulations of things are regularly sorted out. It takes literally a few minutes to analyze such places.
- Each item has its own place where it is convenient to return it after use.
For each group of statements, you can score from 0 to 10 points, which reflect how pronounced each type is for you and which option you are currently using.
How many points do you have for each group of questions?
- If you get a result from 1 to 3, this is not your cleaning option.
- And if it’s 9-10, then this type of cleaning is maximally expressed.
Group A is what is typical in a situation where you do normal cleaning. Group B is what is typical if you have organized the space and moved on to systematic cleaning.
We restore superficial order in 30 minutes
Now some advice for those who are in a hurry, but still decide to do the cleaning themselves. The main rule here is to hide what can be hidden (things, books, toys) and clean surfaces before guests arrive.
- Think about where the guests will be . If this is a hallway, kitchen and bathroom, then the range of tasks is greatly reduced. If there is time left, then you can restore superficial order in the bedroom, nursery and other rooms.
- Wipe the mirror in the hallway , shake out the rug, and leave free space on the hangers.
- Take dirty dishes Ideally, you need to wash it together with the one that was already in the sink. If you're really pressed for time, hide dirty utensils away in the closet.
- scattered clothes from armchairs, sofas, beds, chairs. Place clean items in the closet and dirty items in the washing machine. If time allows, you can even run a quick wash. If you are in a hurry, you can throw dirty clothes in the closet and hide them behind a closed door.
- Sweep debris from surfaces onto the floor , wipe off dust, and collect all crumbs. Particular attention should be paid to kitchen surfaces. Collect large waste in a garbage bag.
- Empty ashtrays if there are any in the house.
- trays also need to be replaced quickly.
- Unwashed mirrors and windows create a feeling of untidyness even in a clean apartment, so it is also advisable to wipe them.
- Vacuum , picking up fur, hair, crumbs and other visible debris - there is no time for meticulous cleaning. A robot vacuum cleaner will greatly simplify the task.
- Wash bathroom fixtures
- If there is time left, do wet cleaning .
- It wouldn't hurt to ventilate the apartment.
- Replace dirty towels and dishcloths. Straighten the blanket on the sofa, floor mats, curtains.
Experienced express cleaning professionals advise not to use cleaning products with a strong smell, so as not to give yourself away, so when purchasing, pay attention to the aroma.
Express cleaning will help if you are not lazy to regularly tidy up your apartment.
The unexpected guests left, and the owners were left with stress from quick cleaning and piles of dirty things hidden in different corners of the apartment. A smart person will promise himself that now no one will be able to take him by surprise, and that there will always be order in the apartment. Only the words “cleaning” and “spring cleaning” evoke a feeling of sadness, because you also want to relax and spend time with your family. If you use some secrets, then keeping your apartment clean will not be so difficult or long-lasting. Let's share these life hacks.
Why do you need order? The true meaning of real cleaning
The first and most important question, without an answer to which there will never be order in the house: why do you need order?
And to answer this question, you need to think about more global things. About what kind of life you would like to live.
Someone wants to have a lot of friends in life, to have some kind of parties, meetings, gatherings for tea. And for such a person, the ideal home is a house that is always ready for the arrival of guests. And someone, on the contrary, wants their own secluded place where they can hide from the world, relax and unwind.
And when we imagine our life, what we would really like to do, what kind of life we strive for, then the house that we need emerges.
Our home is our reflection
Home reflects how we live, think, feel. How we perceive this world. And so there is an interesting point here: when you put your house in order, you change internally.
You say goodbye to the past, determine your life values, begin to understand and feel what you need and don’t need in your life, what is truly important.
So it's best to start with what kind of lifestyle you want and what kind of home that lifestyle requires. And if you put your house in order after answering these questions, then through putting it in order you will learn even better what you want to do. And life becomes simpler and more interesting.
Before you clean up once and for all and organize a truly comfortable space, answer yourself these important questions: Why do I need cleaning? What kind of life do I want to live?
And only after that do you move on to the first stage of creating true order - decluttering.
What cleaning tools should you have?
For daily or regular high-quality cleaning, the apartment must have everything necessary for this process. First of all, household chemicals. Such preparations do an excellent job of removing dirt, dust, grease, and stains. This is a lifesaver for any housewife.
Each type of cleaning requires its own products, gels or sprays.
