Keeping Your House Picked Up

{Not mine, but love the baskets.  From Woman’s Day.com}

Because I am not a natural born organized person, I had to train my brain to think like one.  I have to be purposeful and aware of things I naturally would not see, and think about things I normally would not think about.  Here are some things that are working for me:

 1. Look around.

When I walk in a room, I do a quick sweep with my eyes to find anything that does not belong in there or is out of place.  I try not walk through my house without being aware of what belongs where and doing something about it.  By being aware, I can grab a comb that is in the living room while on my way to the bathroom and put it away.  If I am walking through the living room and a couch pillow is out of place, I notice and straighten it.  If I am going upstairs, I grab something on the stairs that belongs up there to put away.  I’ve been doing this for so long that now it is just natural and I don’t realize I am doing it.  

If there is not a specific home for something, then ‘picking up’ just becomes a useless game of shifting objects around from place to place.  There needs to be an intentional place for everything, especially

things that often get out of their place.  Most things only need ONE place.  If not one, as few as possible, for example–pens.  Pens should have one main place where the bulk of them live, and then a few intentional places around the house that you would normally need one.  Think about where the home for each object, makes the most sense.  I have a small bathroom upstairs that has great shelves.  They would be the perfect place to keep cute little baskets to hold all the hair accessories for my girls, but I don’t keep them there. The reason – they never do their hair upstairs.  It would make no sense and waste our time walking up the stairs just to get pony tail holder, so I keep them downstairs where they are accessible and easy to grab.  Keep objects ‘homes’ close to where you would use and need them.  This is efficient and will save time and steps.

  If mail is constantly a mess, that is a clue to have a place and system for mail.  If child school projects/papers are creating clutter, create a place and system for them.  If you have plastic grocery bags coming out your ears, only save a few and recycle the rest, there is no need for more than 10.  If unfolded blankets are what is making the mess, find a basket to put nearby to place them in.  Magazines scattered?  Basket.  Books?  Book shelf or basket.  Husbands things taking over the counter?  Give them a container.  Look for things that are constantly out of place and creating mess, and find a place for those things.  Don’t know how to create a system for mail or school projects?  Google it!  The internet is full of great ideas.

If you get it out, put it away.  Best kept secret to keeping a clean house.

 If at all possible, when the thought enters your brain, do it right away.  If you can’t, write it down.  If you think, “ugh the chair is not pushed in again”- then push it in.  If you think “I need to return that phone call” -then do it asap.  If you think “I should change out the laundry”- stop and do it.

  Lack of motivation is often because we think it will be too hard or take too long.  Changing a load of laundry only takes a minute.  Folding one takes 5.  Emptying the dishwasher can be done in 3-4 minutes.  Making your bed, 60 seconds.  

If you don’t love it, and you don’t use it, get rid of it.  CLUTTER ATTRACTS CLUTTER!  

One project at a time, one room at a time, one job at a time.  This keeps me from getting overwhelmed.  Small steps.  

Work fast to get the job done.  Set the timer for 5 minutes and see what you can get picked up in that amount of time.  Set the timer for 15 minutes and tell the family “we are going to have a family 15 minute house pickup boogie”  Blast the music, show them how to move fast, make it fun.  We have picked up an entire house in less then 15 minutes by doing this.  I resort to the “15 minute boogie” technique whenever I feel the house starting to come unglued with things out of place in every room.  These are happening less and less as we have established homes for objects, and routines to keep those objects in their homes.  The kids do not mind them, because they know it will be over in 15 minutes.

I’ve conquered most of the clutter in our home, and keep it picked up most of the time.  I am now working on the whole ‘deep cleaning’ part.  That part does not come as easy for me, but I am encouraged knowing 3/4 of the battle is getting clutter out and establishing habits to keep it picked up.  I’m sure I’ll be posting my progress (or lack of) in future posts.  If you have any tips that work for you, let me know!