Six small things to do every day
None of these take long, and together they keep clutter from piling up.
- Make the bed. It makes the whole room look finished.
- Do the dishes before bed. Load the dishwasher or wash them, so the kitchen starts the day clear.
- Wipe the counters and stovetop after dinner. Fresh spills come off in seconds. Dried ones take scrubbing.
- Wipe the shower walls after you use it. A quick pass with a squeegee or towel keeps soap scum from building up.
- Put things back where they live. Shoes, mail, and keys each get one spot near the door.
- Do a short evening pickup. Walk through the main rooms with a basket and return anything that wandered.
The 5x5 method, sometimes called the 5 5 5 rule
Pick five areas of the home and give each one five minutes, about 25 minutes in all. Apartment Therapy describes it as a way to make cleaning feel less overwhelming, since the timer keeps each job small.
It works well on a busy weekday. Choose the spots people see first, like the entry, the kitchen counters, the living room, the bathroom sink, and the dining table.
The 20/10 method
Clean for 20 minutes, then take a 10 minute break, and repeat only if you want to. NBC News explains that the idea comes from author Rachel Hoffman, who suggests short rounds instead of an all day cleaning marathon.
The break keeps tidying from eating your whole weekend, so you are more likely to do it again next time.
The 80/20 rule for cleaning
The 80/20 rule comes from the Pareto principle, the idea that a small share of the effort produces a large share of the result. In a home, a handful of rooms shape how clean the whole place feels.
Keep up the kitchen, the main bathroom, the entry, and the living room, and the whole house feels clean. Closets, the garage, and the guest room can wait for a slower day.
A short weekly reset
Pick one day for a quick reset. It keeps the space easy to live in until the next visit.
- Change the sheets and start the towels in the wash.
- Wipe the bathroom sink, mirror, and toilet.
- Take out the trash and recycling, including the small bins in each room.
- Check the fridge and toss old leftovers before they turn.
- Vacuum the paths you walk on, like the hallway and the area in front of the couch.
Room by room: the spots people notice first
A few small spots decide whether a room feels clean.
- Kitchen: leave the sink empty and dry at night, wipe the microwave as soon as something splatters, and sweep the floor in front of the stove.
- Bathroom: hang towels to dry instead of piling them, and keep a cloth under the sink for a quick mirror and faucet wipe.
- Entry: put a mat outside and another inside the door. Together they catch dirt before it spreads through the house.
- Bedrooms: give each room a hamper, and keep nightstands clear except for what you use every night.
- Living room: fold the throw blankets and stack the remotes in one tray before bed.
Keep a small cleaning caddy
Quick wipes often get skipped because the supplies are in another room. A small caddy fixes that.
Fill it with an all purpose spray, a glass cleaner, a few microfiber cloths, and a scrub brush. Keep it under the kitchen sink, or one on each floor if your home has stairs. When a spill happens, everything you need is already within reach.
What to leave for your cleaners
Your habits keep the house tidy. A cleaning visit is for the work that takes time and the right tools, so there is no need to scrub before we arrive.
On a standard visit we clean the kitchen counters, sink, stovetop, and the outside of the appliances. We clean the tub, shower, toilet, sink, and mirror in each bathroom. We dust reachable surfaces, vacuum carpets, mop hard floors, and empty the trash. Grout, baseboards, and the inside of the oven or fridge belong in a deep clean.
New to having a cleaner? Our guide to your first house cleaning covers how a visit runs. And here is how our house cleaning works when you are ready.