Keep It Clean

• Cleaning doesn't have to be a chore; make it fun and involve the family.Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  Cleaning your house once a week in one go is not necessarily the best way to keep on top of household cleanliness. It is often better to prioritize the rooms in order of how much traffic passes through each room each day. The kitchen and bathroom are most likely the p[laces that get dirty the quickest as these are used many times a day and by many people, depending on the size of your family. The best method for a home that stays clean in all areas is to do little and often. Ensure that the bathroom and kitchen are cleaned every day to avoid the buildup of germs and bacteria. Do a deeper clean of both rooms regularly to stop the buildup of mold, condensation and limescale. Create a schedule for the week so that one room is cleaned every day or every other day. You do not have to do it all, enlist your family in keeping the rooms clean.
  
  

Keep It Organized

• Giving each person in the family the responsibility of looking after one room in house can really work.David Sacks/Lifesize/Getty Images
  
  Organization is the key to all well-kept houses. Making a schedule for cleaning tasks is only one part of the job. There are many other jobs within the house that help keep it maintained and in good order. Get a white board and put it in the kitchen or study and list anything that has broken and needs fixing. Use it to remind yourself and everyone else in the house of those "extra" jobs that keep getting put off, for instance, the pile of trash that needs to go to the local dump that has been sitting outside for months. If you don't like the idea of schedules for jobs, give each person in the family responsibility for one or more rooms, depending on age and ability. This gives each person "ownership" of that room and, therefore, they are more likely to get the job done.
  
  

Storage Organization

• Storing your goods well leads to a well-maintained home.Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
  
  Clutter can make a clean home look untidy, unkempt and badly maintained. When organizing your household, storage is a major issue. Ensure that areas are kept free from clutter with the use of shelves, baskets and storage boxes. If the children play in the lounge and their toys are everywhere, put some baskets or storage boxes in the room and separate the toys into different categories. For example, put dolls in one box, building blocks in another and cuddly toys in their own box. Create a space in one corner and tell the children they are only allowed one box out at a time. If you have many clothes and shoes, the storage box can again be your solution. Place your shoes in boxes; take a picture of the shoes and stick it on the outside of the box so you know exactly what is in each box. In the kitchen, put foodstuffs in jars and neatly label them. This keeps your cupboards and work surfaces tidy, and you can see when you are running out of things.
  
  

Make It Clear

• Talking to your family and making some house rules can benefit everyone.Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  Make it clear to all members of the household how the home should be organized. You cannot expect people to automatically know what you have changed or where things are if you have moved things around. Create a set of house rules for keeping the house in order, and ask everyone to do their bit. Making a home work should be done by all that are living there, not just by one person. If children know that they can find all their building blocks in one place, they generally appreciate that fact so they don't have to go in search of lost pieces. Good habits are easily formed, and if you work together as a family, you will soon have a well-run, clean, uncluttered and organized home.