The new year always seems like a good time for new beginnings, including making some changes around your home. Whether you want to save money by using DIY methods for dry-cleaning clothes at home, sprucing up your master bath with a fresh coat of paint, or swapping out all the lightbulbs in your house for energy-saving LEDs, a few small changes can have a big impact on both your wallet and the planet.
If you’ve decided to make getting on top of your house cleaning routine a priority this year, we have five great ways to kick things off right. Let’s get ready for a cleaner, more organized 2023 with these New Year’s cleaning resolutions.
Start by establishing a cleaning routine
The best way to make sure you stay on target with your New Year’s cleaning resolution is to create a schedule that you’ll actually adhere to every week. You can make one yourself, or buy one online, but either way a printed chore chart will help to keep you motivated, with checklists to help break down the tasks that can sometimes feel overwhelming. Plus, it’s really satisfying checking off items as you complete them.
This one has designated zones for daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning tasks, so your cleaning jobs never get out of hand.
5 New Year’s cleaning resolutions you’ll want to follow all year long
Looking for resolutions for a cleaner new year? Declutter your life and your home with these amazing ideas.
1. Go green
A new year marks the perfect opportunity for you to switch your cleaning products for more eco-friendly options. Every day there are more and more natural products available for effectively cleaning your home while also reducing your carbon footprint. There is an entire line of products from Method for cleaning every area of your home, including All-Purpose Pink Grapefruit Cleaning Spray that knocks out dirt with the power of plants and is non-toxic and made with biodegradable ingredients.
Want to take it a step further? You can make your own household cleaning products using basic ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and rubbing alcohol.
2. Declutter
Right after the holidays is the perfect time to reinforce the “one in, one out” rule. Before the kids put away their new toys and clothes, have them fill up a bag to donate to charity. Go through your holiday decorations and get rid of the ones that don’t hold sentimental value or have seen better days.
Do a full cleanout of your closet and drawers, giving away any clothing that doesn’t fit, is out of fashion, or in the words of Marie Kondo, “no longer sparks joy.” Graphic tees are fine for working out or when home projects like painting come around, but there’s no reason why you should have a collection of a dozen or more. Pare down on the things you have too many of, and always donate one old item for every new one you bring into your home.
Go into your bathroom vanity and toss out the shampoos and makeup that are past their expiration date. If you have a drawer filled with travel-size toiletries from hotel stays, you can donate them to a local shelter. The same goes for the pantry, clean it out and get rid of anything that is expired or old. If it’s been in there for a year or more, even if it isn’t technically expired, you probably aren’t going to use it and can toss it out.
3. Tackle laundry on laundry day
One of the quickest ways for messes to get out of control is to let clothes pile up around the house. Whether hampers are overflowing or clean clothes are sitting in baskets waiting to be folded and put away, the longer you wait, the messier your home will look.
Get into the habit of putting clothes, towels, and linens away every single time they come out of the dryer. The few minutes you’ll spend sorting and folding will be well worth the effort when the result will be a clean and tidy home. If you have older children in your household, this is a good chore to give them. It’s relatively easy to accomplish and will give them a sense of responsibility.
4. Designate a few minutes each night to tidy up your room
Set a timer before bed each night — even just five minutes — you’ll be shocked by how much you can get done when the clock is ticking. In a few minutes, you can hang up your clothes, put shoes into the closet, wipe down your bathroom vanity and mirror, pick up any trash around the room, and even give the rugs a quick vacuum. When you make a 5-minute straighten up a part of your nightly routine, your bedroom should never be messy. This is also a great habit to teach children at a young age.
5. Don’t let kitchen messes get out of control
Along with the bathroom, your kitchen is probably the hardest household cleaning task to tackle. Make sure it never gets overwhelmingly messy by sticking to a few easy-to-follow rules:
- Clean while you cook. That means as food is simmering on the stove, you can wash and put away cutting boards, bowls, and knives, and return extra ingredients to the fridge, pantry, or spice rack.
- Always do the dishes after every meal. That could mean simply loading into the dishwasher or washing by hand, but a sink full of dishes is the fastest way to make your kitchen look dirty.
- Spray down and wipe the countertops so they look and smell clean.
- If you have a dishwasher, run it at night before bed and unload clean dishes in the morning so dirty dishes won’t need to pile up in your sink.
The trick to making this — or any other resolution — stick is to start with small changes, cement them as part of your regular routine, and then add in a few more. Before you know it, you’ll make permanent improvements that will make your home look better and run more efficiently, which will make your life better, too.
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