Best Ways to Easily Improve Your Cleaning Routine and Habits

The Situation

Below are some of the kitchen concerns I had over the years as well as my thoughts and feelings associated with them.

The Solution(s)

Solution #1: No Dishes In The Sink Policy

Setting a no-dishes-in-the-sink-unless-soaking-or-eating policy, where everyone able to do so needed to clean up their own dishes, silverware, and glassware in a timely manner, made a huge difference in my life.

I even gained a little appreciation from it after we all settled into the flow of it.

Around dinnertime, dishes needed to be put away before the kitchen was officially tidied for the night or they went to bed.

Solution #2: Clean As You Cook

Another helpful solution for me was adopting a clean-as-you-cook policy. This usually meant throwing things away and rinsing off what I could while cooking. You can find more information on this with our post, 21 Easy Ways on How to Keep Your Kitchen Clean As You Cook (new tab).

Solution #3: Trade-off On the Cleanup Duties

The after-meal cleanup, which was usually dinner, would be swapped around so that I wasn’t always the one doing it.

This usually meant the person not cooking would clean up cookware, serving ware, wipe down the counters, and hopefully clean the stovetop. That, or everyone would help clean up, like a spiffy team-building exercise. Woohoo!

Solution #4: Incorporate a Light Evening Cleaning Routine

An evening cleaning routine usually consists of clearing and wiping down the kitchen counters, prepping for any cleaning or events for the next day that I would likely do during my morning routine, checking to see if any appliance need tidying (kitchen sink), lightly vacuuming the space, and wipe the kitchen sink clean.

I like to keep my evening routine to about 5 or 10 minutes on average, but I might throw in a monthly or weekly task or do other things if I feel like it or happen to be on a cleaning roll.

The Benefits & Incentives

Benefit #1 : Multitasking Like a Boss

I no longer had to do as many dishes, particularly those belonging to someone else who is capable of seeing to their own mess. Bonus: This eliminates some potential feelings of resentment. Bonus #2: Others learn to be more responsible and considerate. Win-win.

Benefit #2: Look Ma’! No Dishes!

Clean-up at night became much faster, often only taking a few minutes. I also got to wake up to a cleaner-looking home, which helped me feel more motivated, productive, proactive, and happier.

Benefit #3: Hold Thineself Accountable-th

Keeping the sink clear of dishes not only set a good example for others in the household; it also helped to hold me accountable—meaning, I felt more inclined to stay on top of my messes. It was, after all, my idea.

Benefit #4: Rinse Not. Waste Not.

Rinsing dishes right away, or as soon as possible, also meant less effort on my part—especially when compared to letting food harden and set, which requires more elbow grease and time to clean up.

Benefit #5: You Dirty Rat

Keeping the sink clear of dishes resulted in others being more aware of their messes. which meant they relied on me less to do it for them.

It also held others more accountable since it’s hard to sneak in or hide a dish in an otherwise empty sink, making it more likely that they’ll pick up after themselves or would feel more obligated to.

And I think some saw the benefit of getting to things sooner rather than later and developing a routine, just as I learned over time.

Benefit #6: More Time, More Energy, More Motivation

Having dishes put in the dishwasher or cleaned up sooner rather than later meant a less dirty sink to clean later and gave me more time, energy, and motivation to do other things, such as clean the counters, vacuum, etc., without as much procrastination or disdain as usual.

Benefit #7: Gaining Unexpected Joy From It

Having some structure and routine in my life helped me in so many other areas, even just besides cleaning. I learned to apply similar methods to various areas in my life and even managed to reduce stress while finding time to do the things I enjoyed.

I even found that I enjoyed cleaning up the kitchen at night almost as much as I liked waking up to it looking clean. Somehow, listening to music or book as I set things up for the next day or wiped counters down, resetting the room, relaxed me, and even gave me some closure at the end of the day.

Waking up to a tidied kitchen also gives me a somewhat pampered feeling each morning. It’s almost like waking up in a fancy hotel or Airbnb. And not feeling like I had to pick up after myself or others, or even dwelling on the idea of having to before discarding it into the Procrastination Pile, makes me feel happy and productive, ready to start the day.

The Situation

Making the bed was something I always struggled with while growing up and throughout most of my adulthood. That is unless someone was going to visit, in which case I would fall into the compulsive urge of spending forever deep-cleaning the rest of the house, trying to make it look as though we were always that clean.

It was like #IWokeUpLookingLikeThis moment but for houses.

However, over time, I eventually got sick of how messy it made my room look—more so after I finally had a bedroom set-up that was to my liking. I knew I needed to change and finally adopt the habit I’d spent the majority of my life dodging.

The Main Concerns

The Solution(s)

Benefits Gained

Sometimes what we dislike simply needs a new approach. Try to make it your mission or a game to see if you can make a task you hate or have a tendency to blow off into something you don’t mind doing so much or might even like doing.

In this section, I’ve gone ahead and listed some of the tasks I used to dislike the most and how I went about making them more appealing or at least more manageable.

#1 – Vacuuming

While it may seem counterproductive to someone who views themselves as lazy or adamantly against vacuuming, I found that I could control the pet fur, dust, and other factors bothering me if I vacuumed the main areas of the house daily or every other day.

The Solution

The Perks & Incentives

Not only did this help me stay on top of cleaning, but I also found that I felt less resentful if the floor got messed up later in the day because I knew it’d get cleaned up the following day.

I also enjoyed that extra-clean feeling every day when I vacuumed in the morning as coffee brewed, thanks to the vacuum lines and knowing the floors were clean. It helped me feel proactive, productive, positive, and it only takes me about 5 to 7 minutes on average.

#2 – Dusting

As with vacuuming, dusting was likely one of my least favorite chores around the house. However, after moving to a home near multiple dirt roads and having multiple furbabies, I had to learn to like it.

Solution

Perks & Incentives

#3 – Cleaning Windows/Glass Surfaces

Cleaning exterior windows and even mirrors inside the house typically wasn’t an ideal chore for me to do, but I found myself being the only one to do it more often than not and need to find a quick way to do so.

Solution

Perks & Incentives