Our homes are used for hosting guests, raising children, and enjoying our family. So much of our lives take place at home. They are the #1 earthly dwelling in our lives and they deserve to be well-taken care of. As Christians, our eternal home is in Heaven, but we get to mirror the beauty and comfort of Heaven by creating a safe and beautiful haven for our families here on Earth.
Maintaining a clean and beautiful home for my family is something that is very important to me. I don’t do it perfectly, but I have learned a lot in the five years that I have been homemaking. I realize that this does not come naturally for everyone (including myself) so today’s post has some tips and tricks for maintaining a clean and beautiful home. Some of these suggestions, I have already “mastered” and some of them I am still working to incorporate into my life more consistently. Regardless, I hope these tips will help and encourage you in your quest of maintaining a clean and beautiful home!
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How to Maintain a Clean and Beautiful Home
1. Keep Only What You Use and Love
This first point was almost “declutter.” However, if you’re like me, you don’t mind some functional or beautiful clutter such as baskets, decorations, stacks of books, inspirational signs, etc. So, instead of telling you to get rid of every single bit of clutter taking up space in your home… let me encourage you to keep only the things you use and LOVE, but then get rid of the rest.
The less stuff you have that you don’t use or love, the easier if will be to clean and enjoy the things you DO love. So, take some time to look around your home and get rid of the things you aren’t using or really don’t like. You will free up space and it will be easier to keep your home clean, organized, and comfortable for your family!
2. Follow a Cleaning Routine
Consistent (yet flexible!) cleaning routines are a game changer for keeping your home clean! Knowing what you need to clean and when, helps to put the cleaning on autopilot and keeps you from sitting around wondering what to do next. I already have a post about cleaning routines which you can read here. For now, my current cleaning routine looks something like this:
- Monday: Clean both bathrooms, straighten up the house from Sunday
- Tuesday: Wash, dry, fold, and put away all laundry
- Wednesday: Dust all surfaces as needed, sweep upstairs and down, spot clean kitchen floor
- Thursday: Wash kitchen and bathroom floors (this does not happen most weeks!)
- Friday: Pick up house as needed
- Saturday: Run a load of laundry and clean the house for Sunday
I’ve modified this cleaning routine from the Simply Clean book which is one of my favorite cleaning books! This routine works for me, even though the bulk of my cleaning happens on Wednesday (which is the day we usually have guests in our home!).
As I go throughout my home (whether dusting or sweeping), I check for other “odd jobs” that need to be done such as: emptying trash cans, cleaning mirrors, wiping down the trash can, etc. and I tackle them while I’m at it.
3. Wash Dishes after Every Single Meal
Dishes can pile up SO quickly. The key to staying on top of dishes is washing them (or putting them in the dishwasher) immediately after every meal. Make it a part of your mealtime routine and you won’t need to worry as much about dirty dishes taking over your kitchen. If you do a lot of cooking during the day, throw in an extra time to wash dishes or add them to the next “after meal” dishwashing.
4. “Pick Up” the House Every Evening Before Bed
Almost every evening before bed, I walk through the main living areas of our home and look for anything that’s out of place. When I find something that doesn’t belong (such as matchbox cars under the dining room table, toys or books on the living room floor, an empty box sitting in the kitchen) I promptly put the item(s) where they belong or dispose of them. Doing this every evening means we get to fall asleep and wake up to a neat and tidy home.
5. Clean Up the Bedroom Every Morning Before Leaving
I don’t know how it is in your home, but next to the kitchen, our bedroom is the hardest room to keep neat and tidy. Maybe it’s because I’ve never been very good at putting away my clothing, or maybe it’s because I’m constantly bringing water glasses and mugs of hot tea up to the bedroom every evening. Whatever the reason, I struggle to keep our bedroom neat and tidy on a consistent basis. One new habit that I have been trying to implement, is cleaning up our bedroom before leaving it every morning. This means, before I leave my room for good, the bed is made, clothing is in the hamper or the closet, my makeup is put away, and I take any mugs or water glasses down to the kitchen with me.
