If you set goals last year to keep a cleaner space and they fell through, you’re in the majority of goal-setters. Although we try our best to keep the excitement and motivation of resolutions going, it’s easy to let things fall through the cracks. Did you know that almost 90% of all New Year resolutions that are made fail before the end of January? The reason for this is because of the jarring amount of friction and commitment we place on ourselves when we set these life-changing goals. We expect our habits to magically change overnight and bite off more than we can chew, setting big goals that require big adaptions. Instead of focusing on monumental cleaning habits that require high effort, in this post we’ll give you 3 actually obtainable, low effort, and (almost) frictionless cleaning resolutions to set that can be easily tacked onto habits and actions that you already do! Prepare to make your cleaning resolutions a success:
Cleaning Resolution 1: Donate items you don’t need
Low-Effort Solution: Keep a donation box in the trunk of your car
Although you have good intentions, that box of “to-be-donated” stuff sitting in the corner is probably doing more harm than good. When extra clothes and items fill up the box, laziness creeps in and we say we’ll donate it next time, turning into a year full of “next time’s”. Instead, put a donation box in the back of your car and put in items as they come about when you’re leaving the house until it’s full. Then, set a reminder on your phone to pop up when you’re within radius of your nearest Good Will or donation center so you can easily drop it off when you’re already in the area.
Cleaning Resolution 2: Declutter and keep things organized
Low-Effort Solution: Organize with Lazy Susans
If you want to be more organized in places that are hard to find things (like deep or messy shelves), install a system of Lazy Susans throughout the house where it makes sense to do so. Lazy Susans are great for organizing kitchen items, bathroom supplies, or cleaning products under your sink cabinets. There are also mini Lazy Susans for office drawers and vanities. You can easily spin them to access anything without taking up too much space, making finding items less tedious and more efficient. This removes the need to pull out multiple things from storage areas all at once and your future self will thank you.
Cleaning Resolution 3: Wipe down the kitchen after each use
Low-Effort Solution: Have a kitchen cleaning rag ready to go (that you’ll actually use)
Those adorable decorative kitchen towels you have on display are creating friction for you to wipe down the counters. Don’t worry, we’re not going to tell you to stop using them (or looking at them, rather). Keep your aesthetic towels but also go out and purchase yourself a neutral-colored pack of microfiber clothes and a magnet hook. Attach the hook on an area that’s inconspicuous such as the side of your oven, if you have the wall space, or on the side of the fridge. This will be your permanent spot to hang an ugly but useful cleaning microfiber to use and put back every day without friction. You can swap them out when they get too dirty and you’ll never have to worry about staining the towels you actually care about.
There’s no need to dump a plethora of new cleaning tasks into your life all at once. This will only leave you feeling overwhelmed and has a high chance of becoming another unsuccessful goal. Try starting with these 3 tasks (one at a time) and build from there once you’re able to form new habits. Remember, progress comes in all shapes and timelines and even the smallest efforts contribute to your overall success!
