11 Quick Cleaning Hacks How To Keep Your Home Always Looking Clean

I don’t know about you, but when my house is messy, EVERYTHING is messy. In other words, when my house is a mess, my work is usually a mess as well. It’s because when I am surrounded by a mess I am unable to focus on work until I clean it up. But when you are trying to take care of your kids and stay on top of work, it can be hard to keep your home looking like in a TV commercial. Am I right, mommy? However, you probably agree that when you have a clean home and a tidy workspace, you feel like unstoppable. That’s why I’ve put together 11 quick cleaning hacks to keep your house always looking clean, even when you have little time to clean.

Because five minutes is all it takes to have a clean, clutter and mess-free home.

And I promise you, you don’t have to be a cleaning obsessed maniac that runs around with a toothbrush scrubbing the tiles (but that’s totally fine if that’s your thing).

By all means, I am not a clean freak, but I love paying attention to some key areas in each room that I know will have the biggest impact but that only takes a few minutes.

When I was younger, I was not bothered by a messy room. But now, I cannot deal with a messy home and it affects my productivity and therefore ultimately my income. I feel overwhelmed and powerless, making it hard for me to start either cleaning OR working on my blog.

Here are a few hacks I’ve come up with to keep my house tidy so that I can make the most of my free time and work on my blog feeling like a proper boss mama that has it all under control.

Let’s look at what they are room by room, starting with the kitchen.

Related Posts

• 5 Easy & Quick Habits To Keep a Messy Kitchen Tidy

KITCHEN: 1. Organize the fridge

I can’t believe I’m saying this because I wasn’t like this before. However, having a clean fridge gives me a “clean” headspace to think in.

When I first met my partner, I thought he was crazy because he always cleaned the fridge. In reality, if my fridge starts to look messy, then other areas of my life, whether personal or professional, begin to look messy as well.

Thus, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on everything, since how you do one thing is how you do everything.

Basically, what I mean by that is, if your fridge looks chaotic and you toss everything in and don’t clear up spills, don’t throw out the old brown half-eaten banana, then chances are you’re also tossing your mail, keys, phone, hat, coat, newspaper, and half-eaten sandwich from lunch on your kitchen counter without cleaning it up either.

And since you don’t clean up spills in the fridge, you’re unlikely to clean up coffee spills from your mug on your desk or toothpaste spills from the bathroom sink either.

In other words, if we don’t care in one area, we won’t care in another area. That means, whatever your fridge looks like, your kitchen counter is likely to look like it, as will the area around your kitchen sink, your bedside table and your bathroom sink, and so on.

Therefore, it’s important to pay attention to your habits in every area, starting with the fridge.

In another example, whenever I feel the impulse to wipe down the refrigerator door, I automatically think of other things I can wipe down.

Did you ever experience this?

Then I put on a wiping spray and wipe down the countertops, bin lids, and the floor. (It’s the same with wiping away toothpaste stains; before I realize it, I am wiping the floor, the shower, etc., where before it didn’t bother me for days. Do you get what I mean?) 

How to organize the fridge?

If you are wondering how I organize my refrigerator and pantry, it is Tupperware. I love them in sets like this one here.

What I love about this brand is that they are stackable, which means you can stack them in your refrigerator to maximize the space and keep your fridge super organized at the same time. Another thing I like is that they come in pretty much any size, whether it’s for an avocado or a half-watermelon.

Just by using these airtight containers rather than chucking food in your fridge, your food will last longer (saving you money).

And like I said, because they are systems, they are incredibly easy to stack and they don’t take up smells (I am a bit funny when it comes to smells).

Snack Pods

Currently, I am using these particular Snack Pods with colorful lids to freeze meals for my 9-month old baby and find that they are just the perfect portion size. Last time I bought 8 but I almost always run out of them so I’ll have to grab some more myself.

But for other fresh foods like peppers, halloumi cheese, and chickpeas, I love the square ones by Sistema because they are so easy to stack in the fridge and in the cupboard (and yes, I am a vegetarian).

They won’t fall over and create more mess, I promise.

