Maintaining a clean house can be easy. Use these six simple habits to keep your home neat and clean – in just a few minutes a day.
I’m convinced that cleaning schedules on Pinterest are designed to make me feel bad about the state of my house.
I know I’m not the only Pinterest-addict who has hung a lovely little printable cleaning schedule on my fridge in a fit of delusion. These typically include crazy ideas like scrubbing baseboards on Mondays. Or really, scrubbing baseboards any day.
But I don’t typically make it very far. Why? Because those guides are NOT designed for lazy girls.
And I am a Card-Carrying Lazy Girl.
But can I let you in on a secret? I’ve learned to keep a clean house. I even welcome unannounced guests. (They keep me on my toes and sometimes bring wine.) Yes – guests may stumble upon a load of clean (or dirty) laundry, find some stray toys or spot some dust. But I think my house looks pretty darn good most of the time.
Instead of tons of cleaning, I established a few quick habits that I do throughout the day. They take very little time and have become second nature. They help me keep my house clean without making myself crazy. And I don’t have to spend designated time cleaning, because our space stays presentable despite everything my family throws at it.
So I thought I’d share some of my tips to keep your house presentable (nearly) every single day. (And if you want a realistic checklist to keep your house clean, sign up below.)
Don’t worry about doing everything now. Take a lazy girl’s approach and start integrating these habits into your day. You may find, like I did, that you can keep your house clean and still be a little lazy. 😉 (This post contains affiliate links.)
Make your bed.
If you are going to make one habit, make it a bed-making habit.
I know you are rolling your eyes.
Seriously. Stop rolling your eyes.
Here’s what I’ve found about making my bed:
- It takes less than a minute. This isn’t House Beautiful. Just pull up the sheets and comforter and give the pillows a quick fluff.
- It gives me control over one thing. Because God knows that my toddler just drew all over my table with a Sharpie (again).
- It makes my room look clean. Even if the shelves are covered in dust and jewelry and there’s a pile of laundry near the door. The neat bed draws your eye away from everything else.
(P.S. The same goes for your kids’ bedrooms. A quick bed made – by you or them – is a surefire way to make the room look neat.)
Do your dishes. Immediately.
I’m a bit of a dish Nazi.
At our lazy house, there are (almost) never dishes in the sink. They get washed or they get stashed in the dishwasher (when we had one).
My scientific studies have found that a sink full of dirty dishes actually multiplies. Rapidly.
It’s science.
But seriously – when there are dirty dishes in the sink, they seem to build and build and build. And eventually, it’s so overwhelming that it seems positively IMPOSSIBLE to do the dishes because it will take forever.
Instead, I wash our breakfast dishes when we are done eating breakfast. I wash our lunch dishes when we are done eating lunch. And my husband washes our dinner dishes when we are done eating dinner. (Holla at the awesome husbands out there!)
And I rarely have to cower in fear or scream in fury at the state of my sink pile.
(P.S. You are NOT allowed to tell me you don’t have time to wash your dishes after breakfast or lunch. I timed myself and it took me 2 minutes and 32 seconds to clean up after lunch.)
Wipe down the bathroom and kitchen counters and sinks.
In the bathroom and kitchens, make a habit of wiping down counters with a wet cloth or antibacterial wipe.
I’ve found that a quick wipe-down can hide many a sin. It also ensures that gunk gets cleaned off before it gets hard and impossible to clean.
I do this several times each day after using areas – and it honestly takes seconds. When I use the restroom and wash my hands, I wipe down the sink and counter top. When I wash my face before bed, I wipe down the sink. After I do the dishes (because I actually do them right now), I wipe down the counters around the sink.
An added bonus is that it forces you to keep stuff off your counters. Ha. It’s a sneaky trick. Your house looks cleaner because there is less stuff on your counters because you are lazy and don’t want to move the stuff when you wipe them down.
Find a place for everything.
I find that a big part of having a house that feels presentable is having less stuff cluttering every surface. And once you have less stuff, you have to find a home for it all. And the home is never on counters or on the floor.
In our house, paperwork, toys and electronics are the biggest sources of clutter. So, we make sure there is a designated spot for each.
A few examples of our clutter busters:
A simple home for some of my son’s toys ensures I don’t trip on them in the middle of the floor. There’s plenty of room for everything and, while not perfect, I think it looks presentable.