To combat dust on wooden furniture, it is better to purchase a polish that can easily remove dirt and also leaves a protective anti-dust layer.
The window cleaner should be an alcohol solution, and for convenience it is better to use sprays. The choice in stores of this product is very wide, not only in terms of price criteria, but also in terms of brand.
The range of detergents and cleaning products for the kitchen is incredibly huge. Choose according to your preference: gels, sprays, liquids, powders. In addition to the excellent cleansing effect, the compositions have a “bonus” - aroma. The kitchen will not only be perfectly clean, but also smell nice.
Solutions are used to clean floors. They cope well with pollution, especially street pollution. The products provide not only cleanliness, but also additional disinfection. This is even more important if children live in the house.
For flooring, you can also pick up a good cleaning product in the store or make a solution at home. For example, vinegar or alcohol can quickly remove wine stains, while laundry soap or dishwashing gel can deal with greasy stains.
Advice : don’t forget about brushes, sponges, napkins and newspapers, which will be useful in your arsenal of devices for putting things in order.
Don't break this sequence if you don't want to get bogged down in cleaning
There is one mistake that wastes a huge amount of effort and time, and about which I want to immediately warn you.
Never, ever try to come up with storage systems and organize space BEFORE you get rid of unnecessary things!
Often in life we do things completely differently. Remember how many people unpack boxes with things.
- We look into the box and find it a mess.
- We are trying to somehow systematize things.
- In the process, we get distracted by washing and wiping something somewhere.
- Then we realize that there is a lot of unnecessary stuff here, and we throw away some of the unnecessary things.
- Again we are trying to identify some categories and organize what is left.
- And in the end, a huge amount of time is wasted because we go in circles.
The scheme should be like this: first decluttering, then laundering and only then organizing storage systems . Don't break this sequence if you don't want to get stuck in cleaning forever.
How to properly organize cleaning
When doing a spring or major cleaning, prioritize and make a list of what needs to be done first. Distribute tasks over several days; you don’t have to complete everything at once. By the way, experts advise cleaning a room a day. For example, clean the living room today, clean the kitchen tomorrow, and so on.
During the cleaning process, everything you need should already be at hand: detergent, rags, etc. Prepare these things in advance to avoid distractions such as your smartphone or TV. After all, many of us find it difficult to force ourselves to clean our apartments.
You need to clean from top to bottom. First, wipe the dust from cabinets and hailstones, then from tables and window sills, and only then wash the floor. This will avoid double work, because dust will not fall on the clean floor.
For wet cleaning and washing floors, it is more convenient to use a washing vacuum cleaner rather than a broom and rag. By the way, be sure to moisten the broom in cool water, otherwise it will only spread the dust, turning it into a dust ball. As a result, it will again settle on pieces of furniture. When cleaning your bathroom, be sure to use disinfectants that kill harmful bacteria and germs.
How to free your home from unnecessary things?
All the things we have tell our story. Every thing is a reflection of some decisions that we made in the past. This is a reflection of the events that happened in our lives.
Therefore, sorting things out and putting things in real order is a way to take “inventory” in your life and see who you really are.
Alas. Few people can do without global decluttering and getting rid of unnecessary things. It seems that the tendency to save and collect is hardwired into our subconscious.
At the same time, only some people deal with unnecessary things easily and with pleasure: they give it away, sell it, throw it away... Others hold things in their hands for a long time, think, remember, and if they do part with the thing, they literally tear it away from their hearts.
If you're someone who has a hard time getting rid of things, here are a few key points.
First , find your own way of decluttering.
- Marla Cilley (author of the Fly Lady system) recommends decluttering a little every day.
- Japanese Marie Kondo (author of the KonMari method) suggests conducting a global decluttering operation and getting rid of all unnecessary things in one fell swoop.
Both approaches have their pros and cons, so just see what works best for you.
Secondly , in the process of sorting out the rubble, you will have to pick up each of the things. And each time decide what to do with this thing. The good news is that the further you go, the easier it will be.
Start by sorting out simple and understandable categories of things for you: clothes, cosmetics, dishes. If you start with old letters and photos, you'll likely be stuck forever.
The main bonus we get when decluttering is free space, which is so often lacking in our homes. Remember that free space appears even in a small apartment when only those things that make you happy remain there. And about the fact that free space disappears even in the largest house if we start dragging everything there.