Since Covid hit, I try to avoid going to the shops as much as possible. First, I no longer enjoy it, but I also worry about protecting my daughter when we go shopping. Therefore, if you’re like me, or if you can’t go to the shops because of being locked down, you might like to order things online instead, and that’s why I’ve included links for you in this post. Those are my affiliate links, which means if you purchase through those links, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

KITCHEN: 2. Organize the pantry

I haven’t quite gotten as far as labeling my jars (but I am tempted), however, I have organized my pantry to keep my kitchen clean.

Instead of throwing everything in there, I have created a home for every item based on food groups. So let me show you my simple system from the left to the right side of your pantry.

Food group 1: Sweets and Treats

• Chocolate
• Cookies
• Nuts
• Muesli bars (I prefer protein muesli bars because I am a vegetarian and this helps me get more protein)

Food group 2: Cans

• Chickpeas
• Kidney beans
• Baked beans
• Mixed beans
• Tuna (so good in a toasted sandwich with my favourite sandwich toaster of ALL times!!)

Food group 3: Pasta & Rice & Grains

• Organic brown pasta
• Lasagne sheets
• Brown rice
• Basmati rice
• Jasmin rice
• Pearl Couscous
• Couscous
• Quinoa
• Vietnamese noodles

Food group 4: Protein & Supplements

• Protein Shakes (I’m using special protein shakes but unfortunately I can’t include a link for you as can’t buy them online)
• Biotin Gummies (to fight my postpartum hair loss)
• Beauty Collagen (to fight anti-aging)
• Low-sugar protein bars (those are my all-time favorite snacks or somedays breakfast)
• Chewing gum

Food group 5: Spices & Oils

• Spices
• Salt
• Pepper
• Coconut oil
• Vegetable oil

And then, of course, I’ll have my Sistema stacked in the pantry too.

Having my pantry organized this way helps me to find a place for all my groceries. Every item has a home where it belongs. Not only can you spot items you’ve run out of quicker but it also makes finding things a lot faster and it keeps your kitchen counter clutter-free.

That means I also keep salt and pepper in the panty to keep my kitchen tidy looking.

BEDROOM: 3. Regular wardrobe clear outs

I have a rule: “One comes, one goes.” That means I’ve got a fixed number of clothes hangers in my wardrobe and for every piece that goes in, one has to come out.

By doing this, I avoid having too many clothes lying around and cluttering up space. But of course, I am a girl which means I do enjoy shopping but for every new piece that goes into my wardrobe, one has to go. That means I am having regular wardrobe cleanouts, at least once a month.

My favorite way is to donate my unwanted clothes to charity or drop them off at H&M and get a 15% voucher that I can redeem with my next shop.

Realistically, you only wear what’s in your laundry basket anyways, so you hardly wear all of what you own. And these items only take up space and clutter up your house. And to help you keep your house cleaner you might want to buy more consciously or give them to someone else.

BEDROOM: 4. Organize my wardrobe by colors

 I used to organize my clothes by style, but I find organizing them by colors to be so much more fun.

It’s like a little wardrobe with pockets that makes choosing an outfit so much quicker and it keeps your bedroom tidy.

I start off with white t-shirts to the far left, then creme high collar tops, then beige and soft browns tops, caramel maxi dresses, dusky pink tops, pale pink satin camis, rose long sleeves, going over in red tops, green maxi dresses, followed by gray crop t-shirts, gray crop maxi jumper, followed by black tops and dresses all the way to the right.

Since I got pregnant my color palette has turned earthy with pastel pinks, whites, creme, and grays and I love my new colors. Compared to only wearing mostly black like I used to before.

Organizing my wardrobe by colors makes my bedroom look cleaner, calmer, and smarter.

BEDROOM: 5. Make my bed

Even if you have no time for anything, throwing your cover over your bed will make your bedroom look instantly de-cluttered and tidy.

And it only takes less than a minute!

BEDROOM: 6. Only one set of sheets

This might be taking minimalism to the extreme, but I usually wash my sheets, hang them to dry, then put them back on. This way there is no laundry mess hanging around for days, because, I need the sheets back on.

As with my “One comes, one goes” wardrobe rule, I am basically using less to avoid clutter.

LIVING ROOM: 7. Put toys away in squishy baskets

To keep my house looking tidy, I use baskets to store things away. Throughout the house, I have various types of baskets made of different materials, ranging from plastic to woven to organic.

But for the living room specifically, I am using a big cotton rope basket similar to this one to hold comfy blankets.

