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Keeping your home organized is hard when you have a child,
or two...but when you hit the number six, the word "organized"
I admit I'm a bit of a neat freak.
My teen son says I have "Mom Cleaning Disorder"
because I don't have a cleaning day (like I used to...more
on that later), but I clean in small snippets throughout
the day.
Every single day.
Every single day.
Today, I'm going to share my top five tips
on keeping your house (somewhat/fairly) organized.
Even if you have a whole bunch of kids, are
really busy, and find it hard to keep on top of things.
And no I don't follow a legalistic chart system (been there,
done that!). It's just five easy tips that'll help you keep
your head above the water.
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Five Easy Cleaning Hacks
For Busy Moms
1) Every time you enter a room, do ONE thing.
I don't have the time or energy to devote a whole or even a half day to
cleaning. There's just too much to be done!
So, instead I make it my motto to clean while I go.
If I come into the bathroom, after I'm done,
I pick up the garbage on the floor. Sometimes
clean the sink.
In the kitchen, I may rinse some dishes, wash the counter, etc.
In the bedroom, pick up and fold some clean laundry.
As I walk throughout the house, simply pick things up that
are strewn around.
In the bedroom, pick up and fold some clean laundry.
As I walk throughout the house, simply pick things up that
are strewn around.
You get the idea. Clean as you go.
2) Your motto needs to be: "All Hands On Deck."
Hubbies sometimes need to be "taught" how
to help as well (depending on how he was raised of course).
On most days, for us, this is about 10-15 minutes
of simple chores after a meal. Each child and adult
doing one or two things (i.e. dishes,
clean up floor, stove/counter, living room, etc.)
On most days, for us, this is about 10-15 minutes
of simple chores after a meal. Each child and adult
doing one or two things (i.e. dishes,
clean up floor, stove/counter, living room, etc.)
And lastly, with this thought, keep cleaning
supplies readily available.
I usually have white vinegar readily available (great
for young kids to use for mopping!).
Or a natural cleaning spray on the counter.
Mop & broom are right where (hubs) and kiddos can see them.
3) Do what you can, on the days that you can.
Some days I can't do much cleaning or organizing at all.
I have to be okay with that.
Most days I just do what I can, when I can.
Here's another "secret"...
When cleaning gets really really overwhelming
(like when I'm pregnant or sickness is in the house for
(like when I'm pregnant or sickness is in the house for
a long period of time), then I do pay or trade a friend
to come in & do a few hours of cleaning.
I do this about two or three times per year, but it
always lifts my spirits to see the house clean
without my toil & sweat!
Find someone you can afford, budget it in, OR offer
to trade one of your services.
The less things you have, the easier this gets.
I get our kids in on this too, but basically we always have
a giveaway bag/box on the go (once full, I take it asap
to the local thrift store), and regularly throw away
broken or no longer useable items.
Some clean outs are seasonal (i.e. before Christmas, before
or after a person's birthday, spring cleaning), but if you
make this a lifestyle habit, you'll find cleaning
MUCH easier than before.
If you're overwhelmed and don't know where to start,
set a timer daily. Start with five minutes, and work up to
15-20. During that time your goal is pick
one drawer, one corner, one closet, etc. and
sort. Get rid of anything you no longer use.
5) Have a place for everything, & keep everything in its place.
The biggest battle is knowing where to put something.
Have a place designated for everything,
and ensure the whole household knows where
that place is.
Every once in awhile sort through each "place" (like number
4 suggests) and get rid of outdated or no
longer needed materials.
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Question on the blog:
what is your TOP organizing tip?
what is your TOP organizing tip?
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