When it comes to keeping your house clean and tidy I firmly believe it starts with the smallest of daily habits to set you on the right track for maintaining an orderly home.
Follow these daily habits to keep your house clean and tidy in 2024, creating a tidier space that is beneficial for a calmer living environment, and one that welcomes positive energy into your home.
Making small cleaning habits part of your everyday routine will save you from undertaking tougher cleaning chores in the long run, whether that's cleaning a kitchen or cleaning a bathroom your reward will be the time you get back from being relieved of hours spent cleaning your house.
20 daily habits to keep your house clean and tidy
We've consulted with cleaning experts and leading interior therapy specialists to formulate a list of easy-to-do home organisation ideas and daily habits to keep your house clean and tidy – consider these simple tasks as New Year's resolutions for a happier home in 2024.
1. Make your bed properly
It seems simple enough but sometimes it's too easy to merely pull the covers back, rather than make the bed properly. But making your bed properly, tucking in sheets, and plumping your best pillows to make a bed like a hotel housekeeper, every morning is a good habit to adopt to kickstart your day the right way.
“Making your bed is the first step to creating a clutter-free space," says Lucy Ackroyd, head of design at Christy, "and as the saying goes, a tidier home leads to a tidier mind."
“It’s surprising how much satisfaction and pride you can feel by carrying out the first step of your routine; it can be the catalyst that encourages you to complete further tasks throughout the rest of your day.” Plus a pristine bed is a sure way to make your bedroom look expensive.
Lucy Ackroyd has over 20 years of experience as a designer and joined Christy in 2003, initially as a senior designer on retail accounts and in 2007 became the Design Manager for Christy Brand towels. In 2010 she became Design Manager for Christy Bed Linen and in 2020 became Christy's Head of Design.
Ackroyd has an affinity for working with gorgeous natural fibres and states that colour is what excites her the most and loves using it in her job.
2. Clear cups from the nightstand
I can't be the only one guilty of having an accumulation of water on the bedside because it's easy to forget to take it into the kitchen each morning.
This simple task is extremely easy to do but even easier to forget, so turn it into a habit of your daily routine without fail in 2024 – every morning take your glass of water through to the kitchen to ensure your bedroom is clear and tidy.
Cups of stagnant water are not conducive to good sleep hygiene or an overall happy bedroom environment.
3. Circulate fresh air
Opening the windows each morning is a good habit to get into to improve indoor air quality, letting out any stale air and invigorating your home with an intake of fresh air.
"Open windows in the morning, even just for ten minutes to allow fresh air to circulate your home," suggests cleaning expert and influencer Laura Mountford. " This aids with getting rid of musty smells and reducing moisture and mould." On dry days aim to open windows for roughly one hour per day.
It might not feel conducive for keeping a house warm in winter, but opening the windows daily is also an easy way to keep the house clean by reducing dust buildup.
Laura is a confessed 'cleanaholic', as her Instagram name would suggest. Laura uses this platform to share her valuable cleaning tips with her 710k following. In addition to this, her book of thoughtful cleaning tips was published in 2023.
4. Clean up as you cook
As the hardest working room in any household, inevitably, kitchens can easily feel tidy and chaotic. The best daily habit to adopt to stay on top of the mess is to clean up as you go.
Professional chefs are the ones who say the secret to maintaining a clean kitchen is to clean as you cook.
Wipe down the surfaces after preparing food or drinks to ensure there are no lingering foods or fluids. Aim to clean away pots, pans and utensils as you cook to eliminate the clean up after dinner – because that is an easy way to leave items sitting for hours on end, not a conducive way to make your kitchen smell good let alone look tidy.
5. Give the coffee machine a quick clean
If you, like us, can't function without your daily dose of morning caffeine your coffee machine will be a hotspot for daily grim, so it'll pay to make a habit of cleaning it after every use.
"Giving appliances like your coffee machine a quick once over with a damp cloth after every single use," advises Thea Whyte, AO.com’s small appliance expert. "This will save you from having to deep clean your machine more regularly."
6. Spot-clean the toaster and surrounding area
Get into the habit of wiping down your toaster after your daily dose of toast, crumpets, or bagels.
"Toasters should be spot-cleaned daily if left out on the countertop to get rid of any splashes or sticky residue," says Thea on keeping organised kitchen countertops looking clean and tidy.
