5 Design Choices That Make Your Home Easier to Clean

“We dream of having a clean house- but who actually dreams of doing the cleaning?”

-Marcus Buckingham

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Typically, we design and decorate our homes to fit our sense of style—and then those decor choices dictate our cleaning routines. We dust our open shelving weekly, and wipe down the marble countertop daily. But what if the process was reversed? What if we designed our homes to make them as easy to clean as possible? If your goal is a low-maintenance home that requires very little time spent cleaning, here are the decor choices to make. Go ahead, design your way to a quicker cleaning routine.

1. Opt for Elevated Furniture

When shopping for sofas, credenzas, side tables, and really all types of furniture, look for those elevated on legs. Even better: cabinets that attach directly to the wall and levitate off the ground. This way, you’ll be able to easily vacuum or sweep underneath them. For a hands-free cleaning routine, invest in a robotic vacuum that can do all the cleaning for you.

2. Choose the Right Paint Finish

If you have messy pets or young kids who are likely to get smudgy fingerprints and errant crayon marks on the walls, avoid matte paint finishes. Instead, opt for the smoothest, shiniest paint finish that will look good—typically eggshell for walls and semi-gloss for trim. On these glossy surfaces, dirt and grime can be more easily wiped away.

Good quality paints with quality finishes do better in high-traffic areas and are also easy to clean since they do not stain as easily. For those planning to repaint in the near future, look for stain-resistant paints and primers for the best results.

3. Select a Durable Sofa

When you’re searching for an easy-clean sofa, the upholstery makes all the difference. Leather is easy to wipe clean—just be sure to sop up spills right away and condition it once per year.

If you prefer fabric sofas, look for those with stain-repellant treatments or stain-resistant microfiber. Otherwise, choose a slipcovered sofa, so you can toss the cover in the washing machine whenever it needs a refresh. Consider that darker colors will hide stains better, but it might not be the best option if you have a pet with white fur.

4. Skip the Open Shelving

Elegantly styled shelfies look enviable on Instagram, but in reality, they require a lot of extra dusting. For a speedier cleaning routine, stick with glass front cabinets so you can show off your favorite items while keeping them dust-free.

5. Choose the Right Floor for Each Room

This is the thing that gets dirty the fastest. For somewhere that has high foot traffic, like the entryway and kitchen, go for polished concrete, hardwood or vinyl floors. They’re so easy to spot clean and more resistant to dirt and spills. A good dust mop and sponge mop are all you need for all of the above, but with the hardwood, you can’t put off cleaning up any splash or splatter. Keep carpet for bedroom areas and other relaxed spaces where you’re likely to be barefoot (and not spreading whatever can be found your shoes).