Today's organized resolution is cleaning!
Uggh, this is seriously something I don't like to do.
Uggh, this is seriously something I don't like to do.
Are you like me? Do you NOT want to spend all your time cleaning everything? I certainly don't. About a year and a half ago I shared a post on keeping your house clean by doing 15-20 minutes a day of cleaning. It's a VERY popular post. I have actually had a couple of nasty comments saying that I misled people into believing it's REALLY possible to do it and that it's just not possible - but hey, TWO bad comments out of thousands of hits on that ONE post isn't so bad, right? I've also seen comments on Pinterest about that post that people can't see when I actually do laundry.
Well, let me dispel a couple of myths. The post was about cleaning your house - not doing your laundry. Secondly, it was a part of a nine-part series on how to {fake} and immaculate house. So, if you read the whole series, you would see that it's not just about cleaning that small bit everyday. Last, it CAN be done - I'm proof.
Above is a schedule for you to pin or download a printable {here} to keep in your house somewhere to remind you of how easy it is to keep your home clean in just 15 minutes a day - this won't happen in a 3000+ square foot home. Your size of house really does matter. In my former home {1800 square feet}, I could easily do this. But, in our current home it's more like 20-25 minutes a day, which still isn't so bad! The point is just to do a little each day so as not to overwhelm yourself with cleaning constantly.
I also want to remind you of the series that I did last year, again. I want to recap how to fake an immaculate home. Your house doesn't have to be perfect - mine certainly isn't. Most people would never know how little I actually clean. Here are the NINE ways you can fake it and a little explanation for each.
#1 - Quit trying to make it perfect. Your house does NOT need to look perfect, it needs to be lived in. There are no perfect people, so don't try to have a perfect house.
#2 - Only spend 15 {or so} minutes a day cleaning. When you break down the cleaning tasks, it usually only takes about 15-20 minutes to do each task. Why not spread it out instead of trying to do it all at once and killing yourself?
#3 - Finish what you start. Once you start something, finish it. When you leave things undone, it's messy and unorganized - and your house will look that way. Procrastination is your enemy.
#4 - Don't walk away. Whenever you go into another room, look around to see what needs to go with you into that room. If you are heading somewhere, always look for something to take with you to put away or organize or drop off on the way.
#5 - Don't do everything yourself. Unless you live alone, it's safe to assume that other people are making the messes as well as you. The littlest ones can even be taught to clean up after themselves. Take the time to teach even the youngest toddlers to clean up after themselves. {Go HERE for a list of jobs by age that kids can do.}
#6 - Clean as you go. If you pull something out to cook or work on, put it away as you finish using the item.
#7 - Let it go. Get rid of the stuff you don't really need. Haven't used it in a year? Donate it. Broken or not working? Throw it out.
#8 - Put it back! Have a "home" for each of your things. If you don't have a place for everything, you'll just leave it out to clutter up your home. Find somewhere for each thing and get it organized.
#9 - Schedule, schedule, routine, routine. Come up with a daily routine. {Go HERE for more about schedules}. Sit down each night and look over what you have to get done for the next day so that you have an idea of how you can accomplish it. Plan a weekly menu so you know what to make for dinner each night. Set up a weekly schedule of how you plan to keep your house clean.
So, as you can see, keeping your house looking good isn't really as hard as it may seem. It's totally do-able. You have to start practicing good habits like these above and you'll be well on your way to having a {fake} immaculate house, too!
Well, let me dispel a couple of myths. The post was about cleaning your house - not doing your laundry. Secondly, it was a part of a nine-part series on how to {fake} and immaculate house. So, if you read the whole series, you would see that it's not just about cleaning that small bit everyday. Last, it CAN be done - I'm proof.
Above is a schedule for you to pin or download a printable {here} to keep in your house somewhere to remind you of how easy it is to keep your home clean in just 15 minutes a day - this won't happen in a 3000+ square foot home. Your size of house really does matter. In my former home {1800 square feet}, I could easily do this. But, in our current home it's more like 20-25 minutes a day, which still isn't so bad! The point is just to do a little each day so as not to overwhelm yourself with cleaning constantly.
I also want to remind you of the series that I did last year, again. I want to recap how to fake an immaculate home. Your house doesn't have to be perfect - mine certainly isn't. Most people would never know how little I actually clean. Here are the NINE ways you can fake it and a little explanation for each.
#1 - Quit trying to make it perfect. Your house does NOT need to look perfect, it needs to be lived in. There are no perfect people, so don't try to have a perfect house.
#2 - Only spend 15 {or so} minutes a day cleaning. When you break down the cleaning tasks, it usually only takes about 15-20 minutes to do each task. Why not spread it out instead of trying to do it all at once and killing yourself?
#3 - Finish what you start. Once you start something, finish it. When you leave things undone, it's messy and unorganized - and your house will look that way. Procrastination is your enemy.
#4 - Don't walk away. Whenever you go into another room, look around to see what needs to go with you into that room. If you are heading somewhere, always look for something to take with you to put away or organize or drop off on the way.
#5 - Don't do everything yourself. Unless you live alone, it's safe to assume that other people are making the messes as well as you. The littlest ones can even be taught to clean up after themselves. Take the time to teach even the youngest toddlers to clean up after themselves. {Go HERE for a list of jobs by age that kids can do.}
#6 - Clean as you go. If you pull something out to cook or work on, put it away as you finish using the item.
#7 - Let it go. Get rid of the stuff you don't really need. Haven't used it in a year? Donate it. Broken or not working? Throw it out.
#8 - Put it back! Have a "home" for each of your things. If you don't have a place for everything, you'll just leave it out to clutter up your home. Find somewhere for each thing and get it organized.
#9 - Schedule, schedule, routine, routine. Come up with a daily routine. {Go HERE for more about schedules}. Sit down each night and look over what you have to get done for the next day so that you have an idea of how you can accomplish it. Plan a weekly menu so you know what to make for dinner each night. Set up a weekly schedule of how you plan to keep your house clean.
So, as you can see, keeping your house looking good isn't really as hard as it may seem. It's totally do-able. You have to start practicing good habits like these above and you'll be well on your way to having a {fake} immaculate house, too!
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Are you an Organized Reader? I'd love to see your organized space. Email me HERE and show me your space to possibly be featured as one of my Organized Readers.
Are you an Organized Reader? I'd love to see your organized space. Email me HERE and show me your space to possibly be featured as one of my Organized Readers.