Bathroom countertops are a magnet for stuff. Instead of letting the counters gather toothbrushes, makeup and other supplies, I always have a spot to stow baskets. It’s much easier to hide away all the clutter, but it’s also easily accessible.
In the past, I have a used a wall-mounted system for mail, bills and other paperwork. This keeps it from cluttering the counters. (This is from the Real Simple line, formerly at Target.)
And more recently, I’ve used a new system for paperwork – it easily keeps everything out of sight and organized.
Focus on the floors.
You’d think it would have been EASIER to keep my floors clean in a tiny space. But actually, our floors would always look dirty if I ignored them. They show every single dog hair and dusty footprint. And when floors are dirty, the entire house looks dirty.
But if I just spend a little time daily on the floors, it makes the whole house look better.
I swear by the Roomba 650 or bObi Pet robot vacuum for larger spaces. (Read my reviews here and here. Spoiler: I have had a robot vacuum for 5 years and would never go back.)
I just have it set to run every day and the majority of the dog hair, dust and dirt is gone.
When we were in our tiny home, there just wasn’t room for the robot vacuum. So I hid a stick vacuum (the Hoover 2-in-one stick vacuum) in plain sight. This is a great solution to a giant oversized vacuum in small spaces.
I ran it almost every day and it takes minutes. I didn’t have to mess with cords – which meant I can move around without plugging and unplugging, and winding and rewinding. Also – no tripping, tugging or tangling!
Plus, my little superhero can even help.
Can I get an AMEN?
And because I believe that floors are truly one of the most important ways to keep your home clean, I’m also in a romantic relationships with my Norwex microfiber mop. It’s a great way to keep hard surfaces clean – with only water. I run it every few days and my floors always look clean.
And I know. I KNOW. Mopping gets a bad rap.
But a microfiber mop uses a dry and wet mop pad, without buckets of water and spills and messes. It’s quick and simple – and it’s totally worth the effort. (Plus, if you have kids, you won’t have to worry about what they are crawling through every day.)
I find that by spending a few minutes daily on my floors – either with a robot vacuum (HOLLA!) or a simple stick vacuum (WOOT!), it’s easier to keep the house looking presentable. And a quick and simple mopping makes a world of difference.
You don’t have to do it all. But do something.
Focus on maintenance to keep a clean house.
Making your bed, doing the dishes, cleaning floors and wiping counters are all maintenance items. Instead of spending more time later, I spend a few minutes right now. If it takes less than 5 minutes, I think it’s easier to do now than put it off until later.
Examples of maintenance tasks:
- Spraying the shower with shower spray every day instead of scrubbing the shower every few weeks.
- Hanging towels after use instead of throwing them on the ground.
- Sorting through mail when you get home instead of piling it for later.
- Putting away toys before moving onto another activity instead of doing it at the end of the day.
The more you can focus your time on maintenance items, the less time you’ll spend cleaning or scrambling at the end of the night.
But, I also give you permission to give yourself a break.
If you hate a task, consider how you can avoid it or make it better. For example, I hated vacuuming when I had to drag it all over and mess with the cords. So, I found robot vacuums and cordless vacs to make me hate it less.
You also have my permission to delegate your hated task to your kids, husband or cleaning professional. Seriously.
In other words, you don’t have to do or love everything. But maybe by making a few simple habitual changes, you’ll look around and find that you have a clean house.
And you can still retain your membership to the Lazy Girl Club.
And here are a few of my tried-and-true, lazy girl approved, supplies for a clean house …
What are your best lazy girl cleaning tips?
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Can I let you in on a secret?
You don't have to spend all your time cleaning to have a presentable home.
Grab our 6 tips for a clean home (in no time).
Danielle Davis says
I’m not sure how much of cleaning tip this is but some may find it useful. I live in an apartment, and if the neighbors have roaches then you have roaches! It is embarassing when guests come over and get hit with a big waff of roach spray! So I found an awesome solution, take fabric softener and a little water in a spray bottle, it kills roaches on contact and your house smells like clean laundry. Roaches breathe through their shell and the fabric softener is to thick for them to breathe through once they are sprayed with, killing them right away! try it!
