As most of you can relate, major life changes (babies, new jobs, grad school) can leave you feeling like you don't have time to do the little things, like doing the dishes or cleaning the toilet. When every other aspect of your life is leaving you exasperated, how do you find time to make sure that a cluttered and dirty house doesn't add to your frustrations?
While hiring someone to come and do the grunt work is at the top of my "solutions" list, no one will be around daily to do the dishes, get rid of clutter or put away my laundry. I've come up with a few tips that may not be groundbreaking, but do get the job done:
• Spend just 20 minutes every day putting stuff back where it belongs. Although it's much easier to throw that sweater on the floor, it (and you) will be happier if it's hanging in the closet.
• Clean your dirty dishes immediately. It's not like you have time to cook big meals anyway. Might as well clean your coffee mug as soon as you are done with it.
• Multitask - wipe down the bathroom sink while you are brushing your teeth or clean off the kitchen counters while your coffee is brewing.
• Make your bed every day. Something about walking into a bedroom with a made bed makes everything seem right with the world.
Now that you've read my ideas, what are yours?
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Once my children were old enough (ages 2 & 4), they could play in the tub while I cleaned the toilet & the sink & swept the bathroom floor. I don't use chemicals to clean, so there are no noxious fumes. And if either need my help immediately, I'm right there. This keeps my bathroom much tidier & makes the weekly (or not quite weekly) deep clean of the bathroom much easier!
Pare back your cabinets to one plate/cup/fork/knife/bowl/spoon per person. Take the rest of the stuff and put it in the attic. That way you're forced to wash your dishes after you've used them!
Another thing that helps a lot is if it will take less than two minutes, go ahead and do it right when you think of it. That keeps little things from piling up.
If your house is multi-leveled, keep a basket next to the top and bottom of the stairs. Put things that need to go down/up in the basket, then take them to the right level the next time you use the stairs.
I also keep cleaning supplies handy to where I use them. Each bathroom has a thing of cleaning wipes, a roll of paper towels, windex, toilet bowl scrubber, and a scrub brush. That way I don't have to cart cleaning supplies all over the house.
If something is REALLY bugging you, go ahead and do it. The fifteen minutes it will take out of your day will be well worth it to get it off your mind!
I know exactly what you are talking about...I am in law school and the amount of work is staggering. I live by myself too so I can't even count on a partner or roommate to help me clean!
Generally I clean my kitchen every night (wash dishes, put away, wipe down the counter and stove top and sweep - it's very small), put my clothes in the hamper or back in the closet after I take them off, and make my bed every morning.
I usually spend sometime Saturday mornings (or Friday nights...) doing the big cleaning - laundry, dusting, vacuuming.
Use commercials. Jump up at commercials and move fast. You'll be surprised and feel less guilty for watching junk.
Check out the tips in Jeff Campbell's "Speed Cleaning" book. Go around each room only once, cleaning everything in order. Use both hands- one with cleaning spray, one with cleaning cloths. Wear an apron with pockets with all the tools you need to clean.
But as a lazy non-cleaner, my favorite tip is to soak it and walk away. Soak dishes, spray grimy counters and stovetops. Go away and do something else. 15 minutes later they will be much easier to wipe.
Roomba. Changed my life.
I live with somebody and let me tell you, it doesn't make it easier, it just means there's twice as much mess as there would be if it were only me.
There is, however, someone else to blame at all times.
About once a week I get really fed up and do the dishes while griping about laundry or something, though.
A tidy, uncluttered space is a snap to clean.
Doing the dishes every night. I unload the dishwasher while making breakfast/coffee. Just do it. Nothing is worse than icky dishes!
I keep a laundry backet in each main area. I load it up w/ stuff that belongs elsewhere and once or twice I week I sort & put away the baskets.
Laundry hampers, one each for lights & darks; so all I have to do is grab it and dump it int he washer.
