New Year Cleaning Tips

New Year Cleaning Tips

One of my New Year Resolutions this year involves my cleaning routine.

A clean house is good for the soul, and I know I can think clearly, and breathe easier when my house is clean and clutter-free.

Here are some of my top tips that will help keep your (and my) home clean.

Decluttering.

This should always be number one on your list of cleaning tips for the New Year. Remember, having less to clean means less work for everyone. It also means not having to move things around every time you clean, and a less hectic environment.

When it comes to purging, nothing is off-limits. So, since you’ll be purging clothes, shoes, and other attire during the decluttering phase, this is a good time to analyse your wardrobe situation. My favourite thing to do is label shelves (especially in kids’ rooms), and maximise space with handy shoe organisers to get them up off the floor!

Before you add any additional storage, vacuum or sweep the floor, and dust any surfaces in your room so you’re starting with a clean slate.

Set up a cleaning schedule, and do laundry *every day.

Having a cleaning schedule is my saving grace. I spread out the household chores during the week and the month. It’s so much easier to get it all done that way and it is less overwhelming. Find a schedule that works for you and stick to it! As a general rule, scheduling one or two cleaning tasks daily is a proactive approcah that helps make general housekeeping more manageable by minimising weekend cleaning marathons. Your house will be spotless in no time and cleaning won’t be so time-consuming.

*Personally, I used to just have one big laundry day on the weekend. Now, doing one load of laundry from start to finish every couple of days has made it so much better. Doing 3-4 loads a week has made fewer mountains of laundry to tackle.

Create a list.

Before you can create a cleaning schedule, you’ll need to know what to clean and how often. Make a list of all the cleaning chores you’ll tackle throughout the year, and estimate how often they’ll need to be done and how long each task should take. This list will help ensure you don’t forget anything once you start cleaning your home.

Tackle a small area at a time.

Cleaning can very easily get overwhelming. Start on one small, dedicated area, such as a wardrobe or a chest of drawers. Clean and organise that area completely before moving on to another task. This will help keep you motivated and prevent too much visual clutter at once.

Clean in order from top-down.

When cleaning a room, make sure to start with the lights/ceilings first, then work your way down to worktops, with floors being last. That way any dirt that falls from higher areas won’t get on already-cleaned surfaces.

Play some music.

When in doubt, dance it out! Music can help make an otherwise boring task fun and engaging. Here’s my favourite cleaning-based music video. Let us know if you can think of any other cleaning-based music videos by connecting on our social media… 😁