So this may not be the most revolutionizing post however it’s a question that I get fairly often when doing Q&A’s (how do you split up chores, do you use a cleaning service, how to keep things tidy, etc). So with that said, figured I’d share a little more about that in today’s post.

I guess the more appropriate title of this post would be “how we keep the house tidy through the week”. When it comes to clean, we have cleaning service come once a month to deep clean the bathrooms, dust, mop, etc. But as far as keeping things looking presentable during the week (or at least somewhat) there are a few things that Stephen and I do the keep it the way.

For starters, when it comes to “chores” we don’t really have designated tasks that one of us does vs. the other. Basically if something needs to be done (like empty the dishwasher), whoever ends up having the free time to do it first just does it. At the end of the day we’re both adults so if something needs to be done whoever is available to do it does it. Sometimes I may pick up more of the “chores” during the week depending on my schedule and vice versa. And TBH, we’ve never had trouble keeping up with things of that nature. This isn’t a post about how to keep dishes from piling up in your sink haha. BUT the thing I have learned over time (especially recently when we went to list our house), the best way to keep things continually clean and tidy is to KEEP UP with the cleaning and putting things away through the day.

For example, every night after dinner we clean the kitchen – put everything away, wipe down all the counters, etc. so when we wake up in the morning everything is spotless. Why not do that after every meal then? I mean, realistically it only takes a few extra minutes to clean up after breakfast and lunch. So basically, apply this principle to everything you do through the day and your space is going to remain very clean and tidy. You bring in the mail? Don’t just leave it on the counter to sort through later – immediately toss what is trash. You do a load of laundry? Try to plan it around a time when you know you can fold it and put it away after (vs. it sitting unfolded for a week #guilty). You try on several outfits for the day? Hangup all the clothes you decided not to wear before leaving the house. You put on all your makeup in the morning? Put all of it away before leaving the bathroom and do a quick wipe down of the counters. Take the dog for a walk? Put their leash away vs. just on the counter.

So none of this is clearly rocket science lol but what I’ve noticed is that the little things (ie. the mail and dog leashes) can easily pile up through the day and all of the sudden your house just starts to look messy/disorganized. Stephen likes to say, “No, it just looks like people live here.” Okay, fair. BUT I DON’T WANT IT TO LOOK THAT WAY. I mean kidding, but also not. I understand things aren’t going to be spotless at all times like when we listed the house however it can look 90% there if you just do little things through the day for upkeep. Again, you may think – it’s just a couple glasses in the sink. But then pair that with the mail on the counter, the makeup you didn’t put away after you got ready, the clothes you didn’t fold after the laundry, the dog toys you didn’t put away in their designated bin… you get my point.

I think the easiest way to start this process is to pick a day and do like a deep clean/organization. Like think – if I were going to list my house, what would it look like? And I know that may seem a bit extreme but the point here is to help you get your space to a place where it feels very tidy and immaculate to start. Then doing the little things during the week to upkeep it won’t seem as daunting when you’re starting with a clean slate (see what I did there)?

And of course, this isn’t to say that then your space will stay super tidy all of the time – I get that life happens and you don’t always have time to do XYZ and things can take a backseat. However, I’ve noticed by implementing this approach on top of the already chores like vacuuming a few times a week, emptying the dishwasher, etc. that the house stays MUCH cleaner overall and puts me in a much better headspace when there isn’t clutter scattered everywhere.