Sometimes, mess is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean cleaning regularly isn’t worthwhile! Although tidying can be hard to keep up with, there are some habits you can incorporate that might make the effort involved easier to manage. Finding new ways to clean more efficiently can help your home stay clean for longer periods of time.

Build Basic Cleaning Habits

Start by building some basic habits (or build on the ones you already have). It’s much easier to stay on top of a home that needs cleaning if certain tidying activities are part of your daily routine. Need somewhere to start? Here is a list of habits you can work on maintaining:

• Make your bed when you get up each morning
• Schedule designated laundry days so dirty clothing doesn’t get piled up
• Don’t go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink
• Wipe down countertops and tables after eating as part of the clean-up process
• Cleaning order matters! (Clean, then disinfect; dust, then vacuum; sweep, then mop) to ensure each product or tool works to its best ability

When it comes to building these habits, get everyone involved! If you don’t live alone, you shouldn’t do the housework on your own, either. Delegate and assign daily or weekly tasks to ensure the workload is evenly distributed and everyone contributes.

Time Management and Cleaning Habits

At times, the hardest part of cleaning is finding the time. It can be challenging to manage household chores amidst the chaos of your day-to-day activities. However, housework doesn’t need to be an all-day endeavor. Try incorporating a timer! Set a timer for two minutes every day and try to tidy or clean as much as you can in a single room. If you have kids, make it a game and race against the clock! Once you get the hang of the game, try working up to doing a two-minute timer, per room, per day. Over time, you might notice there’s less to clean and there are not enough tasks to fill those two minutes for each room.

When you’re inevitably short on time, but still want to feel productive, prioritize high-traffic areas or shared contact surfaces. Sweeping near the front door or vacuuming where shoes are stored is a great way to stay on top of tracked-in dirt. Disinfecting light switches, remotes, and door handles is a quick way to stay on top of the spread of germs.

On days when you have more time, plan your chore order accordingly. If certain cleaning products need time to sit on a surface before they’re scrubbed away, consider which tasks you could complete while you wait. For example, when cleaning the bathroom, spray your shower walls first and clean your toilet bowl while waiting for the spray to properly activate. Similarly, consider what tasks you could complete while waiting to swap your laundry from the washer to the dryer.

Efficient Cleaning Methods

Not all mess is preventable, but oftentimes, the most efficient way to clean is to prevent clutter from piling up. Giving frequently used items a designated place can make it easier to put them back after they’ve been used. Try getting the whole family into the habit of “don’t put it down, put it away.” Confirming that items like remotes and coasters have somewhere to “belong” can make your home look tidier. Just make sure the designated place is also where you’d look for them when you need them! Paper can also pile up, so consider an expandable folder or filing system to sort takeout menus, coupons, or school memos. Make sure it’s located somewhere that you know you’ll have easy access to—especially when the mail arrives.

Designating spaces for cleaning products can come in handy, too. Spot cleaning can help you go longer between deep cleaning sessions. Try incorporating some of these tips to make cleaning more accessible:

• Keep a squeegee in the shower to wipe down walls
• Store a washcloth or a duster on a hook inside a cupboard door
• Stock disinfecting wipes and paper towels in each room (or floor) to make it easier to clean messes when they happen
• Switch to a soap-dispensing brush for washing dishes
• Use extendable dusters or brooms for quicker access to hard-to-reach places

If you need help staying on top of your to-do list, check out our ideas for resetting your home each week to better manage your routine.