Simple Ways to Keep Your Home Clean + Organized
I’m a firm believer that it’s all in the details when it comes to a clean and tidy home. Yes, vacuuming is well and good, but dusting the baseboards every now and then can really make your home sparkle. And sure, a pillowcase is a pillowcase, but have you ever tried ironing it for the ultimate hotel-at-home experience? (Admittedly, I don’t do this every time I wash my sheets, but it’s a real treat when I do.)
Here are some tiny tips with a big pay off:
1. Trim your candle wick after each use. I keep a pair of scissors near my biggest candle to snip away a burnt wick after each use. Why? You’ll avoid the pesky black smoke stains on glass, and those scary tall flames. Not only will your candle look nicer, you’ll also get a more even and clean burn each time. In a pinch, a nail clipper works just as well!
2. Keep a box cutter in your entryway. If you’re prone to opening packages with a chef’s knife, keys, or a pair of kitchen scissors, there’s a better way! I use a mini box opener instead, which I keep in a little chic dish on my entryway table. The ceramic blade looks like nothing special, but it will open your Amazon packages in less than seven seconds flat.
3. Place extra garbage bags at the base of your trash can. Instead of reaching for a new garbage bag underneath the kitchen sink, make trash day easier by nestling a bunch at the base of your trash bin. Perhaps this hack is common knowledge, but I discovered it a couple of years ago and it’s made replacing garbage bags so much more pleasant.
4. Line produce drawers with paper towel. I have a thing about produce drawers. If the drawer is covered in tiny bits of old herbs and stray onions skins, I have a hard time setting fresh produce free. For this reason, I like to line my drawers with two sheets of paper towel and replace when needed.
5. Iron with starch to keep wrinkles away. Perhaps the most old school of the tips listed here, but not to be missed. Consider starch hairspray for your clothes or bedsheets. Lightly apply some starch spray to the garment or fabric, then iron as normal. It delivers hold with a crisp finish, so your pillow case won’t become a wrinkled heap after one night’s sleep.
6. Pluck pollen before it becomes a problem. Lilies are my favorite flower, but their vibrant yellow pollen? Less so. As soon as the lilies begin to open, I quickly pluck the pollen with my bare hands (snipping makes the stems look sad and weird). If you’re late to the pollen plucking party, here’s my favorite hack: blot away the dust with some clear masking tape.
7. Stock your desk with cleaning spray. I like to keep All-Purpose cleaner and laptop screen spray in my desk drawer for quick touch ups. This way, I avoid having my laptop look pitifully dirty for longer than it needs to, and my desk stays nice and clean. Good Feng Shui! (Pro tip: mix equal parts distilled water with rubbing alcohol for an easy DIY laptop screen spray.)
8. Spritz your plants when they’re looking thirsty. I generally water my plants once a week, but if the leaves are looking a little limp or the soil is looking a little parched, I reach for my spray bottle of water and give the plant a quick pick-me-up. A little refreshing face mist for your plant.
9. Scoop up the stray litter. I have yet to meet an effective litter box mat that keeps stray litter in place. Short of whipping out the vacuum every time my cat Sweetie uses her litter box, my next best solution is to use a dust pan and broom. It’s easy, effective, and keeps the litter crumbs at bay.
10. Use a separate hamper for your towels. Since washing thick, plush towels can put a real damper on the drying process, I wash them separately from my clothes. I toss all my towels in this highly basic hamper, which lives alongside my washer/dryer. Might seem like extra trouble, but it makes laundry day so much more pleasant!