You all have asked and I’m going to answer: “How do you keep your house so clean?” Neat and tidy are two traits that are just inherently ingrained in my being, so I’m happy to share what we do in our household. There are a few things I’m going to tell you though first:

1. This isn’t perfect. We aren’t always clean all the time. And also, just because things are neat doesn’t mean they are clean, clean. Like, it would be nice if my floors were washed + toilets were scrubbed a little more often, but when I have to choose how to use my valuable time, that doesn’t always happen.
2. It takes time to get this routine down. My husband and I aren’t exactly the same when it comes to the neat and tidy principles, so I certainly couldn’t expect him to just know how I would like the house to be kept without talking through it and setting some expectations (together) first. When we got married, my sweet husband would leave cabinet doors or drawers open all of the time and I couldn’t fathom how anyone would do such a thing. ? Together, we’ve adjusted to some clean house rules that work for both of us – and some he agrees to do because he knows it makes our household run smoother / makes his wife happy.
3. An uncluttered house allows for more space and less stress. If we make the effort to not live in chaos, we ourselves won’t be in that chaos. It’s SO good for your mind to be in a clean, stressful free environment! I know I’m not the only one who feels a great sense of relief (or maybe just comfort) when my house is “put back together” after it’s been up in arms all day or after having guests over. Even if you don’t like to clean up or take the time to do so (right now), I’m sure you could understand the feeling of when everything is in order. ?? Understanding that taking these little steps and building them into a routine will lessen your cleaning stress will make it all worth the effort.
4. Setting clean house rules will actually save you time. On cleaning day, you’re no longer taking the time to sort through toys in the playroom and putting them where they belong. Or cleaning up clothes that have been on the floor in every room of your house, or better yet, dishes that have been in the sink or cluttering up your counter for days on end. Doing a little each day will allow you to keep your home orderly overall and let you just get to business on those actual cleaning days.

Clean House Expectations in the Boettcher Abode

• Make beds and open shades before going downstairs in the morning.
• Clothes in laundry basket(s) or closet/dresser
• Dishes go straight in dishwasher.
  (Exceptions: We do leave out snack bowls, cups and/or water bottles for the day so we are not constantly taking out new ones. Also, if we are going to hand wash a pot or pan, it does stay in the sink or dries on the counter.)
• No cabinet doors open.
• Clean up routine before we leave the house in the morning (or anytime):
  • Dishes from breakfast cleared and in dishwasher.
  • Toys taken into playroom (not throughout house).
    (Note: This is not a full clean up. It is a “contain the toys where they belong so we don’t come home and step on them everywhere we walk” kind of task.)
  • Counters cleared free of miscellaneous items.
• Lunch time routine:
  • Sticky counters wiped from lunch.
  • Floors vacuumed quickly. (We love our cordless Shark!)
• Arriving home:
  • Coats, shoes, bags/backpacks, car seat all have their place to belong.*
  • Lunchboxes get emptied.
  • Folders from backpacks get emptied.
• Nightly clean up:
  • Dishes from dinner done + dishwasher loaded and delayed to run later in evening.
  • Playroom is put back together + toys are put away where they belong.
  • Counters and tables are wiped down.
  • Vacuum if needed.
  • Clothes all in laundry baskets.
  • Bathrooms – towels, etc. put away from bathing.

Let me guess, you’re either thinking okay that doesn’t sound so bad or holy you-know-what, I cannot fathom that you do this every day.

If you’re part of the I’m not sure I can do this group, here’s my tip: Start somewhere. Whether you’re going to start cleaning up the house before you leave to go somewhere or you’re going to get into a nighttime clean up routine, pick what your priority will be and just begin. Once you have consistency, add in another rule to your own list and see what a difference it makes in your household. I promise, these things are little tasks that take just a little amount of time – especially in comparison to when you let it all get out of hand and then have to spend hours getting your house back in order.

My next tip: Read my other blog posts on some clean home + organization strategies. They will help too + will give you more details on some of the kitchen clean up and describe where all of our items are stored when we come home through our back entry. (Because woah, that can get cluttered real fast if everyone leaves their stuff out when they get home!)

• My Secrets to a Clean Kitchen
• Back-Entry Transformation – Organization
• Spring Cleaning Tips for the Wannabe Minimalist

Note, the secrets to a clean kitchen post has the link to my most favorite cordless vacuum that I use on the daily! I hope you’ll consider getting it for your household too as you decide on and implement your own clean house rules.

XO