3 Secrets of People with Clean Homes

Some people have apparently effortlessly clean and tidy homes. We learn these not-so-secret tricks and knacks from them.

They exist: People with clean and orderly homes. Really! Whether you announce your visit weeks in advance or just drop by spontaneously – they always manage to present a perfect apartment. And we ask ourselves: How do they do it? And how do we get it done? Here are three secrets that people with clean and tidy apartments take to heart.

1. It is easier to clean in between than to clean everything at once

Which is easier? Quickly wiping over the stove and the work surface after cooking – or only after days when everything is nicely encrusted? Sure, after cooking and eating at home, you don’t feel like doing the dishes and cleaning everything (especially at late hours). But: If you leave all that stuff standing, it only makes it worse and harder. And thanks to a phenomenon called procrastination, in the end you like to put off the tiresome tasks until you can’t do them anymore. But if you do the dishes, mountains of laundry and other household chores one by one when they are due, you don’t end up with a mountain of seemingly impossible tasks (with dirty laundry in the truest sense of the word). The same applies to putting away things that have a fixed place. If you clean up in between and “on the go”, you will have less to do in the end and save time for the nice things in life. And the household is suddenly much easier to manage.

2. More things = more things to clean

You can take that literally. If you have more stuff, you also have to tidy up and stow more stuff – and clean more. Especially things in the kitchen (especially those that are not stored in cupboards) collect dust and attract grease through grease splashes. And if you want to wipe the work surface, you first have to clear it of all the things that have gathered on it. The same applies to furniture: if you’re travelling with a broom or vacuum cleaner, you first have to make sure that there are free paths. Of course, this is not an invitation to throw all your belongings and furniture out of the apartment. But a critical look helps with the question: What do I really need? And what keeps me from keeping a room clean and tidy?

3. A little cheating is allowed – and helps a lot

Even super-orderly people do not always have the time and desire to do everything perfectly. But people with tidy apartments always manage to create the illusion that everything is in perfect order and cleanliness. But this is mainly because they focus on the important rooms and corners. This means that they concentrate on the big picture – and don’t worry about the small corner or the angle behind the door until later. So if you’re faced with the question “Where do I start?”, you should leave the room and close your eyes for a moment. Then enter the room with your eyes open and pay attention to where you look first. Not under the sofa, but on the sofa. Not on the bookshelf, but on the shelf. First work off areas that you can see and that catch your eye. If there’s time, take care of the things that don’t immediately catch the eye.