- March 14, 2024
- Posted by: Anita Zeba Bakhtiar
- Category: Tips
Buying a house is only the very first step in homeownership. Once you have successfully managed to do that, then you need to ensure that your house is well-maintained in terms of housekeeping. When we think of housekeeping, many of us get the chills, considering that those tasks can often be very time-consuming and monotonous. In order to keep your home neat and tidy at all times, it is key to develop certain habits as part of lifestyle changes. That way, whenever you need to maintain your home and its hygiene, you can do so without having to face too much difficulty on your end. Since all of these are good habits that we need to develop at some point in our lives, why not start working on them today?
In case this list is looking too detailed, just remember that there is no need to get overwhelmed. Break the list down into key components, and tackle those one by one, however it is suitable for you.
- Make the bed
In many residential schools around the world, including cadet colleges in Bangladesh, making the bed is something that is taught to us from our childhood. When you wake up, do not do anything else until you have made the bed. This will allow you to clean up anything that is covering up your bed.
- Do your laundry regularly
Depending on the number of people in your house, it is best to do your laundry everyday, or at the very least, every alternate day. Once the washed clothes have dried, then fold them and keep them away. This will allow you to also ensure that you always have at least one fresh set of clean clothes.
- Control your streak of perfectionism
If you are someone who struggles with compartmentalization, then maybe this point is meant for you. Stop focusing on getting tasks completed as perfectly as possible. It is better if you can get smaller tasks done before tackling the more complicated ones. Instead of highlighting perfection, keep finishing tasks to gather momentum.
- Set priority to tasks according to importance
Oftentimes people will glue similar tasks together, asking you to tackle everything as a “matter of the highest urgency”. While this clean-up strategy might work for some others, priority setting allows you to finish every little component within a reasonable time limit.
- Make it a family day
Whatever happens, try and make cleaning the home a family day. Assign different tasks to different family members to allow them to help you. Make cleaning a fun and exciting activity. When everybody joins forces to keep a house in shipshape, there is quite possibly nothing that can prevent you from achieving your goals.
- Do a nightly clean-up
Before you go to bed every night, clean the surfaces in your kitchen and wrap everything up. This will help you prevent pests and keep your house cleaner than it was before.
- Keep basic cleaning items in strategic places
Every room has at least one particular area that gets dirtier than the rest. For example, have a designated corner near every room where a rag, some sanitizer/ floor cleaner, and some dry sponges are kept. This will allow you to mop/ sweep up any dirt or debris that might otherwise make your home untidy.
- Declutter and organize
Something that often makes a home untidy is when we use things from a particular place, and forget to keep it back. If there are too many items in your home, that could also cause potential problems. Declutter your room by throwing away inessential things, and then organizing whatever remains.
- Clean as you go
Clean up once you are done using items in your home, be they in the kitchen, the washroom, or the living room. This will ensure that you do not have to gather everything up at the end of the day when you are tired after the entire day’s chores/ office.
While many of us might find cleaning and organizing tedious and boring, in truth, a home needs to be maintained regularly for it to flourish.