This simple habit can (and will!) go a long way in keeping the bedroom picked up and tidy. The bedroom is a place where you go to relax and spend time with your spouse, so I believe it’s important to keep it as clean and comfortable as possible so it’s a place you want to retreat to in the evenings!
Tip: if you pick up your main living spaces in the evening before bed, and your bedroom in the morning, you’ve likely covered 50-75% of your home AND they are probably the rooms you use the most!
6. Organize Dysfunctional Spaces
Is there an unorganized spot in your home that’s driving you crazy? If yes, you’re not alone! I have several!
Over the past few months, I have been trying to tackle one crazy space at a time and turn it into an organized and functional space instead! A few inexpensive containers and dividers from the Dollar Store or Walmart go a long way! Here are a few places I’ve tackled recently:
The “random” drawer in the kitchen – I would say the “junk” drawer except I have a few of those elsewhere! This is a random drawer in my kitchen that’s away from my main storage area but still contains items I use regularly, like chalk for my menu board, coupons, my homemaking binder, labels, etc. First, I decluttered. Secondly, I bought some cheap drawer containers at Walmart and third, I organized everything in a way that made sense to me but still looks organized and functional! Much better.
Our bathroom shelves – the cabinet/storage space in our bathroom is minimal, so we have some wire shelving that houses our towels, washclothes, cleaning supplies, and some toiletries. The shelves were getting a little crazy and disorganized so I grabbed some cheap, matching baskets at our local Dollar General and re-organized everything into the baskets. It took me less than 15 minutes while dinner was cooking, but now our bathroom shelves look neat and functional.
I would like to tackle our junk drawers and medicine cabinet next!
>>> Make a small list of some dis-organized or dysfunctional spaces in your home and then tackle them one at a time!
7. Buy ONE Simple Thing to Improve Your Home Each Week
I am not suggesting that you go out and buy something brand new, frivolous, and expensive for your home each and every week. However, I would encourage you to make one small (and occasionally large) purchase for your home on a consistent basis to keep things running smoothing and improving gradually.
Here’s what this may look like:
- Week One: Pick up new dishtowels to replace the hole-y ones in the kitchen
- Week Two: Order some family photos to frame and hang on the walls
- Week Three: Grab a piece of seasonal decor that’s on major sale with an idea of exactly where + how you will use it next year
- Week Four: Buy some drawer organizers or baskets to organize a dysfunctional space
- Week Five: Scout your local thrift shop for items you can use/repurpose in your home
Keep a running list of items you could use (or would like) in your home and keep it with you while you shop! This way, if you find something on sale in stores or for a great price at a thrift shop, you already know how you plan to use that item in your home! This will help you make wiser purchases!
Some weeks, you may need/want to buy some bigger and more expensive items, such as paint for a larger home improvement project. Make sure to budget these items and make good use of sales and store coupons!
8. Keep a Running List of Home Improvement Projects and Ideas
Having a physical list of home improvement projects is super helpful (instead of keeping it all in your brain!).
I like to include a couple home improvement ideas in my list of goals at the beginning of the year and we tackle one here and there as our time and budget allows. Just to give you some ideas, here are a few projects we’ve tackled since moving in two years ago, and some projects on our list for the future:
Previous Home Projects:
- Replaced the torn carpet in the kitchen with actual kitchen flooring
- Painted the countertops (we used this super easy kit for an inexpensive way to update our ugly yellow countertops!)
- Put up a stick-on backsplash
- Re-painted the porch and front door
- Built shelves in the basement for extra storage
Upcoming Home Projects:
- Put better lights in the basement + updating light fixtures
- Put together some photo galleries with framed family photos
- Fix the gutters on the back deck roof
For most of us, it is NOT reasonable to fix and update everything in the home all at once. However, you can improve and update your home, little by little as time and money allow. Talk with your spouse and keep a running list of small and large home improvements you can tackle one at a time!
