5 Tips & Tricks for a Tidy Home

If you are anything like me, then running around like a madwoman before dinner guests or overnight company arrives is the norm. We love to entertain and with out-of-town family in for frequent visits, it always seems like there is a never-ending list of things to do to get ready. I have been working hard to try to get things neat and tidy days before someone is due for a visit, but with 2 little ones running around with toys awry and our own adult-household clutter, it can get tricky. I have put together a list of my Top 5 quick-fix tips for tidying up. I try to do these things each night [or in the morning in the case of #4] – sometime after dinner, before or after putting the kids down, but definitely before I sit down on the couch to cozy in and catch up on some shows! If I wait until right before bed, none of it would ever get done!

I’m not talking about deep cleaning escapades, but the minor tasks that do wonders to the look and feel of our home and also help boost my spirits. Nothing like 5 minutes of productivity to feel accomplished! This list could go on and on, but these are the tips I turn to the most!

Take 5 minutes with a basket in hand to go around the main, high-traffic areas of the house and put all of the random odds and ends that have accumulated over the course of the day. I have a basket in one of my kitchen cabinets where everything that doesn’t have a home but needs a home goes. It isn’t a permanent solution, but at least I know where everything is when I have a few extra minutes to sit down and sort it out. If you have one main “clutter” basket or bin versus shoving each item in a separate nook or junk drawer, then you know it is all together. I have heard of people using a basket or decorative box in each room for this task. Other than my kitchen cupboard junk basket, I also have one on the staircase for items that need to make their way to the 2nd floor. It is easier to grab one basket instead of 5 loose items and head upstairs to put everything back in its proper place. This isn’t a long-term strategy to decluttering, but is a quick-fix for sure!

Don’t forget to do the appliances, too. After you’ve picked up the clutter from the floor in each room and the tops of your counters, a little elbow grease on the kitchen surfaces will do wonders. Nothing says ick more than caked-on food spills and visible oil splatters. A few minutes in here and everything will look shiny and new again.There is just something about a freshly vacuumed room. Do you agree?! A quick vacuum job over hard floors to pick up crumbs and dirt and then the same attention to rugs and carpeted areas and boom. That’s it.

There have actually been studies on this! I won’t try to quote any, but for me personally, I feel instant gratification. The room looks and feels put together after you pull the sheets and comforter up, place pillows in their proper position and fold any blankets or quilts. A neatly made bed not only seems to jumpstart the day, but it is equally as pleasing to crawl into one at bedtime after a long day. Try it everyday for a week and see how it goes 🙂

Empty the wastebasket in each room and replace the trash bags with new ones. A little trick, keep your supply of new trash bags at the bottom of your basket, under the bag that’s in use. I do this in all of our bedrooms and bathrooms. They are handy and ready to grab so you are sure to put one in right away, instead of having to go to the pantry or linen closet to retrieve new ones. There is nothing worse than going to throw something away and there isn’t a bag. So you throw it in anyways, only to have gross stuff on the inside of your wastebasket, which you probably won’t want to scrub clean on a regular basis, so it builds up over time. Eeeek! Save yourself the time and energy and pick up a pack of these. They are my go-to liners for all of our small-sized wastebaskets and they smell great, too. My personal favorite is the vanilla 🙂

Like I said, adhering to any or all of these tidy tips won’t give your house a complete overhaul, but they will help you get ready for last-minute guests [or planned ones you procrastinate preparing for] or just help keep things generally tidy.

Not only will your home smell lovely, but it will help to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Even if its just you who is sitting down at the end of the day, a glass of wine just seems to taste better by candelight. Right?! Fresh flowers make magic happen too, but now we are just getting carried away.

What are your quick tips for tidying your home? What do you right before your guests arrive?!

I’m off to paint by bathroom vanity now – wish me luck! I hope you’ll be back soon to see what is going on over here. Don’t miss anything – be sure to sign up to follow by email & get posts delivered directly to your inbox! You can tollow This is our Bliss on social media, too!