Do a once-over
“The biggest thing you could do every week on the inside of a house is quickly taking an assessment of the house and determining what you need to add to your schedule,” says Elizabeth Dodson, co-founder of home maintenance software company HomeZada. Do you notice any scuffed paint? Worn-out caulking letting air outside? Unruly hedges? Once you know what projects you’ll need to tackle, plan out which ones you’ll realistically have time for this week. Deciding ahead of time will make you less overwhelmed when chore time rolls around.
Throw out five things
De-cluttering your entire house in one fell swoop might be overwhelming, but vowing to toss or put away just five objects will seem much more doable, says Maeve Richmond, founder and coach of organising company Maeve’s Method. “I call it Toss Five, which makes it a little bit of a game,” she says. Once you look for expired foods, old receipts, junk mail, dirty socks and other useless items, it won’t take long to gather all five and be well on your way to a de-cluttered home.
Make sure you throw out these 17 things as soon as possible.
Clean your rangehood vent
Most homeowners are already good about wiping down their stovetop on at least a weekly basis, but don’t stop there. Remove the overhead vent and give it a rinse to remove the grease and food residue build-up. “That can prevent fire,” says Dodson. “Your food might taste better, too.”