I am almost never home because after work I look in on an elderly relative. My junk mail and other stuff never gets taken care of until my house is embarassinly messy. I need advice.
2006-09-21 05:47:05 · 13 answers · asked by Autumn Cat 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Cleaning & Laundry
My method seems to work for me so maybe it will for you. When I get up from the computer to go to the kitchen, I grab every piece of trash along the way (that I notice) and throw it away when I get there. When you go to the bathroom, stop for just a sec and put the stuff on the counter into a drawer, on your way out grab any laundry laying about and toss into the hamper as you walk past. I do a quick walk thru the house once a day to collect any dishes that were left out and set them in the sink. Keep a lined trash can in every room. ALSO buy a package of PLEDGE All Purpose Wipes!!!!! They work on everything from wood to glass to tile so there are no spray bottles and powder cleaners and towels to deal with. Just grab a couple of wipes and walk around the room in a circle and wipe off every surface, then just toss them in the trash when your'e done. That's how my house stays clean without me ever cleaning for more than 3 minutes at a time.
2006-09-21 07:04:04 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am a big procrastinator - with a full time job and 3 kids. That is all I feel like I do- but still no clean house.
I definitely do the junk mail thing right away. Big laundry thing right in the kitchen or porch to throw it into for recycling. I used to think I might want to look at some of it and leave it out. But, I can dig it out of there if I really want it!
It really only takes about 20 minutes a day to do some basics. If you are not keen on organizing each room into one day or a chore per day, then just make yourself allot that 20 minutes before you go to bed or sit to relax and do what you feel needs to be done.
2006-09-21 06:22:16 · answer #2 · answered by ridethestar 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Clean up after you at all times, and try never to let this tidying up habit slip. Also, see if you can get one day off, even for a couple of hours, just to clean. The first time you do it there'll be a lot more to clean, but if you do it every week, it's just a mere matter of vacuuming/sweeping/mopping wherever. The house eventually will smell better and you'll have a pretty clean house. The big trick is is to keep up that schedule, and to work hard for two hours. It's totally worth it, though.
2006-09-21 05:54:20 · answer #3 · answered by Kage D, 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Flylady.com is a very good site. You don't have to buy into the whole schedule... just the basic principles of doing a bit at a time and not being a perfectionist.
Also -- do you have certain items that don't have their own place... as in "a place for everything, and everything in its place"? For me, that's a guarantee of clutter, if I haven't designated a spot for something. Or if the place something belongs in is inconvenient.
I have to be brutally honest with myself about paper. Instead of... oh, I might want to look through that catalog or magazine... it's a lot more realistic if I admit that I'm not going to have time. I might as well put it all in the recycling bin. Then if I have a spare half hour with nothing to do, I can look in the bin for something to read. Ha, it hasn't happened yet!
2006-09-21 19:51:10 · answer #4 · answered by MailorderMaven 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hire a housekeeper to come in one or two times a week. Or hire someone to clean entirely one time. Then clean and pickup as you go. It takes only a few minutes to tidy up if you start with a clean house. If you have a family have them pitch in. I you don't have time to clean you really should get a housekeeper. Have them come for a couple of hours each week to help you. You'll have to find some time to start with to go through the clutter. And be tough with yourself and ask yourself "do I really need this?" Good Luck!
2006-09-21 08:18:09 · answer #5 · answered by cluttertoclean 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i used to have this problem and now i do comerical cleaning/chores.... when i am relaxing watching tv, i gather all the old mail, clutter and put it close to me while watching tv and sort though the stuff while watching tv.... what i do not want i throw in a garbage bag, and on comericals i get up [i play a game with myself] and clean a counter, or a table, etc....and try to beat the show coming on before i get back.. i call this commerical cleaning and i find that after a few shows, i have made quite a dent in the messy house... try it, it works for me....
2006-09-21 08:14:07 · answer #6 · answered by churchonthewayseniors 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
have to make it a daily habit. spend a weekend organizing and cleaning and then from that point forward, at the end of the day walk through the house and in each room make sure everything is where it belongs. only takes a few minutes a night and your house stays in "guest shape."
2006-09-21 09:39:18 · answer #7 · answered by Poet 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Realize your home didn't get messy overnight, it won't get cleaned up overnight. Some good suggestions have been made so far. You might also take a look at some websites for more ideas, notably http://www.flylady.net/, http://www.getorganizednow.com/ and http://www.neattv.com/. I'm sure there are plenty more out there.
2006-09-21 06:30:41 · answer #8 · answered by Suzy Q. 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Count how many rooms are in your home then divide by 7. Then designate which rooms you will clean on which day of the week. Then you won't feel so overwhelmed. It works for me.
2006-09-21 05:51:51 · answer #9 · answered by lilpinay 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There's a great solution to this - when you check your mail - leaf through it and throw away the junk immediatley! It's helps a lot!
Good luck!
2006-09-21 05:48:27 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