Okay, we're a month into the New Year — how are your goals coming along? Like the one where you weren't going to have any more of those marathon cleaning sessions right before company came over (you know the ones I'm talking about. They usually have you throwing all your papers into a bag and throwing the bag into a closet. It's not until you've turned the entire house upside down looking for that business card you desperately need that you remember where you put them.) To stave them off, here are the tips I've found most useful.
Put it back after you use it: This is the simplest tip and the one that, if it's the only tip you take away, will render your house clean enough. It's also the one I'm most guilty of not following. I realized that the number one reason I feel grumpy about putting stuff away is that most of the time, it's not easy to put it away — the shelf it goes on is too high, the closet it goes in is too crowded, the drawer is too full. Recognize yourself? Then it's time to rethink the homes of the things you hate putting away the most. For me, it was the vacuum cleaner. Once I moved it from the coat closet (seemingly convenient but I had to move a lot of stuff to get it out) to the scary closet (a few steps further away but all I have to do is shove it inside), not only did I vacuum more often but after I did, the vacuum didn't sit out for days while I got up the "courage" to put it away.
Keep it where you use it: A sharpie in the freezer to mark those bagged leftovers, pens by where I plug in my iPhone, laundry detergent with my clothes, dishes stashed near my sink, the extra set of sheets stored underneath the mattress. The less effort I need to make to put something away (or find it), the more often it will actually get put away (see above). Even if the place you put it seems crazy (jewelry in the kitchen, vitamins by the front door) if it works for you and it gets put back, work it. It's your house.
Chuck the stuff you don't use: As Laure pointed out in her post about decluttering, some stuff, as much as you love it and think it's ridiculously beautiful and useful (the usual criteria for keeping something), is just not working for your life. As hard as it is to admit that there isn't a place in my life for that fully-equipped wicker picnic hamper, that I will never be a person who wears Mary Jane flats and that teacups are made for people who actually drink tea from teacups not mugs, getting rid of these things can have an enormous affect on your cleaning routine. Donate them to someplace that gives a receipt so I can take them off my taxes or gift them to a friend that will love and use them. I can even photograph the things that are sentimental to me or that I find particularly beautiful. Now my home has more room to house the things I actually use and I feel a lot less guilty.
Have an outbox: I started using an outbox during my first Cure and I haven't looked back. Most of us have a problem detaching from our stuff even if it's stuff we don't use or want. Of course there's the junk. That's easy to get rid of but man do I feel guilty when I'm getting rid of something I paid good money for, that was gifted to me by a good friend or that I inherited. That's where the outbox comes in. I use a bag but you can use a box, a spot in the closet or a little-used corner of a room. I put stuff here while I live without it (and subconsciously work through the anxiety of getting rid of it). After about a month or so, it's easier to make a rational decision about what to do with it.
Quality over quantity: My life got a lot simpler when I started to cut down on how much of any one thing I bought. For example, I have two sets of sheets. One for the wash, one for the bed. It feels good knowing that I have less to store and I don't feel guilty about buying stuff that's a little better quality because I know I'm definitely going to using it.
Make one thing in every room a priority item: I learned this from Flylady whose famous directive is to keep your kitchen sink clean. There's a "sink" in every room. Concentrate on keeping that one thing clean and the rest of the room will feel clean and eventually the clean will spread to the surrounding areas. For me, that means keeping the bed made, the coffee table clear, my desk free of papers and the bathroom sink wiped.
Use a landing strip: It's not only a place to put down the mail and the keys, it's also a launch pad where I put stuff that I'm planning to take with me for the next day. While this may seem to be more of an organizing tip rather than a cleaning tip, once I started using it, I found that it was much less likely that I was going to rip apart the house looking for my dry cleaning receipt. I started out my day on the right foot, came home to a calm home and I felt relaxed. Home clean home is home sweet home.
Do you have a go to cleaning tip or organizing routine?
