We know that with the start of spring, we are all looking for that spring clean feeling, and let’s face it, even if you’ve got a weekly housekeeper (or you are the housekeeper), the house can get out of order pretty quickly.
As a stay-at-home mom who also homeschools, I know busy. There’s school, swimming, soccer, and so much more. I’ve also learned that dust and clutter are big triggers for me, so being at home much of the time, I need the order to function.
Here are seven quick and easy cleaning hacks I’ve adapted to keep my home feeling fresh daily.
1. Make my bed every day.
Perhaps this sounds super simple, but making your bed can seriously impact your day. I make mine immediately after waking because it’s checking something off my to-do list, pushing me to get the next thing done. It also makes me feel relaxed whenever I walk into my room and see order. It also takes less than three minutes, so why not?
2. Wipe down the bathroom counter.
I don’t know about you, but my husband washes his face like he’s in a face soap commercial. I keep a washcloth (or you could keep a can of your favorite wipes like these) under my sink to wipe down the counter every morning after I brush my teeth. The time it takes is less than one minute.
3. Meal prep.
This one is a little lengthier, but I felt it was worth including on this list, and here’s why. Not only does this one save us time and money, but it keeps my kitchen clean all week long. A few hours of prepping 4-5 meals means I have food for the entire week for my family. I don’t have to guess what I’m cooking on soccer practice nights because it’s already done, and I have to warm it up. I only have to wash a big set of dishes once, and my stove stays clean all week.
4. Wipe the kids’ bathroom counters and toilet in the evening after they’ve gone to bed.
Two boys, sports, and lots of outside play lead to forever dirty bathroom counters. When I wipe up the toothpaste and whatever else they manage to dirty the countertop with that day, I go to bed knowing I’ll wake up to a sparkling kids’ bathroom, and I can’t put a price on that. The time it takes is three minutes.
5. Pack lunches the night before.
While I only have to pack my husband’s lunch, knowing all I have to do in the morning is chuck this lunch in a bag with an ice pack makes my morning coffee taste better. The time it takes is five minutes.
6. Leave your shoes at the door and ask others to do the same.
Shoes go everywhere with you during the day, from offices to muddy fields to public restrooms, none of which I’d like on the floors my kids roll around on.
7. Follow the five-minute rule.
My ultimate rule for forcing me to cross things off my list, even if I don’t want to do them, is that if a task takes five minutes or less, do it now. You’ll feel so good later!