For more details on what difficulties you may encounter when decluttering and how to solve them, see the article “Decluttering your apartment: how to stop regretting old things” (opens in a new window).
How to keep your living room tidy
The living room is a place where the whole family gathers and receives guests. There must always be cleanliness and order here.
There is nothing complicated about it. In the living room, you need to have enough cabinets and chests of drawers to store items that do not need to sit on top and collect dust. In this case, regular cleaning is sufficient.
Develop a habit of cleaning daily. It takes a few minutes to clean one room. It’s better to do this in the evening, before going to bed: walk around the room and collect things that are out of place. Train family members to clean up after themselves.
Wipe dust and vacuum at least 1-2 times a week. First vacuum, then wipe off the dust and finally wash the floor.
Cleaning in Swedish
The Scandinavian Vikings surprise with their restraint, based on moderation, and their favorite way of cleaning.
Margareta Magnussen and her mortal cleaning
The essence of the idea: “This is all that will remain after me.”
Fru Magnussen is an artist, she is 80 years old. She invites everyone around them to close their eyes for a minute and imagine as if they had died, and their children were sorting things out in the apartment. What will descendants find behind the doors of vast cabinets? Really valuable things? Or pathetic and funny trash that will bring no joy, no money, no memory. Margareta proposes to empty the house of just such unnecessary garbage, leaving only meaningful and memorable things. Well, and household necessities, of course.
Cons: Emotional value is difficult to determine. Almost impossible. Just like imagining that we are all going to die.
Tidy in the bathroom
Order in the bathroom is just as important as order and cleanliness in the workplace, living room or kitchen. Start cleaning by throwing away expired cosmetics and hygiene products. The use of such products may cause irritation and lead to serious skin problems.
The bathroom should have the required number of hangers for towels and bathrobes, shelves for hygiene products and cosmetics. Like fittings, shelves should be wiped down at least once a day. This operation takes no more than 5 minutes.
The toilet also needs to be cleaned every day. To make your work easier, buy special cubes that prevent limescale deposits. Carry out general cleaning once a week. Quick and convenient - with a steam generator.
How to clean up your bedroom
The bedroom is intended for sleep and relaxation. However, in some families, the bedroom serves more functions and it is more difficult to maintain order.
Often the bedroom has a workspace, a corner with a dressing table, and a closet with clothes.
In such a multifunctional bedroom, the first thing you need to keep in mind is the order in the closet. Many people tend to collect clothes that they haven’t worn for a long time or bought on impulse.
Scientists have proven that 80 percent of the time we wear only 20 percent of the clothes we have. Therefore, it is better to give away or throw away what has not been worn for a long time.
Keep only clothes that are appropriate for the season in your wardrobe. After washing and cleaning, immediately remove out-of-season clothing into vacuum bags and store separately.
Carefully ironed clothes also ensure order in the wardrobe. That is why it is worth getting a quality iron. Recently, steam ironing systems and steam generators have gained popularity, which:
- Save a lot of time;
- Do not require special knowledge about the ironing temperature of various fabrics;
- Refresh the material.
How to quickly increase the originality of your text
There are several effective methods to quickly increase the originality of a text. These include rewriting - retelling the content in your own words; and synonymizing - replacing words with synonyms and synonymous expressions. They can be done manually or using special programs. In any case, after processing you definitely need to check the result and carefully re-read the text. This will help avoid possible logical and stylistic errors. You will find more tools for increasing anti-plagiarism in our article “How to increase the uniqueness of the text.”
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Thus, we looked at the most effective methods for cleaning up your home. We shared useful recommendations and revealed a couple of secrets that will definitely help you keep your home clean.
In the article you will find step-by-step instructions on how to clean in one hour. There are times when such knowledge is simply irreplaceable. Then you can turn to our tips and meet your guests in a clean apartment. In addition, we told you why it is so important to regularly carry out dry and wet cleaning. Perhaps this information will motivate you to keep your space clean. Among other things, in our article we have provided you with several ideas for cleaning products that can significantly save your time and money.
Cleanliness in the kitchen and dining room
The kitchen and dining room are the most vulnerable rooms in the apartment to clutter. It is very important to keep these rooms clean.
Wipe down your dining table and countertops immediately after dinner.
