My Life. My Boys.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Tips?
Hey blog friends! This morning I was thinking about how I'd like to get a little more organized in running my home, and I wanted to talk to some friends about it. I asked Kim on the phone, and she said she would love some tips, too, and gave me a great suggestion: blog about it! I kind of clean in spurts and would like to be more consistent. I try to be, but I never seem to keep it up! I also feel strongly that it's not good to clean all day long, and I enjoy playing with James, talking to friends on the phone, etc. too much to give that up, nor do I think I should. I don't even watch tv during the day, besides maybe 30 minutes right when I wake up. I do like to take naps during the afternoon (sometimes), have quiet time with God, blog, and read during his nap though. Sometimes, though, if I let the house get out of hand (which happens way too fast these days!), I feel more sluggish and overwhelmed. So if you've got a good tip that really works for you, like certain days of the week doing a certain job, please do share!
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18 comments:
hhmmmm, the one thing i really like to do is clean house thursday nights. Rob and I will team up and one person does kitchen and vacuuming/sweeping and the other does bathrooms and dusting. Then, when it's finished we don't have to worry about it the whole weekend. BUT, we both work full time so the evenings during the week or weekends are the only time we have anyhow. Plus, we don't have any children...but, two dogs and a cat adds up to quite a mess! Hope this helps! Another caveat: I like to clean EVERYTHING at one time instead of a few things each day, so if that's not your style, then it may not help.
Your house always looks great, but I also like the Flylady.net website.
I try and clean during the kids morning programs and then once before Bryon gets home!
I try to start a load of laundry before I get in the shower in the morning. Then, by the time I'm done showering, the load is usually done washing and I can put it in the dryer (and start a new load in the washer if necessary), which runs while I'm doing hair/makeup. By the time I'm primped, have gotten Will out of bed and have fed him breakfast, I can begin folding clothes (instead of just starting them in the washer). This seems to save some time since I hate waiting for clothes to finish washing/drying.
Also, we have a delayed start feature on our dishwasher (many dishwashers do) so we'll load it at night after supper but delay the start until after we've gone to bed. That way we can still talk/watch tv without the dishwasher going, but the dishes still get clean and are ready to be put up first thing in the morning.
After reading all these comments, you're probably finding that there are a LOT of styles out there!! What a smart idea to ask friends...I have developed a lot of my cleaning habits by being inspired by my friends to do better!! These are a few things I have learned to do. :)
*Check out the magazine Real Simple - it is great and has neat and creative organizational and simplifying solutions for meals, cleaning supplies, ect...my sis-in-law got this subscription for me for my b-day and I LOVE it!!
*I NEVER wash dishes by hand! I always put everything in to the dishwasher and run it every night. Unload while the kiddo's are eating b-fast.
*I don't waste time with t.v.,...unless I'm curled up on the couch with my hubby at night! I seriousely NEVER watch t.v. during the day - if I have spare time, I'm reading a good motivational book, checking my friends blogs or talking to friends. I've found that if I watch t.v. at all during the day, I kind of get in to a sloppy mode...seems like I accomplish more if it just stays off.
*Teach the kids to pick up their own toys! James isn't old enough yet, but Shepherd picks up the playroom a few times a day...he's also teaching Rauly to do this, so by the evening hours, I really just have to straighten which only takes a full minute or so. If we play with blocks, when we're done...I ask Shepherd to put the blocks in to there box - and the same goes with puzzles, books, ect.
I'm also like Page and prefer to clean everything at once...I can breathe deeper when my entire house is spotless. SO, you may not like my style of cleaning. :)
geez luiz...my comment was practically a post! Sorry!
These are GREAT tips!!! I really have gotten something out of all of them that I'm going to try and use. You guys are the best! Thanks for your help!
I love this blog!! These are all tips I need! I usually let things pile up and then clean for a whole day...hard to do when you are out of town on the weekends (like us) though! I wish I had some great advise...but I don't!! I would personally love to have someone clean my house for me (deep clean) once a week...that won't happen any time soon!!
The mail can cause major clutter at my house, so every day (okay, mostly every day!) when I get it, I open everything and sort it in 3 stacks...one goes to the shredder, one goes to the recycle bin and one goes to be filed away. It helps me to have that system.
Hi, Lauren. Now that I'm home with Samuel and Ryan is working so much, I'm looking for some of the same kind of tips. I'd rather do a few things each day than spend an entire day cleaning. I was thinking about making a schedule for the week to help me get everything done now that it's time for Samuel and I to get into a routine just the 2 of us. Here's what I've come up with so far:
A load of laundry each day (wash, dry, fold, AND put away)
Vacuum downstairs each day
Bathrooms one day
Mow the lawn one day
Go to the grocery store one day
Dust upstairs and vacuum one day
Dust downstairs and clean the floor one day
I know I'm missing things on my list. And who knows - it may not even work, but this is where I think I'll start.
