Everyone has their own standards when it comes to maintaining a clean home. To achieve the desired results, some people adhere to a particular set of rules that they swear by.
Here are some Threads responses to give you a clearer understanding of what we’re referring to. They shared specific ingredients and methods that they have incorporated into their house cleaning routines and are not planning to change anytime soon.
Do you have your go-to non-negotiables? Feel free to share them in the comment boxes below!
#1
My house is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy. The operative words being: CLEAN ENOUGH. Martha Stewart does not live in my house. I do.
#2
Cleaning up while cooking. Not letting the counter top get messy.
#3
As with most things, the hardest thing about cleaning is starting.
#4
Vinegar and baking soda together are useless for cleaning.
#5
A clean house doesn’t smell bad. If your house smells, you don’t need air fresheners, you need to find the source of the smell and clean it
#6
Do NOT put wet towels/washcloths or clothes in the hamper. Let them dry first.
#7
Everything has a spot to be. Don’t put it down… put it AWAY. And put it away where it goes, every time.
#8
DO NOT ADD DISHES TO THE SINK WHILE IM WASHING THEM. I HAVE A SYSTEM.
#9
You should vacuum/sweep before mopping. You can’t mop if you haven’t vacuumed all the crumbs and dust.
#10
If you maintenance clean just a little bit each day you rarely have to do giant deep cleans!
#11
Using the dishwasher is more environmentally friendly and is more sanitary than hand washing because of the extreme heat.
#12
Deep clean my house before travelling. Include empty the laundry basket, change the bedshee, mop the floor, clean the fridge and trash out.
#13
You clean from top to bottom ALWAYS. That way dust/crumbs/etc fall to the floor before you vacuum and mop.
#14
As an Southeast Asian, it’s compulsary that we remove our outdoor shoes and slippers as we enter the house. Keeps our house cleaner so we don’t have to overdo cleaning and can get a clean house with minimal cleaning.
#15
Not really a cleaning rule but I never go to bed with a dirty kitchen. Nothing starts my day worse than having dishes in the sink or crumbs on the floor. Every day starts with a clean slate because I deserve it
#16
You have to keep moving to get it done. The moment you sit down.. even for a split second.. it’s all over, productivity out the window.
#17
A place for everything and everything in it’s place.
#18
Cleaning the stove after cooking. People hate when I do it but I cannot stand crumbs and sticking residue
#19
No shoes in the house. Not quite a cleaning rule, but def keeps your house cleaner than if you do wear them inside.
#20
Do not use an indoor broom outside and vice versa
#21
Put on music and clean nonstop for one song. It’s amazing how much you can get done!
#22
The less you own, the less you don’t have to clean. People get overwhelmed by the mess, by having so much that they don’t feel like washing the dishes or washing clothes. Then it piles up. I keep 2 of every dish. It’s just me. I don’t need 20 bowls, cups plates, mugs etc.
#23
Bathing towels are not to used for wiping spills.
#24
Clean as you go.
Whether dishes, dinner, clutter, etc little tasks throughout the day so that there’s not a seemingly insurmountable task at the end of the day.
#25
Dishwashers use hotter water and much less water than hand washing. Dishes are more sanitized in a dishwasher.
#26
You don’t have to clean everything spotless everyday, but you do have to pick up after yourself to maintain the cleanliness.
#27
When you are sick you need to get a new toothbrush
#28
Make the bed first thing every morning. If you do nothing else, that one thing makes your room look neater.
#29
If you can see it, clean it.
#30
The chairdrobe is allowed, but if you can’t see the back of the chairdrobe, it is time to organise.
#31
I clean the bath and shower whilst stood in it, naked. Then I shower!
#32
Do not sit on your bed in “street clothes.”
#33
Wash your food containers / dishes at the office immediately after use & before you come home!
#34
Cleaning with gloves on changed my life.
I didn’t realize how much I avoided cleaning things because I didn’t want to get my hands in there, or because my hands would smell like the cleaning products afterwards. Gloves change the whole thing. I just get a box of vinyl ones and it lasts me a while.
#35
Do a 10-minute reset every night—waking up to a clean space makes such a difference! Plus, it keeps the mess from piling up.