For my little one, I also keep a bunch of smaller, squishy baskets like these ones here on the couch. It not only helps to keep her play area clean and organized, but it also brings her great joy to take things out of the basket, to discover new toys in the baskets, and of course, to tilt the entire basket over her head.

BATHROOM: 8. Follow a cleaning plan

To help you with a clean house you need a cleaning plan in place and you need to stick to it.

On Sundays, I spend about one hour quickly cleaning the house following the same routine.

Your cleaning routine could look like this:

• Always start your cleaning routine in the same room and end it in the same room so that you know exactly which room is next. For example, I start in the kitchen and finish in the bathroom.
• Know exactly what aeras you’re going to clean so that you’re taking the guesswork out of it and avoid feeling overwhelmed “Should I scrub the shower today or not?”
• Deal with things immediately. Throw them away, recycle them, or put them in their “home” so that you can move through the house quickly.

If you follow the tips I’ve just given you, you won’t have that much mess to clean up anyway. And the good thing about a cleaning plan is that you will have less cleaning to do the more regularly you clean. It is that simple.

BATHROOM: 9. Have different laundry hampers for different colors

Have I mentioned that I love baskets for organizing and keeping my house clean?

For my laundry, I use different colored hampers to organize blacks and whites. But you can use any hampers you like, as long as you sort your laundry by colors.

This little hack saves me a lot of time since I don’t have to sift through my laundry basket, and it keeps my bathroom looking super organized.

To keep my baby’s clothes separate, I also use a baby laundry hamper since I use fragrance-free baby detergent for her for now.

BATHROOM: 10. Deal with laundry faster

I’ve mentioned my concept of “Deal with it” a few times already. But one of my big cleaning hacks for the bathroom is to deal with laundry faster.

It makes such a difference when your laundry hamper is empty rather than always full. Because the fuller they are, the more pressure is building up for you to tackle it one day. So, the sooner you do this, the less work (and hanging washing) you will have. Dealing with it faster not only makes it much more enjoyable, but it also makes this momentous task to get on top of the washing more manageable.

I wash smaller loads on an eco cycle more frequently. I can’t say for sure if it is affecting my electricity or water bill but it certainly helps me have a clutter-free mind.

And lastly, I just love putting on a load of washing and closing the door behind me to hear the machine wash in the background. Do you like this feeling too?

BATHROOM: 11. Throw things in the bin instead of lying around the sink

Ok, here’s a confession of mine. Some days I would leave my make-up removal pads out next to the sink to save them for the next day. However, in retrospect, it only created clutter and mess in the bathroom.

That’s why I now throw things out straight away in the bin like makeup remover pads and tissues and no longer leave them lying around the sink.

Interestingly, I also throw things away in the same way in other areas of the house, such as paper towels in the kitchen.

Because like I mentioned before, how you do one thing is how you do everything, so if you leave your makeup remover pads out, you probably leave used tissues, paper towels, or half-drunk coffee mugs out, too. Am I right?

My shampoo habits

I used to have a habit of holding on to half-empty shampoo bottles. But because I want a clean house this had to change. So, now rather than leaving them there with a few last drops, I toss them out (and recycle where possible) when they are reasonably empty.

Also, I have shiny object syndrome whenever I see new shampoos or conditioners. When I see a new product packaging, I am instantly intrigued. But about halfway through, I lose interest and want something new. Because of this my bathroom always looks messy with too many products and I cannot stand it.

So in order to keep my bathroom looking smarter and tidier, I apply my wardrobe principle “One comes, one goes” and only buy a new bottle of my favorite shampoo (but a bit pricey) when my old one is finished to help keep my bathroom clutter-free.

This helps reduce the items in my bathroom which ultimately helps the space look tidy. 

Closing thoughts on quick cleaning hacks to keep your house from looking messy, room by room 

It’s okay if your house isn’t as clean as you’d like. Mine wasn’t at first, since I hadn’t found cleaning habits I enjoyed. 

The tips I’ve shared with you in this post work because they actually feel FUN to me, which is why I am able to stick with them.

As long as you find little changes to your cleaning routine that you enjoy, that is what matters most. Then use these habits throughout the house consistently. The more you use them, the easier they will become and the faster you will be able to clean and tidy up your home.

I am curious to hear, which tip have you enjoyed the most? What are you struggling with to clean your home and which tip are you going to try?