Housekeeping for 20-Somethings: 20 Ways to Make Like Martha

Things that Martha did in her twenties: sanded floors, tiled her own roof, became an expert in all things food and homekeeping. Things you're doing in your twenties: couch-surfing, talking about backpacking in Europe, praying for a paid internship. But it's the little things that count, right? Here are 20 small housekeeping tips to help you make like Martha.

Make the Bed Every Day

The bed is the biggest piece of furniture in your home -- for some of us, it's the only piece of furnture in our home. So make it! Your college futon will look ten times better, we promise. 

We know cleaning is on the bottom of your to-do list, but maybe chores wouldn't be so bad if you knew how to do them properly. These tips should help optimize your tidy-up time.

Rummaging through the kitchen cabinets for the measuring spoon gone rogue -- it's just not fun. A kitchen's a kitchen, no matter how small. Keep it tidy -- the spices belong together and spoon-on-the-run should be nestled right next to all your other measuring spoons in the bakeware drawer. 

Nothing says "Martha" like being able to whip up a meal from the ingredients you have around your home.

"Oh, you just made this? From your pantry? Ah, you're such a Martha."

It's casual. Keep the necessities -- pasta, beans, flour, tuna, and other canned goods -- in your home for awe-inspiring twentysomething cooking. 

A classic twentysomething is very talented at hiding lingering stains. Move really quickly and no one will notice the coffee stain on your shirt! Hard to maintain, but it really works! Better yet, just get rid of the stain -- the sooner the better. All you need is a little bit of water and our handy-dandy stain-removal guide for fresh, spotless, Martha-ish clothing. 

If you actually like the look of your floorboards and aren't a fan of creepy-crawlies, then get out the broom and make like Cinderella. Martha suggests sweeping the kitchen every day --  assuming, of course, that the kitchen is where food is made and therefore the dirtiest room. But we love crackers in bed and sandwiches on the run, so there's only one option: Sweep what little room you've got. Pro tip: Blast some music and play air guitar on your broom for an especially fun sweep. 

Covering your futon with a sheet isn't fooling anyone. If you can't afford a real sofa, at least get a nice slipcover made for your sofa -- it can reset the room entirely, giving it a more adult (and more Martha) look. If you're feeling ambitious, make your own slipcover. Martha would. 

Dust (and other nasties) snuggle down in your carpets and hard-to-get corners for a home riddled with hidden bacteria. Sucking up dust particles with an unwieldy machine is annoying, we know, but it's something that must be done!

Grease, oil, and hair collect in your shower drain pretty regularly -- gross, we know. But you can prevent it! It's all part of the Martha life. Remember that volcano you made in third grade, the one with the vinegar and the baking soda? That exact formula will create the perfect DIY de-clogger (and it's kinda fun.)

It's been a while since Mom folded them for you (we hope), so it's about time to learn how to properly fold your cool-weather pullovers. Shoving sweaters in the bottom of your drawers was fun through college, but now's the time to smooth the creases from your new, Martha-style life. A sweater, folded correctly, will be wrinkle-free and ready-to-wear. 

In a small twentysomething home, it's easy to relegate yourself to the lone single towel, to be washed only once a week. Martha says otherwise. Every person in a home should have two complete sets of towels -- that's a bath towel, a hand towel, and a washcloth. So your favorite beige towel (perfect for hiding stains!) won't cut it anymore; get another set, and start looking forward to fresh towels more often. 

Chinese food smells great at two in the morning. Two weeks later, however, it smells a whole lot worse. Keeping a stinky fridge at bay is about constant vigilance: know what's in your fridge and get rid of the stuff that's about to be smelly. Make sure every container that goes in the fridge is immaculate: No sticky jam jars or grease-covered trays of meat. If smells have really settled in, you'll have to -- gasp! -- turn the fridge off and really get your elbows dirty. 

That extra button that rides on the tag of a brand-new shirt isn't just for decoration. If you lose a button, you should know how to sew a new one onto the garment. So get a small sewing kit and get to rebuttoning! Maybe you can finally wear your favorite flannel again. Bonus points to those who also learn how to sew a hem. 

Bagel on a towel, apple on a towel, pile of pretzels on a towel -- most of your meals exist on a single white square of paper. But it's wasteful, bad for your budget, and probably bad for your health anyway (it's pretty hard to carry a salad in a paper towel). Same goes for paper plates and cups: Buy yourself a set of napkins, cups, and plates. Buy them in matching robin's egg blue if you're really about that Martha life.