Learn how to clean your house quickly, in just 15 minutes or less, and how to master the TIDY-UP routine.
Great homemakers keep up on their homes and their cleaning throughout the day to ensure the messes don’t get out of hand. They also know how to do a quick pick-up when unexpected guests are on their way.
Do you feel like you get overwhelmed by the clutter and messiness in your home throughout the day? Does it make you feel like you can’t get anything else done? Maybe by the end of the day it all builds up and your house is a wreck? Or so you feel.
You probably need to start using a quick, 10-15 minute TIDY-UP routine!
Below I’m going to show you how to master the tidy-up routine, so that you can keep up on your cleaning throughout the day. You’ll always be able to go to bed with a clean, organized, and clutter-free home.
This is a great routine to use a couple times throughout the day, as well as when you have unexpected guests coming over and you need to clean in a hurry.
RELATED: How to Create a Successful Daily Homemaking Schedule
RELATED: Tips for Creating a Morning Routine as a Homemaker
P.S. the more you do it, the less you’ll have to clean, if that makes sense! Cleaning is just one of those things where if you do it more often, you won’t have to do it as much and it won’t feel as overwhelming.
Once you’ve masted the TIDY-UP routine, your house will look and feel clean almost any time of day. AND you’ll be excited (not embarrassed) when guests swing in on a whim. No more mess overwhelm, no more insecurity with guests, no more clutter. Just a clean and beautiful home (almost) 24/7.
Quick Cleaning: Tidy-Up Routine
First things first, lets talk about the basics of a tidy-up routine.
Obviously, this is not a cleaning routine where you’ll be doing any deep scrubbing. The focus is more around achieving a clutter-free home. So save your deep cleaning for your power cleaning hours.
The tidy-up routine works by moving from room to room. Once you have a room tidy then you move onto the next, until your whole house is tidy!
You can carry all-purpose cleaning wipes with you (or a clean, damp rag and an all-purpose spray) and a small basket. The basket is for picking up anything that doesn’t belong and getting it to its designated spot when you get there.
If you have very little time to do your tidy-up routine, just focus on clearing the clutter. The more time you have the more you can get into wiping down surfaces and such.
At first your tidy up routine may take longer than 15 minutes, but the more you practice it the more efficient you’ll get. Also, depending on how much time you have you may want to spend more time tidying. I usually spend a little bit more time with my quick cleaning routine in the mornings and evenings than I do in the middle of the day.
PSA: Did you know we have a FREE ebook on “7 Ways to be More Efficient and Effective With Your Homemaking?” Sign up for our email list HERE to get yours today!
Let’s check out how to do a quick tidy-up routine in all of the rooms of your house! Start in one room, then move onto the next, until you’ve quick cleaned your entire house.
Bathrooms
- pick up anything that doesn’t belong and place it in your basket.
- wipe down the sink, counter top, and toilet area (be sure to use a different rag or wipe for cleaning the bathrooms than you do for other areas in your home).
- if the toilet bowl needs scrubbed, give it a quick scrub.
Bedrooms
- pick up anything that doesn’t belong and place it in your basket.
- make sure beds are made and tidy.
- if you see any dust or yuckiness you can wipe it down quickly with your cleaning wipe.
Kitchen
- pick up anything that doesn’t belong and place it in your basket.
- make sure all dirty dishes are inside the sink (if you have extra time and not very many dishes you can put them in the dishwasher) and make sure they are somewhat rinsed. Nobody likes to see crusty food on your dishes if you can’t wash them just yet! I like to keep all of the dishes on one side of the sink so the other side can be available for rinsing, hand washing, etc.
- wipe down counter tops with a clean, soapy rag.
- sweep floors.
Living Areas
- pick up anything that doesn’t belong and place it in your basket.
- dust or wipe down surfaces
- if you have time, you can vacuum up any crumbs, dog hair etc. from the carpet and furniture.
Miscellaneous Areas (foyer, laundry room, etc.)
- pick up anything that doesn’t belong and place it in your basket.
- dust or wipe down surfaces.
- sweep or vacuum floors if you have time.
There you go! Your home should now be picked up, clutter free, and (fairly) free from dust and other messes.
I use this quick cleaning, tidy-up routine about three times per day. Once in the morning during my morning routine, once in the evenings before bedtime, and once in the middle of the day.
Its such a nice feeling knowing that our home is picked up throughout the day and if it starts to feel cluttered or messy, it will only take a few minutes to whip it back in shape.
I would also use this routine if I have unexpected guests coming over and I need to get the house cleaned up in a hurry!
What about you? How do you practice quick cleaning and tidy-up routines in your home? Let me know in the comments below!
Love it? Pin it!
