Order in the house is not only about comfort and coziness. First of all, keeping your apartment clean is the key to good health and good mood. However, cleaning the house is a troublesome task that requires a lot of time and effort. If you approach it competently, the work will not be a burden, and the time it takes to complete it will be reduced significantly. There are several effective ways and approaches to organizing house cleaning so that it is always clean, and the process of doing it evokes extremely positive emotions.
CLEANITY AS A HABIT
There are those for whom structure and maintaining order come easily; they are uncomfortable in a mess, and cleaning is an important part of their character.
There are those who are more comfortable in order, but among their personality traits there is no ability to adhere to routine operations - it is more difficult for such people to maintain order, so in their house the disorder most often gains a critical mass (everyone has their own mass), after which cleaning is carried out, but the result takes a long time does not hold, and the circle repeats.
There are also those who, in principle, are not able to maintain cleanliness in the space around them and do not worry about this at all.
However, if you still don’t like clutter, but you’re not a clean person by nature, you can try to deceive your character and instill habits in yourself, say activists of the Fly Lady movement. Just 10 habits will allow you to painlessly maintain order in your home.
How to organize your home: 9 useful tips
Today I would like to share observations regarding cleanliness in the house, the causes of disorder and measures to suppress and eliminate it.
If you have your own secrets about this, be sure to share them in the comments.
We hire assistants and delegate some of the work to them
Ideally, of course, a housekeeper (or the house-loving cat from the title picture) would solve most of these problems, but alas, they are not always available.
Therefore, we purchase a washing machine, dishwasher, multicooker and vacuum cleaner.
An automatic washing machine will take care of dirty laundry, and if it also has a drying function, then you won’t have to spend effort hanging it up or taking things off, and they won’t take up additional space on the clotheslines overhead or on the balcony.
At first the dishwasher didn’t catch on with me – I took the simplest one and regretted it. The fact is that if a family consists of 2 people, it is impractical to run it because of a couple of plates, and if you hoard dishes, they will not be washed completely. Over time, I figured out to put a quick wash (15 minutes without drying) before the main one - and lo and behold! Now the dishes are clean and shiny. I highly recommend purchasing it, this will save you not only on water, but also give you time to relax. Moreover, the plate/mug is immediately placed in the dishwasher, bypassing the sink, and this maintains visible cleanliness in the kitchen.
Regarding the vacuum cleaner, I have a manual wireless Xiaomi G9, it is always in the corner, so I remove any dirt immediately. A robot vacuum cleaner (in my opinion) is not for everyone.
Getting rid of unnecessary things
What does this include?
Old gadgets and household appliances (for example, you bought a new phone - you need to immediately sell the old one (on Avito). Such things quickly become outdated, and the batteries stop working without recharging. And if today you can give something for them, then tomorrow you will have just send it to the landfill)
We get rid of unsuccessful perfumes, care products and things that we don’t like at all (we are often given unnecessary hygiene items - soap, shaving foam and the like, which we don’t use. Or we buy toothpaste, but it’s frankly “not very good.” Usually it is put off until better times, because it’s a pity to throw away an almost full tube. It’s better to do it right away, or, for those who are really thrifty, keep a separate box of “unsuccessful purchases or gifts” and don’t let it overflow.
The same applies to tea, food – those purchases that have an expiration date. Throw it away! This is ballast, which will eventually expire anyway and remain unclaimed.
I hope you don’t keep ancient sets, feather pillows, carpets, outdated taps and other junk? Get rid of this relic of the past quickly.
Properly distributing things around the apartment
Having a lot of things is actually not as bad as not having a place to store them.
It is convenient to immediately purchase built-in cabinets with many compartments, or to have a pantry where you should take care of installing shelves. Less popular options are to make mezzanines in the hallway or on the balcony.
Seasonal items, shoes, blankets and things that are rarely brought out into the light can be packed into storage bags and placed in similar places. Even an ordinary wardrobe will do - you can put the bags down or place them on top.
Each item should have its own place, and many items with the same functions should be placed in organizers. For example, hand tools and consumables for them are in special bags or plastic cases with compartments, underwear and socks are in fabric organizers on the shelves of the chest of drawers, small items are in plastic mini-containers with partitions, etc.
