Aaaaaggghhh!!

How hard can it possibly be, to keep our homes even basically clean? For some of us – quite a lot of us – the answer is very.

We try over and over again to adopt an easy daily cleaning routine, saving up cleaning checklists and devouring cleaning hacks but still never manage to stick to our cleaning schedule and the house is still a tip.

Where does it all go wrong?

So many of us are struggling with the overload that is motherhood juggling parenting and work and looking after – and out for – others and to often failing to find some tiny bit of time at the end of the day for even the most basic self care.

SO the last thing we want to do when we collapse after a hectic day is tidy up after everyone, clean the sink or attack the laundry invasion threatening to take over the house!

AND most of us are NOT helped by the advice delivered by the home making gurus – Martha Stewart & co – from their picture perfect, sumptious sitting rooms and cosy kitchens.

They’re good at this stuff. And actually enjoy it.

And we’re not. We don’t. So it’s different.

The clever stuff that works for them just leaves us more confused and feeling a bit more rubbish about ourselves.

So what can we do?

Well one thing does make a big difference.

One Big Thing

The thing that has most transformed my ability to keep my house clean with the easiest ever – laziest ever – cleaning routine, is decluttering.

Seriously, if you haven’t started, do.

And despite what Marie Kondo claims, it is NOT hard work. I let go of hundreds of bags of clutter in just a few minutes a day, breaking every single KonMari rule in the book.

But in the meantime I discovered this simple daily cleaning routine, you can stick to even when you’re overwhelmed by life.

A Routine You’ll Stick To

Some of us struggle with routines don’t we?

We find it hard to stick to them, however many fancy cleaning checklists we download.

The secret trick to sticking to our routine, however exhausted or lazy we’re feeling, is to base our routine on just a few power habits.

Power habits are awesome because we do them on autopilot with almost no effort.

It’s easier to do them, than not.

And following our power habits easily actually motivates us to do more. Clever, huh?

So this easy daily cleaning routine is based on just 7 cleaning hacks, that quickly become power habits we can stick to effortlessly.

The Easiest Cleaning Routine

1. Put The Bins Out

This sounds like the simplest thing.

BUT on a bad day, if you do nothing else, do this. It’s weird but, it makes us feel instantly better and more able to tackle other stuff.

And – incredibly – does help us declutter.

2. Empty Dishwasher First Thing

This second habit makes a MASSIVE difference.

Starting the day with an empty dishwasher means stuff doesn’t pile up on the table, on the worktops and in the sink.

So when you need to cook, you’re just cooking and NOT clearing an Everest of dishes first.

PLUS it’s the easiest thing in the world to get your family to help with. Even a small child can put their cup and plate in the dishwasher.

I put ours on last thing and empty it – half awake – every morning before breakfast.

It so helps.

3. Quick Wipe & Sweep

If everyone puts their own stuff in the dishwasher, it’s super speedy to wipe down surfaces with a micro fibre cloth.

If you haven’t tried micro fibre cloths, I cannot recommend them enough. They are the quickest way to clean effectively.

They also save us money and help the planet because they cut out all the dodgy cleaning sprays we don’t need.

After a lightening fast wipe round, we just need to sweep up obvious crumbs so they’re not trampled round the house.

4. Make The Beds

You’ve certainly heard this before, but making your bed first thing does help – there are whole books out there on its life changing power!

I never ever used to make my bed, but the habit is now so engrained it’s harder not to.

And it not only makes going to bed pleasanter, it truly does kick start the day and make me feel immediately better about my home.

And that helps me stick to the routine.

5. Chuck One Load Of Laundry In

How on earth do we all generate so much laundry? I swear it takes up more time than it used to take my granny pre-washing machine!

And there is NOTHING so depressing as an overflowing laundry basket.

I have tried all sorts of ways to get on top of it and am convinced the best solution is to chuck a load in every single day you can.

THEN – and this is a biggie – assume you are NOT going to iron it.

AND hang it straight away.

90% of stuff, you will, get away without ironing.

6. Whizz Wipe The Bathroom

The bathroom for me always feels like a massive job. So I avoid it. And it gets worse!!

The trick – I’ve discovered the hard way – is little and often, i.e. part of this daily routine.

A whizz wipe around with a micro fibre cloth last thing and when you’re in the shower – and a quick daily brush of the loo – WILL do more good than a massive ~~once a week~~ less-often-than-I-should clean.

OK, so we’ve mastered 6 power cleaning habits, but the 7th is the most powerful of them all, and it’s called Just 10 Things …

7. Just 10 Things

Decluttering is the magic key to a clean home but unfortunately, we can’t wave our wand and clear out all our unused stuff instantly.

And sadly, the Marie Kondo method is hard work and a disaster for lots of us.

But luckily, there is a simple daily power habit we can use to declutter our whole home:

Focus on one small area
And let go of just 10 things you and your family will be happier without

“How on earth will that help?!!!”, you scream, “I am buried under mountains of clutter!!!”

But DO the maths:

10 things every day for 365 days
= 3,650 less pieces of clutter.

And the magic of just 10 things is that because it’s a simple power habit we stick to it, just as we stick to the other habits in this easy cleaning routine.

And yes, there IS more cleaning that has to be done, but this routine covers our bases easily, so we’ve got the energy and motivation to tackle that little bit more.

I do hope this easy cleaning routine helps. Give it a go and let me know how you get on.

And for more really simple tips for organising your home do follow me on Facebook and check out my other cleaning & decluttering posts: