Ditch perfectionism if you want a clean and tidy home. 

It’s easy and common to get stuck in a perfection rut.  “I’ll do it when I have time to do it the right/excellent/perfect way,” or “Whenever I have the money to buy the supplies I need, I’ll get this place organized,” you think.  If your high ideals are keeping you from accomplishing anything, it’s time to shelve them and get right down to the business of doing something.  You can always improve on it later after you get the basics done.  Step one is merely to act. 

Set yourself up for success. 

Keep a set of cleaning supplies in each bathroom and also in your kitchen.  Don’t wait until you have the latest, greatest cleaning supplies.  Use a 1:1 mixture of vinegar and water as an all-purpose cleaner, or add a cup or so of rubbing alcohol to the mix for a good window cleaner.  These mixtures are easy to keep around the house, cost only pennies, and are “greener” than harsher, costlier chemicals.  Make sure you stock a toilet brush by each toilet so you don’t have to carry a drippy one back and forth.  By stocking cleaning supplies in every bathroom and in the kitchen, you can wipe up spills or touch up spotty faucets in a minute or two.

Every day, quickly wipe down the bathroom sink and toilet. 

You can do this with just a rag and some water, or use a spritz of cleanser as needed, and quickly scrub the toilet bowl with the toilet brush.  Just spend about three minutes hitting the high points in your most-used bathroom at some time during the day.  Your bathroom will always look nice, and sometimes, just wiping away spots and spills will be enough.   

Unload the dishwasher each morning. 

That way, you can load your dishwasher throughout the day and then run it at night.  This simple habit will keep your kitchen cleaner and constantly give you a clean supply of dishes.  After dinner, get the dishwasher loaded and hand-wash any dishes that can’t go in the dishwasher.  Set the dishwasher to run while you sleep, and when you unload it the following morning, set the table for the next meal. 

Wash at least one load of laundry while you sleep. 

Before you go to bed, fill the washing machine and set the washer to start running while you snooze.  The next morning, or as soon as you get home from work, put the load of wash in the dryer and run it.  Fold or hang up and put away the clothes as soon as they are dry, before the tumbling stops, in order to avoid wrinkles and minimize ironing.    

Do it now. 

Any time you leave a room, take things with you to deliver to your destination.  If you notice a task that needs doing and it will take less than two minutes to do, go ahead and do it now.  Put lengthier tasks on a to-do list.   Every half hour, take a five-minute break from computer activities or television viewing to clean something, tend to laundry, or do a small piece of a task on your list.

Do you need and love it? 

Take a hard look at your shopping and acquiring habits.  Don’t take something home just because it’s a bargain.  Do you need it?  Do you love it?  If not, don’t let it into your home.  Once in awhile, take a trash bag around your home and toss in items you no longer need or love.  Put the bag in your car and drop it off at a charity drop-off the next time you pass one.