First soak in salt water for an hour, then wash.

Everyone can dream of living in a big expensive house but if the house is not properly cleaned and maintained, then this detracts a lot from its grandeur.  In fact, having a bigger house is sometimes more of a headache because this just means there is more room for junk and there are more places to clean.  If you are not disciplined in the way you organize your house then you might not be maximizing the house’s potential for comfort and quality of life.  Below are some tips for keeping your house clean and your mind sane.

To not feel overwhelmed with cleaning, do little spot cleaning whenever you see something out of place.  You do not have to be obsessive about it, but tidying up after yourself and putting things back after you use them is a great time saver in the overall scheme of things.

Each year, review the clothes in your closet, the furniture in your house, and the toys in your children’s collection and see if they are really being used.  If no one is using them, consider giving the items away to charity if they are in good condition.  Otherwise, throw the items away in the garbage if they are really junk.  This, of course, is not license to spend money by buying more stuff.  However, if you hadn’t been using the items, then that means there is no reason to restock on these things and for them to continue to take up space in your house.

Avoid bringing things into the house you do not need.  We all like sales and free stuff but once the adrenaline rush is over and we examine the things we have brought into the house, the question becomes why did I covet such things in the first place?  Another tip would be to not bring in junk mail into the house either.  Unless you are a dedicated coupon cutter, people rarely look at flyers anymore when you can look up sales just as easily on the Internet.

The above suggestions all involve minimizing clutter and the stress of a big spring cleaning.  This works great but we also have to look at the reality that we do have to vacuum, clean the bathrooms, the appliances sometimes.  If the thought of doing these chores overwhelm you, then there is no shame in calling for help.  Sometimes, there just aren’t enough hours in a day to work full time, take care of the kids, maintain a relationship with your spouse, cook and clean as well.  This is also compounded if you’re a single parent so don’t be shy to say that you can’t do it alone.  You can call a house cleaning business and ask for a quote of how much they charge per hour or per room.  Or, if you know of private individuals who clean houses part time, you can ask their house cleaning job rates as they will most likely charge less. Once you establish a clutter free way of life and explore the possibility of hiring cleaning help, there is also the notion of making your house a place of tranquility where you feel calm and at peace, you might even consider Feng Shui.  Even if you did not create a Feng shui bedroom establish a place in your house that is your safe zone to relax and meditate free of disturbance.  You can also create a room decorating theme for the room decorating in a way that reminds you of your favorite vacation spot.  Along the same idea, take time away from your busy schedule to relax.  It might be for a few minutes only but it can make a lot of difference to walk away from things and come back refreshed. The secret to a happy life begins in a home that is devoid of clutter.  With these tips, you’ll be well rested and in a great frame of mind.