Declutter Before You Spring Clean!

No one loves to spring clean more than me!! I love that it means the warm weather is around the corner! Its a new fresh start to your cleaning routine. But before you begin, you have to, no you must..de clutter. Thats right, get rid of the junk..and its just junk, believe me! Your life and your cleaning routine will be so much easier without it. Its less you have to clean, pick up, put away, launder..so much easier! Once you've decluttered, you can organize what you have left..this is all part of spring cleaning ladies! Are you ready??

I know that the hardest part of getting organized is getting started. All you need to do for the next week is commit 15 minutes a day on de cluttering. Here are 7 tips to help you get started!!!

1. Make an appointment with yourself. Write it down on the calendar. And then keep that appointment like you would any other appointment such as the dentist. You have an appointment to unclutter something. Do not cancel or reschedule!!! Mark it down..the date, the time, and the mission! Remember you only have to do it for 15 minutes, but once you get going you may find that you can push it to 30 minutes or more!
2. Start small. Unclutter one shelf, one drawer, or one small area until you are done. You can set timers and give yourself a break if you need to, just be sure that it’s done before the end of the day. Do not go to bed with the job not done. This is why we are only picking ONE shelf, drawer, etc. You'll never get to sleep knowing that the whole closet is in piles on the floor. Keep it small!!! Don't schedule "declutter the basement" Just schedule what you can do in 15 minutes. "declutter the christmas section of basement" You may have to schedule this task for more than one day, but it will eventually all get done.
3. Set simple daily goals for yourself. Today, I’m going to clean out the sock drawer. And then do it. You can clean out the junk drawer while you wait for the water to boil for dinner! Just grab the garbage bag and start throwing out the junk.
4. Reward yourself. Plan on a nice soak in the tub when you finish the job. You’ll have something to look forward to, and the sooner you get the chore done, the sooner you’ll be in bath bubbles. Hard work deserves a reward! While the finished product of an organized and decluttered home will be a reward in itself, you need to give yourself something special for a job well done!
5. Find the mess. Figure out the one area that frustrates you the most. The bill basket, the toy bin, the junk drawer. If you’re constantly paying late charges because of misplaced bills, then BINGO, theres the problem. Clean and organize the area where your bills are kept.
6. Have the whole family help.Make a list of organizing projects and write each one on a separate piece of paper. Put them all in a jar or bowl. Set aside a Saturday afternoon. Have each member that is capable, reach inside and pick a slip of paper. Everyone does that organizing/declutter project until it’s done. You may want to do separate bowls that are age appropriate. Small kids can organize too! Don’t underestimate them; sometimes we over think things, while they have the simple solution! Don't forget to reward your family for their work..a night out to the movies, or out for ice cream might help to motivate them! 7. Don’t try and get it all done in one day. Walk away when you have had enough. The clutter didn’t get there overnight, and it won’t disappear overnight either. Don't get discouraged, you just start again tomorrow!

1. Things you love or use.
2. Things you could give away
3. Things that belong in the trash
4. Things you could sell
5. Things that belong elsewhere.

Be sure to put away what needs to be put away.

The things that need to get thrown out, do so.

The things that you’re going to give away or donate, place right into your car to be taken to a drop box, or the church. Don't just set them aside..straight into the car they go!!!

The things you’re going to sell, place in either the basement or garage. Price them ASAP, or list them on eBay, craigslist etc, immediately, do not put that off. Don't say your going to sell it and then just let it sit in a corner. Remember to be honest with yourself..if your not going to sell it, or have a garage sale, throw it out or donate it!!

Be tough on yourself when going through the items, when in doubt, throw it out!!! If you hesitate on where to put something, chances are it should not stay in the house and its just clutter that you can live without.

Be brutal. Don't keep something that you've been meaning to sew a button on or mend..be honest with yourself, your never going to do it, so get rid of it. Don't keep the broken toys, or the ten brushes in the bathroom. Really, how many do you use? Keep it real, stay honest with yourself and in no time you'll have bags of stuff leaving your house. Your going to feel so good! When we declutter our homes, we are decluttering our lives. And really, couldn't we all do with a little less of everything?

WHAT'S UNDER YOUR KITCHEN SINK?

Under the kitchen sink. Scary I know. Go through and get this done and you'll be on your way to getting the rest of the kitchen spic and span for holiday baking and cooking!

What’s under your kitchen sink? Dried out sponges, and rusty cans of some unknown spray? Well time to open the doors and get it all out ladies.

• Start by removing everything.
  
• Wipe down the inside with a damp rag and a good cleanser.
• Remember to do the walls and the insides of the cabinet doors too.
• Before putting anything back in put down a rubber mat that can easily contain spills and dirt. Next time you clean in here, you just have to pull the mat out, scrub it down, rinse it off and put it back.

