7 minimalist cleaning tips + DIY recipes

Cleaning is one of the things we just have to do especially if we want to truly enjoy our home and feel on top of our lives.

And if, like many people, you find cleaning time-consuming, tedious and for the want of a better word, simply annoying then here are some things you can do to make it more enjoyable.

1. DECLUTTER YOUR HOME

The first obvious thing to do is, of course, to declutter.

The fewer items we own, the fewer items we need to organise, the fewer objects we need to move and less furniture we need to wipe etc.

So in order to truly simplify your cleaning routine a good decluttering session around the home is a must! And if you don’t know where to start, check out the How to declutter blog post for some guidance or 5 fun and quick decluttering games to get started today. 🙂

2. FIND A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING

In order to have a tidy home, even during the week, we need to find a place for everything. So once you’ve decluttered and you have fewer things to organise, find them a nice home so you can automatically put things back where they belong.

Taking the time to arrange things is a crucial step to keeping a neat house. And when you’re doing it, ask yourself think about how easy is it to put a specific thing back because the easier it is, the bigger the chance you and other family members will stick to it.

Also, don’t forget to designate a space for things like keys, mail, receipts or anything else that is an everyday part of your life.

3. DECLUTTER YOUR CLEANING SUPPLIES

To declutter the entire house is truly life-changing, but now we also need to focus on our cleaning products because, in order to truly enjoy cleaning and make it faster, we need to take a closer look at how effective our tools are and how much joy they bring us.

Hoarding too many products for every particular surface and situation is going to drain your energy because you’ll waste your time deciding which product to use and where to use it. So to avoid that, consider creating a little minimalist cleaning collection – you can use a bucket or a caddy, whatever you like and have around the house.

Now take a piece of paper and write down all the different surfaces and rooms you need to clean – now think which products you need to clean a specific surface with and try to keep it as simple as you can – think about versatility because we usually don’t need a lot of different products for every single surface.

By writing everything down, you now know how many different products you actually need. In my case I need eight different products weekly to keep my house clean and tidy; DIY disinfectant, kitchen disinfectant, all-purpose cleaner, bathroom cleaner, toilet cleaner, DIY glass cleaner, floor disinfectant and universal floor cleaner.

4. FIND THE BEST OF THE BEST

When you have your list of products, no matter how short or long it may be, then it’s time to put all of your cleaning products in one place so that you can pick the best ones to put in your new cleaning caddy.

If you have some duplicates you can put them aside to use up later or you can put some products in the kitchen or bathroom cupboard for more frequent use – it’s up to you.

I believe that when we’re cleaning, we must enjoy the products that we’re using, be it because of their smell, efficiency, knowing they’re natural or just because of a cute bottle – this might sound ridiculous but have you ever been drawn to a product because of the cute packaging? If so, you know what I’m talking about.

Creating a joyful and efficient cleaning caddy will make cleaning more relaxed and enjoyable.

Personally speaking, I dislike strong chemical products and I also hate the way they smell so I searched for healthier alternatives that would still be efficient and would smell amazing. Also, knowing I’m doing something better for the environment really helps. I also love glass spray bottles which you can use to create your own cleaning products or you can fill them up with your favourite products for a better experience.

If you want to play around and create your own cleaning products here are some recipes that worked best for me:

Another thing that is also important is other tools you use when you’re cleaning – if you enjoy using those too then you’re a winner. I absolutely love my cleaning products, and yes, It took me some time to find what exactly works for me but now I couldn’t be happier.

5. SCHEDULE YOUR ROUTINE

It depends on your schedule but think about when you would like to clean your house every week so you can work towards creating a habit.

The goal should be that you train your brain and yourself to start cleaning without really having to think about it – so your mind knows that for example, every Saturday at 8 am it’s time to clean the house, period. There is no postponing, no hesitating or asking yourself when (and if) you’re going to do it.

So, find the best day and hours for yourself and then stick to it – it really is worth it.

6. BE MORE EFFICIENT

Having an efficient cleaning routine is really important, so I suggest decluttering any unnecessary cleaning steps – think about how you can make cleaning quicker and if there is something you can skip or rearrange, then do it.

When I needed some inspiration for that, I watched some cleaning videos on different topics that I wanted to improve on until I found something that worked for me which I then incorporated into my routine. So you can do the same until you find your winning method.

Also, one of the best ways to become quicker is to follow the same steps every single time you clean because thinking about what to do next, which products to use, which room to start with etc., all of these are energy drainers!

I remember wasting so much time and mental energy in the past because my cleaning routine was different every single time – now it seems impossible to do so but back then I was just doing whatever came to mind without any organisation. So design something that works for you and stick to it and with time, you’ll become faster and faster – at least that is what happened to me.

7. MAKE IT FUN AND REWARDING

One of the easiest ways to make your cleaning routine more enjoyable is to put on some good music. Upbeat fun music can make us feel a bit more energetic which can help us to enjoy cleaning more and be more thorough. So create a fun playlist you can listen to every time you clean.

Another thing you can also do is to design a little treat for yourself after you finish – that way you have something to look forward to which will give you extra motivation. You can come up with an activity, a delicious meal or anything else you might think of. I like to schedule a nice shower after so I can wear some beautiful clothes, put on some nice makeup and go out of the house to do something enjoyable, even if it’s just going for a walk around the city or a nice meal. That gives me the additional motivation to start early because I know the sooner I finish, the sooner I can do my fun activity.

I hope this post inspired you to think about your cleaning routine and how to make it more efficient and fun 🙂

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