Not long ago, a friend asked me, “How do you do it?”  “Do what?” I replied.  “Keep your house so clean!” she said in amazement.  “We both have two kids, we both work, but your house always looks so nice and tidy–while mine looks like a bomb hit it!”

Now, my house is not a spotless temple to spic-and-span–I do have two kids, and I do work, so of course it can get a bit messy and chaotic.  But over the years, I have learned a few tricks that help keep the mess in check:

1. Do a little every day, instead of doing everything in one day.  Rather than have a dedicated, “I must clean everything NOW!” kind of day, I usually do a few little cleaning tasks every day, when I have a moment.  If my daughter is sitting on the potty, I’ll wipe down the bathroom sink.  If my baby is napping, I’ll fold and put away a load of laundry.  If I have a longer stretch of time–like when my daughter is at school, or when my husband takes the girls to the playground–then I perform more-involved tasks, like cleaning out the fridge or mopping the floors.
2. Do an evening tidy-up.  I adopted this method after reading Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project, and it has made a world of difference.  After the girls are in bed and asleep, I come downstairs and tidy up–I gather up any toys or books into the playroom, put dirty dishes in the dishwasher, tuck pillows back onto the couch, corral random shoes and coats.  It usually takes about 15 minutes, and it makes the next morning 100% better–instead of coming down to a messy living room and kitchen, I come down to a nice, clean space, ready for the day.
3. If it takes a minute or less, do it now.  This is another tip from Gretchen Rubin–she calls it the One Minute Rule.  If it only takes a minute to perform the task–whether it’s putting a book back on the shelf, hanging up a bath towel, or emptying the coffee grounds–do it now, rather than putting it off for later.  All those little tasks start to add up fast I left undone.
4. Clean up as you go.  This works especially well for me when I’m cooking.  Rather than facing a sink full of dirty dishes after making dinner, I put everything in the dishwasher once I’m done using it; I also wipe up spills as I go, and put food back in the fridge or the pantry once I’m finished with them.  A homecooked meal–and a clean kitchen!–are their own reward.

Even doing one of these tricks will make a big difference in your everyday cleaning routine!