Investing a few minutes of cleaning time every day can allow you to clean less and enjoy your home more. Try these easy tips and see if your house doesn’t stay cleaner and easier to maintain.

Start with the front door. Put mats on either side of your door for people to wipe their feet on. Much of the dirt and dust in our homes gets tracked in from the outside. Stop it at the door. If you have a no shoe policy in your home that’s even better. Let each member of the family have an “inside” pair of shoes to change into at the point of entry from outside.

Clean regularly. Life happens. If you procrastinate about cleaning regularly when you do finally get around to it you have such a mess you vow never to clean again. A few minutes a day or a week can save you hours. Bathrooms and kitchens should be cleaned the most often. Spend a few minutes each day wiping countertops and putting away clutter in its place.

Put messy things on top of mats or trays so you only have to clean the mat or tray and not your furniture or other surface. Examples would be houseplants, craft, school, and sewing projects, pet food and water bowls.

While you’re in the kitchen preparing food keep a basin full of hot soapy water to toss your dishes in as you finish with them. This makes clean up go much faster.

Other preventive cleaning ideas include:

Wipe up spills immediately so spots won’t be a problem to clean later.

Reduce oven spills by placing a tray or foil under baking dishes.

Don’t pour grease down the drain.

Pour boiling water down drains weekly to reduce buildup.

Damp mop hard surface floors instead of sweeping. Damp mopping picks up dirt and dust while sweeping spreads it.

Install drain screens to reduce hair and debris clogs in sink and bathtub drains.

Dust with a damp cloth. Dry dusting spreads it around and into the air.

See if these tips can help you have a cleaner home and more time to spend enjoying it!

Source: University of GA Extension

Make a green resolution for 2013. For more information, contact Kim Reid, Extension Agent with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service at 910-592-7161.