"The crumb tray underneath can also be easily pulled out and then emptied into the bin, but you can do this weekly instead."
7. Rinse dishes immediately
Don't leave dirty dishes for another day. "Always wash dirty dinner dishes before bed so that they are not left to greet you in the morning," says Laura.
"This not only makes the task easier as any food residue will dry overnight meaning you have to scrub harder and will stop you waking up to any nasty smells in the kitchen." A great way to ensure your house smells good daily.
8. Empty the dishwasher as soon as it's done
Why not multitask as you undertake your daily personal hygiene routine by rinsing the shower caddy while you rinse yourself off?
"Shower caddies can fill with soap scum and limescale at lightning speed, so I would recommend the next time you’re waiting for your conditioner to do its thing, clean them out," suggests Heather Nixon, new product development at eco-cleaning specialists Bio-D.
"That way, you’re completing two jobs at the same time. Just remember to keep a bottle of natural cleaning spray nearby."
9. Wipe away watermarks post-shower
Maintain a level of cleanliness in between deep cleaning your shower by carrying a simple daily task to clean as you go by wiping away watermarks each morning or evening.
"Wipe your shower screen when you finish your shower using a window vac or a squeegee to keep watermarks and limescale at bay," advises Laura.
Making this a daily task will make it far easier when it comes to cleaning the shower head further along the line because limescale will have been reduced daily. We can highly recommend cleaning a glass shower screen with baking soda, for a natural approach.
10. Clean the shower caddy
Why not multitask asyou undertake your daily personal hygiene routine by rinsing the shower caddy while you rinse yourself off.
"Shower caddies can fill with soap scum and limescale at lightning speed, so I would recommend the next time you’re waiting for your conditioner to do its thing, clean them out," suggests Heather Nixon, new product development at eco-cleaning specialists Bio-D. "That way, you’re completing two jobs at the same time. Just remember to keep a bottle of cleaning spray nearby!
11. Put bathroom products away after use
The bathroom is where we use multiple products daily, from toothpaste and mouthwash to our best facial serum. Even though it can feel easier to have them immediately to hand on the side it's better to get into a habit of putting them away after each use to keep the space streamlined and clean.
"Keep bathroom surfaces product-free," advises Suzanne Roynon, expert interior therapist and Feng Shui consultant. "Bottles of shampoo, shower gel, soaps and candles stacked around the bath creates clutter, not to mention makes cleaning awkward."
"Find a practical, hygienic storage solution for each individual to use and put away afterwards. Ensuring the bathroom stays cleaner for longer." Ensure you declutter your bathroom to keep on top of the quantity of products.
Suzanne Roynon is a member of the International Feng Shui Guild, based in the UK and working internationally. She will help you look differently at the possessions and clutter you keep around you to understand how they can actively harm your relationship, health, wealth, success, happiness and home life. She shares hints and tips to create a home and office space to love and propel you forward rather than keeping you tied to the past.
12. Hide shoes and coats away
Maintain a clutter-free entrance at all times. Rather than kicking off shoes and leaving them strewn and throwing coats over the end of the stair banister adopt a daily practice of storing items each time you enter the house. No matter if you have to do this several times throughout the day, it's better to store everything neatly each time.
Utilize hooks, and shoe organizers to keep your hallway clear and tidy – you could even adopt the latest IKEA shoe storage hacks.
Dedicate a box and hook to each member of your family and keep everyone’s outdoor essentials in their rightful place.
13. Return everything to it's rightful place
Be mindful of returning everything you use throughout the day back to its rightful place, rather than letting items accumulate on sides and surfaces for convenience.
"Find a place for everything – and put it back after you use it," advises Suzanne. "The most successful interior therapy homes have specific spaces allocated for all items so everyone knows precisely where to find them."
" Whether it’s the car keys, Sellotape, gloves, or passports there’s no need to spend hours hunting for them or have other members of the family expect you to locate them at short notice! Possessions will always be exactly where they belong."
14. Empty the bins
"Get into the habit of emptying bins regularly and avoid filling to overflowing," advises Suzanne. "Most rooms really don’t need a bin and they create work for whoever is expected to empty them."
Adding, "removing unnecessary bins adds usable space in a home and encourages the family to put their rubbish in a practical central location."
15. Check the dishwasher for food remnants
We're not suggesting that you clean your dishwasher every day, merely that you check for visible food remnants and remove them after each cycle – which will be daily for most busy households.