Those w/ kids. They always take longer than you to do everything. While they eat dessert, do the dishes. While they brush their teeth, tidy the bathroom. When you put them to bed, empty their hamper. You get the idea :-)
I let more things go than I should (working single mom,) so once I week I pick something that bugs me (disorganized pantry, cluttered rooms, hand washing clothes) and just do it.
Oh, give your kid a swiffer; they love those things.
QueenOfTheFall.blogspot.com
A few things I do:
1) Clean before I change out of my PJs for the day. It's very uncomfortable to clean while wearing jeans.
2) Clean when I am pressed for time. There's no dawdling and you really learn how to effectively cut corners!
3) My mom gave me some good advice: If it's not dirty, don't clean it. Don't waste time.
Also, everything I do I do to a punk rock soundtrack. That way, you can say "cleaning is so punk rock."
I developed the mentality of "clean as you go". I pick up things as I move around the house and I feel that this is better than spending half a day picking up the accumulated mess.
I've found that calling a friend I haven't seen in a while is a good way to clean, too. I pace when I talk on the phone, and I've found I can clean with some ferocity if I toss a headset on my cell and focus on the conversation rather than the "Now why did I dig this out of the closet again?!"
Our favorite rule is do it now--every time one of us wants to put something off, we just plow through and do it--clean the kitchen right away after dinner, make the bed as we leave the bedroom in the morning, sort and recycle mail as we bring it in; take our bags to the office where they live when we come in the door. That way, nothing piles up along the way.
In/Out - when you leave your bedroom take your glass to the kitchen. When you leave your kitchen take your iPod back to the bedroom. Always keep your hands full when you're walking & then put that object away.
15 Minutes - Just 15 minutes a day. Set the timer & bust a move in the room of your choice. It really helps!
I'm a fan as the clean as I go and make sure that everything's all picked up and ready to go before I go to bed at night. Nothing worse than stumbling through disarray to get to that first cup of coffee!
De-clutter your space.... clean out small spaces like closets, drawers, laundry room and your pantry... dusting and organizing isn't as overwhelming then.. I have a lot of bins in my closets also... it helps to put unsightly, but necessary items in a place where they are easy to find, but not cluttering your dressers or counter space. Also.. it helps to buy things that can be used for multiple purposes... less stuff, less cleaning.!!!
As a busy singleton, when the clean-as-you-go method fails, I squeeze in a quick 5-10 minute tidy up when I walk through the door at night. And another 10-minute tidy before going to bed.
I like the jump-up at commercials and clean method...and picking up and tiding. A tidy home always looks clean, even if it hasn't been properly cleaned. If really in a pinch, there's always dumping everything into a closet or room that isn't being used and closing the door. ;D
markbright's "use commercials" tip is spot-on. It's amazing how many dishes you can wash, clutter you can clear, etc. in the space of one commercial break.
Another good rule-of-thumb is never leave a room empty-handed.
Also, if my washing machine is working, I am, too. It's an enforced half-hour of cleaning, and it's amazing how quickly you can get things done when you don't think about how much you dread those tasks.
Also, thinks about what isn't necessary: we don't make our bed everyday (dust mites love neatly made beds!); I don't let cut flowers into my home because they shed and I hate watching things die.
Also, when you do a powerclean, go from high surfaces to low surfaces, starting in one area and moving clockwise (or counterclockwise) around the room. It goes quicker, you don't get sidelined by other tasks, and you can see actual awesome progress as you go round.
Also...a cleaning service twice or once a month...
Here's what my freakishly organized friend Allison does:
http://howtorunyourlife.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-to-be-freakishly-organized.html
pam h.
howtorunyourlife.blogspot.com
I work at home and don't do the dishes after every breakfast and lunch because otherwise I feel like I'm doing dishes all day (no dishwasher.) The thing I do to trick myself is to take an afternoon break to make tea. Two minutes to microwave the water, and 4-5 minutes to steep. I'm going to be in the kitchen waiting around anyway, so I might as well do the dishes while I'm there.