Lauren,
I'm a lurker, so first of all, hi! Second - I heard a tip once to keep cleaning products where they're used. I don't have kids yet, so I know safety may be of concern to you. But it's so much easier to keep the bathroom counters clean when the Clorox wipes are under the sink. It just seems like I brush it aside if I have to gather cleaning products each time I need to wipe up a mess. I have also kept small bottles of Windex and such in the bathrooms for mirrors. I also keep shower cleaner in a small basket by the sink with a scrub brush. I am by no means a model for keeping a clean house, but these time-savers work for me!
Here is what I do. Have a housekeeper come every two weeks and then spot clean in between. :) Every other Thursday is a great day for me because the house is spotless!! Brad gave this to me as a Christmas present two years ago. The gift that keeps on giving, and giving, and giving!!
Here is my big tip: I used to pick up toys ALL day long until I decided to do it only once at the end of the day before Brad comes home. I don't like him to have to walk into chaos when he gets home after a long day of work. It's easier to just deal with it through the day and it lets the kids feel free to play. We have started giving Carter fifty cents every time he cleans his trains and play room. It's working like a charm! It used to be like pulling teeth to get him to clean anything.
Good luck!!
Hey! I'm like you. I don't like to clean all in one day b/c you feel like you've missed out on your day by cleaning and who wants to do that! I haven't done it, but I just read in a magazine to set a timer for 10 minutes every day and make yourself clean for those 10 minutes. When your timer goes off, you can keep going or stop, but either way you don't have to feel bad, b/c you cleaned your "requirement". I'm abotu to start doing this, so I'll let you know how it goes!
Since this post, I have implemented the idea of running the dishwasher at night (full or not) when we go to bed and unloading it first thing. That got my day off to a great start this morning, so that I could continue loading it throughout the day. I hate dishes on the counter, and I always waited until the dishwasher was full before I would run it, and a lot of times, it would be full at bad times! I LOVE that idea and can see myself doing that every day.
I'm with y'all on wanting a housekeeper! I will really appreciate that when/if it ever happens!
Corrie,
Josh does the mail and bills. He likes to and is very organized. He's a shredder-nazi!
Audrey,
We must be thinking the same thing right now, except you're way ahead of me doing that with a newborn! I think I'm going to make a chart for myself.
Alicia,
Thanks for de-lurking! I love that idea and it made me realize I need to organize all of our cleaning products better. I kinda have that going, but I could go through it all again.
Cory,
I am slightly jealous of your awesome Christmas gift! :) That really is the gift that keeps on giving! I am with you on picking the toys up right before Josh gets home. We function better with a straight house.
Lauren,
I've heard that timer thing too! Kim and I actually talked about doing whatever we can in 30 minutes and then stopping. Great idea!
Another "de-lurker" here. I found your blog from Suzanne's. I think there have been some great ideas already, but personally my pet peeve is my kitchen. I can't stand to walk into a cluttered and messy kitchen. So every night after the kids go to bed I make sure my kitchen is clean and tidy. I set my dishes to wash, organize all the clutter from the day and sweep the floors. It only takes about 20 mintues or so, but is totally worth it when I wake up to a clean kitchen! My husband is in the military and gets up very early every morning, so I have to confess that he unloads the dishwasher in the mornings for me while he's eating his breakfast :) Also I have the boys clean up their toys twice a day. Once before naps and then again before bed at night.
I also love, love, love those windex wipes. I keep them in everyroom in the house. The kids never bother them because they are in a sealed package, but I can spot clean anytime I see it needs it. Almost everyday I run one over my mirrors and sinks and it keeps them from getting that yucky buildup. I also like those disposable toilet brush cleaners. I can clean it quickly and throw it away and I don't have to worry about the kids getting a hold of that yucky toilet brush.
Sorry about writing too much, but just wanted to share some tips others had given me that made a big difference especially now that I have 3 little ones.
Amy from Tennessee
I am with Tracy, FLY LADY! I already was doing the basics but it makes it all a lot less overwhelming. Also, having your house on the market for seven months will help you create some great habits! We are ALWAYS in clean up mode. Especially before bed and before we leave to go anywhere. I start in the morning and try to leave afternoons for laundry. OF course now I will be working four days a week with a traveling husband so some things may have to change!
Lauren, did you check out the FlyLady website? I've been "shining my sink" since your post - what a difference that makes in the start of my day! I can't wait to see what else she suggests. Who knew that I could ever be excited about cleaning?!?!
I know, Audrey!! I feel the same way. I'm so excited about my new routine that seems so doable. No more spurt-cleaning for me! The greatest part about having a plan now, is that when it's time to clean, I'm getting a lot more done, and when it's time to stop, I can relax and know it's playtime! I haven't checked it out fully yet, but I plan on it soon. It looks awesome!
My idea is to make sure I do one cleaning thing a day...whether it's vacuum, dust, clean the toilets or showers. That way it's a little easier to keep up. Great blog idea!
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