Lindsay says
I owe you a huge thank you – your post motivated me to finally replace the parts in a hand-me-down Roomba so I could start using it and it has CHANGED MY LIFE. Now I just have to work on the other tips 😉
Kim Woodward says
Woot woot! Happy to hear it. Sometimes it just takes a little reminder. The Roomba is a game-changer.
Madison says
Such a helpful post! I’ve been working towards implementing this mindset and coming back to read this helps when I’m low on motivation. You mention finding ways to improve on tasks you hate. The bane of my existence is cleaning out the litter box for our ferret. Even on days I swear it will be the first thing I do it stills seems to never get done. Do you have any ideas or advice for making this small task less of a mountain for me? We use recycled paper litter rather than what you would typically use for a cat. Any advice would be so appreciated! Thank you!
Kim Woodward says
I think the biggest way that I encourage myself to do things that I don’t want to is making it stupid easy. For example, can you keep all the supplies/garbage can/etc., right next to the litter box so you don’t have to get all the supplies every time? But with everything you don’t want to do, the hardest thing is making it a habit. I honestly hate to make my bed but I forced myself to do it every day and now I’m incapable of leaving the room without making it. It’s just a part of my routine. I still don’t love to make my bed, but the 30 seconds is easy and quick and part of my day. Hope this helps!
Robin says
I know I am late to the party but I always make the bed! I can not sleep in a unmade bed. I love the part of pulling the covers down and laying in tight made corners. Honestly my house can be falling down but my bed is made! I have a auto immune and suffer from bad days or hospital trips. Then no one picks up the slack. We have a huge island that runs the length of the kitchen. It catches everything. Drives me nuts. Both Grandparents were antique collectors so I have way too much sentimental stuff. Going to do the method if it doesn’t bring you joy, move on.
Thank you for this list!
Kim Woodward says
There’s something about makign the bed that just starts your day with a little control. I’m the same way. At this point, I can’t really NOT make my bed.
Shontell says
Forgot to say that I rolled my eyes at the bed making too. My philosophy is “we are getting right back in it”! I guess that will be the last thing I add in!
Shontell says
Wow! I love this post. I always looked at those other cleaning lists and thought that there must be something wrong with me!! I work full time, have a 6 year old and a husband. Did I mention that I am in school full time and I have MS. Cleaning the house is a nightmare for me. My husband helps but we are drowning in clutter. I have often said that I would like to pull out some special items from the house and then throw the whole house in the trash! We have mountains of papers and school art projects and my obsession with household items like shower curtains and sheets! Your post helped. I feel like I can do these small things even on the days when I don’t feel so hot. I am online as I type searching for that vacuum. My daughter just got her first chore whether she knows it or not! I am on a mission now. My last class is in March 2017. I want a great majority of this stuff gone by then! I will start to slowly de-clutter tomorrow. This stack of papers right by my side are outta here! Thank you so much – from one lazy girl to another!!
Kim Woodward says
Shontell – Sounds like you have your hands full! I hope you find some solutions that work well for your family and don’t make you crazy! For us, these simple things make such a difference in having a presentable home. And it keeps me from stressing out because I’m always doing small things.
As for the bed making, it is one of the most powerful ways I’ve found to start the day on the right foot. It sounds insane, but I can’t even make myself NOT make the bed now. It’s not super fancy and I’m not winning any bed making awards, but it is so ingrained now that I do it without thinking.
Keri says
I did roll my eyes at making the bed! Lol.. So, because I am lazy, I decided to just try it, and wow! On of my biggest procrastination and laziness comes from doing laundry. It’s the folding part that I hate! Lol.. I have found that if I don’t fold or hang them right away, it won’t get done..Then going through baskets of laundry for your favorite shirt is a pain, and then it is wrinkled and you have to iron it or my fav throw it back in the dryer, because.. I am lazy. Thanks for these tips!
Kim Woodward says
That’s awesome! I’m so happy to hear that it worked for you! I am the same way with laundry- if I don’t do it right away, it sits there for a long time. And the same is true for the bed – but it takes less time to make the bed than do the laundry. 😉 Thanks so much for the comment.
Karen says
Great tips! I am the great procrastinator. As soon as I read your tips about making the bed and emptying the dishes from the sink and into the dishwasher, I jumped up, made the bed and did the dishes. Then I went into the bathroom and cleaned the toilet and sat my butt back down to write this reply. LOL I feel like I accomplished a lot and it took literally minutes! I could see the smile and surprised look on my husband’s face. It was cool. Thanks.
