Have You Ever Thought…
What is the difference between cleaning versus tidying? It all seems like the same thing, right? There is actually an important distinction and it just might be the ticket to keeping a clean home with ease.
What is the Difference and How It Can Help You
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has suddenly had unexpected guests coming over only to realize that my house is completely out of sorts. You leap up from whatever you are doing in a panic and do what can only be described as a tornado of putting things in their proper homes and wiping away the visible dust as quickly as humanly possible.
Well my friends, if you have done that alongside me then you know all about tidying, albeit stress tidying – but still you know what I’m talking about. Tidying your home can be a lifesaver especially when you find yourself in a position like the unexpected house guests scenario. Have you ever really stopped to think about the true difference between tidying and cleaning? Let’s break down both because this little nugget of information can be life-changing (dramatic I know – but hear me out).
Tidying Versus Cleaning
You can see in the two breakdowns that there are similarities in both cleaning and tidying but likewise a lot of differences. Where tidying is quick cleaning takes much more time. Tidying is more of a spot clean where you clean what you can see but you don’t really move things around and you really only focus on the most visible areas in a room. Even further you may only focus on particular rooms within your home when it comes to tidying. For example, if you have guests coming over you will probably focus more on the guest bathroom and main living spaces than your bedroom or personal bathroom.
Cleaning on the other hand is much more thorough. For instance, if you are tidying and dusting you may just dust the visible dust on a shelf, but if you are cleaning you will move objects off the shelf and dust the whole shelf and the objects themselves before placing them back on the shelf. Tidying also requires minimal tools, you may do a quick wipe down with a rag or maybe a quick sweep with the vacuum but you aren’t doing any extra steps such as cleaning glass or baseboards for example which means fewer cleaning tools or products.
Why Does the Difference Matter?
Now that we better understand the difference, you may still be wondering, “How can this help me?”. One of the ways it can be helpful is already with the example I used of guests coming over. Doing a quick tidy is an effective way to get your house in order for unexpected or even expected guests when you’ve just been too busy to keep up with your cleaning routine.
My favorite use for tidying; however, is to assist me with cleaning. If you are confused by this because they seem like they should be used at different times then it’s time to reframe how we think of tidying versus cleaning (this is where this little nugget of information changed my life for the better).
The Life Changing Cleaning Hack
Tidying doesn’t have to be the lesser form of cleaning as I think it so often is believed to be, instead, it can be a cleaning accessory. For example, you are in the bathroom getting ready for the day and water has pooled onto the counter or a splash of water ends up on the mirror. Instead of leaving it there to dry and having to scrub it off surfaces when you clean the bathroom just wipe it up right then and there. Technically that is tidying and contributes to less cleanup on your designated cleaning day and less elbow grease.
The same goes for your stovetop in the kitchen or a spot on the floor that just needs a quick sweep. Maybe there’s a spot on your dresser that in the sunlight shows off an odd amount of dust that’s accumulated. Quick wipe-downs, sweeps, and putting things back where they belong throughout the week are all part of tidying and help out immensely on cleaning day. They also contribute to the daily feeling that your home is more put together.
The Everyday Tidy
I always recommend doing a quick tidy at night before going to bed. Nothing feels better than getting into bed with a clean home and then in turn waking up with a clean home. Life just runs smoother when your home is in order especially at the start of your day. This can very easily and quickly change your whole mindset going into that day which can be a very powerful thing.
Some of my favorite uses of tidying are the little things like making my bed every day, sweeping up my floors at night, and making sure there are no dishes in the sink before bed. Walking into a room with a made bed or a clean sink or the difference you feel when your floors are clean can be incredibly impactful. Even the feeling of getting into bed at night when it’s made versus not feels infinitely better!
All About Mindset
The biggest game changer is really all about mindset and using moderation to help you. If you think of daily tidying as a means to help you with your regular cleaning routine then it makes it much easier to tidy. When you think about cleaning as a way to make deep cleaning easier and making it so there is less maintenance on your home each week when it is kept up then you are golden. The more frequently you clean the less you truly have to do hardcore cleaning, or at least the cleaning is not as grueling and time-consuming. And who doesn’t love a clean home with fewer cleaning challenges?!
Ready to start cleaning and tidying? Check out my blog post A Homemaker’s Clean Home where I provide tips and tricks and a simple cleaning schedule for an always clean home. If you would like to have an all year long cleaning checklist then download my Hummingbird Hilltop Homestead Cleaning Checklist by signing up for my email list here on my homepage, or you will find it offered throughout my website.
