Keeping A Clean Home

Most of us have a few bad habits that we need to conquer. I personally have a bad habit of leaving clothing in the laundry basket after doing my laundry. I also have a habit of leaving shoes everywhere. Even with these bad habits, however, I am generally able to maintain a clean space and can be ready for guests at a moment's notice. If I can do it, I also have faith that you can too.

Keeping a clean home requires habitual behavior. Some people grow up with these habits and have no difficulty keeping a space clean . Unfortunately, the majority of us are not so lucky. Building good habits and breaking bad ones is a process which requires some commitment, however you don't have to be perfect to maintain a clean home.

A great way of kicking a bad habit is doing things while they are most convenient. A good motto is to mentally tell yourself – "might as well while I am here" – whether you are putting a dish in the sink, throwing away the trash, or walking past the laundry room.

If you are someone that has a tendency to get messier when you are stressed, I find that planning to have company over is a great way to keep yourself in check. I will often invite friends over for a short happy hour or coffee in the middle of what I know will be a crazy week. This forces me to stay on top of my chores and gives me something to look forward to among all the craziness of that week.

A great way of creating a good habit is leaving each room you go into the same as when you came in. I learned this from a friend who I caught fluffing a pillow out of habit. I must have looked at her with a confused yet impressed look. Noticing my bewilderment, she explained her mother taught her to leave every room as she found it. Since then, I too have made an effort to fluff pillows as I leave a room.

If you are still determined to think your home is an unorganized disaster, do not fret. All you need to do is set aside some time to whip it into shape. There are many books and TV shows on organization. If you have no idea where to start, watch something like the Home Edit or Tidying Up with Marie Condo and tackle a closet or your kitchen drawers.

If you are desperately in need of help and are willing to pay for it, clean up your space as best as you can and call in a professional organizer. A professional can work wonders in helping get to a place where you are able to maintain a clean home. Additionally, it is important to sure your home is clean and organized when help comes for the first time. This is also true if you plan to have a housekeeper. The purpose of having a housekeeper is to help you keep your home in immaculate shape, not to hide a messy lifestyle.

Be aware, that cleaning and organizing your space one time is generally not going cut it unless you plan on hiring a regular help. Even if you have extra help with cleaning and organizing, you should still make an effort to conquer your bad habits. You now have to work on your habits one by one. You may have to repeat the deep cleaning process a few times before you get the hang of it but once you do – you will be unstoppable and soon be on your way to inviting people to your home at a moments notice. Helping keep your space clean shows respect to yourself, your guests, and, if you have one, your housekeeper (hopefully guaranteeing their help for a long time).

Do you have any tips or tricks for keeping a clean home. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

As always,

Alli