Everybody, everywhere!
Hey guys! Today I thought I'd share my tips for cleaning the house!
NOTE: This list is dedicated to the act of cleaning, because my house sure gets lived in, chaotic and plain cluttered. No one is perfect. I do not always maintain a perfectly cleaned house, but I can get it to a place where it appears clean and organized, and it usually lasts for about a day... but that's okay! The other day I noticed that I do some things, have some habits that help me stay focused while cleaning, so I thought I'd share for anyone who feels stuck in a rut.
1. Music = productivity! It makes everything better!! Whether its headphones, or "Today's Country" blasting on your TV it's a long-known fact that "Studies show that music is effective in raising efficiency..." (Fox J.G, Embrey E.D, 1972). Plus for me, it makes my mood better. Anything that makes you want to get up and dance, can help you want to get up and clean!
2. One Room Rule! It is SO helpful for me to do one room at a time. Even if that means I pile up the dirty laundry and literally chuck them in the middle of the laundry room floor (for now), I HAVE to stick to the one room at a time rule. If you pick up all your laundry in one room and attempt to start the laundry machine and separate the load and all that before going back to the original room, you'll instantly be overwhelmed and mom brain will likely hit SO HARD. (If applicable of course). Pick a room, and by gosh hold your ground to not picking up anything in another room before that room is done!!
3. The Basket Strategy! I'll be honest, this one is newer to me and isn't one a strategy I use all the time, but it is good for overwhelmed momma's and for super quick pickups. It's so simple. Get a basket, such as a laundry bin, and fill it with stuff that doesn't belong. From here there are a couple options. You can either immediately begin sorting and placing all the items where they belong individually, or you can instruct helpful aged kiddos to sort and place the items where they go, and everything that is still in the basket in an hour gets thrown away. It can also be a great strategy to slowly decluttering your home or getting rid of neglected toys! I like this one because when you put everything that is out of place in one spot, the room is immediately less cluttered, and for me that means I can think clearer and am instantly less overwhelmed. Plus, if company is making a surprise visit and you're desperate to pick up stuff quickly, you can load up a basket and stow it in a closet until you're ready to sort and organize the items within. Win-win!
4. Color Coded Clean up! This one is honestly just a fun way to entertain yourself and make it less daunting of a task to pick up an especially cluttered room. Plus it can include, entertain and even teach kiddos! All you do is pick a color and a number, and pick up that number and color of items! So if my number is 10, and I want to go in rainbow order, I'll pick up ten red things, then ten orange things, ten yellow and so on! It's not my most favorite strategy, but I think it's worth mentioning!
5. Clean by Category! I LOVE this one and do it every. single. time. Pick up all the trash in the room first walking around with a garbage bag, then all of the shoes, or all of the laundry, all of the toys, all of the papers, all of the blankets, whatever! Just go by the type of item. I always start with trash, because its amazing what becomes trash as I'm going around with a trash bag. Works wonders, I promise. It's so simple, and I tend to do it naturally because since all the items are of the same type, they tend to go in the same place which means less trips which equals a win.
6. Race Against Time! MY FAVORITE. I pride myself in my speed cleaning. Plus then its over faster. Set a timer for 30 minutes and see what you can do. It keeps you motivated and focused to get as much done as possible as quickly as possible. Take before and after pictures to show yourself what you're capable of! Even if you delete them right after! Time lapse yourself! It also keeps your productive and focused, plus it takes your phone away and limits distraction!! It is important to keep the one room at a time rule with this one! But just give it 30 minutes and you may just surprise yourself!!
7. Masterful Mashup! Crank up the music, pick a room, take a before picture, and set a timer. Then use the clean by category, the color code or the basket strategy. After 30 minutes, take another picture, no matter what!!! You have to prove to yourself, even if it doesn't feel like a lot, that it is, in fact, making a difference. This mashup will change your life. And you will master the art of cleaning up!
And there you have it! In addition to my cleaning tips, I recommend going through your stuff often and getting rid of things you don't use every day. Clothes should be gone through seasonally, toys should be gone through--gosh I don't know, every time your kid wants a new one? I haven't personally experienced this challenge, but I was a kid once and there were definitely items I kept years longer then necessary. Just go through your stuff often!!
If you have other tips/strategies I should try do share!! I've just found that for me these work wonders, but if there are even easier ways out there, I'm here for it.