The Cleaning Secrets of People Who Always Have a Spotless Home

Ever wonder how to keep your house clean – as in, impeccably spotless and organized to the point of being Insta-worthy? It’s easy to develop a bit of an interiority complex when scrolling through your social media feeds: the plethora of those beautiful squeaky-clean homes can inspire some serious envy. But it’s not as difficult to achieve as you might think. To help you get started and develop new habits, we break down the best cleaning secrets from people with spotless homes.

Published Mar 5, 2021, Updated Feb 2, 2022

A Black woman wearing yellow rubber gloves in a clean white kitchen, wiping down the island counter

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Clean as You Go

Whether you’re cooking up a scrumptious meal or clearing out boxes from your closet, tidy up as you go. Letting odds and ends (or ingredients and wrappers) pile up over time will only add to your stress levels when you finally get around to giving your house a deep clean. Find more kitchen organizing tips that practically do the cleaning for you.

A bright, bold well-organized living room with plenty of storage, fireplace and area rug with a chair swing

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Know the Difference Between Clean vs. Tidy

We often get hung up on the idea of scrubbing a room into pristine condition, from top to bottom. However, there’s no need to give your abode a deep clean every single time. Instead, keep things tidy. “Cleaning” means vacuuming, dusting or washing windows, whereas “tidying” is the art of making a room look orderly by putting items in their proper place.

A white woman wearing a cardigan, washing a mug in the sink that is situated in front of a window

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Do the Dishes – Immediately

This happens to be both the easiest habit to adopt, and the most frustrating. No one likes washing dishes, but letting them pile up in your sink is a million times worse. While you’ve got food cooking on the stove, stop and wash what you’ve already used.

A pristine while bedroom with modern decor and a well-made bed with various throw pillows and blankets

Lauren Kolyn

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Make the Bed

Start your day off on the right foot by making the bed as soon as you wake up. It might seem insignificant, but it will do wonders for your overall organization and productivity that day.

A young Asian woman wearing headphones and dancing around her apartment as she cleans

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Make Cleaning Fun

Cleaning doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Listen to music, a podcast or an audiobook while you tidy. Dance to your favourite tune while you sweep or become immersed in the latest podcast while you scrub those bathroom tiles. We’ve also got great hacks on how to make every room in your home look clean and organized in less than 10 minutes.

A bright pink kids' room with a walk-in closet featuring various storage solutions

Lauren Kolyn

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Have a Place for Everything

Everything should have its place. Avoid purchasing items that you can’t immediately envision in a certain spot of honour in your house. It’ll automatically reduce clutter and keep things neat and organized. For example, try keeping all the kids’ toys in one spot – where they can be returned again at the end of the day.

A row of glass jars on a wooden shelf in a kitchen, each clearly labeled

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Store Similar Things Together

This probably seems obvious, but things can get out of hand when we’re feeling harried while trying to clean. Spices should stay with spices, jackets with jackets and cleaning supplies with other cleaning supplies. It’ll save you a lot of aimless wandering when something gets misplaced. You can also find some inspiration with the best storage and organization hacks for a small kitchen.

A closeup of a bucket filled with brightly coloured cleaning supplies and held by a blue-gloved hand

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Keep Cleaning Supplies Handy

Whether you’re in the kitchen or the bathroom it’s best to keep the appropriate cleaning supplies close at hand. Store them under the sink or in an allotted container. It’ll make cleaning those spaces so much easier.