In my never-ending quest to find more time to relax, kick up my feet, and read a good book, I’m writing today about how to design your home so that it takes less time to clean. If you want a low-maintenance home that doesn’t take much time to clean, here are some ideas for home decor.
When you’re remodeling your home, it’s a great time to fix the little things that bother you, but you don’t notice until you’ve lived there for a while. Larger changes can make a huge difference in a home, whether it’s wishing for five more power outlets or having trouble with how the kitchen is set up. Before you start your renovations, you should also think about how you want to run, clean, and take care of your home.
Start with the Floor
This is what gets dirty the most quickly. My first choice is stained concrete that has been sealed to keep out moisture. Because there aren’t many seams and the seal isn’t porous, it’s easy to sweep or mop and almost impossible for anything to get through. You could also use laminate or luxury vinyl tile that looks like wood planks. It’s also easy to sweep and mop floors made of wood.
All of these things can be cleaned with just a good dust mop and sponge mop, but you can’t put off cleaning up any spills or splatters on hardwood floors. If you must have carpet everywhere, try to keep it to bedrooms, where people usually walk around barefoot.
Choose a Stands Up Furniture
Look for sofas, credenzas, side tables, and pretty much any other kind of furniture that has legs. Even better: cabinets that are directly attached to the wall and don’t touch the floor. This will make it easy for you to vacuum or sweep under them. Invest in a robotic vacuum that can do all the cleaning for you so that you don’t have to.
Choose the Right Paint Finish
Avoid matte paint finishes if you have messy pets or young children who are likely to leave fingerprints and crayon marks on the walls. Instead, choose the smoothest, shiniest paint finish that will still look good. This is usually eggshell for walls and semi-gloss for trim. Dirt and grime are easier to clean off of these shiny surfaces.
Rethink How You Cover Your Walls
Do you like wall coverings but think they will be hard to clean? Then you could cover the walls with vinyl. Over the past few years, these have gotten so much better that you can now find ones that look like silk, grass cloth, linen, and more. They are easy to clean, and they don’t cost much.
Storage, Storage, and More Storage
Things can’t be put away if there’s nowhere to put them, so always be on the lookout for sneaky storage spots, like bench seats with built-in storage underneath or bedheads with shelves.
Before you build or buy a new home, you should really think about how much space you need. If you make your home as useful as possible, you might not need as much space as you think. The bigger your home is, the longer it takes to clean. It’s just how things work. If you’re not moving, you can also help by getting rid of some of the things you have at home. Wherever it makes sense, get rid of things that take too much of your time and energy to take care of.