I once had a friend that I hated going to her house and would constantly come up with excuses for her to come over to mine. She was a nice person, but was also the biggest slob I have ever known. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not that prissy, but when you can smell someone’s house from their driveway, there’s a problem.

I know it’s hard to find the motivation to clean. Sometimes I get tired too and would rather just let it sit until tomorrow. But tomorrow easily becomes the next day, and the next day until before you know it….

Cleaning is an ongoing process. Dust never goes away and stays away. You can’t wear the same clothes every day so laundry accumulates…(Well, I guess you could, but ew!). And trash piles up before you even realize it. It’s an ongoing battle. Don’t let the house win!

Create a system that works for you:

Some things need to be done daily and others weekly. Set a certain day for weekly chores and stick to it! You could make every Monday “sheet washing day” or “bathroom cleaning day”. Make a note for yourself if you have to. By setting aside a set day for those things, you can relax the rest of the week not wondering if you need to take care of it.

Do a little bit every day:

The more you do now, the less you will have to do later. Instead of leaving cups and trash in the living room, make it a point to get these things to the kitchen. One cup will easily become several cups if you don’t and then you’ll have a mess to clean up later. Avoid messes!! Don’t make housecleaning any harder than it needs to be!

Choose your favorites:

Find the cleaning items that work the best for you and make sure you have them on hand. There’s a lot to choose from out there and some work better than others. Always keep vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide on hand. You don’t have to spend a whole lot on expensive name brands to have a clean house.

Rock out!!

I keep up with the house throughout the week so when it comes time to “clean the house” it isn’t all that bad. Still, I put in some of my favorite music and wear my “comfy clothes”. This makes it much easier to get into a groove. Sometimes I turn on the TV for background noise, but usually I like just music. It makes the process much more enjoyable as a dance with the Swiffer and hope no one sees me!

Pride:

If someone were to drop by unexpectedly right now, what would they see? A home is going to look lived in, that’s just how it goes. If you stay on top of the housework, all you may need to do if you know someone is on their way over is vacuum and toss some stuff in drawers. I always believed that my friend had no pride when it came to these things. Your home is an expression of you. There is a difference between clutter and filth. I too have had clutter; it’s easy to clean up. But filth on the other hand is an entirely different story. Filth can make you and your family sick. Never let it get to that point. Your cat will thank you!