And the other thing I try to keep on top of is taking a clean wash cloth and wiping the shower dry when done. It doesn't even take 2 minutes, and it keeps the shower from building up soap scum or mildew. I rarely have to all-out clean the shower when I stick to this method.
Now if I could just figure out how to keep my office tidy...
I'm a grad student, and I think of cleaning as my own time. I spend a few hours every Saturday morning playing loud music and going to town on my apartment. This is when I do not think about anything else, like my thesis, deadlines, or that stupid ArcGIS class I'm taking. I only think about the music I'm listening to and about creating order out of my disorderly life.
It's kind of sad that cleaning has become my alone time, but that's the way it is. It is when I just tune out of everything else.
This may sound blindingly obvious to most people (okay, everybody else but me) but I only very recently discovered the joy of owning a vacuum cleaner. Instead of ploughing through the apartment (smallish, tiled floors) with dusters, mop and broom, collecting heaps of cat fluff and kicking up more dust than I can clean, I now simply blitz the whole place in one quick go, from top to bottom. The best bit is that I don't die from hay fever any more!
I thought the Roomba would change my life, too, until I realized I had to clean those stupid little brushes all the time. Meh.
One thing that helps is the Just Get Off Your A** method. As soon as one of us whines about something being cluttered or dirty, they are shamed into doing something about it--and the other person helps, but gets to feel superior. :P
Keep one of those pop-up Lysol disinfectant containers under all of your sinks so you can quickly & easily clean up the minute they look not so fresh.
Choose your space wisely. For example, wood floors, tile floors, lino floors, concrete floors require less time than wall to wall carpeting. Swiffering every couple of days (less if you don't have pets) is all you need and spot vaccuum the rugs. And you can swiffer with reusable cloths.
With me doing a special assignment and anticipating a work relocation and my guy doing a thesis project, we downsized into a smaller place. The second bedroom is full of boxed-up stuff and a study area. Meanwhile, we have a TINY kitchen, with three plates, three bowls, and so on. We are forced into a clean as you work- as dinner is cooking, wash a pot or a knife every time you have to "let cook for three minutes" or "bake for 30 minutes". Last night, it meant dinner was cleaned as soon as we were done. (We did this in our bigger place, as well.)
In our carpeted place, we also vacuum every single day- it takes about 7 minutes for maintenance, before the cat hair/dirt is actually visible. If we wait til you can see the dirt, it's much more work.
Finally, keep cleaning supplies at hand. Kitchen supplies are under that sink. Bathroom supplies are in both bathrooms, so cleaning is nothing but a quick swipe. We also install a showerhead with a handheld hose attachement, so cleaning the tub is a matter of scrubbing the walls and hosing them down.
Downsizing rocks when one is short on time!
@brenntxx: awesome comment. I, too, describe things as "totally punk rock" and am glad to know I'm not alone.
Love all these comments.
Mine is -- TEN THINGS
It's a quick-fix to be sure, but I look around the room and quickly do the ten things that will make the most impact. I limit myself to ten, and don't feel like I have to keep at it forever.
Usually it's enough to make any room presentable.
Works for kitchen, bath, bedroom...
For my kids? -- FIVE THINGS :-)
I should have lived with my husband before we were married. I would have seen the true nature of his 'cleaning ' philosophy---don't. He saves everything, leaves his stuff wherever, never puts anything away, thinks vacuuming twice a year is plenty (1 dog, 2 cats, 2 people), forget about dusting, and don't ask to see the garage. I had to choose:him or a clean house (which we designed and built ourselves in 5 months, while he was working full-time.) After 40 years, I only occasionally regret my decision.
Having a dishwasher is great, and organizing so it's always possible to clear everything "loose" out of sight is essential. ("A place for everything and everything in it's place..." ) Once you set that up, clean as you go.
