Stress-Free Hacks to Keep Your Home Cleaner

Walking up and down the empty cleaning aisles of my favorite store earlier this year was a strange sight. COVID-19 has brought many challenges our way, but one of the most unexpected was the shortage of cleaning products. Amid a global pandemic, it’s safe to say that cleaning has been on everyone’s minds more than ever before — and for good reason!

While people who love to clean might be thriving at the moment, others tidy up only out of necessity — and see the need to clean more often as an added stressor during an already stressful time. No matter which camp you fall into, here are some tips to get you through the rest of 2020 with a clean home and less stress:

1. Stay calm.
In a year that’s inherently stressful, don’t let the stress of keeping a clean home overwhelm you. If the carpet isn’t vacuumed today, there’s always tomorrow. Another great way to make cleaning less stressful and more fun? Make it a family affair. Dole out chores, turn up the music, and dance around your house while dusting. Just you at home? Even better — you get to pick the music!

2. Keep organized.
If cleaning isn’t your thing, this tip is for you. By keeping your home organized, you’ll find it takes you less time to clean. According to the National Soap and Detergent Association, cutting clutter eliminates 40% of housework in the average American home.

However, it’s not just the time-saving element that should persuade you to stay organized; multiple studies have found that having too many items in your house can increase your stress levels. Plus, an organized home looks cleaner — even if it’s been three weeks since you last mopped.

3. Give new products a try.
We live in a time of true product innovation, so take advantage of it! Tired of laundry soap leaking all over your laundry room? Try Tide Pods. Exhausted by the thought of pulling out the bulky vacuum each week? Invest in a Roomba. Not in the mood to pull out six different products to clean your bathroom? Skip the hassle and use CLR’s Brilliant Bath spray.

Find ways to save some time during this stressful period. Want to use the same cleaning spray in every room of your house? No judgment here. I’m doing the same thing, and I’m happy to report that it’s pretty convenient.

4. Clean one area at a time.
Now that your home is also doubling as an office, it’s probably getting a bit messier than before. The best way to make sure you’re not drowning in hours of housework on your precious Saturdays? Clean one room at a time. Perhaps you clean your bathroom on Sunday night, vacuum on Monday, and dust on Tuesday. Regardless of how you attack things, these little chores add up and ultimately result in a cleaner house.

It’s also important to note that not every part of your home is created equal when it comes to cleaning. While you should clean your microwave and door handles frequently, it’s OK not to scrub the inside of your refrigerator every week. And you can avoid wearing down your wood furniture with an abundance of wood polish in hopes of keeping it forever dust-free.

This year has been stressful for everyone, so I think we can all agree that we need less on our plates. Use innovative products, get into a new cleaning routine, and take advantage of the hacks that make the most sense for you and your family. Before you know it, cleaning will be one less big thing to worry about on your to-do list.