Many men live on their own without having learned skills for keeping their home or apartment reasonably clean. The key to keeping living space pleasant for yourself and visitors with a minimum of work is to do housekeeping tasks on a fairly regular schedule so it doesn’t get out of hand. Establishing regular habits will make housekeeping a lot less unpleasant.

The good news is, most housekeeping tasks for the bachelor can be completed in less than twenty minutes a day, plus two hours once a week. This includes dishes, laundry, picking up, and anything you need to do to make a respectable living space.

Once a day you should clean all your dirty dishes, put clean ones away, and wipe the surface of your counters, stove, and eating table with a soapy sponge. Getting in the habit of putting your belongings away after using them will save you a lot of housekeeping later. Also get in the habit of putting dirty clothes and towels out of site in a hamper, or hanging them up if they are to be reused. Making your bed in the morning will make your living space more pleasant, too.

People often like to do their once a week chores before the weekend and visitors. Choose a regular time for yourself that is convenient. If you choose a time that is right before something you regularly do that is pleasant, it will help you to stick to your new habit. For instance, you might decide to clean and do laundry on Thursday nights before your favorite television show.

Once a week gather the sheets from your bed, bath and kitchen towels, and start your laundry. While the laundry is washing clean your bathroom. If you do only one chore, this is the most important one to do. Visitors, particularly women, can overlook neglect in other housekeeping more easily than this so leave a good impression. Get a toilet cleaner and a brush and disinfect the toilet and clean the seat and other parts. Wash the sink, the bathtub or shower, and the floor. You should be able to do this in the time it takes for your load of laundry to wash.

Put your laundry in the dryer and go to the kitchen. If you have been tidying up each day there should not be much to do. Clear out of the refrigerator any spoiled food, take out the trash if you need to. Make sure there are no smells. Sweep and wash the floor.

If you have been putting things away, there will not be much to do in the rest of your house or apartment. Dust when necessary. Usually the television area needs dusting each week. Vacuum any rugs and sweep the floors.

When your sheets and laundry are dry, make your bed and put away the towels and other items. You are now done for the week and can enjoy the rest of your week.