Quick ideas to perk up my house

[InMediasRes]

What do you do to make your space feel more positive when you don't really have time to clean?

I am a very visual person and I'm very affected by my environment. I get really down about how much there is to do around the house and the worrying starts going my brain. I need a list of things I can do that will quickly make me feel like my space is more "perked up" (if that makes any sense) and gives me a sense of control over my environment. Otherwise I start feeling like the dirty house is going to eat me alive .

For example, I discovered today that picking out the two things from my HUGE laundry list that would make the house feel the most clean (more bang for the buck, if you will) really helped my mood. I bleached and polished my sink (skipped the rest of the kitchen ) and cleaned my sliding glass door. Amazing what a difference it made.

What do you do that helps you feel better in your home? It doesn't have to be cleaning related.

Thanks!

[ollyoxenfree]

Flowers! Even a simple bunch in a few clean old jars make a space feel prettier. It doesn't have to be an expensive arrangement.

Wiping down surfaces in the bathroom - counters, sinks, mirror.

Vacuuming. We have a part-husky dog, so my floors always look like they have a fur coat. Even a quick buzz through the halls and around the living room/dining room/kitchen makes a big difference.

[Italiamom]

I find that no matter how horrible the rest of the house is, I feel good if my kitchen is clean-ish (dishes all clean and away, counter tops wiped down). Which stinks, really, because my kitchen is always in a state of disarray. We cook quite a bit in our house, and it's just neverending!

[weliveintheforest]

I try to make clean spaces, even if they are small. If I can't look anywhere without seeing a mess I get overwhelmed. I'll usually start with the bathroom, or the kitchen table. In the kitchen, I do the smallest counter first so I can at least have one totally clean section.

[MadiMamacita]

I do a sweep of surfaces. I have a few areas (one part of the counter in the kitchen and an end table in the living room- oh yeah, and on the piano) where papers and other stuff just gets collected. It is amazing how much better the kitchen looks without all that clutter!
also, a good wipe down of the counters and sweeping the floor really help.

Oh yeah- once I got some cheap Ikea curtains at a garage sale and the space looked completely different once I hung them.

[ChristyMarie]

Kitchen counters. If my kitchen sink/counters are clean the entire house feels cleaner.

And make the beds. Don't know why but that makes a huge difference.

[NiteNicole]

I try to stay on top of the laundry and the dishes. If I can just stay on top of those two things, everything else seems easier.

[Limabean1975]

Sweeping the kitchen & hardwood of the main floor. NOt as thorough as vacuuming, but it's just so much easier to grab the broom than to lug around the vacuum, so it gets the floor spruced up when I don't want to get into the bigger project of vacuuming.

[homemademom]

Originally Posted by ChristyMarie

Kitchen counters. If my kitchen sink/counters are clean the entire house feels cleaner.

And make the beds. Don't know why but that makes a huge difference.

Me too. Somehow, with these things done, the rest of the house seems easier to tackle. It's like I can finally "see" what needs to be done. Otherwise, I get really overwhelmed.

[jenfl]

Keeping the catch-all ottoman in the living room clean makes all the difference. ven if the rest of the house is clean, if that's messy, the whole place feels messy.

[IsaFrench]

priority number one; the toilet bowl and the kitchen sink scrubbed

some days, that's the only house-tasks that can get done but at least it feels like it's the minimum & it's been done early in the day

when also beds can be made and a load of laundry can be started early on the day .... that's great.

evening time priority; pick up what's on the floor in the main living space & put away as much papers and pens as possible before the evening meal.

I'd like to get into the habit of spending 5 to 7 minutes just vacuuming that area every other day because I know that it makes a visual difference and well worth the few minutes investment for the positive impact it has in my mood/feelings .... but am still working on that new habit !

[JD5351]

My kitchen island...It's gets full of stuff way too quickly. when it gets too packed, I have to clear it off. Then I feel better.

[zoebird]

i have to do regular tidies of each room throughout the day. bed made, then i straighten it up later after DS's nap. toys on the floor are put away when he naps, and i clean the kitchen (scrub once a week, but dishes, etc, daily).

i'm lucky that i live in a small place, with minimal stuff, and only the three of us and no pets. it gets too messy for me as it is. LOL

also, fresh flowers are a huge thing. we can't afford them right now, but when we can, i'm definitely bringing that back in.

[*bejeweled*]

Make the beds, clear the counters, take out the trash, add fresh flowers often. We try to do this daily.

We also light a vanilla candle every single evening.

[GoGoGirl]

Definitely fresh flowers, though I haven't done that since DD was born. I also love opening the windows for at least a few minutes in the morning to get the air in the house moving.

"Swish and swipe," or whatever the Fly Lady calls it. This is the only thing I've ever actually done from Fly Lady. Every morning, squeeze some liquid soap (shampoo, body wash, whatever's handy) in the toilet and clean it with the toilet brush. Then take a clorox wipe and go over the bathroom surfaces (sink, faucet, toilet). It takes 60 seconds and you'll never actually have to "deep clean" the toilet and sink.

Every night before bed, I put the dishes in the dishwasher and wipe off the kitchen counters. I LOVE waking up to a clean kitchen.

[luv-my-boys]

im a pile maker if need be. Something about not having a ton of stuff everywhere but at least in *neater* piles makes it much more tolerable. I have a junk basket where I literally toss junk that needs to get placed back in their home throughout the house and occasssionally I'll carry the basket around when I have time and put stuff back. I also find vacumming makes a huge difference for us (we have hardwood floors) so not seeing every little speck or dust bunny makes the house appear cleaner plus I like to give the house a quick spritz of EO which lightens the air.

[BeckyBird]

I also like to make my bed and light a candle. A candle in the bathroom is even better--it gives the room a nice cozy feeling.

[butterfly1976]

When the weather is great, I like the windows up so the fresh air can come in. I like a clean house. PERIOD. If the dishes are in the dishwasher, laundry is kept up and beds made, they keeps me in a good mood. A vase of pretty flowers is always nice.

[InMediasRes]

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions! Flowers - I should do more flowers.

[limabean]

The first thing I always do is clear flat surfaces. DH and I have a rule: the only thing that can live on the table is a vase of flowers, and the only thing that can live on the kitchen island is the fruit bowl. Everything else must find another home. So that's where we always start, and the natural next step is wiping down those surfaces. I love a nice big, clear dining table -- it looks so inviting and ready to be used at the drop of a hat!

DH and I did a deep clean of the whole house yesterday and put up some fall decorations -- I love it! DH got down on his hands and knees and scrubbed the entire downstairs floor with a water/vinegar solution -- he knows the way to my heart!