For most of us, cleaning is either one of two things: a relaxing time to zen out or the worst thing ever that is well worth avoiding. While we might get a lot done when the tranquil moods arise, for the most part, our homes deserve regular attention. Getting into a healthy routine of any kind is a well-documented hassle. It’s honestly hard to change the way we do things, especially when being less than perfect and pristine is so much less of a hassle. However, it’s worth the effort to build habits to keep a house clean and tidy.
Keeping a home clean has more than a few benefits. Aside from ensuring you never trip over anything or step on a rogue Lego, a clean home is a safe one. More specifically, cleanliness boosts our mental and physical health. Leaving things lying around undisturbed lets dust build up which of course has many ramifications on our allergies and respiration. Messiness also creates mental discord which induces a constant level of distress. When an area is tidied, up it’s easy to tackle dust and also encourages the soothing sensations we expect from a home.
Tackle the Procrastination Moods
What makes cleaning hard is the fact that the chore doesn’t really have an end. Even though you washed dishes yesterday, there’s more to wash today and there will be tomorrow. It’s tiresome, and your mind will do everything it can to reason an escape route. Most of us all have a degree we procrastinate, too. For many, cleaning is a nagging task that’s all too easy to ignore. Giving in to these whims, however, builds a resistant habit against potential good ones. A great way to flip around a bad habit is to face it head-on.
Whenever you notice a problem and recognize a procrastination excuse coming to your mind, push it away. Make yourself do the task all the way through and pay close attention to the complaints and distractions your mind throws at you to follow through with lazy habits. It’s a type of awareness meditation that will clue you in on how your mind tends to operate. Once you’ve identified your bad habits, they’re much easier to actively reverse.
Clean in Short Bursts
If cleaning simply takes too much of your valuable downtime, one of the best habits to keep a house clean and tidy is to just do a little at a time. The next time you get up from your movie marathon to grab a soda, scrub one or two dishes before leaving the kitchen. Consider purchasing a smaller stick vacuum and leaving it out conspicuously. Rather than dragging the full-size vacuum around for an hour, tackle obvious dust and dirt in just a minute or two whenever you notice it. Stock up on the right supplies to make sanitizing items, washing windows, and removing stains easier than the usual scrubbing and raw elbow grease.
Cleaning thoroughly doesn’t have to be a costly affair. Plenty of helpful discount household supplies and products exist to make your life easier. For instance, Daily Sales stocks an amazing selection of robot vacuums ready to do the dirty work between your cleaning sessions. Browse our collection of new and refurbished appliances for the best deals that will make your chores a breeze.
Start a Drive-By Organizing Habit
If you’re a busy person, cleaning can seem like an annoying waste of time. Rather than spending valuable downtime tackling a mess, try cleaning as you go. While you’re bustling about the house doing your usual routine, keep an eye out for things amiss. If you spy a lone sock grab it on your way to the laundry room. Pick up dishes and carry them off to the sink when you’re headed in that direction.
If you see a collection of misplaced items, start migrating them in the direction of where they need to go. For instance, the measuring tape and wrench need to get back to the shed after that DIY project. If you’re not headed to the shed right away, take them as far as you’re going in that direction. In short, hitchhike lost items ever closer to their eventual homes. This way, you never really have to stop and clean at all. Items just gradually drift back to where they belong amidst a flurry of other more interesting activities.
Tackle the Worst First
Some things can’t be ignored. Certain tasks and messes are like an abyssal event horizon that drains your energy and mood every time you see them. Don’t let your happiness be sapped by dwelling on the work ahead. Instead, take a deep breath and dive in. It’s easy to turn a day of exasperation into a week of procrastination, and during that time the problem only gets worse.
Half the time, though, the real trouble is our moods and feelings we associate with a task. By removing the issue once and for all, you’ll alleviate the stress of knowing the mess is still pending on your never-ending to-do list. Besides making yourself feel less stressed, cleaning up the big stuff also makes the whole room, if not the whole house, feel lighter and cheerier.
Create a Disaster Containment Area
Some things we own are just messier than others. That’s why collections deserve shelves, toys need toy chests, and mail requires a neat place to be stacked before sorting. Certain items always exist in large quantities or are just hard to stack making them naturally very chaotic looking when grouped. Identify the messiest items in your home and vow never to let them fool you again. Next, find a space that isn’t too out of the way but isn’t necessarily always in sight.
Leaving messes in easy-to-spot areas is a great way to encourage yourself to deal with them. Leaving inherently cluttered objects piled up ‘until you have time to sort them’ will just drive you up a tree. Until you do have time to figure out an attractive display or more controlled means of storage, give these items a dedicated corner, closet, or drawer to live harmlessly.
