How to keep your house clean in 2025 | Lazy Cleaning Tips
I hear this a lot every time guests visit my house: “How do you keep your house clean?” Maybe they think it’s because I’m an interior designer, so it’s just part of my thing?
Hi there👋, I’m Jacqueline, founder of The Glade Design! I specialize in residential interior design. Visit my service page for design services or email me to chat!
But truth be told, I’ve always liked tidying and cleaning, even before I started working as a designer. I think I picked up a lot of habits while working in hospitality. That experience not only made my daily life easier but also influenced the way I design homes for my clients.
However, let’s put aside the design aspects for now. Let’s talk about cleaning!
A lot of my clients request a home that is easy to clean and low maintenance. But here’s the reality—design can only make things easier; it doesn’t clean for you! At the end of the day, you still need to put in some effort to keep your house in great condition.
I’m not here to share the usual advice like “set aside an hour a day to clean” or “put things away as you go.” I work full-time too, and I understand that it’s not always realistic to dedicate time to cleaning every single day.
So, combining my experience in interior design and hospitality, I’m sharing my lazy tips—how to do less cleaning, enjoy life more, and still keep your house clean and tidy easily!
Let’s dive in!
How to keep your house clean in 2025
Tip 1: Declutter and Throw Away Rubbish First
Start with the easiest task!
Why is decluttering the first thing to do? It’s not even about cleaning yet, but it makes cleaning so much easier. The less stuff you have on surfaces, the quicker it is to wipe down, vacuum, and tidy up.
In hospitality, when housekeeping staff clean hotel rooms, they always start by throwing away rubbish. Once that’s done, the space already feels halfway clean.
If your home feels chaotic, a full declutter session will make a huge difference. But if you don’t have time for that, just start small:
- Grab a rubbish bag and throw away any trash from all your counters.
- Focus on high-traffic areas: your desk, kitchen counter, bathroom vanity, coffee table, and nightstand.
- If clutter starts building up again, repeat this step!
Once that’s done, move on to decluttering drawers and cabinets to free up even more space.
Why does this matter?
- More things on counters = more things to clean.
- The more stuff you leave out, the more dust it collects.
If you only do one thing today, grab a rubbish bag and start picking up trash around the house. You’ll already feel a big difference!
How to keep your house clean in 2025
Tip 2: Give Everything a Home
You don’t have to be as meticulous as Marie Kondo, categorising everything in colour-coded sections. But every item should at least have a designated space inside a cabinet or drawer.
- Your clothes should fit in your closet.
- You should have enough hangers and drawers to store all your clothes.
- If your “home” for things doesn’t fit everything, go back to Tip 1 and declutter first!
- For things that must stay on the counter, use boxes, baskets, or trays to group them together. This makes cleaning easier—you only need to move one item instead of multiple small things.
Many people like leaving everything on the counter because it’s convenient, but it makes cleaning a nightmare. The more clutter, the longer it takes to wipe and dust.
Instead, ask yourself:
- Is it really that difficult to grab this item from a drawer?
- Does this item need to stay out 24/7?
When everything has a designated home, you’ll feel in control of your space. Even if your house gets messy after a weekend party or a busy holiday with kids, knowing that every item has a home makes tidying up much less stressful.
We are all normal people; it’s impossible to have a clean and tidy house 100% of the time. Instead of stressing about keeping it perfect, focus on being able to reset your home easily when it gets messy.
The goal is not to have a perfectly clean house 24/7—it’s to feel capable of dealing with the mess when it happens.
How to keep your house clean in 2025
Tip 3: Get a Robot Vacuum
Vacuuming is the most time-consuming cleaning task, especially if you live in a large home. I used to spend so much time vacuuming in my 5-bedroom house—until I got a robot vacuum!
Now, I rarely pull out the big vacuum cleaner. My robot vacuum runs automatically, and I get to spend my time doing things I actually enjoy.
Why is a robot vacuum the best investment?
- It saves time and cleans while you do other things.
- Good models have strong suction and clean corners well.
