You have unpacked all the boxes and put everything in its respective spot, and the rest is easy, right?

Not so fast.

You still want to keep that new house nice and tidy. With the holidays rolling around, clutter tends to build up and cause additional stress. Unwrapped gifts are scattered around the guest room, while the kitchen is constantly covered in crumbs from those delicious holiday desserts.

With all the rooms you have to take of, the idea of maintaining a spotless house can feel like a foreign concept. It’s not! We are here to help you create that weekly cleaning list to attack the clutter before it comes.

Don’t let the mess pile up with these helpful home-care strategies:

Pick up as you go.

We are all guilty of it. Dropping a blanket on the floor, promising that we will pick it up later. Or maybe leaving a plate in the kitchen sink with every intention of cleaning it when you come back for your next snack.

Instead of making inner pacts in your head to come back to that little clutter, pick it up as you go! Practice this simple method: As you walk through the rooms of your house, pick up the little things along the way. If you see a piece of crumpled paper on your home office floor, just pick it up and throw it in the trash (Michael Jordan-style) as you walk through that room.

You will find that when you pick up the little messes, the big messes won’t feel as daunting.

Practice purging.

As natural consumers, it’s possible for us to have much more than we actually need in our homes. You might even find you have double of some things.

Now is the time to purge!

Start collecting a box (or two) of household items that you no longer have use for. We guarantee someone else might have a use for it, so consider donating those items to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army.

Keep the kitchen tidy.

You might not want to admit it, but the majority of time you spend in your home is in the kitchen (outside of sleeping).
Therefore, it’s so important to keep your kitchen the tidiest of all the rooms.

When this particular room is clean, it will feel like the rest of your house is also clean (even if it’s not).

Here are some quick cleaning pointers for the kitchen:

• Take a Clorox wipe and wipe down surfaces daily.
• Do not let dishes pile up. Take the extra couple of minutes to clean them right after your meal.
• Take a Swiffer to the floor to get those daily crumbs gone.
• Throw away old food in the refrigerator each week.
• Spray Febreze! Fresh smells create fresh environments.

De-Clutter common areas.

Your common areas should also be at the top of your list for cleaning, including the living room, guest bathrooms and eating areas. These are the rooms that your guests tend to gather in most.

Fluff up the pillow on your couch, put out coasters for your guests to use, and take a duster to the furniture each week. By making this a habit, your guests and your family will enjoy a nice and sanitary experience in your home.

In just a few minutes’ time, you are able to keep your house clean on a daily basis. I think we can all agree that we do not need any extra stress or chaos in our lives. So, let’s practice daily habits to keep our homes healthy and comfortable!

Neal Johnson is a CMCA, CRB, CNE and GRI-certified, licensed real estate broker at Network Real Estate, which has exclusively served a high volume of property sales and purchases in the greater Wilmington area for more than 30 years. With three offices at College Road, historic downtown Wilmington and Pleasure Island, Network’s brokers are widespread and well-versed in this marketplace, making Network a preferred real estate company for first-time homebuyers and beyond.