Is Cleaning on Your New Year’s Resolution List for 2019?

You know how it goes. We always make a laundry list of things we want to do in the New Year. But, getting those things done is often easier said than done. If a better cleaning routine is on your New Year’s resolution list for 2019, our easy tips might help you have a cleaner Chicago home this coming year.

1. Organize! Organization should be a top priority if you want to start your New Year’s cleaning routine off right. You’ll have plenty of time to do so during the coldest part of winter when you’re cooped up in the house. Go through everything in your home and if you haven’t used something in several months, get it out of the house. Donate it to Goodwill or a shelter, or have a garage sale. Once you’ve decluttered your home, it’ll be easier to tackle some of the major cleaning that needs to be done.
2. File it or trash it! If you’re like me, sometimes we let mail and receipts get away from us. I’ve had a couple of places where correspondence tends to accumulate and all that can make for an unsightly mess. It’s time to go through each piece of paper and decide whether to toss it or keep it. It’s also a good time to be mindful of items that you’ll need to itemize your taxes if you’re doing so. Separate items by month, category, and year. Then organize it all in a filing system. Or, better yet, scan it all into the computer so you can dispose of it altogether.
3. Gather your cleaning supplies! It’s much easier to have a cleaning routine when everything you need is all together in one place. Have a lightweight basket or plastic tote that’s easy to carry everything around as you make your way through each room around the house. It’ll also encourage you to do more spot cleaning, which can lead to less all-around intensive cleaning.
4. Contain it! One thing you want to try to do in 2019 is to better manage things in your home that tend to get out of place or spread around easily. Think about getting varying sizes of baskets and containers for things like unopened mail, magazines, toys, remote controls, and other items that you use every day. By keeping these off your tables and countertops, you’ll find that your home looks more presentable and less cluttered.
5. Have a nightly ritual! Each night, do a quick sweep through your home. Put things in their place, load the dishwasher, toss laundry into bins or baskets, pick up towels, and just make sure everything’s where it should be. When you wake up in the morning with less clutter, you’ll be less stressed to start your day. Then, you can just focus on enjoying your morning cup of coffee.
6. Launder more often! Most families agree that laundry is often the biggest burden when it comes to keeping your home in order. This coming year, resolve to stay ahead of the came and launder more frequently. By doing so, laundry won’t pile up so much. You can put a load washing right before bedtime and toss it in the dryer first thing when you wake up.
7. Consider going green! Why continue to use harsh cleaning products that are bad for you and bad for the environment?  Consider using more eco-friendly products in your home in 2019. Find solutions that have no phosphates, chlorine, or artificial fragrances or ingredients. Look for products that have “non-toxic” or “biodegradable” written on them.
8. Get more help! All too often, keeping a clean home falls on one person in the household. This year, why not make it a family affair? Get everyone on-board and make it fun with your cleaning routine in 2019. Create a list and decide which cleaning routines are done less frequently and which are done on a daily basis. Delegate a role to each member of the family, even the little ones. Encourage your children to toss their toys in handy baskets that you make available. Have a schedule for kitchen duty so that everyone pitches in. Assign each person a task: your teenager can dust, the hubby can vacuum, you can clean the bathrooms, etc. And if that’s too much of a challenge for your crew, consider hiring a cleaning agency to help tackle some of the heavier cleaning now and then.

When you put some of these handy tips to work, your cleaning load will be lighter and easier to manage. It’s easier than you think to keep your home in tip-top shape for 2019. Book with Sweep Home Chicago to learn how we can do some of the cleaning for you.