- They map your house and can be scheduled to run automatically.
- You can set it to clean every second day or more often in high-traffic areas.
My personal recommendation: Roborock
I’ve tested a few brands, and some don’t work well at all. But Roborock is the most efficient one I’ve used. It has:
- Great suction power
- Smart mapping that prevents it from getting stuck
- Good handling of floor height differences
Important notes:
- If you have lots of small, loose items on the floor, the robot vacuum won’t work well. Go back to Tip 1 & 2 to tidy up first!
- If you have pets, make sure they’re comfortable with the robot vacuum before using it frequently.
How to keep your house clean in 2025
Tip 4: Follow the Correct Cleaning Process
Process is everything! A bad workflow will only make cleaning take longer and feel more exhausting. Follow the right order to avoid back-and-forth work, and you’ll be surprised at how much time you save.
Step-by-step cleaning process:
- Declutter first – No matter how big or small the mess is, start by throwing away rubbish and putting things back in their designated spots. This makes actual cleaning easier and more effective.
- Wipe every surface from top to bottom – This ensures dust and dirt don’t fall onto already-cleaned areas.
- On a regular cleaning day, I usually wipe down:
- Countertops
- Sometimes the sides of cabinets
- Shelves
- Floors (always last)
- On a deep cleaning day, I go further:
- Dusting cobwebs on the ceiling and cornices
- Cleaning the tops of window and door frames, and cabinets
- Wiping doors, windows, countertops, and cabinet sides
- Finally, vacuuming and mopping
- On a regular cleaning day, I usually wipe down:
- Clean in a logical order – Start cleaning clockwise around the room to ensure you don’t miss any spots or have to redo sections. A common mistake is randomly cleaning different areas, which wastes time and effort.
- Tackle one room at a time – Instead of cleaning the whole house at once, focus on one room at a time. This makes it feel more manageable, and if you can’t finish everything, you can easily pick up where you left off.
- Vacuum and mop last – This should always be the final step to ensure any dust or dirt that has fallen gets cleaned up properly.
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How to keep your house clean in 2025
Tip 5: Use the Right Cleaning Tools
Having the right tools can make cleaning so much easier—they do half the work for you!
Besides the robot vacuum I mentioned earlier, here are some simple but effective tools to consider:
- Microfiber cloths – Don’t just use any old rag! A high-quality microfiber cloth picks up dust and dirt effectively, while a bad one just pushes dust around.
- The right cleaner for the right surface – Whether you prefer natural or chemical cleaners, make sure they’re suited for the material you’re cleaning. If unsure, simply ask ChatGPT!
- Let the cleaner sit before wiping – Most people spray and wipe immediately, but many cleaners need to sit for at least five minutes to work properly.
- Sponges and brushes – Choose ones that feel comfortable to hold and are durable.
The key is to use tools and products you’re comfortable with so that cleaning feels effortless.
How to keep your house clean in 2025
Tip 6: Schedule Cleaning Time That Works for You
The previous tips will help make cleaning faster and easier, but let’s be real—things won’t clean themselves!
The key is to find a cleaning routine that fits your lifestyle. There’s no one-size-fits-all schedule because everyone’s daily life and workload are different.
Here are some ways to structure your cleaning routine:
- A little every day – Some people prefer doing small tasks daily to keep things manageable.
- Once or twice a week – Others find it easier to dedicate one or two days for a more thorough clean.
- Weekend deep clean – If your weekdays are packed, setting aside a few hours on the weekend might work best.
Personally, I like to keep it simple:
- I set aside half a day every weekend for housework.
- If I don’t finish, I’ll do a couple more hours during the week, but most of the time, half a day is enough.
- Since I’ve already decluttered and have a place for everything, my weekend cleaning is just:
- Wiping surfaces
- Letting my robot vacuum handle most of the work
- Using a handheld vacuum for stairs, bathrooms, and tight spaces
- Finishing with a quick mop
With the right routine, cleaning doesn’t feel like a chore—it becomes quick, easy, and even enjoyable!