Ikea also has a huge selection of containers, of all sizes, with and without lids. They fit perfectly on shelves in the pantry (you can label them, or buy colored ones for different categories of things - you don’t have to pull everything out to find what you need) and are suitable for other needs.
Arranging the hallway
Everything is simple here - we set up a rug at the entrance, a shoe rack, a shoe tray (dirty/wet shoes and an umbrella go there), a shelf for keys and small items, a small closet for outerwear (or open hooks and a shelf for scarves and hats).
When the season changes, we unload irrelevant outerwear from the hangers and hang up the ones we need.
Cleaning up the toilet and bathroom
Hordes of jars, crowded on the edge of the sink and periodically performing somersaults on the floor, look sloppy in comparison, but they take their rightful place on the shelves.
Toothbrushes, toilet paper, hair dryer, razor, mop also look great in special holders, liquid soap in an automatic dispenser, and regular soap in soap dishes, where excess water is drained (or you can at least use grandma’s version - put a dish sponge there ), laundry is in a basket, and detergents are in special containers.
If you have free access under the bathroom, it makes sense to have trays there in which you can compactly place supplies of personal hygiene items, soap, toothpastes, powder, dishwasher tablets and the like, which are often in demand in the bathroom (if water gets on the they will not get the floor wet).
If with a place in the san. the knot is quite tight, but there are a lot of items, you can use a rack above the toilet (washing machine) - they are roomy, cheap, easy to assemble and look good.
Stickers under the toilet rim or colored tablets in the cistern help reduce the frequency of cleaning the toilet a little.
The kitchen is the most vulnerable place for clutter
No other room in the apartment is cleaned as often as the kitchen.
If you have a dishwasher, then half the chores are eliminated, but you still have to constantly wipe the table, and almost every day the stove.
In order not to waste time on this, we came up with protective covers for the stoves, so that you don’t have to wipe them off the table - you can eat on a tray. As for me, this is already too much, but there is a demand, people are using it.
What really matters is a splashback on the wall where the sink is (and behind the stove if it doesn't have a hinged lid). Otherwise, the wall will quickly lose its whitewash/wallpaper due to splashes and drops of grease. The cheapest and simplest option is plastic aprons; they can be installed with glue and still look good (the downside is that they can wear out a little over time).
A few more tips to “unload” work surfaces and put things in order in the kitchen: screw a rod to the sink, hang a stand for mugs and hooks for kitchen utensils on it; We place the microwave on brackets, jars of spices on special holders, as well as knives, cutlery and dishes, if necessary we put additional shelves in the cabinet, we place flower pots on hanging holders, magnetic shelves on the refrigerator and towel holders can also be useful.
Get a portable organizer
If you constantly lose your phone in your own apartment, fumble with your hands for a long time in search of glasses, or always need to have certain items at hand (for example, a pen, notepad, headphones), then you will need a mobile box for these needs, ideally a special organizer.
It is convenient to carry it with you from room to room, and also to attach it to furniture using a removable metal holder.
What do you have there on your desktop?
Nowadays, many people work remotely, and proper workplace organization can significantly improve productivity.
We leave on the surface only what we use repeatedly every day, what is needed less often goes into the drawers of the table.
We will also be helped in maintaining order by additional hanging drawers under the table, a shelf organizer above the keyboard, stationery holders, a transparent silicone mat on the table (under it, in the old fashioned way, it is convenient to place a calendar, phones and other useful pieces of paper with information), stands for folders and documents.
It is better to place a wire organizer and a small trash bin under the table.
And a few final rules:
It’s easier to immediately put things in their place than to sort through a whole pile later.
Once a week, it’s worth doing a “general” cleaning of your home, sorting out what you haven’t taken care of.
Each family member should contribute to cleaning, and ideally, clean up after themselves.
Whether it is worth making your bed every day is a debatable issue. If you sit on it during the day, then definitely yes, in other cases there are options not to waste time on this.
Most of the helpers listed here (except for the cat), as well as other ideas, can be found in my collections:
10 indispensable organizers for order in the house from Aliexpress
10 shelves and holders to save space in the kitchen from AliExpress
10 practical shelves and holders for the bathroom from Aliexpress
Also, if you have your own life hacks on the topic, share them in the comments.
