10 Hacks to Keep a House Clean & Tidy
My personal tips for maintaining an eco-friendly, clean home 7 days a week.
I'm a certified clean freak and always have been.
Even as a young girl, I would tidy up my room before allowing anyone inside, and now I find myself constantly coaching my Type-B husband on the dos and don'ts of maintaining an orderly home. Over the years, I've honed various cleaning tricks that make it easy to keep the house neat despite the inevitable chaos life throws our way.
Here's the thing — a clean house streamlines my daily routine. Working from home means my environment needs to be light, airy, and tidied before I can effectively concentrate or be productive.
My cleaning tips carry extra credibility because I'm not just keeping tidy for myself. I have a spouse, a newborn baby, and two highly hairy dogs to pick up after. My tried and true tips are designed to be family-friendly and easily integrated into your day-to-day.
1.) Morning (or Nighttime) Wipe Downs
The most effective method for keeping a home clean involves regular wipe-downs of frequently used surfaces, such as kitchen countertops, toilets, sink basins, and tables. I typically start my day by wiping down these areas. While I might not always clean the dining tables or desks, I always pay attention to the kitchen and bathroom areas, as they are the most utilized and, arguably, the dirtiest.
Those annoying dust spots behind the toilets and the messy coffee pot splatters from my morning brew are surprising reminders of the daily mess. A simple wipe-down cleans the surface and forces you to clear away any other clutter, making room for the cleaning rag.
2.) Make Your Own Cleaning Products
A majority of store-bought cleaning products are largely unnecessary and, frankly, a scam. You only need five essential household items that can be used in various combinations to keep the space spotless. Best part? They're cheap as hell and as simple as can be:
Baking Soda
White Vinegar
Dawn Dish Soap
Hydrogen Peroxide
Rubbing Alcohol
Optional: Essential oils or lemon zest for aromatherapy
That's it! Except for the occasional use of Clorox for monthly bathroom cleanings (because I don't mind a bit of bleach to ensure the removal of fecal matter), I make all my cleaning products myself. These simple ingredients can tackle nearly everything—from soap scum and bathroom cleaning to tile grout, various disinfectants, stain removers, general surface messes, detergents, and more.
After realizing the significant cost of buying plastic containers weekly from places like Target or Amazon, I stopped buying them. These companies' excessive consumption of clever marketing strategies serves no greater purpose than what I can make from $.50 ingredients.
You can easily find an organic cleaning recipe for any mess. Google is your best friend for this:
"How to clean an oven without chemicals."
"How to get rid of soap scum with baking soda."
"How to use vinegar to remove stains."
And more.
Some recipes call for a simple mix of vinegar and peroxide, while others use baking soda mixed into a paste with water and applied with a toothbrush. You'd be surprised at how effective these simple ingredients are for cleaning your home. It's incredibly economical and 100% effective. Trust me.
3.) Everything Has Its Place
One of the most impactful lessons I've learned from Marie Kondo's cleaning philosophy is that every item should have its own "home." The old ways of having multiple junk drawers or leaving a suitcase unpacked a week after returning from a trip are long gone. Or, at least, they should be.
The rule is straightforward: don't just put it down; put it away.
This approach is a powerful tool. Even simple items, like the remote control, should have a specific place in the living room and not be left on the sofa cushions. By ensuring that each item is returned to its designated spot at the end of the day, you'll quickly see how organized your room feels.
My husband often goes to bed later than I do, and although he has improved at tidying up before I wake up early for our daughter's feeding, I still make it a point to do a quick check in the mornings and again at night. It takes me 5-10 minutes to ensure everything around our house is back in its rightful place. With this system, maintaining a cleaning routine becomes virtually effortless.
With this method, 90% of the daily work is already done. I'm serious.
4.) Vacuum Daily or 3x a Week
Full transparency — I vacuum my house every single day.
