This post is sponsored by Bona but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
I was scrolling Facebook a few weeks ago and came across an article titled 30 Habits of Really Clean People. It intrigued me. I consider myself a fairly tidy person, who keeps a clean home, so I just had to know if I had all 30 of these habits.
For the most part, I did! While some things were a little extra (like constantly wiping down the remotes in the house) I found commonalities with myself and this article. Which sparked an idea for a blog post. Instead of just taking the things I already do, and the verbatim of this one article I read, I scoured the internet to find several articles about the habits of tidy people and identify the big trends. Of everything I read and tried myself, these 8 habits were the most effective and the most common across every article.
8 Habits of Tidy People
Do One Load of Laundry Every Day
One big theme in every article I read was basically staying on top of the tasks that tend to weigh us down in our attempts to be tidy. Laundry is a big culprit. I personally start a load of laundry most mornings, and stick it in the dryer in the afternoon. After dinner I’ll fold it all up. My laundry room is a nice size (that was a must for me when we built) so I have a system of storing the folded clothes right in there.
Unload the Dishwasher After Breakfast
This task was one I wasn’t already doing before reading through tidy habits. You may remember my first post about keeping a tidy home, I admitted to letting my dishes sit through the day and cleaning them at night. It saves time and helps me get places on time.
However, I read one tip about unloading the dishwasher in the morning. That way it’s empty all day and easy to just put dishes in the washer as they get dirty. I started doing this and it feels easier to just clean as I go!
Wipe Down Before you Walk Away
It feels fitting after talking about dishes to talk about the counter wipe down that follows. Every time I wash my dishes, I wipe down my counters, cabinets if they got wet in the process, and sink. I was once told to “shine my chrome” after washing dishes, meaning wipe down the faucet. It keeps the surfaces sparkling and clean! I also do this same thing in the bathroom, after washing my hands or getting ready in the morning, etc.
Clean as you Go
While I still have a “cleaning day” during the week, I’ve started to adopt the clean as I go method and it cuts down on the time it takes me during that weekly clean. I’ll give the bathrooms a quick clean after giving the boys a bath at night, or mop the floors after dinner. Most evenings before bed or sometimes just before dinner, I’ll wipe down all of my tables in my living room, kitchen and dinning room. Thanks to the endless sticky finger marks that make their way around our home, it’s necessary.
To make the clean as I go method work, I’ve started to stash cleaning products all throughout the house instead of just one central location. I now have a second Bona spray mop, one for downstairs and one for upstairs. Bona sells several bundles that celebrate life’s memorable moments, and offer up savings! For my second mop I went with the New Home Essentials bundle from Bona which comes with a mop, wood floor cleaning cartridge, tile and laminate floor cleaning cartridge, and a three pack of cleaning pads. The pad pack, has three different pads: one duster, one regular microfiber pad, and one heavy duty pad to get deep down. You not only get a curated collection of products with these bundles you’ll get more for your money! Shop them all here.
I use the dusting pad to do a quick sweep before moping, then use the microfiber pad on my wood floors with the wood spray cartridge. When I get to my tile floors I simply switch the pads and the cartridge to the tile and laminate floor cleaner and go! After my first post about Bona I was asked by a few people if Bona also worked on tile, and the answer is yes!
There is a special formula, which comes in a spray bottle, and also as a cartridge for the spray mop. It’s just as great at the wood cleaner in my opinion.
Put Everything in its Place
Toys, mail, jackets etc. Anything that comes through my door has a place and a plan. I think (and the articles agreed) that never letting your table or counter pile up with stuff is a great way to keep the appearance of a tidy and clean home. I sort our mail, save what I need and toss the rest as soon as I get home with it.
Don’t you worry, I saved those coupons first!
Clean Your Fridge Every Week
This is something I did without even thinking about it. Every week when I bring groceries home, I clean the fridge out first. Not a huge, go through your condiments kind of clean, but I’ll toss old food, and give the shelves a wipe down before filling it back up.
Tidy Up Before Bed
I never skip a night of tidying. Before bed everything that is meant to go upstairs (discarded clothes and socks from the boys, random toys they brought down) makes it way back up there. I’ll straight up the pillows and throw blankets on the couch and do that final wipe down if I need to. I love to start my day with a clean and fresh home, it brings me a lot of peace. Plus that evening tidy up only takes a few minutes.
Make Your Bed
Every article I read agreed on this habit. Making your bed every morning is a must! Even if you simply pull the cover up to the pillows, a made bed is always inviting and keeps things tidy.
As they say it takes a couple months to form a habit, so put these in place now and before you know it, they’ll be second nature! Do you already practice some of these tidy habits? Have more of your own?
-Brooke
