Well, today was a normal day filled with lots of cleaning. Sometimes with two little girls (not that Jane makes a mess but it makes me sound a little less pathetic saying "two") things can get a little crazy. It really just looks like a bomb went off sometimes which is sad. I know there are people out there who have clean homes most of the time because I've witnessed it. You drop in unexpectedly and holy smokes, there house is spotless! How DO they do it. I feel like I'm already spending too much time cleaning and I would say my house is NEVER clean when people show up unannounced. So, I am asking for advice. I went through the flylady website and yes it sounds good but she says it takes like a year to finish her program. I want something that will help NOW
However, being married three years (I know not a huge number but still) I have learned a few tricks that make some things easier. I want to share them with whoever cares to know because they really have blessed my life in a small, but wonderful way.
1) dish rags....these have always been a problem for me. I grew up with simple dish clothes used for wiping down counters and I prefer these over sponges. However, the problems comes when the dish rag sits and starts to mildew. I hate the stink that clings to your skin if you even accidentally tough it (come on, I KNOW you know what I'm talking about.) So, my great sister in law introduced me to a great solution that I love (tree huggers please just stop reading now.) There is large pack of dish rags at Walmart for like $3. I think there are like 15 rags in a pack. I buy these and use them as needed. When I do laundry I try to remember to go grab the rag from the sink (if there is one) and put it in. If the rag gets nasty and there's no laundry to throw it in with, I simply chuck that thing in the trash! It really does feel so good to know that it is HISTORY, not to be thought of again. I know, I know this sounds horribly wasteful BUT it's so much worse to have that nasty thing out polluting my air (does mildew pollute...to me it does)and ruining anything it touches. I think a 15 pack from Walmart usually lasts me 2-3 months, an investment well worth my three bucks.
2) shoe basket...I know many people already do this but I'll mention it anyways. I use a laundry basket for my shoes. This won't work for someone that it really concerned with the wear of their shoes. It's works great for me to just throw all my shoes into the basket. Easy and quick, just my style. We also have a little bench out by our front door that we put shoes under. This has been great so the shoes that are used a lot can be there ready to go.
3) Clorox/lysol wipes....these are amazing! It makes cleaning the bathroom so easy. You just pull them out and wipe down whatever. No more rags and spray cleaner. I guess I'm all about the disposable :)
4)document folder....after getting married I realized how unorganized my documents and important things became. There were so many things to keep track of being married.... marriage license, gas bills, rental contracts, bank info, check books, birth certificates, baby stuff (once the babies come), etc. I went to walmart and got a hard plastic file folder and that has been a LIFESAVER. If you don't have a place for your documents that's safe get one of these! It's so nice to go through paperwork and know where you're going to put the things. I even keep our genealogy stuff in there which is cool.
5) Shower curtain liners....again going with disposable. Those things are CHEAP. a couple bucks at walmart. I bought a bunch of them one trip and it was so nice to be able to just switch the nasty one out for a brand new one when it got all slimy. I know there are ways to clean them and I've even heard of putting it in the washing machine (I am planning on trying this sometime.) But either way, it's nice to just have a new one with no mildew.
Well, that's about all I can think of that really works for me. Here are my biggest problem areas...
-laundry!!!
-clothing organization
-dishes
-mail?!?!?
I would love to know what works for you!
5 comments:
Awesome post and some great tips! Since we dont have washer and dryer hookups in our apt we go to the laundry mat twice a week. Ok well Scott does. That helps us with our laundry problem. I try to do all the laundry put away/ ironing that day sometimes it always doesnt work. The mail I look and then either trash, shred or file away! Good luck with the other stuff. My biggest way of finding out what works is TRIAL AND ERROR!!
we use the just the shower curtain liner for our shower too. so much easier. Good tips on the rest of the stuff. I love the sister picture in the post below too.
I have spots set aside for the incoming mail/outgoing mail/mail that needs to have something done before it can go out (ie stamps/write a check/etc). I always have extra stamps so that I can get things ready to go right out. That way, when I am leaving I know that I can just grab a certain pile of mail and put it in the mail box without double-checking it because I've already checked it before adding it to the outgoing mail pile.
Laundry...I ALWAYS do laundry on a set day each week. The clean clothes go onto our bed where I proceed to throw them into piles: one pile for each person's clothes then one pile for towels. That way, anyone can start folding clothes and get one pile done at a time. It works great because then each load gets sorted as it is done in the dryer. Also, my mom used baskets for each kids' clothes as we got older so that we took our own baskets into our rooms to fold/put them away. I also do a separate load for any towels/washcloths/sheets.
My best organization technique for anything: PILES. ORGANIZED PILES. I know they have mail organizers at some office supply stores too. I am going to get one once we move to our house. :)
Good luck!
http://thelakehome.blogspot.com/2008/12/housecleaning-plan.html
This is a mom chore chart that works so well when I stick with it! It kinda looks like alot, but it is just a little every day, and it makes the house look lovely!
Hey Courtney! I haven't checked your blog in ages, but I checked it today and was particularly interested in this post! I feel the same way about shower curtains. When we were first married I tried sticking ours in the washing machine and even on delicate it ripped the thing to shreds. The next one I cleaned outside on my hands and knees--definitely not worth it. Going with cheap new ones is the way to go. I liked your tips. :) Your little ones are adorable, by the way, and you just sound so happy.
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