15 EASY Habits for an ALWAYS Tidy Home!
My husband came home and asked if we could have friends over tomorrow and I panicked. All I could think of was the mess my house was in and all the work it was going to take to make it nice and cook food too! Well, that used to be me but not now. Now I have 15 easy habits for an always tidy home.
Do you feel my pain? Have you ever dreaded a friend dropping by? Have you ever felt too tired to keep your home clean and tidy? I bet you have!
So how can I be that annoying person whose home always looks perfect? How can you? It’s easier than you think when you have habits that keep things in check! Let’s dig in and learn easy habits for an always tidy home.
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Habits for an ALWAYS TIDY HOME: #1 Always Make Your Bed
I know this seems like a no-brainer but it really is worth the effort to make your bed every single day.
This is coming from the worst bed maker ever! I never used to make my bed but after living in two spaces where the bed is the focal point of my entire home I have learned that having a made bed can make the difference between looking like everything is a mess to looking like things are pretty put together!
Do it. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It will take you about 1 minute tops and is definitely a key ingredient to having a tidy house!
Habits for an ALWAYS TIDY HOME: #2 Straighten Throw Blankets and Pillows
If you want your living room to instantly look more put together get in the habit of folding up your throw blankets and straightening your pillows. When people walk in and see these simple things straightened up in automatically gives the impression that you have a tidy house.
This little habit takes 30 seconds and if you have the habit of doing it your home will always look ready for company.
Habits for an ALWAYS TIDY HOME: #3 Have A Drop Zone for Stuff You Need On the Way Out!
If you want to have an ALWAYS tidy home one of the best things you can do is create a drop zone for your keys, wallets, purses, and other things you need right before you leave the house.
Keep this drop zone small so that it doesn’t get loaded down with stuff you don’t need and forgot. Keeping all of this stuff in one area will not only make your house look tidier, but it will also save you time every morning!
I like to use a small bin or basket for my drop zone. You might choose a drawer or even an entry table for your drop zone. Whatever you choose make it look nice and easy to access!
#4 Don’t Pile Up Mail and You Can Have an ALWAYS Tidy Home!
Get in the habit of deciding on what to do with your mail as soon as you bring it into the house.
If you get coupons for a place you will actually use them at put them in your purse so that you will have them. Every time you get junk mail and flyers you don’t need to look at throw them away. When you get a bill or something you want to look at more put it in the mail organizer on your desk.
When you get in this habit you will avoid overwhelming piles of mail and keep your counter-top or table clutter-free! It’s amazing house many times I have seen an overall neat and tidy house ruined by piles of mail so don’t let the piles start in the first place.
#5 Hang Up Your Coats!
If you want your house to look tidy all the time it’s important to consistently do small things that keep things tidy.
One thing that can make a big difference in the first impression your home makes is putting up your coats. Instead of throwing them over the back of the couch or a chair put them in your coat closet or at least on an over-the-door coat rack.
I have found that my family will put them on the coat rack with no fuss so that’s what I use but I still go through it periodically and hang up coats and scarves that aren’t being worn every day.
Also, you can hang your purse on the coat rack instead of keeping it in your drop zone.
#6 Don’t Leave Shoes Lying Everywhere!
If your family is like mine they may like to leave their shoes wherever they take them off. This can make it hard to keep your home clean because shoes are dirty and they never look good lying all over the floor.
In an ideal world, they would put them away every time but who are we kidding? Let’s meet in the middle.
I have found that a little shoe bench by the front door helps my family put their shoes away while keeping them handy.
Obviously, this isn’t the permanent home of all the shoes in your house so keep an eye on it and make sure that your family puts shoes they don’t wear daily back in their closet at some point.
#7 Pick Up Toys Every Night
At the end of every day remind your kids to put away their toys. This doesn’t have to be anything that is hard or takes a long time. Simply have some baskets or collapsible storage cubes that they can throw them in.
You can also apply this to yourself. Put your remotes in a basket or tray and clean up whatever hobbies you pull out in the evening.
Yes! You can even put the dog toys in a bin.
When all our toys are put away not only does it look like we have a neat and tidy house but it’s also easier to keep up with daily cleaning habits that will keep your home clean!
#8 Wash Dishes as You Go
When you’re on the run in the morning or if you take lunch at home it may be tempting to drop your dish in the sink and run but if you throw it in the dishwasher instead your house will look much tidier for your 5-second investment. If you don’t have a dishwasher it might take a whole 15 seconds to wash your dish and put in the drainer.
And when you make dinner try to wash your prep dishes while you are cooking and then make it a habit to never go to bed without doing the dinner dishes. It really doesn’t take that long. Ask Alexa or Google to play some music and watch! You will be finished with the dishes in just 3 songs or less!
This will not only keep your home clean but will also keep you from getting overwhelmed by a huge pile of dishes!
#9 Don’t Throw Your Clothes in a Pile!
If you want your bedroom and/or closet to stay tidy the most important habit to develop is to ALWAYS put away your clothes when you are done with them.
If your clothes are dirty at the end of the day put them directly in the hamper and if they are clean enough to wear again they should not go into a no man’s land pile. They should but folded or hung and put right back where they go.
Avoid the giant pile of clothes that overwhelms you and makes your room look like a tornado hit it! This simple step is one of the daily cleaning habits that really pay off!
#10 Fold and Put Away Laundry on the Same Day!
Don’t procrastinate on laundry day. Throw on your favorite show or some good music and fold all your laundry. Bring your family in for a fold-off contest!
I like to listen to an audiobook and make it kind of a relaxing time to myself. This changes laundry day from something you hate to a really nice way to keep a neat and tidy house.
Whatever you do focus on getting your laundry done right away and don’t consider the job finished until everything is put away.
#11 Give Everything a Home
The keep to keeping a tidy home is to have everything organized. Figure out a home for everything that you have.
Make this organizational solution or “home” an easy place to get your stuff out of and put it back in a hurry. The more complicated your storage “solutions” the more you will procrastinate putting things away. Keep it simple.
#12 Dust Once a Week
I know a ton of people that hate dusting and it’s my favorite cleaning task.
Grab a Swiffer and put on some good music! If you dust your house once a week it will never get to the point where it makes you sneeze! (and I live in the desert where it’s REALLY dusty!)
#13 Wipe Off the Counters
Small daily cleaning habits can make a big difference. Here is another quick and simple way to make your home look tidy all the time.
Make it a habit to wipe off the table and countertops at LEAST every other day if not once or twice a day.
This will make your house look tidy but it will also keep your home clean and healthy.
#14 Open the Windows Up!
Everything looks brighter and cleaner when there is natural light! Open up your curtains and let the light in. This will brighten your mood and make your house look wonderful!
Think about it, when you look at pictures in magazines a neat and tidy house always has tons of natural light!
#15 Get Rid of Clutter or You Can’t Have an ALWAYS Tidy Home!
It doesn’t matter how clean your house is or how well you organize, if you hold on to clutter (stuff you don’t use) it will always look a little bit messy. It’s very important to declutter your home well and revisit it often if you want a clutter free home.
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You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Have an ALWAYS Tidy Home!
I know that maybe it sounds like a lot but if you build these daily cleaning habits you will be amazed at how nice your home looks!
These habits did not come to me naturally. I learned them while living in a 400 square foot studio apartment. When you live in a tiny place like that you need to have things tidy or you lose your mind.
Of course, you will not always do it all perfectly but if you do at least some of it most of the time you will have an ALWAYS tidy home that is way less overwhelming and you will find yourself enjoying your company instead of dreading them!
What do you do to keep your home tidy and functional? Please share your tips in the comments below!
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