Organizing the home can be a difficult and time consuming. Many people are so busy they have problems preventing chaos in the home. You can benefit from these cleaning techniques for the domestically challenged.
Some of us are not blessed with the ability to move through the room creating order and beauty. Some of us are left wondering how people are able to clean, watch children, work at a job, enjoy some leisure activities, and remain sane. We may have make-up on, and appear in color coordinated outfits, but the outlook at home is not one of chic togetherness. We could be described as the domestically challenged (DC).
As a DC mom, I have spent considerable time talking with people and watching those frighteningly neat individuals searching for clues. The outcome is that although my home is not eligible for the Parade of Homes, it is at times presentable. This is a vast improvement for me, and I am willing to share the techniques I have learned with those still living in chaos.
The first problem that we, the DC, face is the sense of being overwhelmed by past sins. This refers to the kitchen that has been ignored for days and has dishes stacked on all available flat surfaces. Or possibly, the laundry that has been forgotten for over a week. The drawers are empty, and the hampers are overflowing with offensive clothing that is making its way toward the bedroom. The living room is littered with everything from junkmail, to leftover snacks, toys, magazines, and assorted apparel.
In an effort to conquer all that needs to be done, an individual might run from room to room picking up things here and there. This is a common mistake of the DC. It is important to take a deep breath, slow down, and develop a strategy. What room will be first noticed by guests? What cleaning task will be most appreciated by the family? What cleaning task are you willing to tackle and complete at this time. Asking these questions before beginning will help a person develop priorities. Once it is decided where to start the job becomes easier.
One of the most important rules of being organized in the home is completing one room before moving on to the next. This is a difficult concept for the DC. Finishing one room before moving on to the next will conserve energy and make it possible to clean more in less time, and this is extremely important to those detest all cleaning related activities.
The one-room-at-a-time rule can be accomplished through the basket-and-bag technique. This technique, inspired by the book, Confessions of an Organized Homemaker, require that the person cleaning have one large laundry basket available and one garbage bag close by. The room is completed by moving around removing all items that do not belong in the room. The items are placed in the laundry basket to be taken on to other rooms. All articles deemed garbage are thrown away. When this is completed the room is vacuumed, swept, and surfaces are cleaned as necessary. Essentially that should complete the room.
The next step is moving onto the next room. First, all items from the basket that belong in this room are put away, new items from the new room are placed in the basket to be removed, the garbage is picked up and the room is completed. This process should be repeated until all rooms are cleaned and the basket of misplaced things is empty. Do not get in the habit of filling baskets and leaving them in closets. Your dirty laundry will have no home, and many things will be lost in the baskets-of -no-return.
This process eliminates the need to run back and forth between rooms, which can be exhausting and distracting. It is also helpful to have a tub of cleaning supplies on all levels of the home, or even separate ones for each bathroom. This helps the individual do the cleaning job when the filth is first noted, and not get off task in a search for the right cleaning compound.
In this world of insanely busy people, it is easy to join the ranks of the domestically challenged. It is possible to use the simple steps described to bring some order into one's home life. Don't let the chaos of a creative mind become a hindrance to an orderly environment. It is possible to overcome and enjoy your home with minimal effort.
