New Year’s Resolutions for the Home

Another year has come and gone; we’re ready for in with the new, and out with the old. Resolutions are so often focused on fitness, healthy eating, travel and time spent with loved ones, but we never make resolutions for our homes. Spending almost half of your day in your home, it should be a place where you love to be, no matter what room you’re in. This year, we challenge you to look around your home and give it that much-needed facelift so that it is everything you want it to be. You’re probably thinking, ‘that sounds expensive;’ have no fear, we’re here to propose cost-effective, easy solutions to help make your home more clean, beautiful and environmentally friendly this year.

 

Declutter the Entire House

 

Before you clean, rearrange or do anything with your home, the first step is decluttering. This is free to do and will make your space feel bright and shiny again. Each year, we buy things, are given more things and collect more and more things that pile up inside our homes. It’s now your job to go through all of these items and decide what you need and what you don’t. Move through your home room by room and ask yourself, “when was the last time I used this? Does this work? Where can I put this so that I remember I have it?” Start creating designated spots in your home for each item, so that your space stays clean and the tidying process is minimal.

 

Clean Up, Clean Up

 

Once your home is decluttered, it’s now time to clean each room. You’ll want to do one big clean where everything gets wiped down, but then it’s important to set up a cleaning schedule to maintain this cleanliness. Depending on your preference, there are certain chores that can be done daily, weekly or monthly. Perhaps you’ll decide that dishes get done every day, bathrooms once per week and laundry once a month. If you hate gathering all your cleaning supplies each time, perhaps you buy a bucket to keep it all in one place so that it can be easily transported around your home. Find a schedule that works for you so that your home remains clean and doesn’t require a big overhaul after it’s too late.

 

Save Money & the Planet

 

Yes, you read that right. There are ways to make your home more efficient and environmentally friendly without spending hundreds of dollars on new devices or installing that new low-efficiency toilet. By simply making minor adjustments in your home, like waiting to turn on the dishwasher until it’s full or turning off lights when you leave a room, you can lower your electricity bill instantaneously. Try turning off the television when you leave a room or hang some of your clothes to dry after the wash. When you’re about to turn on something electric, try thinking “is there a way I can do this manually instead?”

 

Using these tips, you are set up to enjoy a more clean, beautiful and environmentally-friendly home this 2020.