We’ve all spent a lot more time in our home over the last year and a half. No matter how clean you keep your house, you’ve probably felt the itch to declutter and get rid of stuff the longer you stare at it. But where do you start when you want to clean and organize your entire home?
Our homes are a visual representation of who we are. All of the things that we’ve collected throughout our lives are there. When we declutter, it can feel overwhelming because it’s like watching pieces of ourselves go!
If you’re not sure how to clean and organize your whole house, keep reading. We’re walking you through it step by step!
1. Set Your Watch By It!
It may seem like a good idea to spend an entire day getting your home clean and organized. But you run the risk of burning out before the job is done when you try to tackle it all at once. Instead, set a timer for an hour each day and spend time in a single room.
When you break tasks apart like this, they become more manageable.
If an hour a day doesn’t seem like enough for you, you could tackle the project in different categories. Instead of a single room, take care of all the clothes in the house. Then work on the shoes, dishes, toys, and so on until each category is finished.
2. Start in the Kitchen
The first room you should declutter is the one you use the most. For us, it’s the kitchen.
Anything that doesn’t belong on the counter should be put away, or set aside until you can organize it.
Discard old things in your fridge and scrub it down. Consider using organizers and baskets in your fridge to keep it neat and organized.
Get rid of any plastic containers that you don’t have the lids for. Wash the inside and outside of each of your cabinets and drawers.
If your microwave is a little crusty, heat up a bowl of vinegar and lemon juice for 10 minutes to help loosen up the gunk and help keep it smelling fresh.
Don’t forget to clean your trash can on the inside and outside as well!
3. Bedrooms and Closets
Next up, tackle your bedroom and the closets. Any clothing that you don’t fit into, don’t love, or haven’t worn in over a year should be donated. Once your closet is cleared out, wash it down and vacuum the inside.
Do the same for your dressers and anywhere else you have clothing. Then refold and hang everything you’re keeping and put it away neatly so you can easily see everything you have when you go looking for clothes to wear!
4. Kids Rooms and Playrooms
Cleaning out kid’s rooms can always be a pain. They get attached to toys and rarely want to give anything away! Work with your kids and come up with a fun way to donate toys that they no longer play with.
Get rid of any trash or junk in the playroom. Anything that isn’t used, appropriate for your child’s age level, or in working order should be donated or thrown away.
When you’ve got the toys you’re keeping, wipe them all down with disinfectant wipes and put them away with other like toys.
Do you have a lot of kid’s artwork laying around? Take this time to pick your favorites and hang them up in playrooms!
5. Laundry
Now it’s time to clean and organize your laundry space. If you’re the one who does most of the laundry, turn it into a space that you love spending time in! Use cute containers to hold your laundry soap, scent pellets, and dryer sheets.
Keeping up with laundry is a pain, but it plays a critical part in having a clean household.
6. Bathrooms
Next, let’s move onto the bathroom. Take everything off of the counters, shelves, drawers, and cabinets. Decide what to keep and what to toss.
Give everything a thorough scrub down and replace all the linens.
If you can, combine half-empty bottles of things to save space. If your linen closet is in the bathroom, take this time to go through and turn ratty towels into rags and get rid of any linens you may not need or use anymore.
7. Office and Floors
Now, let’s put these same practices to use in the office spaces around your home. Take the time to clean your computer screen, mouse, and keyboard. Use compressed air to get dust, debris, or food particles out from under your keyboard keys.
If you have files, now’s the time to consolidate them. Get rid of any outdated paperwork you have on hand. Then organize the paperwork you’re going to keep.
This is usually a pretty light day, so go through the house and sweep, mop, and vacuum the floors too.
8. Other Spaces
A few other spaces to consider when it comes time to clean and organize your home are:
- The attic and basement
- Garage
- Shared spaces
- Hallways
- Outdoors and beyond
For each of these spaces, the same technique will apply. Set a timer for an hour and get to work! Pull all of the things out of the area and only keep the things that you need or love.
Anything that is broken, outdated, or unloved needs to find a new home!
How to Clean and Organize Your Home from Top to Bottom
It’s not an easy task to clean and organize your home. Every time we clean and de-clutter, we make hundreds of little decisions that can become overwhelming so fast. But once you’ve got your space clean, it’ll be easier for you to use the space for what it was designed for.
That will help you feel better and will decrease your stress levels!
If you’re looking for a little extra help in getting your house spic and span, request a quote from us today!