To keep your dining table or countertop always sparkling clean, wash it immediately after preparing lunch and after finishing lunch or dinner. This will save you from unsanitary conditions, prevent the appearance of bacteria, make you feel tidy, and only take a couple of minutes.
Place dishes in the dishwasher or wash dishes in the sink immediately
After dinner or lunch, immediately put the dishes in the washing machine or wash the plates by hand. This won't take much time, but will help maintain regular cleanliness. Plus, washing dishes and cups immediately after use is much easier.
Wipe down equipment after each use
An effective way to constantly maintain order in the kitchen is to timely clean the stove, microwave, refrigerator and other appliances. After heating food or finishing cooking dinner, wipe the microwave oven and hob with a damp cloth. This habit will save the housewife from long hours spent scrubbing away burnt-on stains.
Pull chairs up to the dining table after dinner
After a family dinner, it is very important to clean up the dining area. In addition to cleaning the table, it would be a good idea to move the chairs closer to the table.
Place dishes and food in their proper places
After returning from the store, be sure to put the purchased products back in their places. There is no need to leave this “for later”. The same rule applies to dishes and cutlery: after washing, do not be lazy to put the plates and cups in the cabinets, and spoons and forks in their proper place.
Place a trash bag in front of the door
To remember to take out the trash on time, place the bag near the door. It is advisable to do this in the morning so that before leaving the house you can take the bag and get rid of it. By turning this habit into a regular one, you will no longer accumulate several bags of trash.
See also: 5-minute tips that will always keep your home clean and tidy
Cleaning in German
These pedants wash the entrances of houses, landscape common courtyards and teach children to be tidy from birth.
Sparkling House, or Sheep, Ducks and Worms
The essence of the idea: clean up here and now, then it will be too late.
A classic German scheme that requires full involvement in the process. If something gets dirty or spilled, put it away immediately. The towel goes into the washing machine, the broken pieces go into the trash bin, the old receipt goes into the waste sorting box. Even the kids are in on the action! For them, “worms” are set for the day - simple cleaning tasks: collect toys, wipe the slate board, carry dirty laundry to the basket.
There are also general obligations: every morning and evening you spend five minutes cleaning up the hottest spots, spend another half hour on the “lamb” - this is the room of the day, and leave “ducks” with your family - decluttering tasks, or “worms”.
Cons: oops, in pursuit of hunting trophies we forgot to clean up. But seriously, in order to train your relatives and children to “ducks” and “worms” you will have to tinker quite a bit.
Discarded shoes
The essence of the idea: remove installations and things that clutter your life.
This is not so much a principle of cleaning as an attitude to life: German psychologist Robert Betts advises to finally throw away your old shoes and put things in order around you, and at the same time in your head. The essence of cleaning according to Betts is total decluttering. Look into the palaces of the mind, and into the dark corners of the top shelves of cabinets. Clean your apartment, expand your consciousness, be happy.
Cons: before you apply the method to cleaning, you need to dig deeper into yourself. Will there be any time before cleaning?
Cabinet
Take the mug to the kitchen immediately after drinking tea
While working at the computer or watching an exciting movie, we usually grab a mug of coffee or tea. And, more often than not, we forget them in the room. This situation can be repeated several times and after a while the coffee table or work table turns into a warehouse for mugs and other utensils. To avoid this situation, take the dishes to the kitchen immediately after eating or drinking tea.
Periodically throw away unnecessary documents, papers and receipts
Everyone knows the situation when a large number of irrelevant documents or receipts accumulate near the desktop or in the hallway. Most of these papers are out of date or have been sitting on shelves or in drawers for over a year. This adds a “cluttered” effect to the house. Try to check documents and receipts at least once a month. You should get rid of unnecessary papers and receipts. Rent receipts must be kept for 3 years. After which you can safely throw them away.
Organize document storage
This habit is directly related to the previous one. After the receipts have been put in order and unnecessary checks have been thrown away, the remaining papers and personal documents should be put in order. Separate work papers from personal ones. Try to keep things organized and don't confuse different types of documents with each other.
Place notepads and notebooks in one pile
The object of a mess on the desktop is not only dirty glasses, but also scattered planners, pens and notes. Stickers with reminders can be hung on the wall or fixed on the laptop screen. For office supplies, you can purchase a convenient, compact organizer, and notebooks and planners should be stacked. Put little things like headphones or a charger in a drawer or find a separate place for them.
