30 Habits of People With Really Clean Houses

Ever walk into a friend’s home and immediately noticed how clean it is? They don’t have a housekeeper, so how do they do it? And how do they possibly keep it that way? To get answers, I surveyed friends with the cleanest-of-clean homes and asked them for tips.

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By: Emily Fazio and Katie Friedman

Related To:

Secrets of People With Super-Clean Houses

We all have that friend whose house is always impossibly clean. If you’ve ever wondered how they do it, here’s your chance to find out. We asked people with spotless homes to spill their best tips and tricks for tidying up. Turns out, the key to keeping a consistently clean house is staying on top of chores a little bit at a time. Rather than attempting to clean the entire house all at once, try tackling small tasks — like wiping down counters, starting a load of laundry or putting away stray items — when you have a few minutes to spare. (You’d be surprised what you can clean in just five minutes, 10 minutes or 15 minutes.) People with well-kept homes also invest in quality cleaning products that make the job easier, and they don't let clutter get out of control. Ready to revamp your routine? Read on for more clean-house habits you should adopt today.

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

They Keep High-Touch Surfaces Germ-Free

There’s no denying that wet wipes make disinfecting surfaces easy (and satisfying). Keep a container handy, and use wet wipes once a week (or daily during flu season) for attacks on light switches, remote controls, drawer pulls, banisters and doorknobs.

Read Our Article: 21 Dirtiest Places in Your Home

From: Emily Fazio

They Take Off Their Shoes

Cleaning and removing your shoes when you enter your home (and requesting guests do the same) not only reduces the amount of actual dirt trekked into your home, but also limits your exposure to the "other stuff" you walk through. A comfortable, livable home starts with clean floors, and floors paced with dirty shoes require extra maintenance.

Read Our Article: 30 Mistakes That Are Making Your Home Unhealthy

From: Michelle Edgemont

They Own a Broom They Love

A daily sweep of the home collects and keeps the dirt at bay, and if you have furry pets or are a family who wears shoes indoors, any efforts to clean the floors can make a huge difference in the cleanliness of your home. Regular brooms may be fine, but buying my 24" microfiber dry mop was a life-changing experience. Its width makes it easy to wipe down the floors in our entire hallway in one swift back and forth, and it articulates easily to reach under beds and around dining room chairs.

Read Our Article: The Best Mops for Cleaning Any Surface, Tested by HGTV Editors

From: Emily Fazio

They Clean While They Cook

Forget what you've heard about leaving dishes to soak in the sink. By cleaning up while you cook — even if that means giving cutting boards and sauce pans a quick rinse — you'll break down food particles more easily and minimize the mess.

From: Jenn Feldman Designs

They Put Their Appliances Away

We're not saying that your coffee maker can't sit on the counter. We are saying, though, that your coffee maker doesn't need to be accompanied by your blender, slow cooker and toaster. Having all of these appliances next to each other will make your kitchen look cluttered and leave little room for meal-prep, so consider tucking them out of sight after you're done using them.

Read Our Article: 26 Quick and Easy Tips for Organizing Your Entire Kitchen

From: Brooke Wagner

They Favor Drawers Over Open Shelves

Open shelving units and floating shelves might look great, but they require more upkeep than closed door cabinets, especially in the kitchen if they’re located near your cooking areas. When you’re choosing how to display your belongings, remember to factor in how much time you’re willing to invest in cleaning the surface. (Bonus: Drawers and doors also help to hide a mess, if, that is, you have something to hide.)

From: Turnstyle Interior Design

They Run the Dishwasher Every. Single. Day.

Owning a high-efficiency appliance makes this routine economical. Make it a habit of loading the dishwasher and running it every night after dinner, and unloading it as your coffee brews the following morning. If you only produce enough to fill some of the dishwasher, keep in mind that many appliances have a half-load setting that targets the top rack and uses up to 30% less water.

From: Emily Fazio

They Organize Their Refrigerators

Achieving refrigerator organization feels a lot like getting the high-score in Tetris, but keeping the shelves and drawers clean is a sure-fire way to level-up. Every time you’re planning a grocery run, take a moment to shift items off the top shelf, give it a thorough wipe-down, and then re-organize. Next week, focus on cleaning the next shelf down, and then shelf #3, and so forth. By the end of the month, you’ll be rinsing out the lowest crisper bins, and reveling in how clean your fridge has stayed by taking it one level at a time. Note that you'll never have to completely empty your fridge to get this chore done when you take it one shelf at a time!

