7 Daily Household Habits That Will Change Your Life for the Better

I cannot say that with my mother’s milk I imbibed habits that will keep the house clean. But I can boast that I taught myself to follow some rules and over time brought their implementation to automaticity, and this allows me to maintain order, spending a minimum of effort on cleaning. I think it would be right to share my secrets with everyone who wants to make tidying up easier and faster.

1. Do not leave dirty dishes overnight

The surest way not to do something is to put it off until later. It doesn't matter whether it's tomorrow or Monday, the result will always be the same. From my youth until my adulthood, I confirmed this postulate every day by shirking the dishes. Only one circumstance could force me to take up a washcloth and “Fairy” - the lack of clean pots and plates combined with severe hunger. However, this rarely happened (thanks to catering and sandwiches), so most of the time in the sink there was something resembling Mount Fuji.

Once I had to live for two weeks at the dacha, where the kitchen utensils were only one frying pan, one saucepan, one deep plate and one glass. There were no cafes or restaurants nearby where one could have a snack during bouts of laziness. Whether you like it or not, you had to wash the dishes, and in the evening - so as not to attract gray long-tailed guests into the house.Despite the fact that, according to psychologists, a habit is developed in 21 days, in my case 14 was enough - and now, before going to bed, I make sure to rinse the dishes I used during the day. It's really convenient because the work takes only 5 minutes.

2. Make the bed while breakfast is being prepared.

An unmade bed always creates a feeling of chaos in the bedroom. There were times when I loved to while away the weekend in the company of pillows and a blanket, at the same time dragging supplies of food, magazines, cosmetics and other things that belonged in other rooms onto the bed. Laziness did not allow us to return them back, so most of the goods went straight into the clutches of the under-bed monster.

Then I began to not live alone, and the remnants of my conscience did not allow me to turn someone else’s apartment into a kind of Neanderthal cave. I had to make the bed every morning. As it turns out, this is very convenient to do while breakfast is heating up, since the time spent on putting the bedroom in order and operating the microwave is approximately the same. I still have this habit today.

3. Put things back immediately

In order for the owners of the house to feel comfortable, all things should be put in their places. This way, the home does not turn into a flea market, where portraits of the grandmother are lying on the table mixed with books, socks, felt-tip pens, and archaeological excavations can be carried out on an armchair or on the sofa.

However, for a thing to have its own place, it needs to be created. I used cute baskets from Ikea for this purpose (you can buy the same ones anywhere - both in a hardware store and on Chinese trading platforms).

4. Do a mini cleaning

Among the habits that will keep your home clean is daily cleaning. I once thought that this was a thankless task, but after cats appeared in the house, everything changed. Whether I wanted it or not, I had to pick up a vacuum cleaner and a rag regularly, otherwise sofas, tables, window sills and other surfaces would become covered with an even layer of red wool.

Since the cats were not mine personally, but neighbors’ and stayed with me for only a month and a half while their owner was taking courses in another city, I could then return to my previous lifestyle - vacuuming on weekends and “generalizing” the apartment once every three months. However, this turned out to be difficult - during the time that the cats spent with me, I became so accustomed to cleanliness that now daily mini-cleaning is included in the list of mandatory tasks. I must say that not much time is spent on it - about 15 minutes. But the result is stunning - the apartment always shines with cleanliness and freshness.

5. Keep the kitchen in order while cooking

When talking about cleaning, it would be unfair not to mention the kitchen. This room needs regular tidying up more than others for two reasons:

• because food is stored here;
• because splashes of oil or juice, spilled flour or spices are constant companions of the culinary process.

At first I tried to set aside separate days to clean the kitchen, but then I realized that it was easier to do it while cooking:

• When selecting ingredients for a particular dish, look at the expiration date of everything in the refrigerator and cabinets.
• Immediately remove any wet or greasy marks left on the countertop.
• Sweep and wash the floor, as well as wipe the table immediately after eating or finishing working with food.
• Wash all small and not so small utensils and return them to their designated place immediately.
• Wipe down the stove or oven after each meal preparation.

By following these rules, I have achieved perfect cleanliness in the kitchen, and I don’t have to spend extra time cleaning.

6. Hang clothes in the closet

It is unlikely that anyone will be able to feel comfortable looking at the jeans and T-shirts that are hung on the backs of chairs. Although, I must admit, in my youth I did not pay attention to such nuances. However, with age, a desire for pedantry appeared, and this had a positive effect on the condition of the apartment. All it took was hanging clothes in the closet instead of throwing them anywhere.

7. Plan household chores in the evening

It is much easier to manage your time if you know exactly what tasks you will have to complete on a specific day. Planning also allows you not to clutter your memory with unnecessary details and be sure that you won’t forget about something important. And the temptation to surf the Internet instead of washing the dishes or dusting the windowsills is becoming weaker.

You can either write your to-do list in a notebook or hang it on the refrigerator door. Another placement option is a special board on which you write with chalk or erasable pencils. Personally, I prefer the third option - it’s both beautiful and creates an interesting accent in the interior.

If uninvited guests come to me, I don’t have to blush and try to clean up the mess in a matter of seconds. My house is always clean and comfortable - it will be the same for you when these seven rules become a daily habit.