Designing Your Home For Easy Housekeeping

While many only consider function and aesthetics in the interior design of their homes, designing for quick and simple housekeeping can shave off hours of cleaning time each month.

Reduce Clutter

Clutter is the avid cleaner's biggest enemy, and a time sucker when housekeeping. Every item must be picked up and polished or dusted; a simple way to cut down on time dusting is to remove some items from the home. If you simply can't let go of your prized articles, consider this: instead of keeping every well loved item in view year round, put some excess items on rotation. Only set out a few statement pieces at a time, and store the rest. This will give the objects left in the room more visual impact while reducing the amount of time spent cleaning that room. An added bonus: when you stumble across stored items while redecorating throughout the year, the objects will be new and exciting again.

Remove Carpet

Carpet is notorious for being difficult to keep visually clean as well as actually clean. Dirt, grime, and mold can get trapped in the pad, creating a nasty environment for the allergy prone. Also, carpet cleaning products can make cleaning problems worse by leaving a sticky residue that attracts more dirt. Hard floors such as tile or wood are simple to maintain and attractive. If hard floors feel too cold for your personal tastes, areas rugs are a good compromise.

Avoid Difficult to Clean Furniture

Certain fabrics and color choices will create a never ending need for continuous cleaning. Avoid light colored upholstered furniture in favor of printed fabrics. Stick with leather furniture, which can be easily wiped down, or other easy to clean fabrics. Many tout microfiber as a spill proof material, but microfiber can be adversely affected by large spills and can be tricky to clean, sometimes becoming hard after repeated washing. Avoid it if your furniture is used by children or others who tend to spill. Some furniture manufacturers design furniture with removable covers that can be machine washed. These are a good choice. Purchase tables and coffee tables that do not have super shiny surfaces, as surfaces with too much sheen constantly show any grime and fingerprints.

Use Glossy Paint

Glossy paint is sturdy, easy to clean, and stain resistant. If you don't like the way high gloss paint looks throughout the home, at least use it in high traffic areas, children's rooms, baseboards, and woodwork. Semi-gloss paint can also achieve a similar effect without quite as much surface smoothness or reflective qualities. Bathrooms and kitchens also benefit from the water resistant quality of high gloss paint. If you are repainting your home with high gloss paint, be sure to spend a little extra time properly preparing your walls, as high gloss does tend to show imperfections more than duller paints. Avoid flat paint when you can, as the rough texture can attract dirt and be quite difficult to clean.

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