What is the first thing to clean in a house?
The very first thing to clean in a house is the entryway—yes, the humble front door and its surrounding area. Why? Because it's the first thing you and your guests see. A clean entrance sets the tone for the rest of the home, signalling order, calm, and care. From a psychological angle, this taps straight into Cialdini’s principle of Consistency : if the entry feels clean and welcoming, we're more inclined to keep the rest of the home that way, too. Why Start with the Entryway? What does the front door say about your house? The entryway is a visual handshake. Dusty mats, cobwebs near the doorframe, and cluttered shoe racks subconsciously signal neglect. But a quick five-minute tidy—shaking out the doormat, wiping the door handle, and sweeping the threshold—can give your cleaning routine momentum. It’s a psychological trick: small wins lead to bigger action. What happens after the entry’s sorted? Once the front's spick-and-span, most people move instinctively to high-t...