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I have hardwood floors and two dogs. Seeing clumps of dirt, masses of dog hair and other random dust bunnies on the floor, in the corners, under the furniture drives me KRAZEE. Having a cordless vacuum is my lifesaver, because lugging the big thing (or even a more lightweight thing) out and having to plug in in and re-plug it in, etc., is too much of a pain in the butt. My new hand held Shark is my BFF.
I like the landing strip idea! It would be great to set everything out the night before, since I forget everything in the morning haha
So many of these ideas are ones I've used under different names. My favorites are put it back when you're done and keep it where you use it. Among my friends I'm the only one who never loses her house/car/work keys, my mail ACTUALLY makes it to the mail box and when I need something, I know where it is!
In a small place like mine, you have to follow these rules or you'll end up living in chaos!
I love having an outbox. I have a basement box labeled 'donate' where I toss everything I'm not sure about keeping... and I get regular calls from a local charity about pickups.
The day before they are coming, I double-check the box to make sure I'm ok with everything leaving, then do a quick sweep through the house to add any other items I can pass on.
Works great and keeps me moving clutter on regularly - very helpful with young children who are beginning to acquire a lot of things! I also like it that it gives a frequent opportunity to talk to kids about passing along things that aren't needed, but that could help others. Because I get the regular calls, I remember to talk with them about it.
Ahh! I love the mantra 'a place for everything, and everything in it's place.
I happen to find cleaning therapeutic, but things are so much more easily done when you dont have to rip the house apart!
My best tip would be to do it when you think of it. Many times have I sat in the nice warm bed thinking about the dishes in the sink. So, instead I have been trying to suck it up and 'just do it.'
Need a better reason than a clean home? It's exercise! Sometimes that motivates me up off my seat to shovel the snow, vacuum, and fold the clothes, andpick up all the cat toys.
My main strategy is to clean as I go - wash dishes when waiting for food to finish cooking on the stove, grab stray clothing as you're on the way to the hamper in the bathroom or bedroom, wipe down the sink and counter when you're done washing the dishes, etc.
Barring that, I also make sure to set aside at least 10-30 min everyday to clean -but that's prob not for everyone (I get more anal about having a spotless place as I get older!)
I also make pick a specific day (usually Saturday) to get the bigger cleaning/household chores done, like vacuuming, watering the plants, cleaning the bathtub, etc.
The key is not to do it all at once, because it'll get overwhelming and too time-consuming. 10-30 min here and there and spacing everything out makes it much more manageable.
The chore I have always struggled the most with is laundry. I recently got a hamper with three compartments and it has changed my life, seriously. Just do a load when one compartment fills up, and you're done until the next time!
These are great suggestions, and I'm working towards following most of them. I'm not perfect, though!
Something my husband and I have been making a point to do is simplify our life, especially when it comes to gadgets. We're reducing our possessions and buying what we actually do need instead of what we *think* we *should* need. (I.e. if you never ever eat potatoes, there is no reason to own a potato peeler. If you don't have carpet, why have a vacuum? Etc. etc.)
We do need coffee. It's kind of our lifeblood. I recently saw a sign that said "my blood type is caffeinated" and had to laugh because, um, YEAH. That's us. Especially my hubby!
So ... because we love a great cup of joe and because we're trying to go a little greener AND cleaner (read: clear off our countertops) we opted to buy a french press and donate our electric brewer to Goodwill. The french press is easier to clean and store. Hallelujah!
Others might find other options, but it really is easier to keep a neat and tidy life if you don't overwhelm yourself with all those objects you think you should have to be a grown-up.
My landing strip has been redesigned in the past few weeks - with our rental we don't really have a hall closet, and instead had a cabinet. I nixed the cabinet in favor of wall hooks, a shelf, and a coffee table that I set some seat cushions on for a bench. Add a few baskets for storage, and Voila! We have an awesome landing strip.
I'm definitely adopting the "outbox" idea... at this point that's pretty much my office. It's been invaded by all of our random clutter, and I clean it out every now and then. This will make that room WAY more useful!