Kim Woodward says
Oh my gosh, this is so awesome. I’m so glad you did it – and that you told me about it. It’s really amazing what a difference those little 5 minute tasks make.
Phyllis Nuszer says
I love your tips. I actually do most of those already and it does make a difference. It’s mainly keeping things put away that are an issue to avoid a cluttered look that I need to work on.
Ilona P says
One of my best tips: if it will take less than a minute DO IT NOW. You’d be astonished what takes less than a minute. Putting your clothes away after wearing, instead of dropping them on the floor; putting the mail away immediately it comes into the house; clearing the table (if everyone takes away their place setting).
Oh! And I have a blended family. Kids are grown now, but when they were younger, there were often EIGHT kids around that table, plus my husband and me. And we had no dishwasher! So after every meal, the kids would line up at the sink, and each would wash their own place setting, plus one or two extra items. (I would declare that at the end of the meal: ‘tonight, it’s your place setting plus two’. The kids would RACE each other to the sink, because you know the last person in line would get the crustiest pot as one of their ‘plus’ items!)
While that was going on, I would be cleaning the rest of the kitchen. Tidying, after a meal for TEN people, took 10 minutes or so, and no one person was overburdened.
Kim Woodward says
Yep – great tip. That’s definitely something we’ve learned, too.If you can do it right away, it’s better.
Jan says
This is the best idea for kitchen clean up I’ve ever heard. No setting “chores” lists.
Nobody getting stuck with the worst night, most pots and pans. Just super fair
and everyone pitching in. Absolutely the greatest idea! Kudos to your creativity!
betty hewett says
my daughter and her 3 children are living with me now and I am up to my ears in clutter and such. I made a job chart for the kids ages 12, 9 and 8. Each day they have a different chore. Dust one room completely, vacuum one room, clean the bathroom (the one they use) wash, dry fold two loads of laundry. But everyone MUST make their beds every morning without question. Your tips will come in handy for all of us thanks!
Jean Knable says
I love your ideas. I already make my bed everyday even though I work and you are right. It only takes seconds to make with a duvet cover and pillow shams over my pillows.
Going out to find a cordless vacuum. I am in my 60’s and I hate lugging the vacuum up the stairs.
Thanks for all the great ideas!
Jean Knable
Trudy Bledsoe says
Forget to add this tip! Every morning I put one squirt of hand soap in each bathroom sink & swish it around & rinse it out. That is about all the cleaning I ever have to do to them. Then wipe down the counter with my microfiber cloth when I leave the room.
Kim Woodward says
Great tip!
Trudy Bledsoe says
I am a lazy old lady. LOL. When I started teaching, a lady I started teaching with said if your bed is made & there are no dirty dishes in your sink, then you house looks ok. I think there was only one morning in 34 years of teaching I left with my bed unmade. I overslept!
I still do all the things you said every day except spray the shower? I don’t use Clorox wipes because I have all granite & Quartz. But I use the microfiber cloths. Whenever I wash a load of laundry, it is dried & put away before I go to bed.
And I LOVE cordless vacuums. We have 4 cats, and I have 3 cordless vacuums in various parts of the house. Great for hair, cat litter, & cat food.
I don’t have the clothes steamer but would like one. Dress shirts go to the cleaners & I don’t iron anything else.
All you young girls keep at it. In the blink of an eye you will be old like I am. Don’t look back & see all the hours you spent cleaning when you could have spent it with your family. These quick hints will get you thru. Believe me!!
Kim Woodward says
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! Sounds like we’re on the right track!
Helen Quinn says
I love the Clorox toilet wand. I actually use it first to swipe the bathroom sink, then use the same one in the toilet.
Kim Woodward says
Interesting – I’ll have to check it out.
Karren says
Your blog post made me laugh, I can tell you are so full of energy, you actually make it sound so fun to do chores!! I love the way you write. I have shared your post in my comments on my blog, saved to Pinterest and Tweeted.
I am following you everywhere………and now Im going to check out
Veggie Gardening 101, cant wait!!
Hope you have a great weekend!
