there is nothing like a clean home to make you feel calm, peaceful, and take on all the other things you care about. it feels so good to wake up on the first of January with some new energy.  some days before the new year, i love to do a big clean out in our home. from the closet to changing the bedsheets. now is a good time to refresh your space around you. clean out and declutter your space. this is essential because our environment is so important to our mental health, how happy we are and how organized we feel. life can be messy but if you have your space figured out, that helps a lot. 

some simple secrets to a clean home: 

1. cleaning can be boring for most, so put on a playlist or listen to a podcast or audio book. 

2. distribute the work – cleaning should be shared fairly.

3. clean up spills right away. 

4. wipe down counters daily. 

5. try to put items away before you leave a room.

6. get the tougher, larger, most used rooms out of the way first (kitchen and bathroom).

7. have scheduled days where you do laundry. 

8. tidying comes first then cleaning.

9. when wiping down surfaces, work top to bottom.

10. use the time you have – i like to set a timer, which makes me work more efficiently and not go overboard. 

11. maintenance – to keep things clean longer, line your drawers, give everything a home.

12. every little bit counts – emptying bathroom trashes or taking out recycling, cleaning mirrors.

13. use the “spray and wait” method.

14. make a cleaning list of things than can be done under 5 minutes – unloading the dishwasher (throw your sponge in there), cleaning microwave, wipe off kitchen counter. 

15. then, make a cleaning list for things that require 30 minutes, 1 hour etc. so when you have that time available you know exactly what chore can be done. 

16. nothing has to be finished in a single day – unless guests are coming over ;’)

17. get a shoe mat, no shoes inside to prevent dirt and germs. 

after you clean, buy fresh flowers and light a candle. this will motivate you to keep things looking good all year round.