From waiting tables, I learned "full hands in, full hands out"... If I'm going to the kitchen, I automatically look around the room for any dirty cups that need to go with me. If I'm passing by the laundry room, I'll look for dirty laundry to take with me, or I'll stop and pull the dry stuff out on my way to the bedroom.
it really is easier to keep a neat and tidy life if you don't overwhelm yourself with all those objects you think you should have to be a grown-up.
Andrea! Brilliant!
Yes, Andrea! What a great line - I'm definitely going to remember that!
I got into the habit of making up my bed and keeping my house organized in 2009 -- now my house is a mess because my bedroom has been gutted and reno'd and my bdrm stuff is literally all over the house. Headbd/ftbd in the living room, along with my leather chair & ottoman ... mattress in my home office ... cedar chest with linens in the kitchen .... tv armoire in the master bathroom. Thankfully, though, I'll be moving in this weekend -- unpainted drywall and no molding or trim, but I don't care -- the room is warm and dry, and the drywall has that funky industrial look! I'm SO looking forward to having everything in its proper place -- i can wait for paint.
it might seem out of place to most people, but I don't put my vaccuum away. It 'lives' in it's own little spot near a cabinet and is always plugged in. Our apartment is relatively small (and the cord is long) so anytime a part of the house needs a going-over, i can walk in, grab the vac, do my thing, and then carry it back to it's spot.
Otherwise, I would never bother...
I agree that many of these tips are ones we've all heard before, but I do think they are particularly well put in this article.
And I have found that the "Keep it where you use it" idea is the best thing ever, all the others just seem to happen naturally if you have that one sorted.
For actual cleaning, the best idea I've had is to listen to tunes on headphones. Then I can get down while I vacuum. :-)
So true about being grown up is not overwhelming yourself with what we think we need.
It really takes a restraint and self reflection to be content with less. But makes life so much easier and cleaner.
I definitely agree about "keep it where you use it." I have scissors, pens, and chapstick in every room of my house. I also have multiple nail clippers/files and multiple lint rollers. Those are the things I'm always hunting for and whenever I need them it's always inconvenient to find them.
To NWatrous -
I thought I was crazy with the clippers everywhere! Now I know I'm not alone!
I live by my landing strip, which is a corner of my desk, next to the gadget charging tray. One enhancement that has vastly improved my transfer of stuff between home and work is David Allen's GTD (Getting Things Done) System* plastic file folders https://secure.davidco.com/store/catalog/GTD-SYSTEM-FILE-FOLDERS-p-16211.php. I bought these along with his zippered pouch to hold them and keep them in my bike pannier/briefcase. Several of the file folders come pre-labled, as in "To Office" and "To Home"--I used to have a hard time keeping track of stuff I was taking to work and home, and now I just dump all sundry bits of paper, snacks and such in the appropriate folder and unpack it and sort it when I get to the destination. It seems really simple but it has vastly improved this aspect of my life.
I keep an outbox in my closet (goes to an annual clothing swap), one in my son’s closet for when he outgrows stuff, and one in the closet by the landing strip for items I need to give to friends and family when I see them (check it each time I go to a friend/family function). I also put a bag by the front door to collect things going back to the library (we go once a week), that way there is less of a mad scramble on library day.
The kitchen is the “sink” in my house; if it gets out of control then I can hardly do anything practical in the whole house.
*I highly recommend his book Getting Things Done…kinda like AT for the brain.
I've noticed that when something around my home breaks, often there's no need to replace it. Not automatically replacing things saves time, space, and money.
Having a kitten has actually helped me keep my house *much* cleaner than before. If I don't put something away right after I use it, Moxie will find it, play with it, chew on it, and/or hide it somewhere. Now my coffee table, landing strip, bathroom sink top, and kitchen counters are 99% more clean than before. Now if only we could get Moxie to stop jumping on those counters...
love last-two tips =)
The landing strip is amazing however I call mine a launch pad. Another way of putting is that everything should have a proper home. If you care for it, then it should have a proper place and be taken care of. For example, my keys either live on my purse strap or on the back of the door. Such a relief to know where the keys are!