Keeping House 2

On Monday I mentioned my cleaning schedule or lack thereof. I am no expert, by any means, and if you came by today you would probably be just as disgusted as I am from the dog hair that lurks in every corner. Why do dogs shed in winter? Don't they need a thick coat right now?

Today's topic is a continuation from yesterday's question about how I keep my house in order.

I don't keep it all in order all the time. Aren't you shocked that it's not pristine 24/7? wink wink

But I do love a tidy house, so here are my suggestions.

Start with one room in the house:

The kitchen.

Why oh why, when that is the one room that requires daily maintenance??? Because it truly is the heart and hub of the home.

3 Steps to a Clean Kitchen

1. De-clutter
Take everything off of your countertops and put it on the kitchen table.

Clean the countertops while they are completely empty.

Choose only the items that you truly love or use on a daily basis.

If you are feeling a little wild, rearrange some things. About a year ago, I realized that the coffee machine needed to be near the sink. Why was I walking across the kitchen to fill the pot each morning?

Create a grace space. We all have stuff and there is no getting around it. Give yourself a little area to dump it. I use a large basket to collect all of the things that typically clutter the countertops (random papers, coupons, mail, spare keys, etc..). Once a week or so I clean it out. Remember, clutter begets clutter and it will take over. When I ignore my grace space, it soon spills over onto the desk and chair. Don't forget to clean it out on a regular basis.

Clutter can be distracting and overwhelming.

Yesterday I was in Claire's Boutique spending a looonng 45 minutes while my girls tried to figure out the best way to spend a $15 gift card. Painful I tell ya, painful. When we were finally ready to make our purchases, I could hardly focus on the transaction because of the cluttered register counter. There was so much stuff I wondered if our purchases might get lost in the sea of lip gloss and other various impulse items strewn about. I'm thinking the manager could use a lesson in de-cluttering. ;)

2. Clean.

Give yourself 30 minutes to deep clean your kitchen as a jump start. It's amazing how much we can accomplish when we have a time limit. Set the timer and start with your sink. I'm no Fly-lady, but she's the expert on shining your sink. When the 30 minutes are over, you may be on a roll and want to keep going, or, you might be ready for a break. Take a look around an enjoy your labor.

3. Maintain

This is the hardest part of the plan. Remember, it is a plan. In order for it to work, we have to follow through. If your kids are part of the kitchen-clutter problem, have a family meeting and gently but firmly explain your expectations. You may need to give each of them a grace space.

Give yourself 10 minutes each day (maybe when the kids are doing their 10 minutes of chores) to maintain the kitchen. Remember, it's only 10 minutes. That's less time than commercial breaks for your favorite tv show.

*Don't expect your family to catch on right away. Lead by example, share your plan.*

Give it a week. I think you will be pleasantly surprised how good you will feel every time you walk in the door. Our homes need to be a place of peace for our families. Don't make excuses for the clutter. Start today!

I'm feeling a little lonely out here, so let's chat. C'mon and answer the question of the day ;)

What area of the house do you keep up the best?