WATCH: How to Organize the Fridge

And Regularly Revisit Their Pantry

Instead of (unintentionally) saving baking ingredients and canned goods long after they've expired, check their sell-by-dates on a regular basis. A weekly sweep of your pantry will not only remind you which items you still have in stock, but will also help you get rid of anything that could potentially make you sick.

Read Our Article: How to Organize Your Pantry in 10 Steps + Essential Products You'll Need

From: Lauren Rubin Architecture

If They Clean Anything Before Bed, It’s The Kitchen Counters

There’s nothing like waking up to a clean kitchen in the morning. Load the dishwasher, scrub down the sink, and make sure the countertops themselves get a complete wipe down so they’re free of grease, germs and crumbs.

They Leave It to Lists

Instead of making a mental note of your weekly tasks and chores, write everything down on a chalkboard or dry erase calendar. You'll stay more organized and reduce your paper clutter by keeping everything erasable.

From: Marie Flanigan Interiors

Their Dedication to Mail Organization Will Make You Jealous

Make it a goal to spend 30 seconds with that stack of mail every day. Immediately recycle or shred anything you don’t need — and don’t feel bad about getting rid off any non-subscription catalogs that don’t warrant your time. If you have extra time, make a call to take your address off their mailing list. Get in the habit of using an app on your smartphone to scan and digitally organize important items so you have less paper trail — and then shred any of those personal items to minimize the amount of paper you're storing at home.

They Invest in the Laundry Process

If you can install a laundry chute in your home that drops clothes right beside your washer and dryer, do it (you’re living the dream). If not, consider investing in a laundry basket that you love. The perfect laundry basket will double as a decorative accent that — dare I say — you’ll engage with more, keeping the dirty clothes from piling up on the floor.

From: Paige Morse

And... They Don’t Let Laundry Consume Their Lives

It’s easy to pause and ignore the laundry for a week, but it sure is a bummer when you spend a full eight-hour day rotating loads and folding laundry. Keep up with it by adopting a consistent routine, such as committing to running loads two nights a week, and put the clothing back on hangers and in drawers immediately to check the chore off your list.

From: Emily Fazio

They Commit to an Orderly Linen Closet

Commit to order in your pantry and linen closet. Storage spaces behind closed doors can quickly go from zero-to-chaos everytime you buy groceries, or wash sheets and towels. If your linen closet constantly spills out everytime you open the door, you may be less inclined to properly put clean items away. So take a few moments to organize the closet and enjoy the cleanliness and orderliness it brings to your life.

Their Routine Includes Making the Bed

As soon as you roll out of bed in the morning, make an effort to make your bed, or at the very least, fold the comforter and toss the pillows back where they belong. Your room will always look presentable and clean, and it’s guaranteed to make you feel like you have your act together even if there are still dust bunnies hiding beneath the bed frame.

From: Holly Bero Interiors

They Eliminate Junk Drawers

When we have drawers at our disposal, we tend to fill them with little things like charging cords, pens, tape and even random receipts. Having a proper place for everything is half the battle, but you can also prevent clutter by choosing furniture without storage. For example, instead of a traditional nightstand, opt for a small side table that only has room for a glass of water and a candle.

Read Our Article: 15 Small Decluttering Projects That Make a Big Impact

From: Jette Creative

They Make Clean-Up As Easy As Possible

In two-story homes, there’s a perpetual battle of trying to keep things that belong upstairs, upstairs, and things that belong downstairs, downstairs. Adopting a system for moving items between upstairs and downstairs will make this chore easier since you're probably already running up and down all day anyway. Place things that eventually need to go upstairs in the basket, and then remember to complete the chore next time you hike up. Same goes for bringing items down — save yourself a trip, and carry the basket with items back downstairs with you on your next run.

From: Emily Fazio

They Use Air-Purifying Plants As Decor

Indoor plants help to soften living spaces and make a home feel cozier, but they can also improve the air quality in your home. By filtering toxins and producing oxygen, you might find that you’re healthier, more relaxed and more productive. Lush, green plants and large succulents such as the Philodendron, Pothos or the Snake Plant all make for great indoor air purifiers. If you’re looking for a hookup, check Léon & George for its variety.

