Does keeping a clean home often feel like an uphill battle?
Do you spend hours cleaning everyday only to wake up and do it again the following day?!
Then you are probably making some of these 15 common cleaning mistakes that keep your house messy!
And If you want to finally be able to sit back and enjoy a clean house then you need to find out exactly where you’re going wrong!
So keep reading because you are on your way to a house that is easier to clean and easier to keep that way!
1. You don’t automate things
Automating as many things as you can is a great way to shave time off of your daily routine!
Thankfully technology has made it easier than ever to automate some of the most dreaded household chores!
Things like robotic vacuum cleaners and mops have become both more effective and more affordable over the last few years.
Now days it’s possible to find a device to clean almost anything from the gutters, to the cat box!
High priced devices aren’t the only way to automate things though, things like auto waterer and auto feeders for pets are affordable and also great daily time savers!
Is there a part of your housekeeping routine that takes up way more time than you think it should?
Do some research and find out if maybe it can be automated to save you time!
2. You don’t delegate
I know how hard this struggle can be if you are a little bit of a perfectionist (I am a recovering perfectionist myself after all, haha!)
You know just how you like things to be done and you probably have a hard time trusting anyone else (even your spouse or kids) with the job, am I right?
If it’s hard for you to delegate cleaning tasks to other members of the family, think about which ones are the most important to you.
Reserve those tasks for yourself and then let your family help out with all the rest!
I’m not going to lie, this may be really hard at first!
The wrinkles in your laundry or water spots on the dishes may drive you a little crazy at first, but I promise that it will get easier!
You will slowly learn to let go of those things when you realize how much less overwhelmed you are when you delegate!
3. You don’t have help
But maybe delegating isn’t the problem so much as your family just isn’t as concerned about keeping a clean house as you are?
If you don’t live alone then chances are you aren’t the only one contributing to the mess, and you can’t be the only one cleaning it up either!
It’s okay to be the one who primarily does the housework if that’s what works for you and your family, but expecting yourself to be able to handle everything on your own will only leave you feeling overwhelmed and resentful of everyone who’s not helping out!
If you have a hard time motivating your family to clean, try using chore charts or reward systems for kids!
Something as simple as a box of little toys and treats that kids get to pick something from at the end of the week for doing their chores can get them excited to help!
If it’s your spouse that doesn’t help out around the house, sit down and talk with them about what chores they wouldn’t mind doing.
Some people can’t stand doing the dishes, whereas others may not mind that, but hate cleaning the bathroom.
Find what cleaning tasks you each prefer to do, and create a cleaning routine around that!
4. You don’t make it simple
Think about how much you can simplify every cleaning task that you do throughout the day.
Something as small as placing cleaning products closer to where you use them, rather than having them all in one closet or cabinet together, can make a huge difference in how likely you are to actually get the job done!
This may mean buying multiples of some things such as two containers of cleaning wipes, one for the kitchen and one for the bathroom.
But this might be worth it if you find that you often forget to clean an area if you don’t have the supplies handy!
Look around and you’ll probably find many other ways to make cleaning simpler for yourself!
5. You try to do it all at once
Ever had one of those days when you wake up and think “Today’s the day!”?
You try to tackle every single corner of your home, every spec of dust and forgotten pile of clutter?
I know how that story ends, and it’s not pretty.
More than likely, those messes weren’t all made in a single day, and they can’t ALL be cleaned in a single day either!
Routine is your best friend in this situation, and although spending a few hours planning out a cleaning routine and schedule may not seem like an accomplishment, it’s actually a HUGE first step towards finally having that clean home of your dreams!
Which brings us to the next mistake you might be making…
6. You don’t have a schedule
If you don’t have a cleaning schedule it can be easy to lose track of when you last cleaned a room and difficult to stay caught up on all the things!
But you can easily create your own cleaning schedule with any basic notebook you have!
Or if you want to go a step further you can purchase things like cleaning checklists, planners, and schedules online!
Etsy is a great place to look and has TONS of options!
A cleaning schedule probably isn’t something you’ll write down once and never change forever though.
It will be a learning process as you figure out what kind of routine works best for you and your family.
Don’t be afraid to make changes if you find something isn’t quite right!
And even when you do have it down, you may need to adjust it again for different seasons of life. That’s okay!
The point is simply to be more intentional about HOW and WHEN you clean!
7. You don’t clean as you go
Cleaning as you go can be the best way to turn a job that takes up all of your time into something you barely have to think about anymore.
All it takes are some small additions to the daily routine you already have.
Wipe down the bathroom sink when you brush your teeth in the morning.
Clean the toilet the first time you use it during the day.
Wash your stovetop as you finish cooking.
Scrub your shower as soon as you get in…
You get the idea here.
The key is to keep doing these small steps every day so that the work doesn’t build up.
Before you know it you’ll be doing all of them without even thinking about it!
8. You don’t declutter
Decluttering is such an important part of keeping a clean home!
The more things you have, the more things you have to clean, and the more time you’ll spend putting them all away!
It’s best to start with an initial deep declutter!
And then once you’ve done that be sure to make a plan to go through and declutter at least one room a month, or your whole house every 3-6 months.
I have a specific box that I designate for donations, and so if I come across something that doesn’t fit, isn’t used anymore, etc. I can just toss it in there! Then I’ll drop everything off the next time I’m running errands.
You can probably donate a lot of the things you declutter, or possibly even have a yard sale to earn some money while pairing down!
I had a yard sale just last month and was actually able to make over $500 while also clearing out some much needed space in my garage!
