What makes a home look clean and tidy?

[eversotidy]

Besides the obvious (crap over every surface, animal poo, pests) what makes a home seem clean and tidy to you? I’ve just had an afternoon free and gone all in on our bathroom and kitchen. They look great and it’s such a relief. Are there other ways of keeping things tidy or organised such that your home “looks” tidy? I’m thinking of things like a bin with a fitted lid, are those worth it (rather than an open bin at my bedside for example).

My main kitchen bins are integrated. We choose this when we got a new kitchen fitted as I hated the main bins being out all the time, before that I tried so many different kinds but they were all unsightly.I know some people put bins under the sink or in a cupboard.
I don't have a bin in my bedroom, my children have a small waste paper basket under their desks but it's tucked away out of sight and for dry recycling items only.
Small pedal bin the bathroom behind the toilet is the only one that's in view.

Glance around to see if anything needs to go upstairs😂. Mine will deliberately climb OVER stuff on the stairs...which is more difficult than actually picking it up

As little on surfaces as possible.
Corral items on to trays - we have salt pepper and oil by hob but they sit on a wooden tray. It catches the stray salt and pepper spill (so easier to keep worktop clean) and visually it is one item rather than three.
Ditto tea coffee and sugar by kettle-on a tray.
Bathroom - husband's razor and our toothbrush heads live on a marble dish. Keep all grot fallout in one place.

Good storage solutions. And if it hasn't been used in 6 months (or a year if it's a seasonal item) it needs to go. If you're storing something for the future or a specific occasion it should be packed away to the loft or garage, not in the general living areas.

I have a tiny house and growing boys, it's so important to me to keep the clutter at bay or I start to feel overwhelmed with it.

Fab thread, just the encouragement I needed! I am de-cluttering before selling my house and even the DC now prefer the rooms that I've "done" as they feel spacious and clean.

I sometimes sort out just one drawer in the kitchen or bedroom - I find it's much easier to do ten minutes now and again than get overwhelmed looking at how much there is to do.

Oh and the other one I learned on here, stuff for the charity shop goes straight in the car so it can be dropped off, rather than finding a new long-term home in the hall...

Clean floors - freshly mopped, hoovered.
Sparkling windows inside and out.

Lurking

Well I know what doesn’t. Teenagers!

Unfortunately in order to have a house that is clean and tidy there is no substitute for cleaning it and tidying it..

Less stuff helps and having a home for everything helps. We have a lot of stuff but it is out of sight. On the surface things look clear and the space feels airy.

No clutter.

We have 2 dcs under 4, clothes and toys seem to be the main culprits. We just have to keep on top of it. Definitely an on going process, like a pp said. Regular charity donations. Dh goes to the tip once a month too.

We don’t have lots of ‘stuff’ on display.

Storage boxes labelled up.

Shelves just have plants and a few photo frames on them.

We have a large set of drawers that we got from gumtree - these are in the dining room, dcs craft stuff goes in 2 of them, letters and other important docs in another, winter hats/gloves etc in the other.

Everything has a place. Preferably hidden from view. 😆

I sometimes sort out just one drawer in the kitchen or bedroom

Yes, one day at a time. One small “thing” every day (the fly lady method). Otherwise I would feel overwhelmed at the constant need for reorganisation and de-cluttering.

Apart from that basics, eg. general hoovering, basic cleanliness and open windows for 1 hour a day.

Thats all folks 🎶 🎵 🙂

Haha, I always think the opposite - on MN everyone washes their towels after each use and is constantly cleaning etc 😂

Im what some would call an extreme minimalist.
I hate clutter if I don't need it use it I bin it.
I'm brutal.
The only thing on show in my kitchen is a kettle small fridge freezer washing machine.
4 cups/plates spoons etc 2 pots 1pan1 wok 2 baking trays.
Bedding 1 on one off.
No pitchers hanging all over the place no ornaments.
Living room 1 small coffee table 3 tub chairs and TV.
Bedroom large bed and a canvas single wardrobe.
Bathroom tall bathroom wire basket with all bath shower stuff in it.
All rooms are the same colour white with natural wood flooring.
I don't own huge bits of furniture.
Or shelves full of crap.

Rehome OHs unless house-trained and any u-8s. Otherwise you're fighting a losing battle.

🤣🤣🤣

@TwoLeftSocksWithHoles this is the answer.

Don’t have hairy dogs. We have three and live by a river in rural Wales. They create endless dust, especially in the winter, smear mud streaks on every outside and hall door, traipse water and seeds through the house and their beds smell within days of changing their blankets. I work hard keeping on top of it - daily hoovering and floor washing, airing the house and airing their beds outside. The lack of dust is always noticeable when we go to the houses of friends who don’t have dogs. But they bring us and the children joy, get us out whatever the weather, we love them and wouldn’t be without them. So I take (most of!) it back.

And definitely declutter, declutter, declutter. Unfortunately DH loves a bit of clutter and has a corner of the kitchen table I’m not allowed to touch. But everything else… Skip or charity shop. It becomes addictive, as good as therapy.

@user09876543 yes I agree, I’m loving the tips here but also curious what makes a house look especially tidy if you’re visiting? Spatters on the bathroom sink, clean floorboards, no dust under the cupboards? That sort of thing. Organised shoes in an entryway or cupboard are always impressive to me.

In many homes the backs of desks/shelves/surfaces are really dusty (so behind the monitor/tv/lamp cables) - I know you are really on top of it if no dust there 🤣

Also cobwebs and marks on kick boards in the kitchen/bathroom - getting rid of those is the last 2%

Tickled by the bassoons…I don’t know why…
just made me laugh. 😆

If you need to urgently improve and only have time to do one thing (news the King is visiting in 15 mins time etc), I think hoovering makes the biggest instant difference to how clean/cleaned a room looks.

No clutter I go through toys and clothes every 2 or 3 months.
Regularly wash soft furnishings, cushion covers etc.
Dust Regularly
Hoover daily
Everything in closed cupboards , coats etc
1 in 1 out method
As for bins we only have kitchen and bathroom bin both lidded

The biggest inpact after I decluttered was adopting a minimalist mindset. Which in essence boiled down to stop acquiring things!!!! I saved so much time from not shopping, not having deliveries hanging around or having to find new places to store things. Not having the packaging to get rid of....

Which meant that my clear surfaces stayed clear. Everyone puts things away cos its really easy as drawers and shelves aren't crammed full.

I have more time and cleaning is a LOT easier so I don't resent it so much (still don't like it).

Following.

a lot of five minute jobs to replace random scrolling.