9 Ways to Fake a Clean House

When talking about your home, do you often describe it as “lived in?” You’re comfortable with the overstuffed couch and the everyday clutter, and you don’t consider it dirty. But when unexpected guests arrive, do you find yourself making excuses like, “Oh, this week was so busy, I didn’t have time to pick up,” or “We don’t normally live like this.” Except that you do! If this sounds like you, you may like this post that includes these 9 ways to fake a clean house!

9 Ways to Fake a Clean House

Clear the Entry

The first rooms your guests step into are their first impression of your home. That’s where you should pay the most attention to living clutter-free. If this is a drop zone, place baskets or assign hooks or cubbies where family members can place their items neatly when they come in. Install cabinets or baskets with lids to hide clutter. Take a moment to sweep this area regularly and you won’t be so embarrassed to open the front door!

Have “Formal Rooms”

In Victorian times, the lady of the house would invite guests into her formal rooms, which were always kept up to standards for visitors. If your home has formal rooms, set up comfortable seating and usher your visitors into these areas and keep family areas private. That way it won’t matter if you are messy in your own areas. Always keep the guest bathroom clean as well.

Use Hiding Places

Remember when you were a kid and your mom asked you if you cleaned your room? You always said “Yes,” even though all you did was stuff everything into your closet and hoped she wouldn’t look there. Or you folded just the top layer of clothing in your drawer to give the illusion of neatness. Use these same tricks as an adult and stuff your clutter into drawers, closets and cabinets. (Even under the couch—temporarily.) Once the doors are closed (if they can close), your rooms look tidy and you feel like you have a clean house!

Set Up Zones

There’s a rule in business of “touch it once.” That means when you pick something up, don’t set it down anywhere—deal with it and place it where it is ultimately supposed to go. You can do this in your own house to give the illusion of neatness. Assign zones where items should be placed when you’re done using them. A toybox to hold toys. A basket to stack magazines and books. A rack to hold unread mail. Collections of items look tidier than having them randomly scattered on furniture, the floor and throughout the room.

Related: 20 Ways to Organize With Baskets

Use Cover-Ups

If your couch is covered with animal fur, or your kids have left stains on the chairs with their juice boxes, guests will have hesitation about sitting on them. Cover up these unsightly spots quickly with throws or furniture covers you keep on hand to quickly toss over these pieces of furniture.

Scoop and Run

When a friend calls and asks if they can drop by, grab the laundry basket and scoop everything that’s out of place into it for a really quick pick-up. Stash the basket in your bedroom out of sight. You can always sort through these things later to put them away where they belong.

Toss It

Is your home filled with papers, junk mail, wrappers, old magazines and other clutter? It may be time to get a big trash bag and toss out these extraneous items. There’s no need to collect things that are obviously junk.

Be Conscientious

Because we’re so busy with work, family and outside interests, we often drop and run, without noticing how clutter is building up. After a while, you don’t even see it. It only comes to light when you see it through a guest’s eyes. Set a habit of being conscientious about not cluttering your home and you’ll feel better about living in a clean house and having friends over.

Call 123JUNK

Do you feel overwhelmed by the amount of clutter in your home? Let 123JUNK help. We’ll gladly remove excess or broken furniture and household items, paper, electronics, appliances, tools, toys and yard equipment—pretty much anything you’d like to get rid of.

With our 1-2-3 Process of of Donate-Recycle-Dispose, we’ll cull out anything we think is perfectly good and donate those items to one of our local charity partners who can use them to support a local family in need. For appliances, metals, paper and electronics, we’ll deliver what can be recycled to the local recycling center for safe disposal. Only then do we take the rest to the area landfill for disposal. It’s our part—and your part—of protecting our environment and our local community.

For Junk Removal in Northern VA, Maryland and Washington DC, Call 123JUNK Today

We know you’re busy, so we try to keep our process simple. Call us to speak to a live operator who can explain our process, give you a price, and set up your pickup appointment. Before we arrive, we’ll give you a courtesy call to let you know we’re on our way. And when we get there, show us what you’d like us to remove. We’ll take a moment to lay down protection on your floors and walls, if needed, and get straight to work. In no time, your home will feel tidy and you won’t have to fake a clean house. What a relief!

