7 Habits People With Clean Homes Always Follow

Put Things Away, Right Away

We’ve all been guilty of not taking that extra step and leaving plates on the table after dinner, folded laundry on the coffee table, or a coat slung over a sofa instead of hung in the closet. But taking care of things right away ensures that you don’t have a bigger task to do down the road.

“Taking just a few extra seconds to return items to where they belong prevents clutter from piling up and makes your space feel effortlessly tidy,” says Katrina Teeple, founder and CEO of Operation Organization. “A helpful mantra to keep in mind is: ‘Don’t put it down, put it away.’ Slowing yourself down, even for a few extra seconds, will be the difference between feeling caught-up or cluttered.”

Take Time for a Daily Reset

Choose a time at the end of the day to spend 15 minutes giving your home a quick reset, says Jamie Hord, professional organizer and founder of Horderly Professional Organizing. That means clearing counters, putting away toys, and doing other small chores that’ll let you wake up to a fresh house in the morning.

ABC: Always Be Decluttering

God knows we love a good decluttering project (or 10) around here, but decluttering immediately whenever you encounter something that isn’t needed around your house can help you avoid marathon decluttering sessions down the road. “Declutter right away if you decide you no longer like something, if you find yourself always taking off and putting back that sweater, or if something breaks,” Hord says.

Rotate Decor

Rather than displaying all of your favorite knickknacks or photos at once, Hord suggests giving each item its moment in the sun by highlighting one or two special items at a time. “Exchange it routinely so that you don’t have too much visual clutter out at once,” Hord says. “Plus, it switches things up to create a new, fresh atmosphere!’

Group Items to Speed Up Cleaning

If things do get out of hand, Teeple recommends going through a messy room and sorting items first, rather than trying to put them away individually. “This method helps streamline the process and prevents unnecessary trips back and forth throughout your house as you tidy.”

Follow the One-In, One-Out Principle

If your home is already reaching (or exceeding!) maximum capacity, the last thing you need to bring in is more stuff. So if you bring home a new T-shirt, you need to get rid of one that doesn’t fit or is starting to look worse for the wear. “When you bring something new into your home, exchange it with something old,” Hord says. “This will keep your home well maintained instead of piling up clutter.”

Take Half Steps

Make a few small tweaks to how you organize your home to make it that much easier to keep clean, Teeple says. “Breaking tasks into smaller, manageable actions encourages completion. When you get yourself halfway there, you will be surprised at how much more inviting a daunting task will feel to get done!”

Some smart hacks include:

• Sorting laundry by person before folding makes it easier to put everything away later.
• Keeping disinfecting wipes in the bathroom encourages quick clean-ups in between deep cleaning sessions.
• Unloading just the bottom rack of the dishwasher first makes it more likely you’ll finish unloading the rest.
• Getting returns into your car on the front seat, so you have them when you’re out running errands and they’re within your sight.