Karren
PS Come check out my Blog parties Fridays and Wednesdays to share your blogs
Martha says
Hi, Can you tell me where you got the wall hanging file thing? I am looking for one EXACTLY like that and can’t find it 🙂
Kim Woodward says
I got it at target several years ago. They were the Real Simple brand – http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/organizing-products/hanging-organizer. I don’t think they are available anymore, but I often see similar versions at places like Target and Container Store.
Jessi says
I love the sound of that stick vacuum! How long have you had it and are you happy with how it’s holding up over time? How about battery life? (Great post, btw. I’m just really curious about the vacuum! Haha.)
Kim Woodward says
We’ve had it about 6 months. It works well and the battery life is actually great. I feel like I rarely have to recharge the battery (we also have a tiny space). I think it works best for light cleanup (I love it for crumbs and dog hair and other things on our hardwood floors). Overall, I have been happy with it.
Jean says
Where did you find your wall mounted system for bills, etc.?
Kim Woodward says
It was from Target several years ago – I’ve seen similar versions every year in their office area.
Karen Peterson says
That was my question also – I’ll look at Target. Great post! I’m always looking for ideas to clean and eliminate clutter in my little house.
Michelle in Missouri says
I am totally a lazy girl! And I can totally relate to the dishes multiplying. And fast! Seriously, I have caught myself saying, “if I don’t do these dishes NOW, there will soon be a huge pile!” And it always happens.
I have just started to do all the things on your list, and as for the dishes, I bought one of those wands with a sponge and detergent reservoir for fast cleanup of items that don’t go in the dishwasher when I don’t have a full sink of dishes to do. Love it!
My biggest problem is simply the scale of my house. We farm, and I have tractor duty when we plant and harvest. I just can’t keep up with all 6,000 square feet alone, and hubby doesn’t have time to help. When I get behind, I just feel like giving up. I am hoping your tips will get me back on track. I want to have a house that I can be proud of all the time. We recently redid our floors on the main floor, and made my craft room into an exercise room. The exercise room looks great, but all the stuff that was leftover from my paper scrap booking days in strung all over the basement. I get overwhelmed and just ignore it all. Story of my life. If I could just declutter a little every day….
Anyway, I plan to follow your blog because you seem to have tips that I can utilize! Love that you realize that you aren’t perfect, and that is ok!
Kim Woodward says
Wow! It definitely sounds like you have a full plate! I can’t imagine handling that size house on my own – plus farming. Best of luck and I hope these tips help. For me, just having these things in order makes the entire house feel cleaner.
Shawn Marie says
Everything you mention is so true and is exactly what I used to do when I lived in a two bedroom one bath flat with my oldest daughter and husband. The place always looked presentable. Even when I did want to deep clean everything it would theoretically take me only two hours floor to ceiling, because the place was so small. I actually liked tiny house living, but as our family continues to grow, soon to be six, we couldn’t stay there anymore. Now we have a house more than twice in size and I find it overwhelming to keep up with the daily tasks of lazy girl cleaning. I NEVER am able to get through all the laundry for my large family, which seems to be our biggest downfall. The fact that I now have three bathrooms instead of one is daunting at best. My lazy girl technique is just to keep the toilets and mirrors clean if nothing else say keeping laundry off the floor. If my shower is scuzy then I hide it with a nice shower curtain. I bought a cordless Dyson that I keep in the kitchen which helps tremendously since I have toddlers. Toys are a constant battle and having a designated play room helps alleviate most toys from being strung throughout the house. I’m already fully aware that we simply have stuff we don’t use and need to get rid of. Our garage is unspeakable right now, I’m ashamed, but with the amount of kids we have, time is sparse. I’m full of excuses I know. But there are moments when I long for my tiny flat in lieu of this large house with a yard that is equally daunting, weeds up to your knees. In any case, my main point was to say that my lazy girl technique for a large two story house is to keep the main living spaces as orderly as possible even if the bedrooms and upstairs bathrooms are a mess.
Kim Woodward says
These are such great tips and techniques. I can’t imagine laundry for 6 people. I can barely keep track with 3 of us. I’ve been trying to either put a load in or fold and put a load away every day. This makes it so much more manageable. It’s been a struggle and hasn’t yet become a habit, but I”m working on it.
As for the areas that aren’t perfect, I hope you give yourself lots of grace. This isn’t about being perfect – it’s about doing our best, right? And it sounds like you are an amazing lady who is working hard all the time! I give you a standing “o” for that!