To learn more or to set your junk removal appointment, contact 123JUNK at 1-800-364-5778.

stress-free-mornings

How to Organize for Stress-Free Back to School Mornings

Now that the kids are back in school and many parents are returning to the office, mornings can be hectic. With everyone trying to eat breakfast, make lunches and gather their items for the day, there is little time left over. Wouldn’t it be great to organize everyone to create stress-free back to school mornings? That’s where systems and organization can be a big help.

Declutter

Having too many items around creates havoc when you’re rushing to get out the door. Declutter areas where you and your children are trying to get ready in the morning. Put away items to keep and toss items you no longer need or want. If you have a lot of items you’d like to get rid of, contact 123JUNK!

To prevent clutter from building up, create drop bins for trash and items that need to be put away. Create one bin for each person that they can take to their rooms at the end of each day.

Create a Command Center

Dedicate one space as your home’s Command Center, and outfit it with anything required for last-minute preparation. Stock it with a clock, pens and pencils, the weekly schedule, a calendar, paper pads, safety pins, Band-Aids, stapler, ruler, tape, erasers, and a parent’s inbox for important papers that need to be signed and returned.

Create Stress-Free Morning Zones

Create a zone for each person into which they can put items needed for the following day. It’s a great way to “grab and go” for a stress-free back to school morning routine. Install cubbies near the front door for bookbags and briefcases. Dedicate a section of the kitchen counter or island for lunch preparation. Place non-perishable lunch items into marked bins, and refrigerated items in one section of the appliance. Here’s how one mom does it.

Develop Stress-Free Routines and Schedules

A key to creating a stress-free morning is to not have to think about what to do. That’s where a routine comes in handy. Create a schedule for the kids of what time to get up, what grooming items to perform (making the bed, brushing teeth, combing hair, washing face, getting dressed, etc.), and what time to come to the table for breakfast. Keep in mind the ultimate schedule item of what time they must leave for school. Have clocks available in each area in order to keep track of time. For younger children, create a picture chart.

If the children are involved in making their own lunches, make a schedule for that too. Assign individual responsibilities, or take turns each week as lunch makers. If the children will be buying lunch at school, make sure they have their lunch money, or establish a school lunch account with the school.

Start the Night Before

Each evening, lay out the items that will be required for the next day. This can significantly help create a stress-free morning. Make sure homework, bookbags and jackets are in the cubbies. Lay out the outfit and shoes. Pack non-perishable items in lunch bags and lunch boxes. Get baths out of the way. And check the schedule and family calendar for any out-of-the-ordinary schedule changes.

123JUNK Loves Stress-Free Back to School Mornings

As a junk removal company, we are probably more aware than others of the chaos clutter can cause. We see it every day in our job. That’s one reason we transitioned to a paperless office! And we try to implement these tips into our own mornings to reduce stress and get our families out the door on time.

Our goal at 123JUNK is to provide home and business owners throughout Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC with one trusted resource for junk removal. We also make it our mission to protect our environment with our 1-2-3 Process of Donate-Recycle-Dispose. Our clients love that too.

When you need junk hauling, contact 123JUNK and talk to a live representative.

 

Check out the recent Redfin article we were
featured in:
Create a Clean and Organized Home
with These 22 Tips

It’s easy for homes to become disorganized and
full of clutter. Whether you have numerous
belongings or always seem to accumulate more,
it’s easy for it to become unmanageable. If so,
consider incorporating structure into your
cleaning routine. Creating simple habits will help
you avoid the clutter and mess that always
seems to accumulate at home. Once you begin
practicing these new habits, you’ll notice how
much easier it is to create a clean and organized
home.

Read the full article here: Create a Clean and
Organized Home with These 22 Tips | Redfin