While daily vacuuming might seem excessive, it becomes almost essential when you have hairy dogs, young children, or a spouse who enjoys yard work. In my home, we have an Australian Shepherd, a Husky, and a newborn, and my husband and I frequently walk in and out of the backyard. This results in dirt, mud, hair, and crumbs everywhere. In our case, a daily vacuum session is nearly crucial.
Our home is bathed in natural light during the day, which makes dust and dog hair particles all too visible from certain angles. Although I'm admittedly more concerned about dirty floors than my husband is, there's no denying the comforting feel of a freshly vacuumed room.
You can feel the difference.
5.) Never Leave Food Out
Life is much better (and cleaning dishes becomes much more doable) when food is stored away, and a leftover plate is properly rinsed. Put away the groceries or snacks in their designated spot in the pantry or fridge, and always throw the food into the garbage before placing it in the sink or the dishwasher.
Rest assured, your future self will thank you. Anytime I become reluctant or lazy, I pay the price with either a nasty about of flies or a hard-to-wash dish from the night before. We've all been there, and it's not a fun place.
6.) Deep-Clean One Item Every Week (Even If Super Small)
The harsh truth is that daily surface cleaning can only do so much. The harder-to-reach areas also need attention from time to time. It's much easier to tackle a small deep-cleaning task once a week than to allow dirt and grime to accumulate until it's time for a seasonal deep clean.
The best part? These deep cleans don't have to be overwhelming. You don't need to mop behind the fridge every week — that would be excessive. Instead, choose a smaller area needing extra care and check it off your list.
This could be anything:
The oven
The inside of your microwave
Baseboards
The area behind your fridge or bed
The bottoms of your dresser drawers
The shower grout
Whatever else.
You know your home better than anyone! I typically decide when to deep clean based on observation; for instance, if it's been a month since I last cleaned the inside of my oven after heavy use, it's time to grab the steel sponge and some baking soda.
Use your best judgment to guide your cleaning schedule.
7.) Make Your Damn Bed
My husband finds this habit annoying, but I firmly believe that a successful day begins (and ends) with a made bed. Making your bed is the cornerstone of a productive morning — it's your first act of taking control and a comfort to return to after a long day.
"If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right. And, if you have a miserable day by chance, you will come home to a bed that is made — that you made—and a made bed gives you hope that tomorrow will be better. Start by making your bed if you want to change the world."
8.) Setting a Timer on Busy Days
Fitting cleaning into a busy schedule isn't always feasible. Often, I'll set a brief timer or make a mental note of how long I can spend tidying up around the house before my day gets going.
Sometimes, I set a 15-minute timer and do whatever I can, whether picking up, tidying, making the bed, or cleaning if the house is already tidy. Even when I'm tired and don't feel like doing much, managing 15 minutes is doable. And while those 15 minutes may not seem like much, it significantly helps control things.
9.) Splurge on Candles (Or Make Your Own Room Spritz!)
I'll never say no to a good-smelling candle.
I make ungodly purchases each month of delicious candles from my local boutique shops or the neighborhood Target, and I never regret it. I burn them nearly every day in highly trafficked areas of the house, making my house smell so wonderful.
If you're not keen on spending much on candles, try mixing water with essential oils in a glass spray bottle and spritzing it every other hour near fabrics and busy areas. I'm always surprised by how long these sprays last and how fresh they make each room smell! I particularly gravitate towards lavender, lemon, or eucalyptus scents —they make my home feel like a perpetual spa day and are less perfumey than the other fluffy flavors.
10. Keep Cleaning Products Easy to Access
Finally, the most effective way to motivate myself to follow all these hacks and tips is to keep my most-used cleaning products easily accessible.
I store a bottle of homemade surface cleaner in my bathroom vanities and under the kitchen sink for quick access to spills, morning wipe-downs, and nighttime cleanups.
Good habits are formed through repeated actions, and there's no better way to ensure consistent action than to make the task as easy as possible for the person doing it. I'm less inclined to do a quick wipe-down if I have to fetch the cleaner from another room.
Work smarter, not harder.