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I'm not the cleanest or tidiest of housekeepers, by any means. Regularly you can drop unannounced into my home {please don't! haha} and find piles like this:
Or this:
Or, you know, this:
But I'm not the messiest of homemakers easier. I don't quite fit into the "Sidetracked Home Executives" category, and plenty of people come over and compliment me on my relatively tidy home. So there you go. I like to consider myself in the middle- plenty of room to improve, but not terrible.
Fully disclosed enough for everyone?
There are a handful of habits I keep that have made it possible to get company ready in 20 minutes or less. While I still have a handful of habits I'd like to adopt so that I'm company ready on the spot at most times {read about the two I'm working on this year}, these have gotten me a long way from the wimpy housekeeper I was when I first got married almost 9 years ago.
1. I do the dishes everyday. On really busy days, I might only give them 5 minutes- but something is better than nothing, and just a little bit every day keeps them from getting totally out of control! Finally having a dishwasher has made this much easier for me. I try to run it every night, unload it first thing in the morning, and keep loading dirties as we go through our day.
2. I try to end each day with a relatively picked up home. Most nights the kids are responsible for picking up their toys before bed {though I admit sometimes I want them to get to bed so badly I just skip it}. Usually once they are tucked in I pick up the items on each room's floor quickly, then finish cleaning up the kitchen.
This habit also makes me a nicer mom when the kids get out of bed for just one more thing 800 times. If I'm just cleaning anyway, I'm far more likely to respond with patience then if I'm crashed on the couch watching Netflix, checking my phone, or reading a book. Once they are asleep I can relax.
3. I keep my kitchen counters fairly clear. The toaster, slow-cooker, and even my spice rack go in cupboards below my counters. The only items you will find there consistently are my electric kettle {we use this puppy 2-3 times a day easy}, a container of cooking utensils by the stove, and the fruit bowl. Lot's of white space to rest your eyes on makes for a more put together and peaceful place.
4. I make my bed {almost} everyday. Like I said, almost. I've read in bunches of places that your bed takes up about 80% of your bedroom... so if it's made, your room is instantly 80% clean. How's that for great motivation?! I'm also training my kids to pull their top blankets over their toddler beds each day and smooth them out. It's a simple chore and a good habit to develop early.
These are my 4 biggest housekeeping helps. I still want to get better about sweeping my kitchen every day, and doing a quick bathroom clean daily, and getting rid of more stuff so that everything has a neat place and it is easier to pick up. Baby steps- it's taken me the better part of 8 years to get here, so maybe I'll have these other things down another 8 years from now ;).
What are your top tricks for keeping your home put together? If you could change one habit when it comes to housecleaning, what would it be?
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