9 Daily Habits to Keep Your House Clean and Tidy in 2019

Crumb control not only keeps mice away, but it gives the illusion that you’ve got life under control. Simply wipe your kitchen countertops (and bathroom ones while you’re at it) on a daily basis, then spritz something nice-smelling such as a DIY lemon-scented cleaner. It will feel like you’ve given your entire kitchen a thorough cleaning. So what if your cupboards are bulging with extraneous baking products?

Nothing says “I’m spiraling out of control” like last night’s spaghetti Bolognese pasted on once-pristine white plates. Do your morning self a favour and clean that chinaware before you hit the hay. Then stow the lot in the cupboards. Breakfast is much more enjoyable with a fresh, sparkly (and most important empty) strainer in view.

Bad kitchen smells (we’re looking at you, old onion peels and fish parts) makes your place feel as though it has been bathing in grime – after all, food that languishes in a plastic bin tends to heat up and permeate a place. Not exactly the vibe you’re after in a kitchen.

It takes two minutes to shake out that duvet into a fluffy cloud over the bed. The technique doesn’t have to result in a magazine-worthy bedroom (though it can!). Give the pillows a quick fluff-up and you’ll be feeling zen-like with minimal effort.

Many of us loathe laundry. Even worse is the dreaded end-of-dryer moment where you’re faced with a hill of clothes, mismatched socks and seemingly endless hours of folding ahead. Make daily life smoother by getting a head start on the laundry. That means no procrastination: repeat after us: hide the heap from view. Plus, if you get on it quicker, your clothes will end up less wrinkled then if they’re scrunched in a ball for a week.

Want to make a good impression to yourself? Yes, you. You deserve to come home feeling warm and fuzzy – then keep that foyer spic and span. It’s the initial space you enter after being out in the world. Rather than walking into a chaotic flurry of jackets, create a haven by keeping it nice and tidy.

Glance around your house. Are the blinds caked in an inch of dust? Is the TV stand sticky from little fingers? Then you need to engage in spot sweeping (or dusting). Grab a wet cloth and give the affected areas a wipe, or sweep up the crumbs from under the dinner table.

A pile of papers can mount up real fast. Stay on top of it and keep that aforementioned foyer looking fine by sorting daily. Get thee to the grey bin, or better yet put up a “no junk mail” sign. Admit it, you’ve been meaning to do it forever.

From expired pantry items to takeout menus and odds and ends that somehow end up in our homes, take a step to get rid of the extras. Go on a mission for 2019 and ask yourself if you really need that once-cute holey sock you’ve been meaning to mend, or lavender-scented candle you would never light because you hate lavender. Donate the stuff that’s been dragging you down or toss it.