Habit #4: Leave the kitchen clean in the evening
Activists of the Fly Lady community claim that cleanliness in an apartment begins with a clean kitchen. Like, the kitchen becomes dirty first, and this is where you need to start the war against clutter. The procedure for Fly Lady is as follows:
- wash the dishes or put them in the dishwasher (never leave dirty dishes overnight – cleanliness rule)
- Apply the cleaner onto the sink in a thick layer and leave it to work.
- wipe all surfaces with a damp sponge
- rinse the cleaning agent from the surface of the sink, wipe it dry
- take out a fresh kitchen towel, put it in the wash
With proper skill and consistency, the entire procedure takes from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the volume of dirty dishes.
Organization of cleaning step by step
There are many answers to the question of where to start cleaning an apartment, since everyone has certain priorities and accumulated experience.
The generalized opinion and recommendations can be summarized as follows:
- move step by step from the most complex in descending order to the simplest event;
- carry out work according to the scheme from top to bottom and from the periphery to the center;
- do not be distracted by small things, such as arranging things in cabinets, sorting papers, books or tools.
It is advisable to adhere to the following sequence of home cleaning:
- Provide maximum illumination. If the weather permits, open the windows for ventilation so that the humidity comes out, and breathe fresh air yourself, and not fumes from chemicals.
- Remove all household items that could become a source of debris and dust. These are tulle, curtains, bedding, worn items - they are thrown into the laundry basket.
- Place unnecessary trash (torn clothes, old newspapers, tattered books, various jars and drawers) in a box or bag, and then take it out of the apartment. It is better not to delay storing this property, otherwise it will again migrate into the house.
- Treat the upper level from dust and various things that collect there. This category includes the ceiling, walls, chandeliers, sconces and top shelves of cabinets.
Wash windows and window sills. It is better to do this with a double-sided mop and a special liquid product. If you have a washing vacuum cleaner, then this mission can be completed much faster.- Wipe the dust. This is the longest task and requires a lot of patience. You will need to wipe down doors, radiators, shelves, souvenirs, vases, household appliances, paintings and plant leaves.
- Get busy in the kitchen. In this room, almost all objects are covered with grease and limescale. It is advisable to moisten them with a cleaning agent, leave them for a few minutes, and spend this time resting or doing something else. Then all that remains is to collect the lagging substance with rags or napkins.
- Clean the bathroom. The technique is similar - wet all objects with the solution, and then wash it off or wipe it off. Some effort will have to be made to clean the seams between the tiles. To do this, use a manual or electric brush or a screwdriver with attachments.
- Vacuum or sweep the floors and wash them. You should start from the furthest room and end in the corridor at the entrance doors. After this, ventilate the room for several minutes to remove moisture and foreign odors.
Note! It is advisable to keep inventory in one place. Their service life and ease of preparation for the next cleaning largely depend on the proper organization of storage of tools and materials.
We recommend:
What cleaning equipment should not be used?
Habit #7: Don’t keep clothes outside of closets
Dirty clothes go in the wash, wearable clothes go back in the closet. This rule allows you to wean yourself and your loved ones from creating mountains of clothes on chairs and armchairs, which fit so harmoniously into the general atmosphere of a mess. This routine takes about 5 seconds of time - just control yourself during the process of unmasking and send the things you are removing not to the chair, but where they should be.
Freeing up space from unnecessary things
From any tourist trip you bring back a bunch of souvenirs, which, after being shown to friends, stand forgotten on the mezzanine, collecting dust. There are also drawings and handicrafts of children, once given to their parents, lying around.
Having removed the sentimentality, all this can be sent to a landfill, having previously been photographed as a souvenir. We also send various advertisements and souvenirs from work colleagues there. The less junk there is in the chest of drawers, the cleaner and more spacious the apartment will be.