#36
Cleaning the countertops with a solution of 1:10 lemon juice:water, it disinfects your area, smells fresh, does not harm your surface, and you can put your dough right on the counter without any risk of contamination
#37
Wipes. I do largely try to be environmentally friendly, and wipes are not, but as a solo dweller with intense periods of inertia, wipes keep me in control of my space.
#38
Cordless vacuum cleaner forever!
#39
Sponges are not used to clean countertops. Never.
#40
A splash of cleaning vinegar in the dishwasher always makes them so clean!
#41
Do the dishes after every single meal.
#42
I clean my garbage can and wipe down my dust pan with disinfectant wipes
#43
Fold the laundry as the dryer finishes.
#44
Always clean the sole of the indoor slippers after cleaning the floors
#45
Learned this from one of my BFFs … always keep your house “guest ready.”
#46
A mixture of Dawn, vinegar, and water will clean and disinfect anything.
#47
A rule I learned from a mother figure in my life is sweep once a week per person living in the household: so 3 ppl means 3 times a week should be sufficient.
#48
I scrub the food off my dishes before loading the dishwasher. Everyone says this is a waste nowadays, but my Grandma always told me to do it. Plus, when we moved into our house, the previous homeowners were clearly not scrubbers and the dishwasher was disgusting. I found crab cartilage stuck in the sprayers.
#49
Microfiber towels on the swiffer mop, floor solution in spray bottles spray the floor in sections and mop in S-motions.
#50
Cleaning on Thursdays no matter how busy or exhausted I am. My weekends are for fun and relaxing. Cleaning doesn’t call into either category.
#51
Making the bed everyday is useless and a waste of time.
#52
If you’re letting your pets on your countertops/tables, your house is never actually clean.
#53
Swiffers suck.
#54
Dawn dish liquid can clean everything. I clean my tub and shower with it.
#55
Washing my hands prior to emptying the dishwasher or taking clothes out of the dryer. If it’s clean, it’s going to stay clean!
#56
My cleaning lady is awesome and I love her. She makes my life better. She comes every other Thursday, and our house never gets out of control
#57
Windex is a universal cleaning chemical…used for anything and everything
#58
MAKE YOUR SPACE PRETTY AND PERSONAL. It makes you feel more motivated to keep it nice because YOU did it, it’s yours.
#59
Need separate sponges for cleaning the sink, super dirty pans, and not as dirty items. I cannot cross contaminate. No sponges on counters
#60
Start with laundry and dishes
#61
The dish towel is for clean dish drying only. It is NOT for drying hands or wiping the water spots off the counter!
#62
I shop once a week and I clean out my refrigerator before I put in the new stuff .
#63
Single use clorox toilet scrubbies. I know it’s bad for the environment but I am so grossed out at the thought of the icky brush just sitting there being reused for months.
#64
Shower towels must be washed hot (60-90)
#65
Wood cutting boards should be cleaned then sprinkle baking soda and lemon juice
#66
I will never use “safe non-toxic” ingredients to clean my restroom.
My restroom will ALWAYS get BLEACH cleaned. I don’t care how toxic it seems lmao
#67
If you’re out of metal polish baby oil is a good fill in
#68
Don’t put it down, put it away.
#69
Mr. Clean. MAGIC. ERASERS. For anything. Especially if you have kids.
#70
Employ a cleaner. It’s unrealistic to be a full time working single mum and be expected to keep on top of housekeeping
#71
If you do the dishes you gotta clean the whole kitchen!
#72
Deep clean ALWAYS. It’s more important to actually be clean than to look clean. Top to bottom left to right
#73
Bleach will forever be my best friend.
#74
You do not mop the bathroom with the same mop head you mop the rest of your house with!
#75
I have to wash my floors with dish detergent & bleach at least 3 times a week. Water & fabuloso does nothing for me. I want to be able to EAT off my floors.
#76
Toilets and sink get cleaned every day!
#77
Socks and underwear should not be washed with any other laundry and must be washed and dried on hot.
#78
Never use a mop to clean the floor. Always on your hands and knees and rinse the cloth frequently.