Keeping a Clean House without Stressing Out

Please welcome, Elle from Couple Money, for today’s post.

Beautiful sunny kitchen, sitting and dining room

Like most parents with little ones, keeping a sparkling clean house can be a ton of work.

We honestly don’t have the time, energy, or frankly desire to maintain such an immaculate place. That doesn’t mean we like to live in a messy house.

Last year we got a crash course on having a clean house when we put our house up for sale.

We needed our home ready for showings on a short notice. The good news is we picked up some handy habits that have simplified our cleaning routine.

Quick Cleaning Tips to Make Your House Shine

If you’re pressed for time, but still want your house looking good for those surprise visits, here are my best tips.

Clean as You Go: I have to start with this because it is the key to easy cleaning. Better and much quicker to soak or load pots and plates as soon as you’re done than wait later. (Neither my husband and I like scrubbing.)
Zone in on the Front: Wherever your family spends the most time relaxing or gathering with friends are going to be your critical areas.
Keep Your Counters Clean: It’s amazing how much cleaner your rooms look with minimal items on the counters.
Bins Can Be Your Friends: If you can’t sort through your papers right away, place them in a bin. Laundry? Tuck them away in a basket until you can get to them.
Do Your Floors Last: I hate to repeat over myself, so I sweep and mop after I did everything else.
Make Your Beds: Before you leave in the morning, make your bed. It makes the room 10x neater.
Tidy up while Dinner is Getting Ready: Get the whole family involved for a 15 minutes clean spree. Kids can take stuff back to their rooms and your can each tackle one room.
Homemade Cleaners Rock: Ran out of cleaner and don’t have time to run to the store? Whip a batch of natural cleaner from pantry items you already have.
Your Nose Knows: Skip on harsh chemicals and instead keep it simple. Besides a fresh smelling house just seems cleaner.

As your schedule allows, you can go deeper with your cleaning, but I’ve found making this list your default gets you that balance of well-kept place on a real world schedule.

If you’re like me, I’d rather spend extra time relaxing and hanging with my family.