Are you struggling to keep a clean home? Do you need to organize your life and home but don’t know where to start? If you answered yes to these questions, you’re in the right place. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore why deep cleaning and organizing your home is crucial, and provide you with practical, budget-friendly strategies to achieve a cleaner, more organized living space.

Why Deep Cleaning and Organizing Matter

When a home is clean and organized, it can make you feel physically and emotionally better. Everything is in its place, reducing feelings of chaos and overwhelm. The best part? Achieving this doesn’t have to cost a fortune. You can pride yourself on being frugal and effective at the same time.

Benefits of a Clean and Organized Home

  1. Improved physical health
  2. Enhanced mental clarity
  3. Increased productivity
  4. Reduced stress and anxiety
  5. Better sleep quality
  6. More time for activities you enjoy
The first thing we need to do? Clean the house. So wipe down those countertops (especially our kitchen counter), vacuum those floors, And then we're going to start getting rid of all of the bugs.

How to Deep Clean Your Home

Deep cleaning your home involves more than just surface-level tidying. It’s about getting into those often-neglected areas and giving your entire living space a thorough cleanse.

Preparing for Deep Cleaning

Before you start, gather your cleaning supplies. You can use natural, cost-effective products like:

  • Vinegar
  • Baking soda
  • Castile soap

These items cost pennies to use and are effective for most cleaning tasks. See Essential Cleaning Supplies for Deep Cleaning for more tips.

Deep Cleaning Steps

  1. Vacuum First: Use a good quality vacuum cleaner. Vacuuming stirs up dust, allowing it to settle so you can clean it later. Learn more 13 Super Cool Vacuum Cleaning Hacks for Your Home
  2. Clean Floors:
  3. Dust Thoroughly: Use a damp cloth for dusting. It’s reusable, making it an eco-friendly option. Learn more Easy Dusting Hacks That Will Save You Time
  4. Clean Often Overlooked Areas: Don’t forget about baseboards, light fixtures, and behind furniture. Learn more 8 Tools To Make Cleaning Easier Physically with Amazing Results
Bags and boxes take up a ton of space in our pantry and it does not give it a cohesive look. I organize my dry ingredients by using containers that fit vertically in my pantry to give me more space, they look nice and don't cost a lot of money. I'm a fan of Pyrex Snapware. Another tip is that with deep shelves you can often layer your dry ingredients by putting taller ones in the back and shorter ones in the front. I cut off the instructions and tape them on the back of the containers, and I use a label maker to write what is in the container. This way I can remove the label if something changes in the container.

How to Organize Your Home

Organizing is a simple process, but it requires the right mindset and approach.

Preparing to Organize

Be in the right mood. You’re going to need to get rid of some stuff and clean. If you’re not feeling it, don’t try it. If you’re feeling sentimental, you’ll never get started on the right foot.

The Organization Process

  1. Gut Everything: Take everything out of the cabinets, closet, drawer, or whatever area you’re cleaning.
  2. Sort Items: Go through everything and decide if it’s a:
    • Keep: It’s going back in
    • Purge: It’s trash
    • Pass on: Donate to charity or give to someone who needs it
  3. Clean the Space: Before putting anything back, clean out the area. Vacuum, dust, wash, etc.
  4. Create a System: Decide what you want it to look like when you’re done. Do you need baskets or shoe boxes to help everything have a place and look nice? Dollar stores often have great, affordable options.
  5. Reassemble: Put everything back in its designated place. Use your baskets and boxes to keep things organized.

You can find more examples and tutorials in these articles:

Photo of chas's home

DIY Home Improvement Tips

Home improvement can be a great way to freshen up your space after deep cleaning and organizing.

Choosing DIY Projects

Know your limits. If you can find instructions and know you can handle it, then you can try it. If it feels overwhelming or very costly to fix a mistake, you might want to seek help.

Prioritizing Home Improvements

When deciding which home improvements to tackle first, consider:

  • Safety issues
  • Necessary repairs
  • Projects that add the most value to your home

Home Upgrades to Avoid

If the cost of home upgrades becomes more than what something is worth in value, then it’s not a good idea to do it. Always weigh the cost against the potential return on investment.

You can find further reading check out my home improvement section

Need more time in your busy life? Use these simple home hacks to make life simpler, to organize your home and have more spare time.

Life Hacks for Maintaining a Clean and Organized Home

Once you’ve deep cleaned and organized your home, you’ll want to keep it that way. Here are some life hacks to help:

  1. Implement the “One In, One Out” Rule: For every new item you bring into your home, remove one.
  2. Daily 15-Minute Tidy: Spend just 15 minutes each day putting things back in their place.
  3. Use Multi-Purpose Products: Items like WD-40 can solve many household issues, from squeaky doors to stubborn stains.
  4. Create Cleaning Schedules: Assign different tasks to different days to prevent buildup of dirt and clutter.
  5. Utilize Vertical Space: Use wall-mounted shelves and over-door organizers to maximize storage.

What are some DIY hacks?

Here are some examples of easy hacks you can try today!

You can click on the title to go see my full post about recommendations for this, and here are a few of the things I set into place once my plants were in place.

DIY Garden and Lawn Care

A clean and organized home extends to your outdoor spaces as well.

Lawn Care Basics

  • Water deeply but infrequently to encourage deep root growth
  • Mow regularly, but avoid cutting grass too short
  • Fertilize at the right times of year for your grass type

See these articles for more information:

Starting a Vegetable Garden

  • Choose a sunny location
  • Prepare the soil with compost and fertilizer
  • Select plants suitable for your climate and space
  • Water and maintain regularly.

You can find more information at:

Dealing with Garden Pests

Use natural methods when possible, such as companion planting or introducing beneficial insects. For more stubborn problems, consider organic pesticides.

For further reading:

Conclusion

Deep cleaning and organizing your home is a transformative process that can significantly improve your quality of life. By following these tips and incorporating these life hacks, you can create a living space that’s not only clean and organized but also a joy to inhabit. Remember, a tidy home contributes to a tidy mind, leading to increased productivity, reduced stress, and overall better well-being.

Start your journey to a cleaner, more organized home today. Your future self will thank you!