Your home is your sanctuary.
Whether you live alone or with a posse, it takes cooperation and a system or two in place to keep it clean.
Step 1 was learning to de-junk. It is a skill the family can learn together and use for a lifetime. Taking on the task alone may lead to an uncooperative family. They need to participate in the process and be equipped with the skills you are learning or they may unintentionally mess up your hard work due to ignorance. If they are a part of the decluttering process, they have a 'hugenormous' advantage as they have been a part of deciding where things belong!
Step 2 involves putting a two systems/habits in place to keep the house clean and organized.
NOW WHAT?
How can you keep your hard work from reverting back to that cursed chaos? It takes nothing more than small, consistent, cooperative effort!
SYSTEM #1
PUT iTEMS BACK WHERE THEY BELONG
Encourage those who share the air with you to finish what they start! If you take off your coat, hang it up! If you open a cupboard, close it. If you dirty a glass, wash it. If it is trash, throw it away! If the dishwasher is full and clean, empty it. The same can be said for toys from the kids' room, a book from the shelf or a movie/game from the media cabinet. Every item has a place and if put back in its place, the house will retain its clean organization.
It is not rocket science,
just common courtesy to others if you finish what you start!
just common courtesy to others if you finish what you start!
Enlist the help of your posse. If a checklist is needed to get everyone started, create one. After habits form and become daily routines, checklists are generally out the door and no longer needed.
SYSTEM #2
THE NiGHTLY 'WALK-THROUGH'
If you live with a family, consider taking turns doing the nightly 'Walk Through'. If the children are too small to handle it on their own, take them along with you. Lead by example. It generally takes 10 minutes or less. Before retiring to bed, walk through the house straightening up. Tidy up each room... straighten pillows, fold throw blankets, restore order to kitchen counters, etc. Put things where they belong and do not forget to shine the kitchen sink! There is nothing quite so lovely as an empty, shiny, kitchen sink greeting you in the morning as you begin breakfast preparations.
You will find that SYSTEM #1 and the cooperation of your crew takes care of the bulk of keeping a home organized. The walk-through takes care of the details. Make it part of your nightly routine and you will awaken to a tidy home. It's guaranteed to put a smile on your face and a great way to start a fresh new day!
HABiTS BECOME ROUTiNES
Developing a new habit can take 4-6 weeks but it is worth the effort! Consistency is the key! If sticky notes posted around the house (for a month) help remind you and others of your goals... use them! A chart with stickers awarded for learning a new skill can be helpful for training youngsters. Feel free to print cleaning lists from previous blog entries... each month has a list for a specific room. i.e. Aug./'How Clean is your Living Room?' Use the checklists until a new system of cleaning becomes second nature. When do habits become routines? On a personal note, my family has used checklists every cleaning day for years. Our teenagers now have the lists memorized and have cleaning skills that would rival a professional. They have a skill set that will serve them well in their futures. Consistency in training the family begins with you! Set some goals. Prioritize. Find ways to remind yourself of those goals & be consistent!
We are cheering from the sidelines for you, sending shout-outs of encouragement!
Change for the better is hard work! Yet, if it is a priority, it is possible!
Go to it!
Be consistent. Learn a new skill and reap the fruits of it!