Ten Tips for Happy Housekeeping

When it comes to home improvement, one of the easiest things to overlook is housekeeping!

Housekeeping improves how you relate to and enjoy your space. That enables you to feel energized and peaceful in your home and makes it easier to muster enthusiasm for long-term home improvement projects.

Here's how to make housekeeping easier and even fun:

1. Make the Bed
   A daily habit of making the bed puts you in the right mindset to get other cleaning tasks done during the day. Making the bed also means your bed will be much more welcoming and comfortable when it's time to return there after a long day.
2. Start Sooner
   When you know you have cleaning to do, jump into it with this habit-building formula: Start with a timer and set five minutes. For those five minutes, focus entirely on the task in front of you. Afterward, set the timer again. By the time you've done ten minutes, you usually won't need the timer anymore.
3. Put Clothes Away Daily
   Piles of clothes can easily accumulate and drain your energy for other home improvement goals. Aim to put them away daily. If you notice certain areas always end up with piles, put a hamper nearby to make tidying up even easier.
4. Wipe Surfaces After Each Use
   Counters, sinks, and more – it's much easier to clean them up right after use instead of waiting. This is another case where having the right cleaning supplies nearby makes a tremendous difference. Keep the supplies handy, so you won't have to interrupt to get them from somewhere else.
5. Keep Shoes by the Door
   No matter whether you have carpet, tile, or hardwood, keeping shoes by the door will help you extend the life of your flooring: That can save you on your home improvement budget later! Taking off shoes at the door keeps various pollutants out and ensures you always know where to find your shoes.
6. Keep Up with Laundry
   It's best to do smaller loads of laundry once a week rather than waiting for every two weeks or each month. While you might use more water, you'll make up for it in the added convenience that simplifies your life.
7. Clean Out the Fridge
   The day before you're set to shop for groceries (or have them delivered), get rid of items that are past due. If you find things you really want to use that are nearly out of date, be sure to place them upfront so you'll see them. A whiteboard on the fridge can help you keep track.
8. Don't Have a Cleaning Day
   Instead of having a cleaning day, strive to do some cleaning every day throughout the week. Spending just fifteen minutes on cleaning every day can mean you don't find eight hours of chores piling up for your precious weekend, "me time."
9. Find Ways to Enjoy the Process
   When you don't enjoy a task, you have to deploy "willpower" – and that's a finite resource. Find ways to have fun, even if it's just as simple as playing your favorite music whenever you're cleaning around the house.
10. Reward Yourself for Cleaning Up
    Habits are more likely to stick around with positive reinforcement. If you've cleaned every day in a week or gotten a particularly challenging task done, don't be afraid to give yourself a little reward. The sooner after the task, the better.

Cleaning may not be exciting, but it is worth it. Keep up with it, and it's one of the things that will make your house a home.

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