Always make the bed: crisply made bed makes the whole room seem more tidy, which makes it less likely that you'll let other things (ie. clothes and papers!) pile up around it.
De-clutter: before you leave a room, take a quick look around for anything that isn't where it should be. Pick it up and put it where it belongs. Make it a habit for everyone in the household to do the same.
Sort the mail: take 5 minutes each day to open, read, and sort mail as soon as it lands on your doormat! Bin the junk mail. Arrange other mail into one of three in-boxes: personal correspondence, bills, and filing.
Clean as you cook: instead of filling the sink with saucepans, plates and cups, wash them or put them in the dishwasher as you prepare a meal.
Wipe up spills as soon as they happen: whether it's tomato sauce on the kitchen floor or makeup on your dressing table, almost anything is faster and easier to remove if you do it straight away.
Sweep the kitchen floor: every evening once you've finished washing up after dinner, sweep or hoover the floor. This will keep tough-to-clean dirt and grime from building up, which will make the weekly cleaning much faster!
