When you walk into your home, does it look like a hurricane just blew through? Having a clean house isn’t about being the tidiest person on Earth. It’s about creating a place that makes you feel comfortable and happy. The question is, why do you still have dirty dishes in the sink, unwashed laundry laying around, and an overflowing trash can? When was the last time you vacuumed or even dusted?
A clean house is a good house. This is something that you tell yourself (and your kids) over and over again, but for some reason, it never sticks. It may not always be an easy process, but there are ways to make it easier for everyone.
We’ve collected 17 practical tips to help make your home look tidy today.
Dirty rugs
The rugs in your house aren’t vacuumed enough because you don’t have enough time to do them during your busy day or because they’re in high-traffic areas so they get dirty very quickly and need to be cleaned more often than other parts of your home like bedrooms and bathrooms where people spend less time each day doing tasks that cause dirt buildup throughout the day (like cooking).
Small space
You don’t have enough storage space for all of your stuff so it piles up all over the place, making it look messy even when you try to keep things organized neatly by placing items back where they belong after use instead of leaving them out on surfaces.
dirty bathroom mirror
Your bathroom mirrors are foggy and full of fingerprints, which distracts from the rest of the room’s cleanliness when you look at them while brushing your teeth or shaving (or while staring at yourself naked).
Behind the toilet
The area behind the toilet is often overlooked, but when you look closely, you’ll find all kinds of dirt and grime.
Inside the medicine cabinet
You might think you’re keeping your bathroom tidy by replacing old plastic bottles with new ones every month or so, but if you don’t take everything out of your medicine cabinet and wipe down the shelves once in a while, those bottles will start to collect dust and grime that will make your bathroom look grimy.
Underneath appliances
Appliances like stoves, refrigerators, and dishwashers should be cleaned regularly because they can harbor lots of built-up grease and dirt, especially underneath them where they rest on the floor or countertop.
Too much stuff
You have too much stuff in every room of your house, which makes it impossible to keep up with everything. Get rid of some items so there is more space for things that really matter to you.
You have a pet
Pets shed hair everywhere in the house and track dirt everywhere they go. Cleaning up after them can be exhausting but it’s something you should do regularly because it will make your home look so much nicer than if you let them run wild all day long.
You have kids
Kids leave toys everywhere and that makes for a lot of messes around the house that need cleaning up immediately.
It can be tough to keep everything picked up all day long but try setting aside time each day.
Dirty doors
Make sure that the doors to your house are clean. This is one of the first things people notice when they walk into your home, so make sure it’s nice and shiny.
Carpet stains
If you have carpeting in your home, then you know how hard it is to keep it clean. You can easily remove stains by using a homemade cleaner.
Just mix a few tablespoons of dish soap with water and pour it onto the stain. Use a towel to blot the area until no more liquid comes out.
Dirty curtains
Curtains need regular cleaning as well, especially if they are made of fabrics such as silk or linen.
To clean them, simply wash them in warm water with a bit of detergent and hang them up on a clothes rack outside to dry in the sun (if possible).
If they are made from synthetic materials such as polyester or nylon, you can use an enzyme-based cleaner specifically designed for these materials.
Unmade bed
The bed is the focal point of any room and is the first thing people notice when they walk in. If you keep your bed unmade, it will make your entire home look messy.
Plus, you will be sleeping on a wrinkled sheet all night long.
Dirty toilet stains
One of the easiest things to clean around the house is a toilet bowl but it’s also one of the most overlooked.
Toilet stains are not only unsightly but can be dangerous if left untreated for too long.
Regularly clean your toilet with a bleach solution and scrub with a brush or toilet cleaner to remove any mold or mildew that may have developed on the surface of your toilet bowl.
Cluttered bathroom cabinets
Clutter can make any room feel smaller than it actually is, so make sure that everything has its place so that everything has a home in your bathroom cabinets as well.
Walls full of nail holes
If you’ve removed a picture frame or wall art recently, don’t forget about those holes left behind by hanging nails. They’re more noticeable than you think, especially if they’re surrounded by newly painted walls.
Fill them in with spackle or drywall mud, sand smooth, and prime them with an oil-based primer before painting over them again (or just leave them blank).
Dirty light covers
Light fixtures don’t just add style to a room; they also help make it feel clean. If your light fixtures have dusty or yellowed glass covers, however, they can contribute to a dingy appearance.
Cleaning them requires little more than some glass cleaner and paper towels, just remove them from their sockets and spray away any grime that’s accumulated on them over time.
If the light cover is damaged or discolored in other ways, you may need to replace it entirely with a new one from your local hardware store or home improvement center.
Dirty knobs and switches
Carpets can hide some of these, but if you have hardwood floors or tile surfaces, dirt around the edges of knobs and switches will stand out like a sore thumb.
You can use a toothpick or small brush to clean around them; just be careful not to scratch the surface of your furniture or walls when you do so.
Conclusion
In the end, while it’s nice to have a clean house, the underlying lesson here is that it’s okay if your home isn’t spotless all the time. As long as you always try to keep it tidy, and have enough storage space for everything, then you’re probably doing just fine.
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