How I Keep My House Clean

Today I’m answering a question readers have asked me a lot over the years ~ How do you keep your house so clean?   Spoiler alert:  This post isn’t really about cleaning.  I mean, at least not in the traditional sense.  I’ve always been very upfront about the fact that my house is never as clean as it looks in pictures.  I mean, I have two kids and two dogs, so enough said.  Am I right?  My countertops aren’t always sparkling clean and I wouldn’t recommend you eat off my floors, like ever, but my house does stay picked up and clutter-free on a day-to-day basis.  And I think because the counters are clear and there are no piles of shoes or random things just sitting out on my dining room table that the house has an overall “clean vibe” even when it might be in need of a little dusting and/or vacuuming.

So today I’m going to share my everyday systems or daily routines that help to keep the clutter and everyday life stuff from overtaking the house.  Because it’s those daily systems that help me to keep the house looking clean.  😉

Daily Routines

1. I sort and file our mail every day.  Paper clutter is the absolute worst.  When it piles up it feels like such a huge task to go through and it just looks super clutter-y to have piles of papers everywhere, so I tackle it every day.  I have a “mail center” which is basically just a tray where incoming mail is deposited.  Trays have a magical way of making things look less cluttered.  And from a far you can’t really see if anything is in the tray, so the counters still look clean and clear.

Once daily mail has been sorted it’s filed into these wall file folders that I keep on the inside of the utility closet door, which is just steps away from this mail drop spot.

2. I have a stash spot.  In that same utility closet where the mail gets sorted I have a hanging organizer that holds all those things that have a tendency to clutter up a house. Library books, sunglasses, shoes, iPads, kindles etc. all go into this organizer.  Basically it acts as a holding place for things that need to be put away in upstairs bedrooms.  At the end of every night before I head off to bed I do a quick glance around the house and stash anything that wasn’t put away in this closet.  (Although most of the kids tennis shoes are kept in this closet all the time.)  I think having a specific place to stash things makes doing a super quick clean-up so much easier, plus you always know where to look to retrieve whatever it is you may have left out and forgotten to put away.  It’s kind of a dungeon in there but an organized dungeon.  Although obviously not pin-worthy.  😉

3. I keep a “mom command” center in my pantry.  School papers, even in this digital age, can pile up quickly.  And there are invitations and tickets and just all the general paper-y things you need to be able to glance at easily like calendars and bus schedules and all that jazz.  Having a cork board in my pantry keeps all that paper stuff looking relatively organized rather than piled up on my desk.

4. I clean my kitchen every night.  Mornings are so much better when you wake up to a clean kitchen!  But here’s the thing, clean-up is not a one woman show around here.  My 12 and 14 year old kids are responsible for clearing the table, loading the dishwasher and wiping down countertops.  If your kids are old enough to use the bathroom alone, they’re absolutely old enough to pitch in with house chores.  As a mom I’ve had to take a step back from my type A tendencies about how things are done, and just be glad things are getting done without my help.  Maybe someday they’ll load the dishwasher “the right way”, for now just the fact that they’re loading it is good enough for me. 😉

I honestly believe if your kitchen is clean your whole house will feel clean.  So if there’s any advice I’d give to someone who is struggling with trying to keep up with house chores I’d highly recommend focusing all your efforts on your kitchen first.  If nothing but your kitchen is clean you will still feel like you can breathe easier, at least that’s how it goes for me.   Maybe this why they say the kitchen is the heart of a home?

5. I’m big on having designated spots for things.  I grew up in a house where everything had a place, so when you got something out or brought something home you always knew where it was supposed to go, whether it was a coat or a new toy.  And as an adult and a mom, I run my own home in a very similar way.  My kids know that their backpacks should be hung up in the mudroom every night before they go to bed.

They know their lunch bags need to be emptied, cleaned and put away in the pantry.  They know to put school papers on my desk to be signed or checked or filled out or whatever.  Everyone in the house knows where things belong and is responsible for their own things.  And having designated spots for things seems to help our daily routines run fairly smoothly.

We’re All In This Together

Apart from those five things, I think the other thing that really helps to keep our home environment looking clean and free of clutter is that everyone in our house knows what’s expected.  “I’m the mom, not the maid.”  I’ve said that quite a few times.  I should make a printable or put that on a t-shirt.  😉  But it’s true.  I don’t know why we as moms tend to feel like house keeping is our sole responsibility, but I don’t believe that picking up after everyone is in my job description.  😉  I tell my kids, “If you can make a sandwich by yourself, you can also clean up the mess you made while making it by yourself.”  Keeping our home clean and clutter-free is absolutely a joint venture, not something that only falls on my shoulders.

I think it’s also important to note that as a design blogger who works from home and who’s business revolves around her home, keeping my home clean and “camera ready” is also part of my job.  So when you see pictures of my clean, clutter-free spaces please keep that in mind and don’t beat yourself up if your day job isn’t to keep your house looking nice.  It’s kind of like how you should never compare your body to that of a fitness blogger or a trainer, like duh, obviously they’re in great shape ~ it’s their job.  😉

My kids are also 12 and 14 and have been participating in daily chores since they were preschool age.  We’re well past the toys everywhere phase so please also give yourself some grace if you have babies and toddlers at home.  Enjoy the season you’re in!

What daily rouintes or household systems do you employ to keep your home feeling clean and clutter-free?