9. Beautify Your Home with Things You Love
It’s so easy to get caught up in the current decorating trend or trying to copy exactly the things you see on Pinterest or in other homes. However, something important to remember is that this is YOUR home. Fill and decorate it with things YOU love, even if they aren’t trendy at the moment.
The home is a reflection of the homemaker and the family who dwells there, so make sure the imagine you portray with your home is consistent with what you value as a family.
To explain what I mean… my husband and I both love to read, and my husband especially loves music. Books and music are important to us, so when you walk into our main living area you will see two large bookcases filled with books, a piano, and a guitar. These things are a part of our family culture and they are reflected in the appearance of our home! I enjoy making my bookshelves look pretty with baskets and decorative items and of course, I decorate the top of the piano as well.
- What does your family use and love?
- How does your home reflect your family culture?
Don’t be afraid to beautiful your home with things you love and value!
10. Love the Home You Have
The more you choose to love the home God has given you, the more you will want to take care of it! Every gift we have on earth is from the Lord, including our home – so let’s take good care of the one we have!
Time for a Giveaway!
To enter the giveaway: simply share this post on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram or via email and comment below with your own tip for maintaining a clean and beautiful home! I am always on the lookout for homemaking tips and tricks, so I want to hear some advice from YOU!
This giveaway is for friends and followers in the US only. The giveaway begins today, Thursday, August 18th, and will end next Thursday, August 25th. The winner will be contacted the same day.
Have fun!
We are in the middle of remodeling so keeping our space clean is a very big challenge. I try to keep it minimal each day but I’m trying to keep it the same for each day. Like on Tuesday’s I wash clothes and Wednesday I clean the bathroom. Something that keeps me motivated when cleaning is praying, listening to music, podcast, or a book. It helps me stay focused on cleaning.
Shared on Pinterest 😊
The easiest way that I’ve found to “mop” our floors is by using a damp microfiber cloth over the head of a flat Swiffer mop after vacuuming first. It makes cleaning so easy & it’s so satisfying to see the gross black water when you rinse it. I do the floors in sections and rinse out the microfiber cloths between each one. I also •love• Scrub Daddy’s Power Paste for cleaning the showers, sinks, stainless steel appliances, tile grout, and getting any scuff marks/coloring off of walls, furniture, etc. It’s chemical-free and non-toxic! Loved this post! Thanks for the tips. ☺️
I loved this post! So many helpful and practical tips all in one place! I do many of these, but I’d love to do more.
One tip I have is continually think about decluttering as you clean or organize. I end up getting rid of a few things almost every time I clean, and this helps keep the clutter manageable. We often bring things into the house by the bagful/weekly, so to avoid overcrowding let’s send things out of the house at a similar rate. 🙂
(Also shared your post on instagram! Thank for this!)
My tip is make it less overwhelming with attainable goals/ rewards. Example: I can do all my laundry today, therefore, I can spend some time reading this afternoon. I also listen to audio books while I work to make it more enjoyable!
Great tips!
It seems so simple and obvious, yet, if when you get home or are done using an item, if you do not set it down somewhere, but instead put it back where it goes right then, while it’s still in your hand, it saves you from having to take the time later to go get it and put it away, or work through an area that has had lots of things deposited over time.
Yes! My saying is touch things once! There’s no need to touch it multiple times! Efficiency!
Love these tips! I’ve found it helpful to seek out families who have children slightly younger than ours, with whom we can share outgrown toys, clothes, etc. It’s great motivation to clear our the closets when I know who the items will go to.
I also like the idea of “a place for everything, and everything in its place”. Now, if I could just get the rest of the family to buy into that system!! 🙂
Rotate the kids toys so there are not so many out at once. Plus then they are excited to play with the “new” toys when you rotate them. Also when they get too many toys or teddies, they have to start giving away their old ones to the needy.
