In Practice: My 10 Habits of a Clean Home

In case you couldn't tell by my posts on how to organize your wardrobe to make your mornings easier, I like keeping things on a bit of a schedule.  When our family is on a schedule, and taking baby steps towards organization every day, things just go more smoothly.  So, I was really excited to see the blog link below on Pinterest! 

I read it thinking I would have an aha! moment on a new way to operate.  Imagine my surprise when I realized that this is really what I do already.  Much of this is what I set up when I went back to work full time last September and it really helped create a smooth transition.  It is my version of "good enough cleaning".

Read below for the list of items on found on the idreamofclean blog, and how I incorporate them into my daily life!

10 Habits of a Clean Home

1. Shine Your Sink.

This is something that my friend Sheri told me about from Flylady.  I am still not entirely doing this, but am doing it good enough.  Before bed I make sure that the dishes are in the dishwasher or hand-washed dishes are put away.  At this time, I also set the coffee maker up for the next morning.

2. Wash One Load of Laundry Daily.

As long as I have enough white or darks, I try to throw a load in before work daily.  They go into the dryer when I get home, and get folded while we watch "How I Met Your Mother", "Big Bang", or another fun departure from our daily craziness.  Also, we put a laundry chute in and it is easy for any of us to drop dirty clothes down so I am not wasting time running around and gathering items from different laundry baskets.

3. Process Mail Immediately.

Before I walk in the the door I grab the mail.  As I am prepping dinner, I take a few moments to go through the day's mail (and what the boys bring home from preschool) to decide what is kept, shredded, and recycled...and I take care of it at that moment.  The keep items that are easy to take care of are put right in the Command Center, others are put on the desk in the office to be filed away/paid/filled out on the weekend.

4. Create a Command Center. 

Our Command Center is in the Kitchen and is really made up of the small stretch of counter space by the refrigerator.  It is there that all the "out the door" items are stored.  My purse, keys, wallets, phones, shopping lists, bills that need paid, etc.  Also in the kitchen area is a space for the boys' backpacks to hang with their own "out the door" stuff.

5. Throw Away Trash. 

I am sorry, but this just seems like common sense to me.  Although I don't know that it comes as naturally to anyone else in my family.  Needless to say, as soon as I spy trash, I pick it up and toss it in the nearest trash can.

6. Straighten Up Every Night. 

Toys are put away, dirty dishes washed, laundry down the laundry chute, and clothes set out (for me at least) for the next day.  Also, the Command Center is organized with a fresh list of what needs to be accomplished the next day so that I can clear my mind for bed.

7. Create a Cleaning Schedule. 

I work full time and we have a 5 year old and 3 year old...both boys, and a chocolate lab.  Needless to say, my cleaning schedule helps me stay sane.  Everyone needs to do what works for them, but for me I want to make sure the bathrooms and floors are cleaned more regularly.  I don't want to spend my Saturday cleaning after working all week, so I'd rather take 15 or 20 minutes each night to do a little something.  When you adhere to a schedule, there is less to clean!  Here is what works for me:

Monday - Vacuum

Tuesday - Bathrooms

Wednesday - Vacuum

Thursday - Dust & Gather Trash

Friday - Vacuum & Bathrooms

Saturday - Wipe Down Kitchen Cabinets and Clean Out Refrigerator (Grocery Shop)

Sunday - Wash Sheets & Towels & Dust

8. Become a Minimalist.

This is not too hard for me.  I like a lived-in/functional home, but not nick knacks and don't have any collections.  I also think that it helps that we live in a smaller house by most standards...bigger house equals larger house payment, more to clean, and more place to expand unnecessary junk.

9. Do One Thing.

I don't have a schedule for this, but when I have time there are always projects on the back burner that I will squeeze in for a bit.  Right now I am working on a couple Valentine's decorations.  The key is to start projects way in advance because something will always come up.  For this things it is always better for me to work on them when I have that burst of creative energy.

10. Have a Junk Drawer. 

My junk drawer is in the Command Center, which is very fitting as that is our "out the door" area and central to the house.

These are all great baby steps to start taking if you are looking to get organized for 2013.  Add a few steps at a time so it is not overwhelming.  I promise that when you plan a bit and are organized, your life is much less stressful!  It is not about presenting a clean home (but I like that), it is about being at peace without clutter and chaos and being able to find what you need when you need it.