"When it comes to dishwashers, it’s recommended that you pull out the bottom rack and use a cloth to pick up any bits of food collecting in the bottom, especially around the filter," advises Thea. "This will help prevent any odours and bits of old food swilling around your dishwasher during each cycle.”
Also if you use the tin foil dishwasher cleaning hack it's important to empty the machine so you can dispose of the foil.
16. Plump the sofa cushions
As a place where we recline in comfort each night to watch the latest shows to unwind our sofas can start to look somewhat bedraggled, as we leave the cushions misshapen and out of place it can make even the chicest of living room trends look untidy.
A simple cushion plump and reset after an evening of sitting comfortably on your sofa will leave it looking suitable fresh and presentable for the next day. Now might be the time to consider how many cushions your sofa should have to save valuable time each night.
17. Declutter coffee tables, side tables and sideboards
It's all too easy to 'pop' something on the side to deal with it later. But a better practice for a new daily cleaning habit is to declutter and deal with items as you go.
To try to keep surfaces as clear as possible carry out a daily declutter of any coffee tables or side tables that might have items that don't need to be there. These can be anything from discarded matches after lighting your favourite scented candles to TV guides that you no longer require. Clear surfaces to keep the overall space clean and tidy.
18. Fold and hang towels
After your towels have dried get into a daily habit of folding them ready for the next use to reset the bathroom each day.
While it can be tempting, and I know I'm personally guilty of this, to leave towels hanging over the door or bannisters to dry and simply grab them before your next shower it doesn't look particularly tidy.
Experts recommend that we should be washing towels more frequently than we probably do, therefore keeping them looking tidy is a small step to making us feel less guilty if we don't have time to rewash them after every third use.
19. Vacuum high traffic areas
We know from experts that one of the best ways to reduce dust in the home is to keep on top of vacuuming daily, particularly in high-traffic areas.
Lynsey Crombie, cleaning expert, TV star, and Queen of Clean agrees but recommends: "High-traffic areas, such as home entrances, door mats, and kitchens should be vacuumed daily,"
A daily dose of vacuuming is the key to getting rid of dust buildup.
20. Banish the 'floorobe'
When it comes to keeping a bedroom clean and tidy a clear floor is essential. Let's try not to pretend that bedroom floors don't have a habit of becoming strewn with odd socks and random misplaced laundry items. Because sometimes it's easier to just leave items rather than hang them back up or put them in the laundry.
But compare waking up to clothes scattered across your bedroom floor to that of a beautifully uncluttered sleep space to help your mind find rest before you try to nod off. A clear bedroom is also ideal to then set yourself up for your day ahead immediately upon waking.
Clear and visible flooring is also an easy way to make a small bedroom look bigger.
What is the secret to keeping a house clean every day?
It's not much of a secret as such, but one effective way to keep a house clean each day is practising the routine of a ‘closing shift’.
The 'closing shift' is a cleaning trend taking social media by storm, with #closingshift raking in over 32,800 posts on Instagram and 407 million views on TikTok. The daily ritual is putting everything right before bed so your morning routine and daily habits nurture both your home and your well-being.
Jen Nash, head of design at Magnet, breaks down the concept to explain 'What is a ‘closing shift’?' and comments on what it can do for our morning and night routine.
"If you’ve ever worked in retail or hospitality, you’re likely to be familiar with the phrase ‘’closing shift’’ - the last shift of the night where everything gets tidied up, items find their designated spots, and surfaces gleam in preparation for the next day's opening."
"Social media has embraced the concept, but with a domestic twist. People are doing ‘closing shifts’ in their own homes - using the time before they go to bed to walk through their house and clean, tidy, put things away and set the stage for the day ahead."
Jen Nash is the talented and experienced senior design lead at Magnet, a renowned kitchen brand that prides itself on their design expertise. With over 15 years in the interior design industry, Jen is well-versed in all aspects of the creative design process and bringing products to market. Her passion lies in insightful design and practical applications, driving her to deliver beautiful, functional solutions that resonate with the right audience.
"In your closing shift, clear the kitchen of dirty dishes and clutter, put away your clothes and rearrange soft furnishings to give your space a reset." The result? A house that doesn’t instantly overwhelm you when you get up in the morning and a healthy daily routine to stay on top of a clean and tidy home.
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