30 To-Do List Items that Keep Your Home in Order

I get it. Life gets stressful and overwhelming. And we can’t do everything. So many things get migrated across our to-do list that eventually we forget that they were even on it. Here are 30 To-Do List additions to help keep your home in order and running a little smoother. Don’t add all of them to your list; just the ones that you know you need or want to get done.

Let’s Get Started Getting That House in Order!

Avoid being awoken by chirping alarms at 2 a.m. Change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors before the day is out.

Grab some glass cleaner and clean the windows in the one-room you live in most (kitchen or family room). If you’re done within five minutes, do the same in the next most lived-in room. Enjoy the extra sparkle.

Make a list of all the little things, like loose knobs and squeaky doors that consistently drive you batty. Identify what you need to fix each item and stop by the hardware store to buy them.

Fix at least three things on your list today using the items you purchased at the hardware store yesterday. If you can tackle everything on that list. You’ll be amazed at the big difference dealing with those little nuisances makes!

Clean your blinds. Dampen a rag with an all-purpose cleaner and wipe each blind by hand. If you have roommates or family members who can help out, assign each person a room. You’ll be done within 15 to 20 minutes.

Grab a damp rag or dust cloth and dust along the baseboards in every room of the house.

If you’ve had the same phone message since you purchased your telephone, change and freshen up your greeting!

If you don’t own one, buy or rent a steam vacuum. While you are out, purchase some cleaner as well. Bring it home today.

Remove all furniture from your most highly trafficked rooms. Give the rugs in those rooms a deep clean with the steam vacuum you’ve rented for the day. If you have carpet on your stairs, give that a deep clean too. Return the rented vac when you are through. Have couches and chairs with slipcovers? When was the last time you washed them? Remove the items today and either clean them yourself or drop them off at the dry cleaner for a little TLC

Brighten up your rooms by putting a few brightly colored throw pillows on beds, couches and chairs. There’s no shortage of beautiful designs that you can find cheaply at an outlet store, or get more creative by making your own or finding some homemade items on Etsy.

Time to grab your glass cleaner again! This time, give all the mirrors in the house a thorough clean. If you finish that task in less than 10 minutes, clean the windows in your bedroom.

Keep Your Home in Order….

Do you have a lot of DVDs and CDs cluttering up bookshelves and cabinets? Get a book that holds discs and transfer the paper insert and disc to the book. Toss the jewel cases.

Are you looking for a quick clutter fix? Focus on end tables and bedside tables today. Put books back on bookshelves, toss old catalogs and papers, and give the tops a good dusting. Don’t over estimate the degree of difficulty, even if you can’t see the top, it will take you no more than 2-3 minutes to clear up each table.

Do you have ceiling fans? Today is the day to dust those blades.

When was the last time you really cleaned out your dryer vent? No time like the present. Remove the lint catcher and using the hose attachment on your vacuum cleaner, suck out the lint that has accumulated.

Stretch yourself today. Get out a stepladder and dampen a rag. Dust the tops of all pieces of furniture that are taller than 48” and while you’re up there, run the cloth along the crown molding as well.

Have a few additions to keep your home in order yet?

Go through your closet (and if you have kids, theirs too) today and weed out any item that no longer fits or has not been worn in more than a year. If you’re saving kid’s clothes for future use, store them in a plastic container – don’t forget to label them! Put all remaining unused/ill-fitting items in a paper bag or box and bring them to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army.

If it has been more than three months since you last changed the filters in your heating and cooling system, it is time to do so. If you don’t have extra filters, head over to your local hardware store or Home Depot and get two sets. Swap out the filters and store the extra set right next to your system. Set a reminder in your calendar to change the filters in August.

Got little ones? Go through all the toys in the playroom today. Question whether or not your kids still play with them. Toss broken and unusable ones. Put any toys and stuffed animals that are no longer used in a box or bag to bring to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army.

Does the need to keep your home in order smack you when you first get home? Is the entryway to your home an eyesore? Consider hanging a hook or two as a way to store keys, purses, and backpacks when they aren’t being used. If you don’t have a mail station, set one up. Get a pretty trashcan and a simple 5-slot mail holder and put them next to and on a table nearest the door. If you don’t have a table, get a hanging mail holder and hang it within a step or two of the door.

Keeping Your Home in order yet?

Have your home looking in order upon the first impression. Freshen up the entrance to your home. Beat the doormat, sweep off any dried leaves, mud, or debris leftover from winter. Consider putting a cheery potted plant to greet visitors. If you have a brass knocker or handle, grab two rags. Apply a little Brasso with one and then wipe it clean with the other. Enjoy the sparkle and shine.

Dust picture frames, lamps, and tabletops today. Wait 30 minutes and then give floors a good once over with the vacuum.

De-clutter the refrigerator today. Empty both the fridge and the freezer of their contents and get rid of anything past its prime. Scrub the insides clean. If the drawers are nasty, take them to the sink and give them a thorough clean with soap and water. Put the items back logically.

Is your desk lost under mounds of paper? Get to the bottom of it quickly. Set an egg timer for 20 minutes and tackle the mess. Be ruthless and toss papers you no longer need. Put books back on shelves; toss old receipts, coupons, and paper statements (contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to hold on to them)

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Tackle kitchen countertop clutter today. Toss any old coupons, notes and drawings circulating on the counters or stuck on the fridge. Put coins that are scattered around in containers. Toss any lingering newspapers and magazines. Give the cleaned-up countertops a good scrub with a multi-surface cleaner.

Do you have one closet or room that is a catchall for clutter? If you have kids, call a babysitter to cover for a few hours while you go to town in the room. There’s nothing like a good deep clean of a clutter-trap to leave you feeling like you’ve truly taken big steps to get organized.

Add Some to Your To-Do List Today!

You don’t need to add all of these to your list for today. Add some to your monthly calendar to get a jump start on keeping on top of things in your home. Spring Cleaning time is here, so make some of these your starting point to move forward.