15 Habits of People Who Have a Clean Home

A clean home. You see others have this and wonder how they make it happen. Now you’ll know.

15 Habits of People Who Have a Clean Home

One thing I love is a clean home.  When my space is neat and tidy, it just makes me feel less stressed and like I can actually get things done. I just work and feel better when my home is clean.

Having kids does pose a challenge.  They are messy.  There is no getting around it.  However, I don’t use that as an excuse not to clean.

My kids are old enough to help clean up their messes.  They are learning (after lots and lots and LOTS of practice) that it is normal to always clean up after ourselves.  My son mentioned this the other day after he made himself a snack (let’s just say that it involved chunks of apples on the floor, peanut butter in places I still question and some honey).  After he got finished eating, he looked at me and asked me to help him make sure he cleaned it up the right way.

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Over the years, I’ve noticed that there are things I do every day that keep my house clean.  I call them “My 12 Cleaning Habits.”  I don’t even have to think about them anymore.  They are just part of who I am.

I’m going to share them with you.  You may not agree with all of them. You might only want to pick up one or two.  Whatever the case, it works for me and who knows – it might work for you too!

1. We do dishes immediately after each meal

We never let the dishes sit out for very long.  As soon as our meal has ended, we take a few minutes and work together (our entire family helps) and load the dishwasher, put away the leftovers and wipe everything down.

We all know that it is not fun to clean up, but take just 10 minutes and you’ll be done in no time at all.

2. Clothes get put away

If we are changing (such as when we get home from church), we all put our clothes away by hanging them back up or folding them and putting them back into the drawer.

This is even the same after laundry is done.  When the clothes are cleaned, they are put onto each bed.  My kids and I then take a few minutes and put them away. Now, they may not do theirs until bedtime, but it is done before they go to sleep that night.

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3. Our house is picked up every night

Before I go to bed each night, everything is picked up.  We might have backpacks and coats setting out for the next day, but the toys, blankets and other items are all put away.  I find that when we do this, we wake up and can start our day without clutter staring us in the face.

4. I make my bed

Every. Single. Day.  This one is the task many say that they never do.  They say “but I am going to sleep in it tonight.”  Well, why would you do anything then? I mean, why put away the box of crackers on the counter if you plan on a snack in 3 hours.  Why put away the juice if you plan on getting a drink in an hour?  To me, it is just an excuse and not really a reason.

Every morning, I make my bed. So do my kids, it is part of our routine.  It just make your room look instantly clean and can bring instant calm.

5. I don’t keep things I don’t need  

I go through and declutter our rooms at least 2 – 3 times per year.  I get rid of the clothes that we do not wear (or that may need to be thrown out).  We clean out the toys that are no longer used (and use this as a teaching moment for raising non-materialistic kids).

This is the same in the kitchen.  We don’t have 20 water bottles.  We keep 5.  We have 5 people in our home, so we only need one per person.  No more.  No less.  By taking time to purge and get rid of the “extras” we have less clutter to worry about.

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6. Paper has a home

This is the one thing that seems to cause a lot of clutter for people.  Whenever we have paper enter our home, it goes to it’s “own home.”  The bills go into our bill folder.  School papers go into our holding bin.  We keep menus and coupons for restaurants in a space in the drawer. If we have manuals from things we buy or other items, they too get filed away.  Paper never sits out.  It always goes to it’s home.

7.  I dust and vacuum weekly (sometimes more frequently)

At least once a week, my kids help out by dusting and vacuuming.  There are times when I will run the vacuum a couple of more times during the week.  With five people walking through this house, the carpet can get dirty pretty quickly.

8. I do a load of laundry every day

With five people living here, laundry can very quickly get out of hand.  I take time and do a load of laundry every day.  Some days, it is even two loads.  The idea is that when it is the end of the week and we are ready to wash bedding, I will have only 5 loads to do that at time, rather than 10 or more by allowing the dirty clothes to stack up.

9. We clean up after we are done playing or creating

My kids love to play with play-doh.  They love to bake.  We also enjoy doing crafts together.  We even love getting out several games and having a game tournament.

Whatever we do, it my leave a mess.  We take a moment to just pick up after ourselves.  We put the toys and crafting supplies back away. We sweep up the floor and wipe down the countertop as needed.

10.  Coats and shoes are where they belong

After school, our kids walk into the door and hang up their coats and then place their shoes by the bench (s0 they are ready for the next day).  The backpacks go onto the bench so that I can go through them and to remind them of any homework they may need to do that night.   This actually makes our mornings smoother because we can find those things we need so we can get out the door.

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11.  I empty the dishwasher every morning  

We run our dishwasher in the middle of the night (a habit in trying to use this appliance when energy consumption is lower).  That means we have clean dishes which need to be put away.  It also means breakfast dishes can’t be put into the machine until the clean items are removed.

We take a couple of minutes to unload the dishwasher so that the breakfast items can be put away before everyone heads out the door to get started on their day.

It also makes it easier when it is time to start dinner after a busy day at work.  Dishes are not in your way and you can just focus on getting a meal on the table for your family.

12. I clean my fridge every week  

Now, this one may sound a bit strange, but it is something I do.  I take time to wipe up spills and wipe up spoiled food.  However, the main reason I do this is so that I know what to add to my shopping list.  I don’t want to make multiple trips to the store, so I use this opportunity to take inventory of what we have on hand and what I need to buy.

Read More: Cleaning and Organizing the Fridge and Freezer

13.  I clean as I cook (wipe down surfaces after every use)

If I have to chop veggies and add them to a pot, I will clean the counter, put away the food as needed and even put dishes into the dishwasher.  By the time dinner is on the table, there are only a few pots and pans left to be washed after we’ve finished eating.  This really helps make tip #1 go much more quickly!

14.  We have respect for our home

In respecting my kids and husband, I want to make sure that I keep my stuff cleaned up.  The same is true for them.  By respecting one another and our home, we all work together to make sure it a warm and cozy place to live.  Even if they don’t like to do it, they do because they respect me and know it is important.

15.  Nothing is placed on my bed (or beneath it)

My bed is where I sleep. Nothing sits on it.  I don’t keep clothes on it — and when there are clean clothes sitting on it, that means they get put away.  If you have to use your bed to store anything, then it might be time for a purge.