(I”m also totally with you on the pretty shower curtain. There’s a reason mine is almost closed. And you don’t even WANT to see my garage. 😉
Melody says
Here’s a tip for laundry–I have 7 children, and when we were all at home, laundry for 9 people could pile up fast! Add to that the fact that we were living in a house with NO dryer connections (I know, I know), depending on line drying, and you know why I needed a plan. The solution that worked best for us was that each day was assigned a category of laundry. Sunday-no laundry, Monday-lights, Tuesday-darks, Wednesday-jeans, Thursday-delicates, Friday-towels, Saturday-sheets. Generally, with this system, doing 2-3 loads a day let me FINISH laundry, which I liked! Once I got to the bottom of the hamper of the day’s category, I called it done. We folded and put away clean laundry asap, to avoid clutter…lazy girl style.
Kim Woodward says
I am BOWING TO YOU! I literally can’t even begin to imagine all that laundry. Thanks for sharing!
Patty says
I always think my house is a mess but I do pretty much have everything you listed so it must looked ok. ☺ My problem is clutter. Catalogs start piling up on the coffee table that I plan on looking through. Also I usually have some sort of crochet project laying around. We do need a vacuum that we can just pick up and use for quick cleans instead of lugging out our heavy one with the cord. Will have to check out Hoover.
Kim Woodward says
Clutter is definitely my biggest challenge, too. It can easily get out of hand.
Heather says
I Clean as I go while making dinner. By the time we sit down to eat a significant amount of the dishes have already been cleaned, as well as the counters & stove. The reward is not having to face a mountain of dirty dishes after the meal.
Kim Woodward says
This is seriously such a great tip! I can’t believe how many dishes accumulate if you don’t clean as you go.
Amanda G says
This sounds great and something I can do. But my question is, if my house looks disgusting and cluttered now, do I do a deep clean first and then start with the maintenance task, or just start with these small tasks and hope I can catch up?
I also have to add, I work full time and am expecting in July so I’m super lazy lately (no excuse but there it is anyway! LOL).
Thanks!!
Kim Woodward says
Oh, Amanda, I have totally been in your shoes and the exhaustion is no joke. If it were me, I would start by slowly decluttering and deep cleaning room by room while working on maintenance tasks (which should only take minutes). And get your husband and family involved – pull out that pregnancy card now! Deep cleaning is necessary once in a while, and I promise you that you will be happy you did it before your little one arrives. The maintenance parts of this will only take a few minutes a day, but my advice is to start the tasks one by one until they all become a habit. I found that keeping up with the bed making, dish washing and clutter clearing after baby made me feel human and made me feel comfortable with all the wonderful surprise visitors.
Hope this helps. Good luck and congratulations!
Elizabeth Foster says
My family is a total number of four. Myself, my husband, and our two girls (6 and 2) each have family contributions (not chores….the word chores makes my girls dread the work) that help keep our home looking presentable at all times. The number one rule is only one toy in the living room at a time. Once they are done playing before they can move on to anything else they have to put their toy back in their room. Our old apartment didn’t have that rule but now I’m not stepping on toys every five seconds and my guests don’t have to guess where the floor is just to enter our house.
Kim Woodward says
Great tips! As my son gets older, he’s definitely aware that he’s responsible for putting away his toys and does a great job. I’d love more info about what other responsibilities your kids have.
Ellen Gambrell says
I just found your blog. It looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun and quite educational! So, you asked for my favorite cleaning tip. Here it is: White cotton socks on hands and white cotton socks on feet (or foot – I’ll explain in a moment). I can dust things above my waist with the hand socks and below my waist with the foot sock(s). Reason for one foot sock, you ask? I tend to pick things up with my right toes. That way I don’t have to bend over!
Kim Woodward says
I love this tip! Thanks for sharing!
Vicki Dickinson says
My best lazy girl tips are steam cleaners. I have a painful condition that makes it nearly impossible to scrub like I used to. So I have a Shark steam pocket for floors, a McCullough hand held pressure steamer that does wonders on fridge shelves, counters, ceramic cooktop, etc. And I don’t iron much, I use a Singer garment steamer. That one is great for using on furniture and mattresses as well. The best part is steam cleaning takes less time and effort than cleaning with chemicals and it sanitizes everything. Win, win.
Kim Woodward says
Such a great tip – I’ve been wanting a hand-held steamer for clothing to replace the iron and board.
