Every mom knows the frustration of spending hours cleaning the house, and then feeling like you have to start all over again by dinner.
After all, in a busy family household, dirt and clutter can seem to build up almost instantly.
But, keeping your home clean isn’t always about how often you scrub, vacuum or mop.
Sometimes, it actually comes down to how easily dirt and clutter are allowed to move through the house in the first place.
One of the top companies for house cleaning in Toronto mentions that a few simple changes to your cleaning routine, storage, and home setup can make a surprisingly big difference in the cleanliness of your home.
Start by trying these simple ways to make your home easier to keep clean in between your bigger cleaning days.
Start at the Front Door
Think about everything that comes through your front door during a normal day.
That might include shoes covered in outdoor dirt, wet boots, backpacks, sports equipment, coats, and more.
If everything that gets carried through the door is dropped wherever there happens to be space, the mess spreads quickly.
A simple entrance setup can help make sure that chaos is contained and organized.
Put a sturdy mat outside the door and another one inside, giving shoes and boots a designated spot.
Add a mudroom cabinet or even a simple coat hook rack so that you can do the same with coats, bags, and other things your family reaches for every day.
Keep in mind that updating your entryway shouldn’t be a designer makeover project. The goal is functionality.
When footwear and outdoor gear stay near the entrance of the house, that stops the dirt that often comes with it from making its way through the rest of your home.
Keep Everyday Surfaces Mostly Clear
A kitchen counter covered with appliances, mail, lunch containers, and random odds and ends takes much longer to clean than bare surface.
The same goes for bathroom counters, nightstands, dressers, and side tables.
To make cleaning easier, find ways to manage the clutter first. But, you need to make sure that your storage choices make finding and using items easier instead of harder.
If putting a lunchbox away means opening a cupboard, moving three other items into a different spot, and reaching to the back of a shelf, chances are that lunchbox is going to stay on the counter.
So, look at the things that regularly pile up, and give them easy homes.
A basket for unopened mail, a container for frequently used bathroom items, or a drawer for smaller everyday kitchen gadgets may be all you need to keep a surface clear.
The less you have to move before wiping a surface, the easier it is to keep it looking good.
Focus on the Things Everyone Touches
There are plenty of areas in your home that can collect fingerprints and residue without looking particularly dirty at first.
In most homes, that includes door handles, light switches, cabinet pulls, refrigerator handles, faucet handles, remote controls, and stair railings.
Adding these high-touch areas to your regular cleaning routine can keep them from developing that grimy, lived-in look and feel.
Pick a few of these spots to wipe down whenever you’re already cleaning the surrounding area.
For example, if you’re already cleaning the bathroom counters, give the light switches a wipe down, as well.
It only takes a few extra seconds to do, and it’s much easier than waiting until every place your family tends to touch regularly has noticeable buildup.
Don’t Forget Your Fabrics
Floors and countertops tend to get most of the attention when cleaning a home, but fabric can hold onto plenty of dust, hair, and everyday debris too.
Couches, cushions, curtains, throw blankets, upholstered chairs, and rugs can all give your room a slightly stale feeling, even when the hard surfaces look clean.
Keep an eye on which fabrics in your home get used the most. Then, focus on freshening them up regularly.
Vacuum upholstered furniture, wash removable covers and blankets when needed, and give rugs a deeper clean when regular vacuuming isn’t enough.
If you have pets or a busy household, you may need to clean your fabric items a little more often.
And, if a particular part of a rug or cushion gets much more use than others, rotating it can help distribute the wear.
Give Dust Fewer Places to Collect
There is no way to completely eliminate dust from your home, but there are ways to minimize it.
One of the easiest ways to do that is to take a look at the surfaces where small objects tend to accumulate.
Open shelves filled with decorations, crowded windowsills, overloaded nightstands, or the top of a cabinet covered with miscellaneous items give dust more places to settle.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t decorate your home with pieces that you actually love or use.
But, if you have items sitting out simply because you don’t know where else to put them, it may be time to rethink their storage.
Closed storage for things that don’t need to be on display can also make a big difference when it comes to reducing dust.
Fewer individual objects sitting around means less time picking things up, moving them around, and dusting underneath them.
Deal With Small Messes While They’re Still Small
A small spill is generally only going to need a small cleanup.
A dried coffee ring, week-old spill on a carpet, or blob of toothpaste that’s been sitting there for three days, on the other hand, will likely take more work to remove.
When you notice a small mess, dealing with it right away can save you from having to tackle a bigger cleaning job later.
Usually, that can be as simple as just giving the spill a quick wipe.
However, it can be good to make sure you’re using the right cleaning method for both the spill and the surface.
Wood, stone, painted surfaces and delicate fabrics can all require different care, and a red wine stain on a white carpet shouldn’t be treated the same as a mud stain on a hard floor.
That being said, a quick cleanup always makes the job easier. Take the few seconds you need to do it, and save yourself a more annoying job later.
Keep Cleaning Supplies Where You Actually Need Them
You’re much more likely to wipe down the bathroom mirror if your window cleaner and cloth are within easy reach.
If you have to go downstairs, find your cleaning products, carry everything upstairs, and then put it all away again when you’re done, a quick cleaning job suddenly feels like a project.
To prevent that, keep a few basic cleaning supplies close to the areas where small cleanup jobs are often needed.
A microfiber cloth near the bathroom, a hand vacuum close to the living room rug, or a duster in the bedroom can make little jobs much easier to tackle.
And, that makes keeping your home clean less of a chore during a busy day.
Look Up Once in a While
Some parts of your home can collect dust for months without anyone noticing.
Ceiling fan blades, vents, window tracks, the tops of cabinets, and light fixtures are easy to overlook because they aren’t usually at eye level.
Since these areas generally don’t need daily cleaning, make them something you tackle room-by-room, every month or so.
By keeping that cleaning of higher areas to one room each month, you’ll be able to ensure your home looks fresh and presentable without overwhelming yourself trying to do a big, seasonal clean.
A home that’s easier to clean isn’t an impossible dream. The right everyday habits and a good layout can help prevent mess from getting out of hand.
Make sure you find ways to minimize dirt, dust, and clutter, and you’ll likely find that it’s easier and easier to keep your home clean without hours of effort.
That being said, remember that your house is still a house. It’s going to get messy.
The goal should never be to keep everything spotless all the time.
Instead, find those easy ways to manage everyday mess, so you aren’t constantly starting from scratch.
A few small changes can mean less time cleaning, less frustration when things get messy, and a home that feels comfortable every time you walk through the door.