The Genius Trick I Use To Keep My House Clean

Originally published February 16, 2018. Updated 2/21/2024. And contains a partnered affiliate link.

Now that we are all stuck at home, a lot of us find that between schooling, the kids, and working from home, keeping the house clean is hard. It seems every time I clean one mess, another replaces it within minutes. I use my secret cleaning trick I came up with years ago when the messes are too much to keep up with.

When my older kids were younger, I got creative to motivate the kids to pick up their things.  I felt like all I did was clean, and I needed to figure out how to get things done fast. I did not have hours to clean the house. This trick works for adults and kids. And may be easier for kids and parents who hate cleaning.

What is this trick you may ask? I clean five things as I enter or leave a room. You could pick up five items that don’t belong and put them back like toys, shoes, books, etc. Or pick five spots in a room and spend about a minute tidying each of them up.

And sometimes I opt to spend five minutes cleaning when needed. Even five minutes can help tackle the mountain of laundry on my bed. Otherwise more laundry will end up in the basket at the end of the night and folding the laundry can end up taking an hour a few days later. I do not have an hour to spare.

This is great when you have kids who have a short attention span or your kids dislike chores. This can prevent becoming overwhelmed by cleaning up a mess. You ask them to only pick up five things or clean for five minutes. Then later in the day or the next, ask the kids to clean for five minutes again. In a few days your kids room should start looking tidy without spending hours cleaning.

This method is perfect for busy adults. You could apply this rule to the kitchen to tidy it up fast. You could spend five minutes dealing with the dishes in the dishwasher. Then later tackle five tasks or spend five more minutes cleaning. The gist is give it five minutes or clean up five things.

Cleaning in increments is perfect when you don’t have time to clean the entire room. Sometimes tidying a few things helps. The next day you clean something else. You will discover your home is much cleaner with a little time and effort. I use this method to deep clean my bathroom between doing other things.

Home organization and cleaning need not be the focus of your life. Concepts like spending five or even ten to twenty minutes a day cleaning can be effective.

If my living room needs tidying, I will clean it fast. Say the couch is messy and I have a cluttered coffee table. The floor needs vacuuming and my kids left their stuff on the floor. There is also a basket of laundry on the floor. These problems are easy to fix.

I use my Dust buster to clean crumbs off the couch, fluff the pillows. My coffee table has storage where I hide clutter. I stow the hamper on my bed, I will sort and fold the laundry later. The kid’s stuff I put aside in a basket, I can sort that mess at another time. I vacuum. It takes about five minutes. I picked five things and changed them, and the room is clean again.

Cleaning doesn’t have to take all day. You do not have to vacuum or scrub dishes daily. If you have kids they can help! Kids can dust, vacuum, or gather their things and put them in their room. Make it a contest and give prizes like they can stay up an extra 10- 15 minutes. It does not have to be perfect.

If the clutter is an issue, decluttering could be as simple as purging five items from your junk drawer. Or tossing five old things from the fridge or pantry. Apply the concept of tossing/cleaning, a few items in cluttered places daily can weed out the clutter. If you do this daily for a week or two your house will become and stay clean.

Find tools that can help you get things done faster. Cleaning wipes are great for cleaning up messes fast. Find something to use on all or most surfaces helps a lot as you can grab one cleaning product and go. Be aware leaning wipes are not good for the environment or cost effective. Splurging on the J.R. Watkins all-purpose wipes is what I recommend if you want to go this route. Pledge Multi-surface Everyday Wipes are great they clean everything, including wood and granite.

I hate creating more waste, but the truth is if you are already struggling with housework, having to spray and wipe is not always easy. It may make an already daunting task seem even more monotonous. So I recommend all in one cleaning wipes. That will speed up the process. Once you get into a routine swap the wipes out for a cleaning spray.

Use a cleaning product that not only works but smells good. When I use scented Method products, cleaning is not as bad. I like the multi-purpose Pledge for most tasks, but not for the kitchen. I prefer the Method sprays.

Meyers Vinegar gel is excellent for glass stove tops, kitchen sinks, and bathrooms. Mr. Clean Clean Freak is my current go to and outstanding for kitchen and bathrooms. Caldrea Countertop Sprays are incredible. You would think you were burning a scented candle.

I also like to make my all-purpose spray. I mix half a cup each of water, vinegar, and rubbing alcohol. Add essential oils so the cleaner smells and performs better.

The gist is if you find a cleaning product that gets the job done and smells good, it makes cleaning a lot more pleasant. If you like how the cleaner smells, you are more likely to use it. So if you’re not motivated to clean your home or hate cleaning, don’t tackle all of your chores at once. Break it up. Use products you like. Try to make cleaning quick and painless so you can get used to the routine.

Another thing that makes cleaning fast work better knowing these cleaning and organizing hacks. These tips can cut down on the messes you have to clean up daily:

• Use apps on your phone to eliminate clutter. Don’t leave vitamins or medications out, so you do not forget to take them. Set the alarm on your phone. Don’t save magazines, check their website and bookmark it, or save it to Pinterest. There are apps or functions already on your phone. Use those for shopping lists, reminders, and to save recipes, etc.

• Remove shoes when you come in. No closet by the door? Store them in a decorative bin.

• Use an ottoman rather than a coffee table. Choose one that has hidden storage. Stash your magazines, remote control, or whatever else you need.

• Toss your junk mail right away and sign up for online billing.

• Make sure you are using natural materials in the home that are easier to clean. Fir wood planks will always wipe down easier than their synthetic counterparts, for instance.Place misplaced or unused items in a box. Wait a week, and if no one uses it, then give it away.

• Ban dishes from the sink. Make it a priority to rinse and put it in the dishwasher.

• Keep cleaning rags, paper towels, and bathroom cleaner under the sink. Wipe down after getting ready in the morning or before bed.

• Keep a spray bottle of vinegar in the bathroom and spray the shower after bathing. This helps prevent buildup.

• Put the hamper next to the shower.

• Remember the less you have, the cleaner a home can look. Consider looking into minimalism. Less is more for some.

I think most people especially moms could say keeping the house clean is the most stressful part of life. Houses get messy and as they say mess equals stress. A tidy home will help reduce your stress, and sometimes cleaning creates more stress than it is worth. That is why cleaning for five minutes or picking up five items up is great. You feel you tackled the problem, but it did not take time away from anything else. After a few five minute cleaning sessions, you will see an enormous difference without all the hassle.

You’ve got this. Over time, you will get it done and you will find it is easier to clean. If you liked this post, read my other helpful cleaning posts, which you can find below. Please hit the share button if you found this to be especially helpful.