Beth says
great article! well-written, witty, and a wealth of wisdom!
it’s like you know my challenges and spoke right to me. thx much!
Emily says
This is good advice. Thank you!
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories says
These are great tips. A great way to look at clutter, I’m too lazy to want to move it and then clean underneath. The clutter on my kitchen countertops seems to multiply and the dishes too!
NanaSuge says
Impressed by your article. Get the sense you’re not a working mom, am I wrong. Kudos to awesome husbands and to maintenance. I’ll be following you.
Kar says
Everything sounds good, but I’ll have to create a new category, the laziest girls… Cuz I am way lazier than that! Although in my defence I work full time plus the toddler.
Sally says
We are so much alike. I do the same thing in my house. My daughter thinks I have OCD. I said nope its just easier for me to relax in a clean & organized environment. I don’t have to spend a lot of time cleaning because like you I’m lazy too. Lol
Kim Woodward says
I totally understand! I can’t relax when there’s stuff everywhere.
Holly says
I know this is an old post, but I’d love to tell you about Norwex cloths. Easier to use than spray+ paper towels, more cost effective than disinfecting wipes. Just microfiber + water to remove 99% of everything from your surfaces (including bacteria). Saves you time, cleans BETTER and reduces chemicals. Email me!!
Kim Woodward says
I’m actually a huge lover of Norwex. You can actually spy several Norwex products in the photos.
Kate says
Yes, Norwex is life changing, especially for cleaning spills and counters in the kitchen. I love them
Jess says
Brilliant!
Here’s my lazy girl schedule:
Monday: clean the upstairs (ignore all else)
Tuesday: grown-ups’ laundry (ignore all else)
Wednesday: kids’ laundry (ignore all else)
Thurs: main floor (you know what I’m about to say here)
Fri: basement (and yep, ignore)
Sat and Sun: no cleaning! God made the Sabbath and church on Sunday for a reason – and that reason is: He loves you!
I get my five and eight – year – olds to do upstairs maintenance, my hubby to do main floor maintenance and then I only have to maintain the basement!
Kim Woodward says
You. Are. My. Hero. I need to delegate big time.
Mary says
Totally love this post – I’m a messy lazy girl trying to reform. Especially love the Hoover cordless with the handheld – I hate vacuuming too and what a great idea! I recently write a similar post called ” 3 Chores to Stop Doing Right Now” on my blog Nature + Nurture
http://simplynatureplusnurture.com/2015/11/09/cleaning-tips/
God bless!
Leigh says
Love your post! While I am able to maintain my home without a schedule I can’t wait until spring cleaning season is over.
I honestly can’t wait to share this with my daughter. She’s a procrastinator. She’s a super mom and a sweetheart, but she makes the beds when company comes and let’s the dishes pile up. She is great at keeping the bathroom clean and the floors with a little one crawling around.
Maybe she will see just how little time it does take to do chores. The first two are my pet peeves because they don’t take long. She will have to take 5 mins. of playtime away from the little ones to get her stuff done.
And the cordless vac is absolutely the way to go, grab it, run it and put it away. And yes my daughter’s 5 year son uses it after we eat at my house. Surprising what a great job our youngsters can do.
Thanks for the post.
Oh and cleaning the bathroom with the kids in the tub..oh yes that’s a keeper
as well as Clorox wipes in the kitchen and bath areas.
One thing that is new for me is the clorox bowl wand..Will be checking that out.
My worse thing is paper build up, receipts, magazines, coupons, etc. I have a basket I toss stuff in to get it out of the way and sort through it when I need to empty it. The bills have a designated space or I would be in trouble..
Merry Christmas and thank you.
Kim Woodward says
Thanks so much for sharing your tips and thoughts! I find that it’s most difficult to start the habits – like making the bed and doing dishes. But it’s really not challenging to keep them once they are made. It’s been even more important to stay tidy in a small space, because you see it always.
Harriet James says
Really good tips! I am a professional cleaner and am always open for tips and advice regarding cleaning and organizing! I have few years experience in the sphere and when cleaning a house I use schedules and checklists, but I know that I can improve my service! The Hoover seems amazing! I love it that the little guy is able to use it! This is so cute! Thanks for sharing!
