Unless you happen to have a live-in maid or two to help you with your house-cleaning and picking up after your children, chances are, keeping your home spick and span isn’t exactly a piece of cake to you. Did you know however that there are some changes you can make in the design of your home which will dramatically cut down on your cleaning time as well as effort? Here’s what we’re talking about.

Rethink your upholstery
Kids and certain kinds of upholstery, such as suede for instance, simply do not go well together. When you have kids in the house, (and pets as well), it is essential that any upholstery you have in the hall or dining room be stain and grime resistant. Leather or vinyl upholstery works best for these, for they can be wiped clean, and they will tend to look good for longer too.

Use high gloss wall paints
Matte paints may be in, but if you have pets or kids, the high gloss is much easier to clean because you’ll be less likely to take the paint off the walls when wiping clean, compared to scrubbing a stain. You can take heart in the fact that this small sacrifice is just until your kids are old enough to not draw, scribble or dirty the walls in any way.

Use washable curtains in place of blinds
If you’ve ever spent time trying to dust blinds clean, you’d probably know what a tedious, time-consuming task it is. And no, running a feather duster over them, won’t get them completely clean unless you meticulously go through each blade. Try switching blinds for easy-to-wash curtains instead. They’re not only easier to keep clean, but a set of well-chosen curtains can be visually appealing too!

Be smart with storage units
If you live in a small house with limited storage, your house might always look messy because there’s not enough space for everything. You can fix this problem by installing a few more cupboards or closets to keep things tidy. Try to put your storage within easy reach. For example, you might store your blankets in an ottoman rather than in a cupboard in the hallway. You’re more likely to put it away and keep the place clean if the storage container is easily accessible.

Consider a child-safe laundry chute
If you live in a big house and have a large family, you’ll probably realise by now that your family’s laundry rarely goes directly to the laundry room, especially when it’s located far from the bedrooms. Let’s face it – hardly anyone fancies the idea of walking downstairs every time they have a dirty garment in your hand to deal with. By installing a child-safe laundry chute that goes to the laundry room from the main level, the upper level, or both, getting the entire family’s laundry done becomes an easier task.

Hate doing the dishes? A dishwasher is your answer
Is your kitchen sink constantly full of dirty dishes? Do you procrastinate whenever there’s a sinkful of dirty dishes to take care of? If so, and if you can afford it, a dishwasher can turn out to be your best friend in the kitchen! It will contribute greatly to a cleaner kitchen and a much happier you!

Install better quality countertops
Countertop materials such as Formica always end up looking really dirty and as time goes by, they get harder to clean. These kinds of countertop material also have a tendency to form divots over time, further damaging their looks. It will be a good investment to install countertops made from granite or another precious stone, for they’re easier to keep clean, and they’ll look great too. Furthermore, they will be free from unsightly chips and grooves that collect dirt and bacteria.

Change your flooring
Not all floors can be easily kept clean. If you have clean floors in mind, and if your budget allows it, consider terracotta tiles or trendy stained concrete. You can also consider swapping your carpet for carpet tiles – They can be replaced square by square if there’s any irreversible damage.