Good Housekeeping Tips To Start Now
Whether you’re a little untidy or known for being disastrously messy, there are certain bad housekeeping habits you can eliminate if you want to turn your life around.
Take a look at the following good housekeeping tips so you can kick bad habits to the curb and learn how to keep your home nice and tidy.
Bad Housekeeping Habit #1: Letting Chores Pile Up
Saying, “I’ll get to that later,” is one of the worst cleaning habits you can ever pick up. Take cleaning the bathroom for example. It’s a small space, but put that task off once, and you’re likely to keep pushing it down your to-do list. The longer you do that, the soap scum and hard water build up on the side of the tub and the shower walls, while the ring around your toilet darkens. This not only makes your bathroom look gross, it leaves you with a more challenging job to tackle when you finally get to it.Good Housekeeping Habits to Try Instead:Rather than letting chores get out of hand, stick to a daily housekeeping schedule. This will allow you to tackle a little bit of cleaning each day, so that your home stays tidy without overwhelming you. Before you write this off as being impossible, keep in mind that many chores don't take longer than 30 seconds.
Bad Housekeeping Habit #2: Not Being Organized
If you try to clean your house without having a plan, you’re more likely to abandon the task. Why? Well, if you don’t map out your housekeeping — especially during a weekend or deep clean — the job is going to seem massive. Add to that the fact that disorganization could result in you running across the house for different cleaning tools and products, and it’s easy to see why you might throw in the microfiber towel.Good Housekeeping Habits to Try Instead:Break your job down into sections by knowing the proper order for cleaning a house. Doing so will allow you to set small manageable goals for yourself, and it will also keep you focused on one room at a time.
Take this good housekeeping tip to the next level by knowing how to organize your supplies and relying on a cleaning caddy. That way, you’ll have everything you need, as you move from room to room.
Bad Housekeeping Habit #3: Using Harsh Chemicals
Advertising has led us to believe that we need incredibly harsh chemicals to keep everything clean, from the kitchen countertop to the bathroom floor. These cleaning products can be expensive, more abrasive than necessary, and — in some cases — hazardous to your health. Additionally, there’s no need to bring out hard-hitting chemical products, unless you’ve got an extensive job to tackle.Good Housekeeping Habits to Try Instead:Look for natural alternatives to these cleaners. You might be surprised that a great deal of your housekeeping can be taken care of using ingredients you find in your kitchen pantry or mild soaps you may have in your home. These cleaning solutions can be just as effective as many commercial brands when used properly and tend to be less expensive. Best of all, they don’t contain harsh chemicals!
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- 5 Cleaning Uses for an Old Toothbrush
Bad Housekeeping Habit #4: Not Asking for Help
One of the worst things you can do to yourself is take on more cleaning than you can feasibly handle. This will result in you getting stressed out and frustrated, leading to you giving up on tasks. In turn, these chores will once again pile up, meaning you’re stuck back in a cycle of untidiness.Good Housekeeping Habits to Try Instead:We all get busy with work, the kids or life, and there’s always a week where you’ll be crazy preparing for house guests or helping out with science fair projects. When those times crop up in your life, repeat the following to yourself: “It’s OK to ask for help.” Everyone has been there at one point or another. When you’re so busy you can barely remember your name, call in for backup from your local Merry Maids. After all, that’s what we’re here for.
It’s easy to work these good housekeeping habits into your life with minimal effort. Once you do, you’ll be amazed at how tidy your home can be, and wonder how you were ever so messy before.