Lighting
Comfortable light is necessary for visual health, general well-being and the mood of everyone living in the room. Light levels are measured in lux. One lux is equal to one lumen per square meter. There are a number of requirements for the level of lighting in a home. They depend on the type of room:
- attic and basement passage – 20;
- toilet, shower, bath – 50;
- hall, corridor – 50;
- wardrobe – 75;
- bathhouse, swimming pool – 100;
- bedroom, kitchen – 150;
- children's - 200;
- personal office, library, utility room, room with billiards - 300.
To simplify the installation of lighting fixtures, there is a system for determining the number of lamps required. One regular light bulb has a power of 25 W. For a bedroom you need 10-12 W/m2, for a study and a nursery - 15-18 W/m2, for a living room - 20 W/m2.
Standards
To be considered comfortable, each home must meet a number of criteria:
- Temperature. This criterion depends on climatic conditions. On average, the temperature should be 18-19 degrees.
- Air humidity. The norm is considered to be 40-60%.
- Air speed. It should be no higher than 0.3 m/s. Strong drafts threaten a cold.
- Illumination. The natural light coefficient is calculated as the ratio of the window glazing area to the floor area. The norm is between 1/6 and 1/8.
- Ventilation. The room should be ventilated without problems.
- Purity. Hygiene for any room is one of the most important criteria.
Each country house must comply with state sanitary standards and construction rules (SNIP):
- The residential building itself must be located on the front side of the territory.
- A distance of 6-7 meters is required between the house and the street. The ideal option would be to plant trees there. They will subsequently become a barrier to noise and dust.
- There must be water supply and sewerage. In areas where water cannot be supplied, wells and boreholes are used. After construction of water supply facilities, water analysis is carried out.
- Constant waste removal is required. Improvised landfills create a favorable environment for the development of infections.
A reproach gathering dust in the corner of the room
Many people have exercise equipment in their apartment that is inactive and no one has used for a long time. Modestly occupying a corner of the room, they remind their owner of past dreams of maintaining body muscles in tone.
Rather than feel guilty every time you glance at them, it is better to give them to someone who really needs them, or put them up for sale.
Secrets of interior renovation without renovation
Over time, even the most sophisticated interior becomes boring and begins to seem boring to us. In fact, it’s not at all difficult to significantly enliven a space and make it sparkle with new colors. If the room seems boring to you, try changing the textiles. This is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to change the interior. You can also add or replace some decorative elements: photos and paintings in frames, sets of figurines, kitchen utensils. Hygiene and home decoration is a creative process. Don't be afraid to experiment, like moving furniture or buying a new light fixture. Today, seasonal interior decor is in fashion. If desired, decorate rooms for the holidays, change curtains when the seasons change, and place compositions of fresh flowers in the interior. Remember the most important rule: a house is a reflection of its owner, a clear demonstration of his tastes and level of culture. Treat your home with respect, and then you will definitely become happier.
Home hygiene – what is it?
Every person dreams of a cozy and comfortable home. In fact, each of us can make our home exactly like this right now. And it doesn’t matter at all how good the renovation in your apartment is, and whether you have the funds to remodel it. There is an entire discipline dedicated to home improvement and care. It would be useful for anyone to know what home hygiene is. This is a set of rules and proven housekeeping tips that will help you make your home safe and comfortable for a long stay. A properly equipped home is a place where it is pleasant to be and where you want to return. People living in it are full of energy, get sick less often and feel happy.
Home microclimate
Fresh air is very important for human health. Home hygiene must include regular ventilation. In any weather, open the windows for 5-10 minutes at least 2 times a day. Keep an eye on the temperature: for residential premises, the optimal temperature is 18-20 degrees. It is also useful to control air humidity. Today there are special household appliances that can record and correct this indicator. Needless to say that an ideal home has no place for mold, insects and rodents? Regular cleaning and special products will help you cope with these uninvited guests.
The apartment should not resemble a warehouse for used items
To free up closet space from old things, you need to answer a few questions. Is this thing really necessary, what benefits or joy does it bring, how long have you not used it?
In the drawers of the chest of drawers there may be a handbag with a broken zipper, to replace which a new one was bought long ago, next to it is an umbrella with a broken knitting needle. There are burnt electrical appliances in the kitchen and a hairdryer in the bathroom. It’s cheaper to throw it all away and buy new than to spend money on repairs.
