Keeping your house clean can feel like an uphill battle. Everyday you’ve got more dishes to wash and a load more laundry to do, and you’ve got a floor to brush and dust to get out of ceiling corners - when does it end? Of course we all know it won’t, but we can make the fight against grime easier on ourselves. As such, here are some tips for keeping your home clean on a more permanent scale, even if you’ve got messy kids and/or an even messier pet to take into account. This article isn't about how to clean your house but rather, how to make it easier to clean up when the inevitable mess occurs.
Let's take a look first and some of the core areas that are a challenge and then also divide those up into public and private spaces. For instance, areas like your bedroom, office, walk-in closet, and potentially even your garage will be a lower priority than spaces such as the foyer, family room, kitchens and of course the bathrooms. That isn't to say that those private spaces aren't important to keep clean as well ... but simply it's easier to hide things away there.
Messes at home generally come in three types of clean up ...
1) clutter that needs to be organized and put away but ultimately you plan to keep
2) debris and trash that you need to clean up and toss out
3) dirt, spills and other mess that needs to be cleaned and sanitized
Avoid Appliances That Attract Finger Prints And Other Smudges
Certain surfaces such as stainless steel and high-gloss plastic tend to "attract fingerprints" easier than other materials. These surfaces might look fancy when cleaned but are not great options in a busy house where people may be touching them with hands and fingers that are less than clean.
This is especially true for appliances like refrigerators and microwaves but you'll also notice that other surfaces such as glass doors on cupboards show similar patterns.
Select Furniture And Upholstery Patterns That Resist Stains
Furniture that is covered in easily-stained materials like leather or microfiber will be a challenge to keep clean. Not only do you need to worry about spills and dirt but even everyday activities like leaning against the furniture can cause marks.
In the same vein, upholstery with busy patterns can be a pain to clean as any small stain will be noticeable. Solid colors or simple patterns are usually easier to deal with.
Choose Flooring Options That Are Easy To Clean
Carpets may feel nice to bare feet but they are notoriously challenging to keep clean. Even when you vacuum, they are easy to trap dust, mites, and debris.
Indeed, the floors are simply much harder to clean, and there’s only so much work you can do with a vacuum. So instead, it might be worth it to head to your nearest flooring store and find a linolium pattern or some hardwood you like the look of. These materials are far less likely to trap dirt, especially if they’ve been sealed off properly, and when you do notice piles of hair or spots of mud, a quick mop down and it’s sparkling again.
This pattern is something I notice regularly when traveling to Mexico. Unlike American hotels where the carpet is the norm, in many Mexican hotels I'll notice extremely clean tile or wooden floors with rugs that can be beaten or washed.
The downside in colder climates though is that hard surfaces tend to be much colder feeling unless you invest in ambient heaters for the floor.
Limit Pets And Children From Certain Areas Of The House
This was a point I touched on before but it does bear repeating. In general, the foyer and kitchen are prime real estate for dirt and stains because they see so much foot traffic from everyone coming in from outside - including children and pets.
Since these areas tend to be high-traffic, you may want to consider using rugs or runners that can be easily removed and beat/washed as necessary. Otherwise, limit these two rooms as much as you can (or at least keep the mess down there).
Keeping your house clean can feel like an uphill battle. Everyday you’ve got more dishes to wash and a load more laundry to do, and you’ve got a floor to brush and dust to get out of ceiling corners - when does it end? Of course we all know it won’t, but we can make the fight against grime easier on ourselves. As such, here are some tips for keeping your home clean on a more permanent scale, even if you’ve got messy kids and/or an even messier pet to take into account. This article isn't about how to clean your house but rather, how to make it easier to clean up when the inevitable mess occurs - whether that's clutter from kids' toys or pet hair.
