7 Cleaning Habits to Maintain a Tidy and Organized Home This New Year
Start the year right with practical cleaning habits that actually work. These simple routines can help maintain a clean and organized home all year.
By:
The Good Home Daily
Posted on January 12, 2026
Let’s be honest: declaring “this year, my home will stay clean” is a classic New Year’s tradition. And just like the majority of New Year’s resolutions, it’s not always successful. Without the right cleaning habits, the clutter and mess will only sneak back into your room.
Deep cleaning the messiest spots at home feels productive, but it is not the most effective way to maintain a tidy space. Believe it or not, the real shift comes from building simple cleaning habits to start in the new year that actually fit into your daily life.
In this guide, we will break down small cleaning habits that make a big difference, especially for busy people who want a home that stays manageable, not just clean for a weekend.
1. Build a Daily 5-Minute Cleaning Habit
This habit works because it removes the two biggest barriers to cleaning: time and motivation. Five minutes feels easy to start, which makes you more likely to actually do it. Small messes get handled before they turn into bigger problems.
A daily five-minute clean also builds consistency. Instead of waiting for long blocks of time, you are creating daily habits to keep your home clean and organized that fit into real life.
The best time to do this is whenever it naturally fits your routine. Morning resets help start the day fresh, while evening resets help you wake up to a calmer space. Choose one small task, set a timer, and stop when the time is up.
2. Clean as You Go
Cleaning as you go works because it handles mess in the moment, not later. Most clutter starts with small things we tell ourselves we will deal with eventually.
For example, the mail left in the entryway, used mugs on side tables, snack wrappers, charging cables, shoes by the door, or that one dish “soaking” in the sink. These items feel harmless on their own, but they add up fast and turn into a visible mess.
Putting things away right after using them takes less time than cleaning everything later. Over time, these quick decisions prevent clutter from piling up, making this one of the small cleaning habits that make a big difference in keeping your home manageable.
3. Put Items Back Immediately After Use
This habit is a natural extension of the Clean as You Go principle. But this time, it’s about making sure every item has a home and goes there the moment you’re done with it.
Failing to put things back immediately does more than create clutter—it’s how items get lost. For example, that pen left on the counter, the key tossed on the table, or that water bottle on the couch.
Trust us, the longer you delay organizing and cleaning those items, the more time you spend searching, and the more stressful it feels later.
So, after using something, pause and return it to its proper place. Doing this consistently and you can easily maintain the organization and cleanliness of your home.
4. Do a Nightly One Room Reset
A nightly reset focuses on just one room, so tidying doesn’t feel overwhelming. Instead of trying to clean the whole house at night, pick one space and give it a quick refresh.
The best time is right before bed. Spend five to ten minutes putting items away or clearing surfaces. This habit helps you start the next day with a calmer, more organized space.
5. Keep Flat Surfaces Clear
Flat surfaces—counters, tables, and shelves—are magnets for clutter. Papers, cups, mail, and random items tend to accumulate here, making a space look messy even if everything else is clean.
Keeping these surfaces clear is one of the easiest ways to make your home feel organized instantly.
Make this one of your New Year’s habits to stop the mess before it starts. Soon, “clearing the decks” will become an automatic reflex. You’ll keep your home tidy without even thinking about it.
6. Do a Weekly Home Reset
If you want a new year home reset, a weekly check-in is a simple but powerful habit. Instead of trying to tackle everything at once, pick one day to quickly refresh your space.
This cleaning habit for the New Year works even for busy people. Straighten up, wipe surfaces, put away stray items, and restock essentials. It doesn’t have to take more than 20–30 minutes.
It’s one of the realistic cleaning routines that actually work. Over time, a weekly reset keeps your home organized, manageable, and ready for the week ahead.
7. Follow a One In One Out Rule
Clutter often grows silently when new things come in, but nothing goes out. Following a one-in, one-out rule helps you keep possessions under control and your home feeling spacious.
This is one of the simplest home organization habits to adopt. Every time you bring in a new item, commit to removing or donating something else. Over time, it prevents your home from filling up without you even noticing.
It’s also one of the easiest organizing habits anyone can follow, especially for families or busy households. A small, consistent effort like this keeps your home tidy and teaches everyone in the household to be mindful of what they bring in.
How to Maintain a Clean and Organized Home All Year
Maintaining a clean and organized home is less about motivation and more about systems. When cleaning habits are built into your routine, your home stays manageable even during busy weeks or unexpected messes.
Remember, a routine does not need to look perfect or follow a strict schedule. It just needs to work for your life. When cleaning habits fit naturally into your day, they feel less like chores and more like part of your normal rhythm.