Even if you start small, with just one cabinet or drawer, that’s okay!
Just start! The sooner you begin decluttering the sooner you will start to see the HUGE impact it has on how clean your home feels!
( And if it feels like TOYS are taking over your home, be sure to read my Ultimate Toy Decluttering Guide (Plus FREE Printable Checklist!) )
9. You don’t work from the top down
This means starting at the highest place that needs to be cleaned in a room and then working your way down from there.
Depending on the room, and how deep of a clean you’re doing, this can mean starting with ceiling corners, ceiling fans, then windows and blinds, shelves and wall decor, countertops and appliances, baseboards, and finally floors.
Always make sure to sweep/vacuum and mop your floors last in any room!
Dusting, wiping counters, cleaning the toilet, and pretty much any cleaning you plan on doing is going to get dust, debris, and water on any lower surfaces.
It makes so much sense when you think about it, and yet it’s such an easy thing to forget!
So work from the top down to save yourself the hassle of cleaning the same area twice!
10. You touch things more than once
This is a golden rule of keeping your house tidy!
When I first heard of this idea, it was honestly one of those “aha!” moments where I wondered why I’d never thought of it before!
Only touching things once means you don’t toss your jacket on the couch when you get home, only to have to pick it up and return it to the closet later.
You hang it up where it goes the moment you take it off!
It means that when you take the dishes from the table and into the kitchen, you don’t set them in the sink to be cleaned later, you rinse and load them into the dishwasher (or wash them by hand) right then!
I know it may seem overly simple, but if you stop and think about how often you are moving around the same things instead of just putting them away to begin with, you will start to realize how much of a time-saver this can really be!
It also greatly reduces the general clutter that can pile up on surfaces around the house, which will keep your home feeling less chaotic and more peaceful!
11. You don’t make it fun
If you find that you dread your household chores, try to find a way to reframe them in your mind!
For example, cleaning can actually be a great form of excercise!
Why not use a pedometer on your phone or smart watch to count how many steps you take just doing a deep clean?
Putting on your favorite music is another great way to enjoy cleaning more!
Plus dancing = more steps taken and calories burned!
Another tip that I use all the time is to make a phone call or watch a tv show when I’m doing certain tasks like folding laundry.
Let me tell you, I haaaate folding laundry, haha!
BUT, absorbed in a conversation with my best friend, it’s all done in no time!
12. You don’t set yourself a time limit
Have you ever noticed how quickly your house gets cleaned when an unexpected guest is coming over?
It’s pretty impressive right? It can go from looking like a pig sty, to perfectly presentably in less than an hour!
Yet at other times you can clean your house for what feels like hours and hours only to be surrounded by messes still left untouched at the end of the day!
This is because when we are working within a set time limit we tend to be much more focused and work considerably faster!
So the next time you are trying to tackle a mountain of housework, set a timer for no more than 30 minutes, and see how much you can get done before time is up!
This not only helps you work faster as you race against the clock, but it also helps you to feel more accomplished when you really take notice of how much you are getting done in such a short amount of time!
13. You don’t have a place for everything
“A place for everything, everything in its place” – Benjamin Franklin
Have truer words ever been spoken? I think not, haha!
But honestly, being organized enough to have a place for everything can be life changing!
When something has a designated home, and you and the rest of the family know exactly where that home is, its makes it SO much more likely that it will be put away!
When you’re just getting started you should try to look at your most problematic areas for clutter, and start there first!
Organize if needed and then designate a home for each item that gets left out. Be sure to let the entire family know that’s where it goes from now on!
14. You are emotionally run down or depressed
If you are really struggling to find the motivation to clean your house, take a moment to evaluate how you are feeling mentally.
Are you just frustrated with the mess? Tired? Or is it something more than that?
I’ve found personally that when I’ve struggled with depression in the past, the state of my home changed quite a bit.
If you are struggling with depression, be sure to reach out for help!
There are many resources out there, and even just talking with a close friend or family member can make a big difference!
Remember that you are not alone!
And sometimes it’s definitely okay to let some things slide while you focus on your mental health, but be careful to make sure that the mess isn’t adding to your struggle!
If you want more gentle tips that can help with this, be sure to read How to Clean Your House When You’re Depressed!
15. You don’t give yourself a break
Homes are meant to be lived in. Messes get made, chores may be forgotten, and sometimes other things just have to come first.
Sometimes the most important thing you can do is forget about the mess, and enjoy the moment!
Let’s face it, your home may never look as picture perfect, tidy and clean as the homes in magazines or on Instagram.
And let’s be honest, those homes don’t really look that way everyday either!
If you were going to take a picture of your home to share in a magazine or on a blog, would you take it while the living room was strewn with kids toys and the floors needed to be mopped?
No I imagine any one of us would clean that place from top to bottom first!
And that’s exactly the problem, just like we see unrealistic beauty standards in magazines and on social media, we also get an unrealistic idea of what every home should look like.
If you’re house isn’t perfectly tidy every second of the day, if it isn’t dust and dirt free 24/7, that’s okay. Neither is mine, neither is anyone else’s!
Sometimes we all have to put off the housework to spend time with our kids, work an extra shift, or have our parents over for dinner.
Cut yourself some slack and remember that having a home filled with love, happiness, and great memories far outweighs having a home that is spotless at all times!
I hope reading these 15 common cleaning mistakes that keep your house messy helped you to rethink your current cleaning routine and see solutions you’d never even thought of before!
Which of these 15 cleaning mistakes have you been making without realizing it?
Be sure to share in the comments below!
