How to Make Your House Look Clean and Smell Fresh

Here are a few of my tips and tricks for how to make your house look clean and smell fresh in just minutes.

Spring cleaning time is almost here.

Spring is almost here, and with it comes the “inner urge” to clean our homes!!! Isn’t it wonderful to Spring clean? The fresh smell of Spring air, blooms, and warm weather just make it more motivating to make our “inside” space and lovely as our “outside” space. Since we are already experiencing hints of Spring (at least we are here in Birmingham), I decided to share a few of my tips + tricks on home cleaning.

How to keep your house clean.

It doesn’t have to take all day to get our homes looking tidy and smelling clean. No matter what size house we live in, there are tips and tricks to making it look and smell good in a matter of minutes. In this post, I share how I get a tidy and clean house in roughly 20 minutes or less.  If you want to see a visual of my “20-minutes house cleaning” technique, check out the video below!

My tips + tricks on how to keep my house clean in just minutes.

I am sharing the things that I do when I need to get my house from messy to clean in a matter of minutes. Let’s face it; we are all busy. Deep cleaning takes hours, and it doesn’t have to be done every day. For a simple, basic, housecleaning process, I do the following. It takes less than twenty minutes and makes a huge difference. In the video below, you’ll see me use some of my favorite cleaning supplies. These are all I need to keep a clean and fresh home.

Empty the dishwasher in the a.m.

Every morning while my coffee brews, I empty the dishwasher.  It takes about the exact same time to empty the dishwasher as it does to brew 6 cups of coffee, so it works out perfectly! I put any dirty dishes in the dishwasher as the day progresses, and I run the clean cycle before I go to bed at night.  Having an empty dishwasher is the BEST way to keep dirty dishes, bowls, plates, hidden during the day. It is a game-changer!

Make the bed before leaving the bedroom.

Zane and I make our bed first thing in the morning. Our goal is not to leave the bedroom until the bed is made. It is crazy, but if we ever venture out of the bedroom and get busy doing other things, the bed might stay unmade. When the bed is made, the whole room looks better. 

 Invest in pretty pick-up baskets.

Zane taught me years ago to use “pick up baskets” to toss clutter and knick-knacks into while cleaning the house. With baskets, it is easy to toss things in to put away for later. I absolutely use my baskets for everything…socks, electronics, papers, and more. I love these two-tone woven baskets from West Elm and have one in almost every room.  They are beautiful and functional, and I use them myriad times a day every day.

Do a quick vacuum.

It may seem like a huge ordeal to vacuum the floors, but it only takes a few minutes to do the “main rooms” that need it. I usually just run the vacuum over the kitchen, living room, and master bedroom. Those are the areas most trafficked. I have a central vac, which I highly recommend. It is basically a “hose” that you plug into the wall. It is so easy; I love it!!!

Do a Toilet Bowl Swish.

One of the last things that I do before I sit down to work or before guests arrive is what I call a “pine-sol swish!” You can use whatever fresh smelling toilet bowl cleaner you like; pine-scented Pine-Sol is my favorite! I make sure all toilets are flushed and filled with clean water. Then I pour about 1/2 cup Pine-Sol in the bowl and swish the entire inside surface. I follow by wiping down the toilet bowl rim, and inside/outside of the lid. I use Clorox or Lysol lemon wipes for this, as they sanitize AND smell great.

Empty trash & freshen the garbage bins.

I always empty every trash can in the house before guests arrive. For the garbage bins in the kitchen, I spritz this Thymes Frazier Fir all-purpose cleaner inside the bins. It smells FAB, and it also keeps the inside of the bin clean.  If you love a specific all-purpose cleaner, buy one in the scent you prefer and use it inside garbage bins to keep them super fresh.

 

Why is it important to keep our houses clean?

Keeping our houses clean is beneficial for many reasons. Studies have shown many of the following advantages to a clean home.

A clean & tidy home relieves stress.

Visual clutter can lead to mental clutter. According to studies, women who have messier homes have higher cortisol levels, which means that our stress levels are linked to our space. The level of “mess” correlates to the level of “stress,” so it pays to spend a little time every day to make our homes clean and tidy.

A clean & tidy home improves productivity.

Having an organized workplace gives us fewer things to worry about. I know that I get a TON more done on days when my home is clean, well-organized, and tidy. On the weeks that I have house cleaners come for deep cleaning,  I literally sit and soak in how wonderful my house looks and smells. It motivates me to be more productive as well.

A clean home is good for our health and wellness.

When our homes are clean, we are more likely to stay healthier. A clean kitchen means that we are less likely to contract foodborne illnesses. Clean surfaces reduce airborne particles that might cause nasal stuffiness or allergies. Keeping our home areas sanitized during COVID can also be a huge factor in avoiding the spread of this and other viruses.

I hope this post has been helpful. As always, thanks so much for stopping by. Wishing you a joyful, blessed, and “clean & tidy” day!!!