Cleaning & Organizing
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My New Year's Resolution

Greetings, ladies...never posted here before, but I thought I'd solicit some advice from folks, if you're interested.

My NY Res is to keep the house clean enough that I wouldn't be embarrassed were someone to come over at a moments notice. I live in a 90 year old farm house with hardwood in the great room, linoleum in the bathroom/laundry room/kitchen, carpet upstairs and unfinished cement basement. Our shower is utilitarian and in the basement. My biggest problems are clutter (we have a 3 month old and she has a lot of STUFF), dust, and cat hair.

The tools I have: a Bissell cyclonic vacuum, dustbuster, and a Shark steam mop (that I just got for Christmas and I LOVE).

Tips for making this manageable?

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Re: My New Year's Resolution

  • I would invest in a really good HEPA air filter.  It really cuts down on the amount of dusting that I have to do.  Good ones aren't cheap but I think it's well worth it. 

  • 1. I always try to keep the dishes done.

    2. I put away all toys, mail, and other clutter every day. I have a mail station where all the mail goes as soon as it comes in the house.

    3. I vacuum almost every day. I have 3 dogs and a toddler, with a combination of hardwoods, tile, and carpet. I have a Dyson Animal, so I just vacuum all the floors with it. I am horrible about mopping (I also have a Shark steam mop), and I'm lucky if my floors get mopped once every couple of weeks, but at least there aren't crumbs and pet hair on the floors.

    4. I keep up on the laundry, or at least make sure it is in the laundry baskets. With a toddler, socks and other random clothing ends up on the floor.

    5. Keep the trashes, including bathroom ones, emptied.

    You can have the appearance of a cleaner home if you keep the clutter under control. I have tried cleaning schedules and other peoples' suggestions, but ultimately I have had to find what works best for me and my family and home.

  • I have a similar New Year's Resolution- to keep up with my housekeeping more. I'm not sure if you have an iPhone, but I downloaded an app called "HomeRoutine" and it helps you set up daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning schedules. It's kind of based on the flylady principles- daily routines, weekly cleaning chores, and "zones" that are hit monthly. It's helped me stay organized so far- we'll see how long my motivation lasts ;) The main thing that helps me keep up with the clutter is having a place for everything and spending 15ish minutes each evening going around the house putting everything away.?
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  • For me and DH, laundry is the biggest problem. I have found that if we do a load every day, or as soon as we have enough clothes for one load, the house all around stays cleaner. It is so weird, it is like a domino effect for us!
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  • I also have a similar resolution and one to get more organized. My house still hasn't recovered from the baby, so I have a long way to go. I'm setting mini goals each week or month, and building up to my desired cleanliness and organization level. This month my goals include to organize the kitchen and my office and to keep the dishes cleaned and put away and to sort mail when it comes in.

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