I'm tidy, not clean – this is why it's okay and how I find the balance in my home

As an H&G solved editor, I spend a good portion of my time testing new cleaning hacks and writing and reading about all the ways you can clean and organize a home. As a result, when it comes to actually keeping on top of my own space, I often have the next-to-no motivation. So, I have decided to be tidy, and not clean.

Following in the footsteps of home guru and content creator Audrey Barton (@organizedchaos4 on TikTok), I decided to stop chasing perfection and prioritize tasks and cleaning tips that allow me more free time. That is not to say that my home is in any way drowning in dirt. I still keep all the important areas clean and sanitary, but when exploring how to clean when feeling overwhelmed, I now find myself skipping a few certain tasks.

Here, I break down what it means to me to be tidy, not clean, and why finding this careful balance is the only way I can enjoy a chore-free weekend.

How I find the right cleaning balance in my home

Audrey’s advice that ‘we just need to make peace with the fact that we can only do what we can do’ is the best cleaning hack I have listened to thus far.

@organizedchaos4

♬ original sound - Organized Chaos | Audrey

Given the nature of my work, I felt the need to keep my home constantly spotless. However, there came a point where I was tired and my partner was close to losing his mind over me dusting the tops of doors and insisting the kitchen grout needed to be scrubbed every single weekend.

As a result, I gave up on trying to do it all and focused on the most important dirty spots. If you're looking for ways to change up your cleaning routine, this advice might just be for you.

1. I never clean spots I can’t see

While there is some merit to cleaning the dust off of door frames and pulling the sofa out to clean baseboards, they are not tasks that will make or break my home. Because of this, I now only address the spots once a year at most – and that is only if I have the energy to spring clean without getting overwhelmed.

The reality is we do not suffer from a dust allergy and we cannot see these spots, which means the time spent cleaning them does very little in the immediate future. The same goes for cleaning window tracks or cleaning behind the fridge. I get to them eventually, but they are not tasks at the forefront of my mind – and that’s okay.

2. I always clean high touchpoints

While I omit a lot from my weekly cleaning task list, I will always practice target hygiene. When I first started cutting back on my cleaning details, I made a mental list of tasks I still thought of as essential and added them into my daily planner, still following an abridged version of the different day, different room housekeeping schedule. Splitting chores with a partner also helps to take the load off.

This means cleaning bathrooms, cleaning the kitchen, and changing bed sheets is always done routinely. Just because I don’t make cleaning my number one priority does not mean I allow my house to fall into disrepair. As Audrey says in her TikTok, ‘My house may not be clean, but my toilets definitely are.’

3. I stay on top of decluttering and tidying

While I have cut back on my cleaning, I still cannot abide by an untidy home. I still stick to expert decluttering tips and perform my evening closing shift routines to keep the mess hidden away and clutter to a minimum. Clearing the coffee table, fluffing the sofa, and folding away blankets are all micro-resets which help to reduce visual clutter and mess and make my home look cleaner – even without the need to dust and polish every surface. It is a great way to fake clean a house to boost your mood and prepare for guests.

4. I only vacuum when the carpet needs it

How often you should vacuum is a complex question – and one I decided to take all stress out of. Rather than trying to stick to a strict schedule for cleaning carpets, I've decided to simply whip out my best vacuum cleaner whenever the carpets need it.

Sticking to a bi-weekly schedule simply didn't work when there was fluff and lint building up on my white area rug, or we came in mid-week with muddy or dusty boots. Now, the vacuum lives in the corner of my entryway so I can run around the troubled areas as and when it's needed and not a moment sooner. It saves me so much wasted time each week and actually keeps my home looking cleaner than before.

5. I came to peace with dust

There are so many ways to prevent dust on furniture and remove dust properly, but they all require near-constant effort. I was trying to dust my home two or three times a week just to stay on top of it all before I finally decided that it wasn’t actually that big of a deal when I was busy, tired, or stressed.

Now I dust whenever I feel like it, especially since discovering my love for the Scrub Daddy Damp Duster which makes a task I previously dreaded one I now (almost) enjoy. Yes, I occasionally catch the dust on my media unit when I walk past, but cutting down on this small task has created more free time to spend actually using the games and media consoles in there, and I am much more relaxed in my free time.

Cutting back on the tiny tasks that add up and building up smart habits to spend less time cleaning has completely changed how I spend my free time, and it makes my job less monotonous too.