These are tips that the entire family can and should use. All family members living in the home should help take care of the home they live in. Almost everyone can do something, even small children. There is NO reason why Mom should clean up behind herself and everyone else too! After all, if everyone is partaking of the blessings of the home to live in, everyone should help take care of it. While no one will change overnight, incorporating these tips into your daily life will soon make new and neater habits for even the messiest of the messies.
1. If you make a mess, clean it up immediately. Don’t say you will get it after a while, do it now. Once you walk away from it, chances are that you won’t go back to it. Make a habit of cleaning up as you go! This saves time and keeps the home clean and organized. Washing dishes as you cook works great if you don’t want a pile after the meal, fold and put away the laundry as soon as it’s done, and have the kids put away toys they are done with before they take more out.
2. If you use it, put it back where it belongs. Don’t wait until later, do it immediately! Again, once you leave it, chances are you won’t go back to it, and whatever you used will not be put away. Have family members learn to put things where they belong when they are done with the item.
3. Have a place where things live. Everything has a home! Instead of just laying something down anyplace, always put it where it belongs. If you make a habit of putting things up THEN, and having the family do the same, it will become a habit to automatically put things away in the correct
place.
4. Never go to bed with a dirty kitchen. Even if you don’t do dishes right after a meal (I don’t), make sure the kitchen is clean before bed. If the kitchen is clean and someone decides on a snack after, have them clean up anything they mess up. Wipe the counters, the stove, and the table, and make sure the sink is empty and clean.
5. Bathrooms should always be clean! Keep Clorox Wipes in the bathroom so that anyone can use them immediately if needed. These are great for cleanups!
6. When you are cleaning out, have a bag or box for items no longer needed or used. Donate them, sell them, but get rid of them! There’s no greater clutter than things we don’t have need for. Clothes that we no longer wear, toys the children are too old for, books we have read and that just sit on shelves….whatever is in your home that’s not needed, get rid of it as you clean. When you put items no needed or used in that bag or box, make a note to have the items out of your home no later than seven days from the date you packed them. Don’t just move the clutter, get rid of it!
7. Take time to declutter! If your home is really cluttered, make yourself start the cleaning process by taking at least 15 minutes a day to clean it. It’s a great thought to try and clean the entire house at once, and if you can do that, great! But for the person that cannot do that, make it a goal to start at 15 minutes and work on up to more as you go in the following days. Start with the kitchen and bathroom. These are two rooms that should always be clean and sanitary. Make it a goal to clean those two rooms and keep them clean. Then work on the rest of the home. Once you have a room clean and organized, KEEP it clean and organized!
Each of these tips are attainable! While everyone is different and works at a different pace, at the same time, everyone can do this! It cannot be stressed enough that ALL members living in the home should do their part. There is no excuse for anyone to not help out unless they are physically or mentally unable to do so. Even a baby that crawls at six months can be taught to begin put their toy into the toy box. Get everyone involved and get organized!
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Re #7, you should have included an alternative type of wipes for parents who don’t use clorox and prefer natural cleansers that will neither harm the environment nor the health of their families. Otherwise, nice post.
Stumbled here — great tips — glad to see another “flybaby” spreading the word on the net!
Tip #7 is so true - I’ve tried that in the past. You can use a timer if that helps (I think a major deterent for many people is that decluttering seems so overwhelming, but if you stop after the :15, then it’s not so bad). Bottom line: it’s amazing the difference that :15 per day can make.
Good organization tips. Don’t understand why something on all of these types of lists is shot down by an environmentalist.
Clorox is great and I use it like crazy. Excellent tips and advice. Don’t worry about the tree huggers…
Great tips and hats off to all the FLYbabies here, there, and everywhere!
stumbled here too! great ideas(#6 is new to me).
Shouldn’t the natural cleaning people just ASSUME to substute their preference /alternative? Political correctness/inclusion run amuck! geeze.
Well considering Bleach and other like cleaning products have been studied and lead to child asthma, this tree hugger will rest easy knowing that my child is safe from harmful chemicals.
Hi Cindy,
Have you tried Melaluca? Their cleaning products are all natural and work just as well as regular cleaning products. A friend of mine sells it and I just love it. It’s safe for children too. Great post by the way. Words to live by.
http://youfabulousyou.com
Oh sister, this is the stuff I’m constantly preaching, so YOU GO! Great tips and ones that even children can grasp the concepts with a little persistence.
~Monica