Faking It: A Clean and Neat Apartment

Clean and neat do not always come together. A very clean and antiseptic apartment will still look dirty if it is cluttered. On the other hand, an apartment that looks neat may have germs lurking all over the place. It is difficult to maintain a 100% clean AND neat apartment. The trick here is to fake it and achieve some kind of balance.

CLEAN
VACUUM! I can vacuum one whole room in our apartment in less than 10 minutes (5, if I don't get anal). No need to dust, spray or wipe. Just suck the dirt out of every nook and cranny. Buy the best vacuum cleaner you can afford. It will be worth every penny (centavo).

NEAT
HIDE IT! Hide your stuff in boxes and cabinets. Put everything in its proper place. It will only take a few seconds to return that stapler you just used inside the drawer. Compare that to one whole Saturday lost to cleaning if you let clutter accumulate.