Anyway, we're moving, and I don't want to die of embarrassment when my landlord shows my place to prospective renters, so, between reading blogs about home organization and watching YouTube vids about housewives, I've been trying really hard to stay on top of my chores.
I get on a house cleaning kick every once in awhile. It rarely lasts for more than a week or two, but I always feel much better for it. I find keeping my home tidy is easier if I stick to 3 "rules" (read: 3 things people with common sense unconsciously do everyday, but when I heard these ideas for the first time, they blew my mind). And, because I'm such a geek, I thought I'd share them with you. They are:
1. The One Minute Rule
If it takes less than one minute to do something, just do it right away. This includes putting garbage where it belongs (which, I'm ashamed to say, I struggle with), putting dirty dishes in the sink instead of letting them pile up on the table, putting away that lego you just stepped on, wiping up a dab of jam on the counter, making the bed, etc. etc.). You'd be surprised how much you can do in under 10 seconds, let alone a full minute.
2. Never Leave a Room Empty Handed
There's usually something in the room you're currently in that belongs somewhere else. If you have kids, this is especially true because, for some reason, they love to drag crap around your house. So, say you're watching tv and you get up to get a snack, grab something off the coffee table (or floor or whatever) and put it away on your way to the kitchen. I promise, unless you live in a gigantic mansion and it's, like, an hour walk from one wing of your house to the other - in which case, you probably have a butler or a maid or some hired hand to do that kind of thing for you - it takes less than a minute (see rule #1).
3. It Doesn't Have to Be Cleaned in a Day
I used to go on huge cleaning binges where I cleaned every square inch of my house in one day (mainly because, when the whole place is in complete shambles, something inside me eventually snaps and turns me into a grumpy, mean, cleaning machine), but now I mainly pick and choose chores on a day to day basis. One day, I might clean the bathroom. Another day, I might tackle the kitchen. It's a lot less overwhelming (and less time consuming) to break up your housework throughout the week, and at least you can pride yourself on having one clean room at a time (as opposed to none, which my lazy butt is prone to do).
So, uh... there you go! Cleaning advice from the last person who should be giving cleaning advice. If you were like "Pfft. You thought those tips were genius?! I do all of that stuff already because I'm a normal human being, Miranda" - awesome! Sorry for wasting your time. If you were like "I never thought of that before. Thank you for opening my eyes to the magic that is picking up after my own damn self"- rock on, my slobby brother or sister! You're welcome.
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