Who wants to be tidier? It's not as hard as you think. Those people with effortlessly clean kitchens just know a few rules that you don't — and we're here to spill.

1. They do a quick, easy sweep.

Tidy people wouldn't dream of going to bed with dishes in the sink. They know that doing a quick sweep for out-of-place items every night before bed will help them and their kitchen get a fresh start in the morning. Keeping up with the clutter frequently makes it an easy, doable task rather than an overwhelming chore.

2. They put stuff away as they use it.

When neat people take something out, they put it away. When they take a bottle of olive oil out of the pantry, they use it and then put it back on the same shelf. They know that they'll have to put it away eventually, so cleaning as they go makes it seamless and easy.

3. They make use of their organizational system.

The key to being tidy is to set up the conditions to be tidy. That means a place for the things that can clutter up your space: your mail, your drying dishes, your cooking utensils. Each thing needs a place to live or a system to be dealt with. Then simply using the system will make it easy to keep things clean.

4. They tackle a long-term task.

When tidy people see something extra that needs doing, they jump on it. Maybe they notice their faucet is filthy, so they wipe it down. If they have a few minutes and the fridge is getting unwieldy, they go through and toss stuff and reorganize the keepers. They have specific times set aside to really clean, but they also clean up as things arise.

Okay neatniks, time to speak up. What habits do you think help you stay that way?