Making these small changes works wonders for effective and long-lasting cleanliness.
According to the family magazine service of Saed News, I am saying goodbye to these bad housekeeping habits – and cleaning experts encourage me with these 7 tips to establish new habits.
I am generally a clean and tidy person. I never leave dirty dishes in the sink, I don’t forget to clean the bathroom, and I make my bed every morning.
However, I still have a few bad habits that it’s time to get rid of.
From unsuccessful attempts to stick to a schedule to ignoring eco-friendly cleaning methods, I am now ready to make fundamental changes and develop habits that will last. Here, I share the habits I am leaving behind for good, along with cleaning tips from experts that will help me succeed.
I completely understand how important it is to have a regular and practical cleaning schedule, but I have realized that the key to success is "practicality."
Often, my plans change, and instead of staying home at scheduled cleaning times, I go out after work or on weekends. This causes me to fall behind on household chores. So, this year, I have decided to clean according to a schedule that works for me rather than forcing myself to follow a strict routine.
Alex Varela, General Manager of Dallas Maids, agrees with this approach, saying:
"Failure to stick to a schedule is usually because you expect too much from yourself."
For me, it’s more about a lack of motivation and procrastinating on household chores. He continues:
"When you fail to follow your plan, you feel discouraged and give up instead of adjusting your schedule. It's just like going to the gym: it’s better to work out four times a week for 30 minutes than to spend three hours at the gym once a month. The key to success is consistency."
When I skip a task, I feel like the workload piles up, making cleaning more difficult and causing me to fall even further behind.
As an alternative, Karina Toner, a cleaning expert and Operations Manager at Spekless, suggests cleaning based on tasks rather than fixed times.
She recommends:
"Have a plan where you clean different rooms on different days or group similar tasks together. For example, first organize the closets, then do deep cleaning of the floors, instead of forcing yourself to follow a strict weekly schedule."
Recently, I tried the "task rotation" method, which helped me overcome procrastination in household chores. If you also struggle with delaying housework or deciding when to do it, I highly recommend trying this method!
With too many clothes and not enough storage space, I often leave my clothes scattered on the floor. Sometimes, the mess even spreads to my chairs, leaving nowhere to sit! It’s time to break this bad habit for good.
As Karina, the cleaning expert, emphasizes:
"Once this habit starts, it becomes surprisingly easy to let clothes pile up. But keeping clothes off the floor instantly makes the room look tidier."
This is exactly one of the habits of people who always have a neat and organized room.
To become one of those people, I bought a clothing rack to solve my lack of hanging space. Now, I just need to learn to actually use it!
Karina suggests the best strategy is to make putting clothes away part of my "end-of-day routine," because "it only takes a few minutes!"
But if folding clothes is still challenging for me, I can use stylish storage bins like the Goodpick Cube Storage Bins (available on Amazon) to store clothes that aren’t quite dirty enough for laundry but aren’t completely clean either. It sounds like a great idea!
Since working at Homes & Gardens, I have learned a lot about cleaning without harming the environment. Now, I am completely convinced that strong chemicals are unnecessary for most cleaning tasks.
However, I strangely always forget to buy green cleaners when restocking cleaning products.
So this year, I have decided to switch to vinegar, baking soda, and other sustainable, eco-friendly alternatives.
As cleaning expert Karina explains:
"Many common cleaning products do the job, but they often contain strong chemicals that are not good for your health or the environment. Switching to green cleaning methods is not only environmentally friendly but also cost-effective, as many natural solutions are cheap and easily available, such as vinegar, baking soda, and lemon."
She suggests:
"Start with small changes and replace one regular cleaning product with a natural alternative, like an all-purpose cleaner made from vinegar and essential oils."
One such product is Majestic Pure Lemon Essential Oil, available on Amazon.
Since I am naturally sentimental, my room is filled with souvenirs, keepsakes, and books I have collected over time. While I enjoy this setup, it makes dusting a real challenge.
So, I have decided to follow the dry/wet cleaning rule more carefully, a habit I often forget.
Experts recommend starting with dry cleaning (dusting and sweeping) to remove loose dust particles before using wet cleaning methods (mopping and wiping) to clean sticky grime.
Not following this rule can result in spreading dust around instead of actually cleaning it.
Recently, while cleaning the bathroom, the cleaning products bleached my clothes.
This was not only frustrating, but it also made me realize: I need to wear gloves!
Experts warn that cleaning without gloves can dry out your skin, expose you to harmful chemicals, and even cause allergic reactions.
They recommend keeping a pair of gloves in each room so they are always within reach. They also suggest choosing comfortable and reusable gloves, as you’re more likely to use them if they feel good to wear.
I don’t organize my belongings as much as I should, which has led to clutter in both my home and daily routine.
To fix this, experts suggest following the "one in, one out" rule – meaning every time I bring something new into the house, I should get rid of an old item.
This method is especially useful for clothing. It also makes cleaning easier and prevents the stress of losing important items.
Is there anything more frustrating than a messy, overstuffed drawer?
Unfortunately, I always make this mistake by carelessly tossing things like photos, extra cables, and keepsake cards into drawers without any order.
But experts warn that messy drawers quickly turn into clutter hotspots.
To break this habit, I must first remove items I no longer need from the drawer.
Then, using drawer dividers and small storage boxes is a great way to keep things categorized and prevent future clutter.
Additionally, I should regularly clean out my drawers and discard items I no longer use.
By adopting these changes, I am confident that cleaning will become easier, my home will stay tidier, and I will feel more organized overall!
