25 house rules you should NEVER break

How to keep a healthy and harmonious home

You don't have to be ultra house-proud or part of a huge family to enlist a set of basic guidelines to abide by. Every home will benefit from a few friendly housekeeping rules to help keep life running smoothly.

From sticking with simple hygiene habits to putting energy-saving systems in place, read on for the household rules that will make home life harmonious...

Remove shoes at the door

Let's start at the front door. It makes sense for everyone to take their shoes off once indoors because it prevents dirt, bacteria or – dread the thought – dog mess from being spread around the house.

Prevent untidy hallways and shoe pile-ups by encouraging family members to put footwear away as soon as they enter using easy-to-reach shoe storage solutions.

But asking guests to take their shoes off? Well, that controversial custom is a whole other story...

Wash your hands

Washing your hands after using the bathroom seems like a basic one, but you'd be surprised how many people skip this vital last step.

Around 200 million bacteria are present on your hands after visiting the lavatory, including nasty bugs like E.Coli and viruses such as flu and COVID-19. We're all busy, but it's worth reminding family members to wash their hands with soap for a minimum of 20 seconds to keep a healthy household – especially during cold and flu season.

No fiddling with the thermostat

Oh, the thermostat debate! The growth in smart homes means that if you do up the temperature when you've been told not to, it will result in the bill-payer being notified via an app, leading to potential crossed words. They might even turn the temperature straight back down again.

Perhaps prevent a war of warmth by agreeing to a temperature on the household rules list.

Take the bins out

To avoid family arguments, we recommend creating a rota for putting the weekly bins out, because it’s possibly one of the worst chores on the list.

Make life easier by printing off an up-to-date collection schedule from your local council to go with the rule.

Put liners in the bin

After taking a bag of rubbish out, be sure to replenish the kitchen or bathroom bin with a new liner.

Opt for fragranced liners or sprinkle in a bin deodoriser first to make the job less smelly. You could also try making your own freshener using baking soda and essential oils.

Do your dishes

Make 'never take dishes into tomorrow' the mantra for the whole family by adding this important task to the household rule list.

Even those lucky enough to own a dishwasher have to wash up sometimes, so try making it fun with music or do it in pairs so one person washes and one drys.

Another way to split the effort is whoever cooks, the other person washes up.

Wipe down worktops

Learn to clean your home like a professional by keeping worktops crumb, grease and grime free.

By remembering to wipe down kitchen surfaces after every meal, you can soon turn the task from a rule to a habit.

Don't leave empty packets in cupboards

What’s the point of investing in that long-awaited larder and becoming a master at clever kitchen organising if empty packets and cartons are left inside?

Ensure used grocery items are properly disposed of or recycled and hide any unopened packets of treats until the opened ones are gone.

Turn off the TV

Energy-saving credits should be awarded to those who turn off the TV and any set-top boxes when they're not in use.

Bonus points for returning the remote to its rightful home ready for the next user to easily locate it.

Cups need coasters

Here's a budget-friendly home accessory that will prolong the life of your furniture if you stick to the rules. Keeping coasters close to hand will prevent staining surfaces with ugly water rings that are hard to remove.

Why not make a unique set of coasters yourself using macrame techniques or leftover tiles?

Open and close the curtains

Unless you’re enduring a heat wave and it's hotter outside than in, open the curtains and let some daylight stream in. Likewise, as the sun sets, closed curtains ensure warmth stays in and any ambiently-lit room remains private to the outside world.

Why not add to the household rules list that the first person up in the morning does the window treatment honours and then the last to bed does the same at night?

No pets on the furniture

In a nation of animal lovers, you'll find that allowing pets on furniture is a bone of contention. There are plenty of us who do give them free rein, but if the furniture is off-limits to furry creatures in your home, make sure there is a space in the room pets can call their own such as a secluded crate or snuggly pet bed next to the couch.

Empty the vacuum cleaner

This rule might sound like overkill for some, but keeping the vacuum clear of dust, hair and – dare we say it – skin particles, is hygienic, healthy for the machine and just considerate for whoever needs to use it next.

Keep feet off furniture

Whether you allow shoes in the house, are wearing a comfy pair of slippers, or even go barefoot, resting your feet on furniture is viewed by some as rude.

Since feet are predominately on the floor, it’s likely they’re not clean all the time so our view is to stick to lounge etiquette and keep them grounded – unless you have a dedicated footstool, of course!

No food in the living room

What's your 'food policy' at home? Is it the kitchen and dining room only for food? Or are snacks allowed in the living room, warm coffee permitted in bed and does a glass of wine in the bath get the go-ahead, too?

Whatever the ruling, ensure guidelines are set out so everyone is clear from the outset. If there is room for compromise, dinner trays or TV tables are old-fashioned but overdue a comeback, and could avoid spills on upholstery or crisp white bedsheets.

Rinse the sink

What could be more annoying when going to wash your hands after using the facilities than finding the sink full of toothpaste remnants? No thanks!

As well as washing the sink out after teeth cleaning, make a habit of putting the lid back on the toothpaste, too.

Replace toilet paper

Insufficient or completely used-up toilet roll when you most need it can be catastrophic! Be sure to keep your bathroom storage well-stocked with loo roll close to the toilet. That way, this vital house rule can be easily followed and any disasters averted.

Flush the toilet

While we’re on the subject of toilet habits, ensuring family members flush after each use is a custom to be kept not only for hygiene reasons but also to keep your toilet spotless, with longer-lasting cleanliness.

Urine that's left to sit combined with hard water creates mineral deposits which, over time, become almost impossible to remove.

Also, closing the lid while flushing is recommended because otherwise, it can produce potentially infectious aerosols that hang around in the bathroom and cling to porous surfaces such as towels.

Pick up wet towels from the floor

Teenagers seem to bear the most guilt for this family bugbear. So, as well as adding this task to the bathroom rule list, why not offer a few easy solutions?

You could add over-door towel racks and laundry baskets to bedrooms, give family members colour-coded towels and for every towel found on the floor, make the perpetrator do a whole load of laundry!

Rinse out the bath

How frustrating is it when you are ready to unwind in a warm bath to arrive in the bathroom and find the tub full of dirty soap suds?

Rinsing out the bath is a quick and easy job that will keep the tub clean and make life easier for future use.

Clean the shower screen

As well as rinsing the bath, be sure to add 'cleaning the shower screen' to the household rule list as well. Hard water droplets will soon build up limescale and can make the bathroom look unsightly. Make the job easy by mounting an easy-to-reach squeegee in the shower.

Put dirty clothes in the laundry

Don't spoil the hotel-style luxury of a carefully positioned occasional chair or sofa in the bedroom by letting the feature become a place for yesterday's clothes to linger.

Stop the build-up of a washing pile – or 'chair-drobe' – by adding a handy laundry basket to bedrooms, hallways and bathrooms.

Turn off lights

With the cost of living so high and energy saving a priority, switching lights off after use or when you leave a room is one habit that homeowners are sticking to right now.

You can make this even easier by opting for smart plugs and bulbs that connect to an app allowing you to switch lights on and off from your phone so there's never an excuse!

Make the bed

Starting the morning by making the bed means you can continue your day feeling organised and tidy. Plus, the bedroom instantly looks neat and will be an inviting space when it's time to turn down at the end of a productive day.

Keep wardrobe doors closed

Another messy nuisance family members might be guilty of around the home is leaving wardrobe or cupboard doors open.

Add this simple fix to the list and you'll find clothes and items are protected from dust and moth holes. Rooms also look generally neater, and everyone will experience less nagging!