WATCH: Air-Cleaning Plants

They Own the Best Vacuums

Powerful cleaning starts with a high-performance vacuum. Pet owners especially will value a tool that works well for them. Most of the best pet vacuums are outfitted with extra attachments that help remove fur from upholstery, and make it easier to reach into hard-to-access areas.

Read Our Article: The Best Vacuum Cleaners in 2022, Reviewed by HGTV Editors

They Clean Throughout the Year

Seasonality doesn’t need to dictate when we decide to clean our homes, so forget you ever heard of "spring cleaning." Instead, make purging a routine (monthly, or quarterly) to keep the excess to a minimum, and keep minimalism at the forefront. Keep donate, hand-me-down, and recycling bins in well-marked and convenient spots to help make it easier to master an ongoing method that works for you.

Read Our Article: The Ultimate Cleaning Schedule: How + When to Clean Everything in Your House

They Keep Kids' Messes Small

Messes are inevitable, especially in areas where the kids play. If you focus on cleaning a little bit at a time before it gets out of control, though, it’s easier to maintain the whole space. For example, remind your kiddos to put away the paints before they get out the glue and glitter, or stock up on some cute storage bins (shaped like a whale or giraffe, perhaps?) that will make pick-up feel way more fun.

Read Our Article: The Best Mom Hacks for Controlling Clutter

From: Lauren Rubin Architecture

They Trade Textiles for Wall Treatments

While a canopy bed or upholstered headboard might make a cute addition to your kids' room, these textiles also tend to catch a ton of dust. For some style without the health concerns, swap a few pieces of fabric for statement accents, like floral wallpaper. A treatment like this would enliven a bedroom without bringing any dirt or dust with it.

From: Genna Margolis

They Create Pet Stations

Like people, pets have plenty of gear: crates, carriers, leashes, litter boxes, water bowls, etc. Keep clutter at bay by creating a designated spot for your pets' stuff. Use hooks to hang up leashes and harnesses, transform a drawer into a pull-out feeder and keep a broom and a bottle of pet-safe spray nearby to clean up spills before they turn into stains.

Read Our Article: 13 Must-Know Cleaning Tips for Pet Parents

From: Stefani Stein

And Make Pet Grooming a Priority

Whether it’s getting in the habit of brushing Fido daily or pampering them with a routine trip to the day spa, it’s easier to keep your home clean when your pet is clean. Adapt your routine and find that you have less fur and dirt to clean up from your furniture and floors.

They Remember to Clean the Ceiling

Remember that time you were embarrassed to notice — mid-party — that there were webs in the corners of your living room, and hoped none of your guests had keen vision? Yeah. Hands down, the easiest way to clean the ceiling, the upper corners of any room, and around light fixtures, is to attach a microfiber cloth to the end of a broom. A rubber band secures the cloth well enough, and with the extra reach, you’ll be able to zip around your home in minutes.

From: Emily Fazio

Also, They Know How to Clean the Walls

Whether you notice it or not, there’s often a lot of dust built up on the walls of your home. Routine dusting can keep buildup at bay, and washing the walls also keeps it free of oils, dirty fingerprints and, kindly nodding towards my children, evidence of jam hands.

Read Our Article: Everything You Need to Know About Cleaning Walls and Wallpaper

From: Emily Fazio

They Buff Their Mirrors on the Regular

Even mirrors hung high over bathroom sinks still manage to collect dust and splatters of toothpaste. (Gross, but true.) Grab a microfiber cloth and a spray bottle containing white vinegar and water, then buff those cloudy surfaces until they're clean and shimmering.

From: Erin Williamson

They Wash Their Shower Curtains and Liners

As beautiful as they are, cloth shower curtains tend to absorb water and become hosts for bacteria. Similarly, plastic shower curtain liners often collect mold and mildew. Wash your shower curtain every month or so with bleach to kill the bacteria and toss that liner in the laundry while you're at it.

Read Our Article: How to Clean Your Shower Curtain (and Keep it Clean)

From: Kerra Michele Huerta

They Use Covers Whenever Possible

Spills happen, but small measures can be taken to ensure that they don't turn into sticky spots or stains. Invest in a cookbook stand with an acrylic splash guard, purchase a plastic cover for your keyboard and even snag a "catch all" mat to stick under your toddler's high chair. All can be wiped down with a damp cloth and cleaned up at a moment's notice.

From: Lauren Rubin Architecture

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