We have a long tradition of making resolutions at the beginning of each new year. Although we have great intentions, we sometimes don’t stick to our plans. There’s no bad time to start cleaning out your house, but it’s especially good to do so at the beginning of each new year.
A clean home is about safety, your health, and your family. Cleanliness can prevent infections and viruses from spreading. It also gives you the ability to concentrate on what is most important to you.
You’re not cleaning because you have an obligation. You’re not cleaning out of obligation. Cleaning is a necessity.
Make that resolution. New year, new house. This time, make it a priority because it will keep you and your family safe. These are some tips to help you keep your resolution for cleaning in the new year.
Get rid of all the junk.
You don’t have to start stuffing your bedrooms with new items you have acquired over the holidays. Instead, look at what you have. It doesn’t mean you have to get rid of everything, but take a look at all the things in your home. What have you not used in six months? What collects dust? Do your children have toys or clothes that they don’t use anymore? You have to get rid of all the extra stuff accumulated in your home.
Pro-tip Goodwill doesn’t end with December. Many shelters also accept gently used electronics. Second-hand and thrift shops still accept clothing, toys and other necessities. Then, determine if you need or use all of your items and pay it forward.
Take care of the small things.
Once you have cleared out all the clutter, you can make a new resolution for next year. You’re more likely than any other goal to succeed if you take small steps each day. You can make small changes that will have a huge impact. Dishes could become a daily goal if you measure cleanliness by the number of empty sinks in your home. Cleaning your home’s fabrics and emptying the trash cans could be a better place to start.
Pro-tip: Only choose one goal at a given time and build on your progress. It’s harder to stick with your plan if you have too many goals.
Take a look at what you might have missed.
While we know that dishes should be washed at least once a week and vacuumed every other week, there are still tasks in the home we neglect to do, either intentionally or not. We forget to dust the end tables and leave the closet shelves bare; we don’t wash the curtains but do the bedding. Look around your home and look at the areas you are least likely to use. Dust the doorknobs and drawers. Clean under furniture.
Pro-tip Wash all household cleaning tools with soapy water, clean the brushes and hoses of vacuums and wash your filters and hoses.
Make a list.
To ensure that you can tackle each task as quickly as possible, you could start by making a weekly list. If you’re looking for more detail, you can make a list each day of your week (or five out of seven days if it is a weekend). You can make your list as detailed or as general as possible, but it should work for you. It doesn’t matter how you do it; something is satisfying about checking off a box once you have completed a task you had been putting off.
Pro-tip It helps to list all the tasks that need to be done each month at the beginning of your year’s cleaning resolution. You can then break down each task into daily and weekly tasks. In no time, you’ll be an expert!
Make it a daily habit.
This is the tough part. It is important to keep to your resolutions. You must dedicate 15-20 minutes each day to cleaning the areas you have promised. It doesn’t matter what time it is, so long as you do it when it suits you. This is how you add each task to your daily routine. Eventually, you’ll have the current task as part of your daily routine and be ready for the next.
Pro-tip: Studies show it takes roughly
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