5 Ways to Keep Your Home Tidy

Making the bed may not seem like a good use of time. After all, you're just going to unmake it again every night. However, making the bed can make a big difference in how neat your bedroom appears and only takes a few minutes to accomplish. If you're struggling to get your bed made regularly, consider simplifying your bedding to make the process easier.

If your top sheets always end up in a tangle at the end of the bed or on the floor, consider not using them. If you have a lot of decorative pillows on your bed, consider reducing the number. You may want to choose a comforter or duvet that is large enough to cover your entire bed so that you don't need to tuck the sheets in.

Not putting stuff back where it goes after using it is the number one cause of clutter. Make it a habit to put all of your things back where they go whenever you finish using them. Whenever you switch rooms, scan the room for anything you can take with you and put it away while you're there.

If storage space is an issue, consider trying some space-saving ideas, such as organizations racks that hang on your doors or vacuum storage bags. In addition to making your home neater, putting things away will also save you time, because you won't spend as much of it looking for lost items.

Closets can become a mess of abandoned items and clothing over time. Keep a hamper and a bag in your closet. Whenever you encounter an item or article of clothing that you no longer use or wear toss it in the bag or hamper. Sort through these items once a month and throw out, donate or sell them.

Keep your closet organized by rehanging clothing immediately after use or wash and putting whatever else you store in your closet back where you got it from, rather than tossing it on the floor.

If you find that you are avoiding cleaning because you don't have the time or you are too tired at the end of the day, consider doing a little bit of cleaning every day, instead of a lot of cleaning once in a while. Break down tasks into small chunks and do a few every day.

Rotate your tasks so that you are doing different things in different parts of the house every day. This will help alleviate boredom and also ensure that no area of the house gets neglected. You will probably still have to do a deeper cleaning occasionally, but these small daily cleanings will make that job much easier to tackle.

Food debris leftover from cooking, dirty dishes or overflowing garbage not only makes your home look and smell dirty but can attract pests such as the pharaoh ant. Make sure you toss any food debris from plates and cookware in the garbage or disposal promptly.

Empty your dishwasher every morning, so that you can immediately put dirty dishes in the dishwasher, instead of piling them up in the sink or on the counters. Clean as you go when you are cooking.

If you're waiting on something that is in the oven, wash dishes and clean up your counters while you wait. Ask your family members to clean up after themselves, rather than piling dishes and trash up for someone else to deal with.

Establishing a consistent routine is the key to maintaining a tidy home. Consider incorporating these five cleaning tips into your daily cleaning schedule.