Mindy@FindingSilverlinings says
I have been a Pinterest cleaning schedule failure also. I too make the beds, clear the sink, and make sure everything is put away. One major tip I’ve learned is that less clutter looks clean –even if it’s not clean lol! A clear counter top or bare dresser looks clean.
Amber @ Wills Casa says
I’m all about the cordless handheld vacuum for laziness. Beckett is constantly dropping crumbles everywhere and that thing helps me stay on top of the mess before it gets really out of control. It’s crazy how things spiral so quickly which is why your tips are spot on! Address things quickly and maintain instead of waiting for hours to appear in your schedule that you’ll want to waste on cleaning.
Kimberlyn says
We swear by Clorox wipes. We buy them in bulk because we got through so many. I’m the same way with surfaces. They get wiped after use to keep them clean and fresh smelling. ☺️ I may have to invest in a cordless vacuum because lord knows I’d rather kick the crumbs under the couch than unwind the vacuum cord for that. ?
Kim Woodward says
We are also huge Clorox wipes fans – especially in the bathroom and kitchen!
Sara @ Russet Street Reno says
Girl, this post cracked me up! I also have always said that if the bed is made, that is like a third of the battle right there! I just hate doing dishes so much…I’m definitely a piler. And it does multiply! Ugh, sucks.
Rachel says
A big fat YES to all of these! I was nodding along, especially to making your bed every day (I make mine the second I get up, and I swear it sets a go-getter tone for the whole day), and doing dishes right away without letting them sit in the sink. I have lost a lot of motivation for wiping counters down after every use since the countertops in our townhouse are a quartz that gets water stains like you would not believe. It always looks messy, even when it’s clean! Another must-do habit for me is starting a load of laundry just about every morning. I can’t believe how much laundry we produce–there are only 4 of us, and 2 are very small, so it doesn’t seem like we should create as much dirty laundry as we do. It gets out of control if I don’t do one load, start to finish, almost every day. If I just toss it in early in the day, it’s easy to keep the laundry situation from spiraling into a nightmare. (Who would have guessed I’d have SO MUCH TO SAY on this topic?)
Catherine says
I run my finger across the top of the outlet every time I turn on a switch or plug something in.
I clean the bathroom while small kids are in the tub — I have to be there to watch them so I might as well do something useful
Kim Woodward says
Love the tip about cleaning the bathroom with the kiddos in the tub – smart use of time.
cassie @ primitive & proper says
we do the first two all the time and it is amazing how good it feels to have beds made and dishes cleaned! i stink at the rest. just being honest!
Lisa H. says
I love your ideas! Bathrooms are the bane of my housecleaning existence, so I really should try to get the daily shower spray. However, the Clorox toilet wand is definitely my all-time favorite cleaning tool! Toilet brushes totally gross me out, so I love that I don’t have to store one anymore. 😉
Kim Woodward says
I may have to try the toilet wand – that is a gross task.
April says
If you love the Norwex mop, you will really like the toilet brush! IT is GREAT!!!
Dillie says
I have used the toilet wand for cleaning the tub. It much easier than standing on your head trying to get into a garden tub to get it clean. Soap up, scrub, well and rinse good. It’s great for tub surrounds also.
Kim Woodward says
That’s a great idea!
K Frer - cozycapecottage says
Has the roomba been replaced? I actually got one on your recommendation. I found that I didn’t use it much in our main living spaces because it required me to have everything picked up all the time, and I don’t live alone, so that doesn’t happen. I DO love it for my sewing studio, because that’s my space and I do tend to keep the floors clean enough that the little robot can do its thing. I found that one of the old fashioned carpet sweepers made a great toy for my kid to clean my house with – she’s scared of the noise from the regular vacuum!
Kim Woodward says
Oh my gosh, I meant to mention this in the post. Sorry about that! We do still have it, but there’s not enough room to have it in the apartment. (It would just get in the way.)
We plan to put the robot back out in the new house on the main floor. I really do still think it’s great and miss it for daily overall cleaning!
Veronica GL says
Have either of you tries the one that mops? My house isn’t huge about 1700 Sq ft, but it’s all tile even the closets. I hate moping and would like to know how well it works.
Veronica GL says
*tried
Kim Woodward says
I actually have one that can mop, but I’ve never tried it. (Shame on me.) I have a giant Norwex mop that I use for my hard surfaces since I have so many rugs.