9 indicators that show how well-groomed your home is: check to see if your guests consider you a slob

My mother-in-law claims that a well-kept house is one where the owners do repairs on time. I partly agree with her, because wallpaper torn off by a cat or peeling paint on the ceiling are hardly associated with well-groomed conditions. But, in my opinion, it’s the little things that set the main tone. I counted nine main parameters by which I evaluate the cleanliness of a home.

1. Sockets and switches without dust and dirt

Dust accumulates everywhere, so during cleaning it is important not only to wipe tables and window sills, but also to pay attention to sockets and switches, especially if their covers are not “recessed” into the wall, but protrude outward. If you ignore such places, over time the dust will eat into the plastic, and guests will subconsciously consider the owners of the house to be slobs.

2. Well-groomed indoor plants

Pots with flowers should create coziness in the house, but for this they require constant care:

• Watering — you can often see unfortunate drying plants in apartments, which the owners have completely forgotten about.
• A haircut — many plants lose their decorative appearance if they are not given shape in a timely manner.
• Removing dead leaves and stems - of course, sooner or later they will disappear on their own, but this will not happen as soon as we would like.
• Transfer - if the roots have entwined the entire earthen ball and the plant does not have enough moisture or nutrients, this negatively affects its appearance.

Seeing flowers abandoned to the mercy of fate, I immediately understand that the owners of this house do not strive to keep their home in order. By the way, the same applies to withered bouquets; daisies, peonies or roses with falling petals and drooping leaves, which no one is in a hurry to throw away, for me personally are a clear sign of an unkempt apartment.

3. Pleasant smell in the house

It used to be that the house should smell like pies. Now other smells are in fashion - sea freshness, morning forest, spring purity and coolness, or unobtrusive perfume aromas. But not everyone considers it necessary to spend money on expensive, high-quality diffusers. And this is normal - to make the house pleasant to be in, it is enough to regularly ventilate and quickly get rid of sources of stench.

However, there are people who do not pay attention to the smells in their homes. They may take out the trash every few days, even if the bag contains leftover fish or peeled fruits and vegetables; do not turn on the hood when frying cutlets; smoking in the rooms. It is unlikely that their house will seem well-kept to anyone.

4. Clean and neat home textiles

When I enter someone else's apartment, I, without meaning to, first of all pay attention to the neatness of the textiles. Dirty or worn towels, stains on sofa covers, tablecloths and curtains that are not fresh, carpets that have not been cleaned for a long time - all this is very noticeable. But the worst thing is the old, worn-out slippers and greasy robes of the owners.

Even if the house is new and clean, with a good designer renovation, the presence of such textiles in it creates the impression of unkemptness.

5. Plumbing fixtures polished to a shine

Few people like to wash sinks, bathtubs, toilets and other plumbing fixtures, but if you don’t do this, your home will make an unpleasant impression. Moreover, it is important not only the absence of dirt and grease, but also the absence of calcium deposits formed due to the increased content of minerals in the water.

6. Hob and oven without traces of grease

In addition to the kitchen sink, it is important to take care of the stove and oven. A grease-splattered hob or other appliance looks very untidy, and eating food cooked with it can be unpleasant for many.

They say that the kitchen is the face of the house, and I completely agree with this expression. A home whose owners do not pay attention to the cleanliness of the premises simply cannot be well-kept.

7. No clutter

Many apartments would seem more tidy if they were not cluttered with a bunch of unnecessary things. Especially in cases where the area of ​​the home is small and there are simply no “secret” places for storage.

I try to regularly get rid of everything unnecessary:

• I sell books online or distribute them to friends who would like to read them;
• I take clothes that haven’t been worn even once in a year to charity organizations or throw them away, I do the same with children’s toys;
• I give worn out towels and bed linen to my husband in the garage as rags;
• I donate dishes that no one uses anymore, but that still look decent, as well as other kitchen utensils to those in need.

8. Neatly laid out things

In a well-kept apartment, everything is laid out in its place - clothes hang in the closet, and not on chairs, books are on shelves, and not lying under the sofa, all the cups and plates are in the kitchen, and not placed near computers and beds. Having used that other thing, the owners immediately return it to its rightful place. This not only makes the house more comfortable, but also makes regular cleaning much easier.

9. Cleanliness of window glass and mirrors

Even if you try your best to keep your home tidy, your efforts will go down the drain if the windows and mirrors are dirty. Their cleanliness is immediately noticeable, especially when the glass surface area is large. If possible, I wipe down mirrors every day, and outsource window cleaning to a robot at least once a week.

There are, of course, other little things that indicate the house is not well-kept. But these are the ones I consider fundamental.