Very few people like to clean the house, but if you adopt the policy of doing it as you go, then it becomes easy and effortless. Ten tips for keeping your house clean:

1. Keep a damp cloth close at hand in the kitchen and bathroom. Wipe up all spills as they occur. Don't leave it until it gets to the stage where you can't bare to look at the sight of the work surfaces. Do it often and it won't even feel like cleaning.

2. Make it easy for anyone else in your household to keep the house clean. Place laundry baskets at the most convenient places for others so there's no excuse for them not to use them.

3. Keep all surfaces clutter-free. Clutter attracts germs as well as being unsightly. Keep all surfaces free of clutter so you'll be able to wipe them down when necessary.

4. Never leave a room empty-handed. There's usually one or two items that you can take from one room back to where they belong. Instill this practice in your nearest and dearest, they will, one day, thank you for it (although it may seem hard to believe now!).

5. Always eat at the table. Dropped food at the table means that you have to clear it up from only one place and it won't cause too much damage. Food that's transported from the kitchen to another room in the house runs the risk of being dropped en route which means you'll have to clear it from more than one place. Furthermore, upholstered surfaces are a lot more difficult to clean than the surface of a dining table if any food is spilled on them.

6. Take your shoes off when entering your house, especially during the winter months. If you don't have a hardwood floor close to the front door where you can keep your shoes and boots, place a suitable mat by the door on which they can be kept.

7. Place your garbage receptacle close to where you work in the kitchen. The less distance you have to go to throw away garbage, the less chance of spilling it en route to the garbage bin.

8. Invest in a good vacuum cleaner. A good vacuum cleaner will result in less work and cleaner carpets.

9. Always protect the surface of an area where you're working with a sheet of newspaper or a suitable protective covering. Prevention is better than cure and very much applies to keeping your house clean.

10. If you clean often you can milder, natural cleaning products (as opposed to the full-on, eye-watering kind), which are kinder to your health and the environment.

Learn more about this author, Jed Eane.
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