I have been working really hard this past week cleaning, de-cluttering & organizing. I have to admit it hasn't been easy & I still have a ways to go. I have never been the best at being neat and tidy. I've been saying for the past three years that I'm a really good stay at home Mom but not a great housewife. However with the impending arrival of baby #2 that mentality has to change. My kids and husband deserve to live in a house that is neat & orderly. Not to mention I need to set a good example for my children for when they get older.With all my hard work this past week I was able to get a lot accomplished but like I said I still have several things that need to be worked on. However with each completed task and each room organized I'm feeling more and more confident. I've spent a little time looking up tips & tricks this past week and I've figured out some that really work for me (and a lot that don't). The biggest being think in terms of one. One month, one week, one day.
1. One month. Learn to tackle one big task a month. I actually started this back in December. Dishes have always bee an issue for our family. If the dishes get out of control (which they often do) then the rest of the house is soon to follow. So I concentrated on the dishes for the entire month. Putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher right away, running the dishwasher when it's full, emptying the dishwasher in a timely manner. Always keeping the sink free of dirty dishes. You know what? It worked. Doing these things became a habit. It isn't hard for me anymore. Better yet I get some weird satisfaction seeing my empty sink. For January I'm concentrating on laundry. Hopefully I'll see the same results.
2. Once a week. Do each room once a week thoroughly. Pick a day and assign a room. For example Wednesday is the bedrooms, Thursday is the kitchen, Friday is the living room ect. ect. This is the day to get all the nooks and crannies. If you are picking up throughout the week then on this day you should be able to quickly do a deep clean. Do all the things that you don't have to do everyday like, dust, vacuum, mop ect.
3. Once a day. Wipe down all flat surfaces once a day. Doing this forces you to pick up because you actually have to have your flat surfaces clear to wipe them down. Also one load a day both of dishes and laundry. It's so much easier to do a load of laundry once a day then to let it build up and have 8 loads to do all on one day. For me right now I don't actually have enough dishes to do one load a day, but I know when we have more children that will change. So if I can manage to do one load of dishes a day I think I'll be ok.
So those are my big three. It's worked so far so I think I'll keep going along those lines. I don't want to make this into a one time organizing spree, but I want to create good habits. So I know this will be a process for me. I already feel so much better, and that's a start. What are your best cleaning & organizing secrets?
1 comment:
You are not the only one! I've had the same issue with dishes practically my whole life. I think nesting mode has kicked in for both of us & I've been striving to keep my house clean and get it organized too. I feel like I've done a lot better also in making it a habit to keep the kitchen clean. I'm with you-I want to do it to set a good example for my kids. I am the way I am because it was always pretty messy when I was a kid! If we just keep at it, we can make the habits stick!
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