Real Talk: 7 Tips to Keep Your Home Clean and Visitor Ready

Real Talk: 7 Tips to Keep Your Home Clean and Visitor Ready

Ever get that feeling of utter panic when someone says they're on their way over to your house and you look around to see your house in total disarray? I, admittedly, struggled to keep my house clean for a very long time. It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I realized how easy it actually is to have an organized home. Today, in the 2nd post of my new 'real talk' series, I'm going to share 7 rules I live by that have made a HUGE difference in my home. If you follow these tips, you won't dread cleaning before having guests over because your house will never get that messy in the first place. Also, if you missed the first 'real talk' post, you can find it here. I shared 5 tips to help build your confidence.keep your home clean Never go to bed with dirty dishes in your sink. This rule simply means, load your dishwasher or hand wash your dishes before bed. I like to do it as I cook and immediately after eating. If your dishwasher is clean then unload it before heading to bed. This ensures you always have a fresh start in the morning with a clean kitchen. When you do laundry, fold and put away your clothes right away. It might seem daunting, but it's so much easier to take care of laundry in the moment then to have to pick up piles after the fact. Wipe down your counters and sink in both the bathroom and kitchen at least every other day. This keeps toothpaste buildup, water stains, etc. at bay. It will help give the overall appearance of both your kitchen and bathroom an instant boost. Have two sets of sheets -- both for your bed and your guest bed. This way when you wash your sheets, you can just put fresh sheets on your bed immediately and can finish the chore in one swoop instead of elongating the chore by hours waiting for the sheets to be cleaned. keep your home cleanOnly keep necessities out on surfaces. That means your nightstand, countertops, desk, dressers, etc. should not be a dumping ground for everything you have in your pockets, extra paperwork, or your socks without matches. Strictly use these surfaces for the things you use every single day. For example, my nightstand has my lamp and nighttime lotion. It also houses a couple of decorative pieces, but zero clutter. I have the other things I need like my Zzzquil (so guilty!) and my chapstick that I might be addicted to in the drawers and out of the way. keep your home clean Keep a rule of always having something in your hands. This means if you take some nail polish into your living room to paint your nails, when you get up, grab the polish and put it back in its place. Always pick something up when you leave a room. This does wonders for keeping your items in their correct places. Take action with every piece of mail you receive. This one is probably the hardest for me. I like to separate my mail into three categories -- trash (most of it), needs actionable attention, and needs to be filed. The trash never touches my counter, it goes directly into the trash can. The papers that need to be filed get filed (crazy concept, right?!). Lastly, whatever needs attention I either do immediately or tuck into my planner to take care. This rule will leave your counters/desktop SO much less cluttered. I hope that these tips help you to keep your home clean, less cluttered and more presentable every day. Let me know which tip you liked the most or if I missed any in the comments below. Now go and enjoy your fresh home! xoxo, Sarah keep your home clean
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