Daily chore-list to keep your house clean

Here is a short list of things you can do throughout the day to make sure your house is clean and tidy

1. Do your dishes as soon as you can. Putting it off is just prolonging the inevitable. Try to utilize your dishwasher as best you can if you have one.  But remember, it is always best to hand wash certain items such as knives, pots and pans, crystal and good china.
2. Use a hand vacuum immediately when you see small messes, food crumbs in the kitchen and in the entryway. This only takes about ten minutes a day and eliminates the need to do heavy duty vacuuming often.
3. Eliminate clutter by putting things away as soon as you can.  File away mail, throw out garbage, tidy up the children's toys throughout the day (better yet, teach your children to clean up after themselves if they are old enough to learn) and particularly at the end of each day.
4. Wash your dishes, pots and pans used in cooking BEFORE you eat, if you can (refer to no. 1).  It should take just five minutes but the good news is you can enjoy your meal in peace and the only thing you have to do after meal is put your dishes in the dishwasher and store leftovers/throw out garbage.
5. Make the beds. It will make you feel good wen you go to bed, truly.
6. Put clothes requiring laundering in the appropriate hampers straight away.  Don't allow them to accumulate through the house.
7. Wipe kitchen counters, appliances and countertops that are used frequently.  Try to do this a few times a day so they always look clean and remain hygienic.
8. Empty the dishwasher and/or put away washed dishes and every morning. I usually do this while making and eating my breakfast and drinking my coffee.
9. Utilize any free moment to do something small to clean or tidy up. For example, if you are waiting for your kettle to boil, how about quickly wiping down the counters? Or while you are making that quick phone call to make your child's pediatric appointment, how about also tiding up the entrance way and shoes at the front door?
10. Everyday of the week, find one extra chore to do so that by the week's end, you have completed 7 other miscellaneous chores, instead of having to spend an entire Saturday or weekend doing chores.  Some of these extra chores could be: wiping down the microwave, cleaning out the fridge, changing linen etc

I do these chores everyday and it usually takes very little time, probably all together no more than thirty or forty minutes, though individually each task only takes a few minutes. I always feel that even though you can never fully contain the toys or the random glass of water on the coffee table, my house is actually pretty clean and tidy. Not prefect, but not bad considering I have two small children!