How to keep your house clean in 2025
Tip 7: Get Your Family Involved
Cleaning shouldn’t fall on one person alone! Getting the whole family involved makes a huge difference and keeps the house tidy with less effort.
Here’s how to make it easier for everyone:
- Start small – Don’t just say, “Clean your room.” Most people won’t know where to start. Instead, give simple, clear tasks like:
- “Pick up all the rubbish on the ground floor.”
- “Put all the shoes back in the cabinet.”
- “Put clean dishes in the drawers.”
- Teach them where things go – Assigning tasks like “Put away everything on the coffee table” helps them learn the proper place for items. This prevents the classic “Where does this go?” or “I’ll just leave it here for now” situation.
- Decluttering should involve the owner – If an item belongs to someone, they should be responsible for putting it away. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck cleaning up after everyone, and they’ll never learn. Each person should know where their things belong—it saves time and prevents clutter from piling up again.
- Don’t overwhelm with long to-do lists – Instead of dumping a massive list on everyone, break tasks into small, manageable chunks. One step at a time is more effective and less stressful.
- Make cleaning fun – Play your family’s favourite music, set a timer for a quick cleaning race, or plan a nice meal afterward as a reward. The more enjoyable it is, the more likely everyone will want to help.
- The “just start” trick works wonders – Sometimes, the hardest part is getting started. I’ve noticed that when I get my husband to start tidying, he can’t stop! Over time, it becomes a habit, and he actually enjoys having a clean house too.
The key is to get them involved, even in small ways. Once they build the habit, cleaning becomes effortless for everyone, and you won’t be stuck doing it all yourself!
How to keep your house clean in 2025
Tip 8: Make Decluttering a Habit
Once you’ve done a big declutter, keep the momentum going—make it a habit! Instead of letting clutter pile up and waiting for a big clean-up, tackle small bits daily.
Here’s how to make decluttering effortless:
- Declutter as you go – Don’t wait for spring cleaning!
- Sort out unwanted clothes while doing laundry.
- Toss out junk mail or old letters immediately.
- Donate books you no longer read.
- Check for expired food regularly.
- Small steps make a big difference – When you declutter bit by bit, you won’t feel overwhelmed. By the time a bigger clean-up is needed, it’ll be much easier.
- Enjoy the benefits of more space – The more you declutter, the more room you free up for things you actually use and love. A clutter-free home means:
- Easier cleaning
- More organized storage
- A calmer, more enjoyable living space
Making decluttering a habit ensures your home stays tidy without the stress of a massive clean-up!
Keeping your home clean and tidy doesn’t have to be a huge hassle. Trust me, I get it—life gets busy, and cleaning can feel like one more thing on your to-do list. But with a few simple changes, you can make keeping your space neat way easier, without feeling like you’re always scrubbing or tidying up.
Start with the basics: declutter and make sure everything has a home. The less stuff you have lying around, the less you have to clean. A clean, organized space will make a huge difference, and it doesn’t have to be done all at once. Just grab a bag and throw away any trash you spot around the house. It’s a simple first step, but it works wonders.
Investing in a robot vacuum is another game-changer. It’s honestly one of the best purchases I’ve made—it vacuums while I’m doing other things, which is a huge time-saver. Plus, following a cleaning process where you start by decluttering, wipe from top to bottom, and finish with floors helps save time and energy.
You don’t need to dedicate hours every day to cleaning. Create a cleaning routine that fits your schedule, whether that’s doing a little every day or setting aside time over the weekend. The goal is not to have a perfectly spotless home 24/7. Instead, focus on making tidying up easier and less stressful when things get messy.
And hey, cleaning doesn’t have to be a solo task—get your family involved! It’s much easier when everyone chips in. Once you make cleaning a habit and get a good routine going, keeping your home tidy won’t feel like such a big job. Just remember, it’s all about doing what works for you and making sure you’re enjoying the process, not stressing over it.
If you’d like to know more tips on how to keep your house clean and tidy, leave me a comment and let me know what other tips you’d like me to share.
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