Our 1,050 sqft home – Light, Bright & Clean

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CleanWithMrsMeyers  #CollectiveBias

One thousand fifty – the square footage of our home. Small, some may say. Others may even call it tiny. Small space is all relative, isn’t it?

Most days it’s just me, my son, and our two dogs. The girls come home from college during Christmas, spring and summer.

I’m not going to lie, small space living comes with challenges – it would be nice to have more storage and a second bathroom – especially with all of us in the house.

But one thing that people always remark is that our home doesn’t feel crammed or dark. In fact, it has lots of light and a good flow.

I attribute this to one  part renovation, one part major de-cluttering, and one part keeping the place clean and fresh.

When we first saw the house, it was dark and filthy. The walls were dirty, the wall-to-wall carpet stained, and the heavy drapes reeked of cigarettes.

In the two years since I bought this house I have figured out ways to make and keep our home  bright, airy, and inviting.

I wanted to share a few ideas on how to make the most of the space you are in right now.

Light walls, ceilings and floors reflect light, which make the space seem larger and brighter. Did you know that light walls and ceiling can boost a room’s light level by 15% to 50%? I painted every single wall a light color, got rid of the carpet and refinished the hardwood floors. I even skipped staining the floors.

A clean floor gives your space a “sunnier” appearance because it reflects light instead of absorbing it. I clean my floors every week. It’s so worth it.

White bedding makes a room feel less cluttered. It can also brighten up a dark room. Many people stay away from white bedding  due to maintenance but white bedding is easy to clean – you can wash at high temperature unlike most colored bedding. White bedding also has that luxury hotel-like look. And everything matches with white.

After I washed my bedding with Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day® Laundry Detergent my room smelled fresh and fragrant. I love clean white sheets fresh out of the dryer.

Because I am a huge fan of essential oils I love that all of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day® cleaners are made with natural essential oils, are phosphate free, and never tested on animals. So, whichever Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day® household product you use, it will be good for you, your home and the earth.

Cleaning the windows both inside and out  allows more natural light into your space. While you’re at it, clean the blinds and wash curtains and drapes . If you don’t open your windows much, consider removing the window screens. This will allow more light into your home.

Clutter even makes bright rooms appear dark. Removing clutter will instantly make any space feel brighter and bigger. Remember the infamous quote from William Morris, “Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful and believe to be beautiful.” It’s all about perspective and investing in the things you really want in life.

Since we don’t have a dishwasher we wash dishes as we go. This eliminates clutter and odor. I recently tried Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day®Lemon Verbena Dish Soap for the first time. I love that it’s rich, thick and makes grease disappear like nobody’s business. This concentrated lemon dish soap formula for hand washing dishes includes Soap Bark Extract, an ingredient from the garden that is one of nature’s best degreasers. I wash a lot of dishes and all I need is a squirt or two of liquid dish soap to get them clean.

My local Kroger carries several Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day® products, which I found in the cleaning aisle. Check out Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day® Facebook to learn about new products and fun DIY projects.

Dingy walls and trim make any space feel dim. It’s also one of the first things people notice when they enter your home. Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day® Lemon Verbena Multi­-Surface Concentrate is great on all non­porous surfaces such as finished wood and tile floors,  walls, porcelain, sealed natural and synthetic stone, and more. You can dilute it with water or use straight on tough stains.

When was the last time you cleaned your light fixtures? Dirty light fixtures and dusty light bulbs reduce brightness in a space. To clean the light bulbs I use a dry microfiber cloth. The light fixtures I clean with my Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day® Lemon Verbena Multi-Surface Concentrate.

I recently switched from soft light bulbs to daylight bulbs which produce a cooler light that appears brighter. What a difference this made in each room.

Too much furniture and bulky items create visual clutter. Consider scaling back on the amount of furniture you have in your rooms. More isn’t always better. Once in a while I remove pieces of furniture from the room and see if they make the flow of the space feel bigger.

The size of your house doesn’t matter. YOUR HOME MATTERS!  I’ve always believed that the best homes are clean, creative and environmentally friendly.

As with all things in life, it is what you make it and I am choosing to make our home the best that I truly can.

Do you have any tips for making a small home feel bright and airy?