Male Living Space: How To Keep it Clean & Fresh

Guys, it’s time to level up, and we’re here to help. 

Every single guy needs a stellar male living space — not only is the right living space functional and practical for guys of all ages, but it’s also a reflection of your habits and personality. Men with tidy, aesthetically pleasing male living spaces can take pride in where they live and won’t feel self-conscious if they invite a significant other over for some quality time.

Unfortunately, many guys create their first male living spaces without thinking about how to keep them clean and fresh over the long term. Let’s change that by looking at some ways you can create and maintain a quality, clean male living space for years to come.

Clean the Kitchen Daily

For starters, be sure to give your kitchen at least a basic wipe down each and every day. The kitchen quickly becomes the dirtiest part of your male living space, no matter how big or how often you cook. Food crumbs and other debris can pile up on kitchen counters and in the sink more quickly than you may think.

It’s important to clean your kitchen every day to:

• Prevent rancid smells from permeating your apartment
• Prevent cockroaches and other pests from spawning

Of course, you don’t have to deep clean your kitchen every day. But make sure that, at minimum, the dishes are cleaned each night and that there aren’t spare crumbs on the countertops after cooking a meal or ordering takeout.

Don’t Let Laundry Pile Up

Do yourself and any visitors a favor, and don’t let the laundry get out of control. Rather than waiting until you are literally out of clothes to do laundry, make it a habit to do a load of laundry every few days. That way, you’ll never run out of fresh clothes, and you’ll always have multiple clothing options when the time comes to go out for a social event or date.

More importantly, handling your laundry regularly means it won’t make your apartment smell or seem untidy. Don’t leave those socks on the bathroom floor, guys!

Use a Fragrance Product

Many guys associate fragrance products with femininity, like candles or plug-in diffusers. Nothing could be further from the truth. We all want to live in places that smell and look excellent. To keep your male living space clean and fresh, use fragrance products regularly.

Luckily, there are plenty of masculine-themed fragrance products you can find these days, including candles, the plug-in diffusers mentioned above, and more. For example, you can get a candle that smells like a campfire or cedarwood. Then, every time you step through the door to your male living space, you’ll unconsciously relax and be even more comfortable than you imagined being at home.

Make Your Bed/Neaten the Couch

Nothing says “clean, fresh male living space,” like a well-made bed and neat couch area. If you don’t know how to make your bed, look up a quick tutorial; it’s quick and simple, and it does wonders for keeping your sheets fresh and your living space looking organized and mature. Plus, there’s some evidence to suggest that making your bed can improve your mental health and productivity for the rest of the day; it’s literally starting your day off right.

In terms of your couch, straighten the pillows and make sure there’s not a lot of junk lying around the cushions. Try not to eat regularly on your couch, or you’ll find crumbs constantly in the crevices, which can kill the mood if you invite a significant other over for the night.

Add Some Decorations

You can still have a classic male living space and place a few key decorations to spruce it up and make it look even better. Bare, spartan-styled male living spaces are boring to look at and live in, and they can make your space seem a little blander than it actually is.

With that in mind, you can and should add decorations like:

• Some succulents or other plants near your window(s)
• A poster or two, or a picture of you and any family members or a significant other
• A shelf for knickknacks, including favorite trinkets or photos you own
• Some shelf lighting if your male living space is underground or otherwise doesn’t get a lot of natural light from the window

Adding some decorations is a great way to keep your male living space looking fresh even if you have lived in it for several years.

Vacuum and Dust Once a Week

Keeping your male living space clean regularly is key to keeping it organized and fresh. To that end, you should vacuum your rooms and dust all the major furniture at least once per week. That includes the TV, TV stand, computer desk, and any other major surfaces where you may have photos or other objects.

Vacuuming and dusting your home once per week is also ideal for your respiratory health. Dust and allergens can build up over time, particularly in the spring and summer months. Dusting regularly will prevent you from having seasonal allergies as bad as you’re used to. Who doesn’t want to sneeze less often while in their own home?

Monthly Deep Cleaning

Additionally, it might be good to deep-clean your living space once per month. That means:

• Thoroughly scrubbing the bathroom
• Scrubbing grout in the kitchen and bathroom tiles
• Dusting hard-to-reach areas you might skip on the once per week dusting session
• Cleaning the windows with window cleaner and a paper towel

Deep cleaning may not seem important, but it does a lot to keep your male living space feeling and smelling fresh. Plus, it may help you find unused items or junk you can get rid of, which ties into the next tip…

Seasonal Checks for Unused Items

Every season or so, take stock of your items, including your games, clothes, tools, and anything else you own. Then decide what items you regularly use and want to keep. Anything you don’t need can be given away or sold depending on your preferences.

Running seasonal checks for unused or unwanted items is good for preventing junk from building up in your closet or junk drawer. Many guys are fond of living minimalist lifestyles these days. If you are one of them, you can lean into this philosophy even further by getting rid of stuff you no longer want or need but that you tend to collect over time.

For the best results, get a trash bag and fill it with all the unused items you no longer care for or can give away. Put the trash bag in your car trunk or truck bed on the same day. This will ensure that you take it to Goodwill or another donation center instead of forgetting about it.

Check the Fridge/Freezer Regularly

Last but not least, be sure to take stock of your supplies in your refrigerator and freezer regularly. It’s not uncommon for many guys to look into their fridges and find a half-eaten jar of salsa that’s three years old in the back.

You can avoid this embarrassing and unpleasant experience by getting rid of old, moldy, or rotten food and throwing away foodstuffs that have expired in your fridge or freezer. On the more positive side of things, taking stock of your fridge and freezer supplies may also inspire you to try new recipes or cook healthy meals for yourself.

For example, you might find a bag of frozen veggies in your fridge and have an idea to use them for an upcoming meal or as a side for your next dinner. This is good to reduce the waste you produce and for your diet!

Summary

Guys don’t need to worry about tons of chores or overly complicated decor to make their living spaces look and feel like real, mature homes. Just cleaning regularly and putting some thought into your space can make it much more comfortable for you and any eventual guests. Plus, none of these tips prevent you from putting your personal spin on the space; feel free to put up your favorite posters, add some colored lights, and more!

Need ideas, or want to learn more about how you can improve your physical and mental wellness across the board? 1AND1 Life can help. Our detailed fitness guides, supplements, and other resources can help you get 1% better every day. Check us out! 

Sources:

What are the mental health benefits of making your bed in the morning? | Patient

Male Living Space, Reddit Spaces: Why Men’s Homes Are Decorated the Same Way | Vice

Control Indoor Allergens to Improve Indoor Air Quality | AAFA.org