Your home is a refuge for you to enjoy, not to be a slave to. Rather than feeling at ease in their own dwelling spaces, many people tend to spend their time cleaning up and maintaining both its interiors and exteriors. If you find yourself in this very predicament, then look no further.
Here are some practical tips you can use to help you design a home that’s low-maintenance and easy to care for:
Opt for stain-resistant materials
Materials like stainless steel, quartz, and vinyl are incredibly easy to maintain since they don’t rust or rot easily and you can easily wipe away any stains. Not only are they durable, but they’re also versatile too — you can use them on just about any surface or item in your house. For example, you can have stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, and vinyl windows. You won’t need to spend so much time and money on cleaning these materials or having them repaired.
Provide plenty of storage solutions
Cabinets, containers, mounted storage — the more places you can store away all your mess, the better. Less clutter in your living spaces also means less things to wipe down. You’ll have a tidier and cleaner looking house in no time.
Design an artificial lawn
Green spaces can breathe life into your home, but they can also be difficult to maintain. With an artificial lawn, you’ll never have to worry about mowing your lawn, watering plants, or dragging in soil and dirt into your living areas.
Keep it simple
Adding more design elements in your home not only makes it look cluttered, it also makes it much more difficult to clean. More furniture means more surfaces to dust or wipe down. Everything from your light fittings to your cabinetry and appliances should be pared down and simple.
Go for groutless flooring
When choosing your flooring material, go for ones that don’t have any gaps or joint lines. Dirt and grime tend to settle more in these spaces, giving you more work to do in terms of cleaning your floor. Opt for groutless flooring materials like parquet, long tiles, or vinyl instead. All you’ll need to do to keep it clean and tidy is a vacuum and a mop. Avoid carpeted floors, as well. While carpeted floors can be comfortable on your feet, especially if you live in an area with a colder climate. But it’s incredibly difficult to keep clean, especially if you have children or pets.
Invest in electronic cleaning devices
Electronic cleaning devices can get the job done for you in no time. It’s worth it to invest in a couple of gadgets, especially if you find it hard to clean your home on a daily basis. Things like robotic vacuums and automatic toilet bowl cleaning systems are great tools that can help you reduce your cleaning workload.
Downsize your home
If the cost and effort of maintaining your home far outweigh your enjoyment of living there, it’s time to consider downsizing to something more manageable. A townhouse or condo are great alternatives that don’t require so much upkeep on your part. Most homeowner’s associations are responsible for landscaping and exterior maintenance, so you’ll only really be responsible for keeping your own home or unit clean.
If the first thing you think about when you get home is the trouble of cleaning it, you’re due to make a couple of changes. Make your home a stress-free haven by making sure it’s as low-maintenance as possible with these handy suggestions.
