It doesn’t take as long as we messies think it does to clean a house. Each room can be neatened in 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the clutter (except my bedroom, which is still a disaster from the move!) This is a short summary of tips for each room.
This is just a quick list of some daily minimums that will keep your house sparkling. These are just suggestions. You may have techniques that work better for you, but if there’s an area that keeps blocking you, try something different.
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Kitchen
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Wash and put away dishes.
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Wipe down counters
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Sweep
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Dining room
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Clear off table at least once a day (Cleanies do it at the beginning of the day, Messies at the end.)
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Handle each paper only once
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Sweep or vacuum
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Living Room
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Pick up toys
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Pick up dishes (it may work for you to do the kitchen last if you have a lot of dishes in other rooms.)
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Pick up books, papers, magazines
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Pick up clothes (try to avoid folding laundry in here, until you break the messie habit of leaving laundry on the couch. I’m guilty– as I write this, a basket of folded laundry waits by the TV to be put away.)
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Throw away trash
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Vacuum
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Bathroom
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Take dirty clothes and towels to the laundry area
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Throw away trash
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Spray down all appliances and wipe them down (toilet last.)
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Bedroom (Kids)
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Vacuum and make the little slaves do the rest. LOL
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Have them put away toys
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Have them put away books
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Help younger ones make the bed
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Have them take dirty clothes to the laundry area
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Give them clean clothes to put away
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Vacuum
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Your bedroom
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Avoid it. LOL
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Make bed
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Put dirty clothes in laundry
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Straighten up books and magazines
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Vacuum
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Laundry (it’s its own separate room!)
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Try to start a load at least once a day
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Try to shift loads at least once a day
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Try to put away at least one load a day
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Some people have systems that work better for them, such as spending a full day a week on laundry, but I’m more successful if I nibble at it a little each day.
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Louise
January 4th, 2004 at 5:31 pmThis is a wonderful site!!!
My problem is laundry. I can’t do a load a day, seeing as I have to use the laundry room and that’s EXPENSIVE… but other than that, this is the BEST site!
Chrissy
April 24th, 2004 at 9:30 pmI also use a laundry room and can only do laundry once a week. I do three loads weekly - bedding, whites, and colors. It works for us!
Kristina Leist
December 29th, 2004 at 9:37 amAny tips for those without laundry rooms or garage? Our w/d used to be in the kitchen, but we recently remodeled our bathroom out of sheer necessity and moved them there. There is no room for a hamper now. So even towels go to the bedrooms.
Monica
January 13th, 2006 at 6:04 pmI have 4 kids of my own and we have tried lots and lots (and lots) of toy sorting things,
)and started filling boxes. It was imperative that they help, so that they were excited and invested in the process as well. Some things took more than one box, and some things were too big for the boxes. We did not use the lids…I wanted them to be able to toss things in the boxes without having to open them up. We labeled the spaces for everything, if it was a toy that sat on the floor; we stuck the label on the floor or wall behind it. That way if something was out of place, you could see what belonged in the empty space. When we were done, the boys had 2 larger clear Rubbermaid containers of stuff…one for Rescue Heroes and their stuff, and one for miscellaneous toys. I was amazed how
and they all seem to be useless, flimsy or both. I read an article online that suggested that kid’s rooms be organized like a kindergarten classroom and that things should be easier to put away than to get out. After years of struggling to keep things up, I had found a solution. I picked up about 20 (to start) plastic shoe boxes (the clear ones) from target for .99, and also got a labeler (the kind
that prints paper labels). I labeled each box and also the shelf where we put the box with what was supposed to be there (example: GI Joes
or Hot Wheels or Polly Pockets or Barbie Clothes)
The kids helped me decide what to put in each box (we sat on the floor in their messy
rooms I had to clear a space to sit
well this worked in both the boys (9 and 4) and girls (7 and 6)rooms. We are really messy disorganized people, and suddenly the kids rooms
were clean and actually stayed that way. When they had friends over, the mess would get out of hand, but only took a few minutes to put
back. Our 4 year old could even do it by himself, once he figured out where most things went with help. It was a miracle. We kept it up
for 2 months and then we suddenly decided to move to another town.
Once we get settled in our new house and the renovations are done, the kids all get their own rooms, and they can’t wait to set up their
boxes. Our 4 year old actually asked for a toy shelf for his “toy boxes” instead of the big toy box in a catalog his grandma suggested.
I’m so proud.
Anyway, sorry I’m so long winded…I would have killed for a solution that worked years ago. Good luck, hope you find something that works
for your family!
Shez
November 10th, 2006 at 4:46 ami had simmilar luck with medium plastic boxes didn’t lable them but baught a small bookcase that the boxes fitted perfectly in and no my girl pulls out the box of toys she wants to play with and puts it all away befor getting a new box out
Mayne
January 8th, 2008 at 12:31 pmMarked my boxes with a sharpie.