Thanks for the great ideas! I already do many of them, but there is always room for improvement!
I try to always put things away as I finish with them (at least that’s my goal!) so when its time to clean the house I will not have to straighten up before I clean!
Shared on Pinterest.
Thank you for the tips! 😊 Shared via email!
These are the BEST glass cleaning cloths. They work so well using just water- so it saves money and they’re a great option if you’re trying to avoid toxic cleaning products.
https://www.microfiberwholesale.com/collections/best-sellers-microfiber-mops-towels-dusters/products/microfiber-glass-cleaning-pack
I love to clean out my clothing closet each season so there is room for my clothes without over flowing or bursting. I also rotate seasonal clothes and store the others in baskets on the top shelf of my closet.
Love these tips! I have not done great with consistently cleaning our house so I love how it is broken down by day or week.
Shared on Facebook!
Love making cleaning a game with the kids!
We try to go through our clothes every season to see if there things we haven’t worn or things that don’t fit!!!!
I shared this on Facebook
I set a timer 10-15 min each day and just get the visual stuff daily! (Weekend is more thorough)! This tip also makes it really fun for kids 🙂
My daily must do’s are to keep the kitchen always tidy and ready for guests or meals to be prepared (clean dishes and wipe counters after each use…), I clean our most used bathroom at least 1x a day (it’s a small half bath but it’s the high traffic bath) making sure it’s ready in the morning with supplies, fresh towels and clean (aka 3 boys under 8…), I sweep the kitchen morning, noon and evening – it’s the portal to our house so it’s very used and busy! Plus – I like clean floors! The rest is weekly cleaning! Or when I see that it needs done!!!
Prepping breakfast at night has been a game changer. If possible bake an oatmeal or make breakfast burritos, do dinner and breakfast dishes simultaneously and wake up to a clean kitchen and a fantastic breakfast! Starts the day off so well!
I’ve been working on folding and putting clothes away as soon as they are dry. I feel like laundry can get out of control so quickly. 😅
Shared on Pinterest!
My simple clean tip is to do a quick bathroom clean before one of my showers each week. I quick toilet lean and bath clean up makes keeping the bathroom clean easier. Then once a week when I go to bathroom I take the broom and mop and change the trash, clean up the sink area and mop.
One tip that I recently learned about from one lady on youtube is: every time you wash your hands in the kitchen, also was a dish. And the more known one – clean as you cook OR cook as you clean….😁
Some things I’ve found helpful with cleaning…
1. fold laundry as it comes out of the dryer or right off the line.
2. Simple to a fault- Practical and functional decorations, if any.
3. Go minimalist- Less is always more, especially with children’s toys. I like to cultivate creativity and outdoors time by not bringing a lot of store-bought toys into the home. Toys are minimal and typically educational play (homeschool mom here (: ). Educational can be relative in the homeschool world though.
4. When encouraging toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary aged children to remember to clean up, I go by “if it’s not worth cleaning up, it’s worth throwing away.” Obviously that shouldn’t happen with instruments or expensive or valuable items, but when it comes to cheap toys, paper, cardboard, etc, it’s special enough to hurt and cheap enough to move on with life. It worked with my older ones. Now I’m behind on applying it to my younger ones.
Shared via email.
Oh! One very worthy appliance worth investing in for families… Large basin washer.
Banish the piles of dirty laundry by having a laundry basket for each room that acquires regular dirty laundry like bedrooms, bathrooms, or even mudrooms (for kitchen towels); and using a washer with a larger volume capacity to wash more clothes at a time.
This was a huge lifesaver for me and stress reducer.
Thank you all for entering the giveaway and sharing your helpful tips! The winner has been notified and the giveaway is officially closed.
Remember that keeping a clean and beautiful home is a continuous effort, and it’s okay to take a break and reward yourself. A giveaway can be a great way to treat yourself or your loved ones and to keep motivated to maintain a clean and beautiful home.