10 things people with a clean house always do

April Kennedy April Kennedy
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Many people simply clean their homes by tidying up the kitchen and doing a load of washing. But this kind of process doesn't necessarily help create a tidy and cared-for home. Caring for your home is more than just hiding away all evidence of life. It's about creating a sense of ease in the home. Everything has its proper place and there is an order to the home. It's the secret ingredient often distinguishes a young student's apartment from an established family home. So what are the signs of a tidy and well cared-for home? Well, today we present 10 of them. As usual, we'll take the opportunity to present some inspiring interiors!

1. An organised entrance

The entrance is really the scene setter in the home. Caring for your home means caring for yourself. This means giving yourself space to hang jackets, bags and store shoes. 

2. Polished cabinet doors

A lot of people sweep and mop their floors on a regular basis. But the cabinet doors are often overlook. Grubby hands and small splash marks really add up over time. So polish those cabinet doors. While you're at it, you might notice the grubby light switches and windows too. 

3. Laundry baskets in appropriate places

A tidy home isn't always the sign of someone who is particularly tidy. It's just the result of having smart storage containers in the right places. The very place to start is the bathroom storage. If this is where you change clothes, make sure there's a decent laundry basket in place. 

4. Home office devoid of paper

No matter how large or small your home office, random bits of paperwork will make for a chaotic and messy looking home. A pinboard, clipboard or some good stationery supplies will help.

5. Ample storage space

Most people find that things just magically accumulate and before they know it—there's not enough storage space. A ritual clean out combined with the addition of ample storage space is best.

6. Floating shelves with space to spare

The storage space in a well-cared for home is never crammed with stuff. Instead, there are a few, attractive elements on display. In between, there's a whole lot of empty space!

7. Dedicated lighting

A well-cared for home is easy to live in. This kind of home needs good, dedicated lighting in appropriate places. A gentle ambient light is usually good for the living room, task lighting will be needed for reading areas and the bathroom should have some flattering warm lighting.

8. Beautiful white storage boxes

White storage boxes are so beautiful and handy we think they deserve a whole section unto themselves. They can be used to handle the random bits of clutter that automatically accumulate in any home. The best part of all is that they can be stacked up on an open shelf and disappear when set against a white wall.

9. Closet with dedicated storage compartments

A closet needs to have more than just a few coat hangers. It needs space to store shoes, scarves, jewellery, belts and other accessories. This kind of system doesn't need to be expensive to set up, it could just consist of some pretty hooks.

10. A basket for spare items

Spare pillows, throwovers and blankets might look great in catalogue-style interiors. But in reality, it's often good to have a spare wicker basket in the living room for storage. It could even be used to store spare magazines as well. 

If you found this invigorating, you'll love 9 simple ways to make your guests feel more at home.

If you have any more tips, let us know!

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