Christine Ellis

Are you struggling to maintain a clean house? Getting you and your family ready for the day and out the door is stressful enough without trying to load the dishwasher, empty the clothes dryer, or sweep the floors.

The best solution to this dilemma is to form a nighttime cleaning routine that allows you and your helpers to handle tasks in the evening when there isn't a rush. Here are five great tips for a nighttime plan so you can wake up to a clean and tidy home each day!

Quick Kitchen Clean Up

The best daily nighttime routine for kitchen cleaning starts with making it a habit to "clear as you cook," which means putting away food prep items when you finish with them instead of leaving them on the counter until later. This routine makes the rest of these kitchen clean-up steps much faster:

• Wash and put away the dishes immediately after dinner
• Wipe down the table, counters, stovetop, oven, and fridge doors with an all-purpose cleaner
• Sweep floors and spot-clean any drips or messes
• Take out the trash

Schedule one day a week for mopping, cleaning the inside of the oven and fridge, and organizing the pantry, fridge, freezer, and cabinets.

Tackle Laundry

The evening hours allow you to get several loads of laundry washed, dried, and put away between other chores and family time. Set a timer or alarm on your phone so you can immediately get the clothes into the washer or dryer instead of forgetting about them and wasting time.

When a load is clean and dry, fill a basket and fold it while watching TV or helping kids with homework. Once folded, could you make it a habit to put the laundry away right away in its appropriate spot?

Bedroom Touch-Ups

A great tip is to take a few minutes to tidy up everyone's bedrooms when dropping off clean laundry. That could mean putting dirty clothes in the hamper, putting toys in bins, picking out the next day's outfit, and clearing clutter from the dresser.

Another tip is to run the vacuum, then leave it in another room that needs it. That way, when you return to that room to put away laundry or pick up clutter, it's there to "remind" you to run over the carpet. Tidying up bedrooms in little microburst sessions is the easiest way to tackle this part of your nighttime cleaning routine.

Straighten the Living Areas

Picking up toys, folding throw blankets, straightening pillows, vacuuming, putting away mail or books, and clearing end tables are all tasks that take a minute or so to complete. If you make a habit of cleaning during commercial breaks, the rooms will be neat by bedtime.

A great tip is to hide a duster, rag, glass cleaner, and furniture polish in a decorative basket in each living space, so you can conveniently grab it when you see dust or messes that need a swipe.

Clean and Disinfect the Bathroom

Make it a habit to wipe down sinks and countertops after every bathroom use. A great tip is to label a decorative bottle and leave it on the sink with a mixture of a natural cleaning product or mix up your own. Then, place a clean microfiber cloth next to the bottle daily to clean off drops of water, toothpaste, makeup, or hair.

Cleaning with essential oils, like tea tree, lemon, eucalyptus, or lavender, is an excellent way to kill germs, remove grease and grime, and leave behind a pleasant scent.

The last one in the shower should take a moment to wash the down the walls to prevent the buildup of soap scum or scale. Next, finish up by performing these tasks:

• Brush the toilet bowl
• Swipe the toilet seat with a disinfectant wipe
• Put dirty towels and clothes in the hamper or laundry room
• Sweep the floor
• Hang fresh towels
• Clean the mirror
• Empty trash