By MAD21
This is a themed week for Works For Me Wednesday. We were asked to write on our favorite cleaning tips. I don't have any recipes for actual cleaning products, but being a neat freak/mother, I do have a few things I do to try and keep our house clean.
1. Touch it once. The fewer times you touch or move something, the more efficient. Some examples:
* When you get up in the morning, before you do anything else, make the bed.
* When you go get the mail, go through it as soon as you get inside and separate it into three piles: junk (to recycle); bills; and read later.
* Put clothes in the laundry basket or hang it up as soon a it comes off of your body.
* Put dishes in the dishwasher after using them, not in the sink. Run the washer every night before going to bed and empty it as part of your morning routine.
2. Create routines, and stick to them. One each: morning; after school (or rest time); after dinner; and bedtime. Not only does this ensure that you don't get behind with housework and clutter, it also helps you not forget things as often.
3. Have "cleaning sprees." Have a 5, 10, or 15 minute spurt of energy everyday where everyone in the house races to clean a room...or the whole house! (Divide and conquer.) We sometimes make a game out of it. It is what you make it. Have a race, or a contest. Set the timer and whoever finishes first gets ice cream. Whatever you want to do. But it works.
The bottom line is, every little bit helps. I want to spend a lot of quality time with my family that does not involve cleaning up the house. But if we all chip in a little bit everyday, no one is left with a big cleanup job at the end of the day. It helps keep the kids involved and teaches them to be a responsible part of the family.
Every Wednesday, fellow blogger Kristen at We are THAT Family posts clever ideas for getting things done. She calls it, "Works For Me Wednesday" or WFMW. Be sure to go visit her blog to read her post along with links to other blogs who are participating.