If cooking, the moment you are done with the measureing cup, put it in the dishwasher. Not the counter. Not the sink. The dishwasher.
The minute you have the last pot on the stove, put away all the ingredients on the counter -- seasonings, refrigerated items, whatever.
The minute you are done reading that book, put it back on the shelf or on the landing strip to return to the library.
The minute the dishwasher stops running (or the first opportunity afterward) put the dishes away so the next dirty load can start to accumulate.
The minute you are done with laundry, put your clothes away. (I unload the dryer with this in mind -- I hang things needing hanging and fold things that go on shelves or in drawers straight from the dryer while they are still hot. I almost never have to iron anything, especially since I shop with a no-ironing needed policy whenever I can.
Be an efficiency expert with your time, and then you only have to PLAN for time for the big jobs. Laundry once a week (except for big families), vacuuming once a week, deep cleaning as required. Rotate these tasks and you really don't need to spend that much time on any of them.
Three things:
living in a place that is prone to palmetto bugs (the dainty way of saying roaches) leaving food, crumbs or dirty dishes out is an open invitation for pests, and a great motivator for washing up right away and straightening the kitchen.
The second: A clean up mix. A short list compiled of punk or fast paced, old school hip hop motivates me. Makes it fun to clean because I dance while cleaning up.
The third: Invite friends over often or have a 'drop by', open door attitude. As a grad student, studying at my place with friends was frequent. As a recent grad, opening up my home for potluck or just inviting a friend over for dinner at least every couple of weeks makes me think of another set of eyes on my space. Approaching guests (even if only given 15 min warning) makes me clean up FAST.
Find a boyfriend or girlfriend who are OCD until you can afford a cleaner.
I agree with good cleaning music, multitasking the vacuum cleaner for all surfaces that can be vacuumed (this includes the furniture). But rather than thinking of how to clean quickly, I'd also be mindful that there are some things you can count on to have big impact fast. By doing these things regularly, you start to notice instant results, and also what other things you could do to further the project. I think these things are the most impactful to me:
1) making the bed daily. It signifies that the day has started, and that you're planning to be in control of the order of it- at least in some small way. Plus, it makes the whole room look less crazy (despite the pile of clean laundry on the floor).
2) Vacuum often. It forces you to pick things up off of the floor, which usually leads to their being put away. And nothing beats seeing those those fresh vacuum tracks on the floor.
3) Wash the dishes daily. As the kitchen goes, so goes the rest of the house, I've heard. I believe it.
4) Keep the bathroom sink clean. Wipe it out after each use, just like you do any other morning routine When you start to see how the shower and toilet may look in comparison throughout the week, you'll clean those more often, too.
My 3 best tips:
a) Clean like the speed cleaning pro's do: top to bottom, left to right, once around the room cleaning/vacuuming the floor on your exit.
b) Keep a laundry basket or closed storage basket near the place where you create the most clutter - for me that's next to the living room sofa - anything I tend to gather in that place that doesn't permanently belong there goes into that basket and once a week I walk through the house re-depositing everything where it really belongs. If company comes I can just pop that lid on and noone knows what's hidden inside. Of course, if there are dirty dishes, those go to the kitchen immediately so this basket's for things like books & magazines & paperwork & craft projects I work on while watching TV.
c) Display 1/4 of what you own that falls into the realm of display/art/collectibles/tchotchkes, rotate frequently, with only 1/4 of the visual space occupied your house will appear larger - you'll have less to clean on a regular basis - and - your home will always seem fresh because it's constantly changing.
God made visitors so you clean the house once in a while!!
I have made a note of a lot of these tips, thanks! I just discovered I have some adult ADD going on and the usual ways of organizing just haven't worked for me.
One thing I am trying: Since I enjoy art and color and line, I try to make the task more about visual appeal or color than just cleaning. That seems to be one way to get me involved in tackling a messy area!