Now you have to decide what is going back in there. Keep things you use on a daily basis like dish soap and cleaning products there.

Other things like ant spray, or draino should go on a high shelf out in the garage. Keep the area for things you use on a regular basis only.

I keep my garbage on one side and my cleaning products on the other. The cleaning products are in a neat caddy with a handle that I can easily grab and go. I also keep my dish soap there. A small planter is used to hold sponges,scrubbies and rags. That’s pushed to the back since it’s not needed every day. Some over the door shelves make a great place for your sponge/dish scrubber and other things you use more than once a day, or just for some extra storage space.

Be sure to wipe everything down well before you put it back. If you have things in there that have not seen the light of day in a year, throw it out. Its either never going to get used, or is not any good anymore anyways.

Be sure to have child safety locks on your cabinets with cleaning supplies.

Post the poison control hotline on the inside of the cabinet in case of an emergency. (1-800-222-1222)

And remember never ever ever store food and cleaning products in the same cabinet!

Chores For Children

Chores for children. Yes, Spring/Easter recess is coming up, yet they still need to help around the house and perform some of their own daily chores before getting out to play all day.

Giving your kids chores is going to keep them in good habits for when school starts back up. Keep them in the mindset of work before play.

So this week’s challenge is to build a chore list for your kids. What type of chores and how many chores your children do depends on their ages. Heres a simple list of chores that you can choose from depending on age appropriateness.

Make beds: get kids in the habit of doing this first thing in the morning. Do not let them get into the habit of procrastinating! Pick up rooms- let them know that their bedrooms are to be picked up. No clothes on the floor, no toys everywhere, teach them to put things away, and have respect for their belongings.

Vacuum Most kids do not mind this chore. They may not do as good a job as you would do, but that’s ok. You can teach them what you want done, and how you would like it done.

Set the table This is a pretty easy task for kids of most ages. Even the little ones can set the table if you get out the dishes and cups for them.

Clear the table: I think it is important to teach children to bring their plates to the sink when they are done eating. And they can do Mom and Dads too. They can put away the milk, butter, salt and pepper, or whatever else may be on the table.

Clean the windows: Yes little kids love this job. Give them a spray bottle with some water in it and let them squirt away. With older kids you can give them a bottle with vinegar and water and teach them to do the windows/mirrors in the house the proper way.

Take out the garbage: Simple task for most kids. Even the little ones can grab the bathroom baskets and bedroom baskets for you.

Unload the dishwasher: Give the silverware to the little kids (not the knives of course), and let them put them in the proper place. Older kids should be able to unload a dishwasher with no problem.

Pulling weeds, mowing the lawn: Pulling weeds is a simple task for the little ones to keep them occupied while you are in the garden. Older kids can mow the lawn for Dad. It is also a great way for them to make some pocket money if they do it for some neighbors.

Use your imagination: Think of things for your kids to do. Make the chore chart/list and have a family meeting. Be sure to set times you want things done by.

I believe that kids having daily chores and then a few weekly tasks is a great lesson in work ethic. It teaches them responsibility, and gives them skills in the process. So get the kids to work. Let them help out. The sooner all the daily chores are done, the sooner everyone can go out and play! Make sure they learn about priorities...work first, play later!

IRON OUT THE WRINKLES IN YOUR LAUNDRY PLAN

I love doing the laundry!! Yes I really do, call me crazy. But really,the machines do all the hard work; all we have to do is throw it in! That fresh smell of clean laundry is just so addicting to me!!! I think one of the reasons a lot of people hate doing laundry is because they let it pile up till they are buried in it and are overwhelmed!! That is when it becomes a real chore.

Folding and putting away a small load of laundry is easy. But when you have load after load after load, it’s daunting, and exhausting. So this week, I want you all to follow these tips and remember that its not hard. See how much easier it is to open the closet and find your daughters dance leotard, rather than running all over the house tearing through baskets of laundry and hampers and piles of clothes, only to find that it’s been sitting in the washing machine for two days and now needs to be washed again! Let’s get washing ladies!! Follow these simple tips to making laundry an enjoyable and easy task rather than a hated and daunting chore!!!

1. Everyday do at least one load of laundry!! This is the most important tip. Do not let the laundry pile up.
2. Keep a hamper in each bedroom. Or you can keep one in each bathroom. I like to keep one in the boys’ bathroom and one in our bathroom.
3. Do not let your children, your husband or yourself, throw clothes on the floor. You will end up doing more laundry than needed because you won’t know what’s clean and what’s dirty. If you try something on and change your mind, hang it back up. Get into the habit, and enforce the rule with your children too. I know my boys have thrown clean clothes into the hamper because they were too lazy to hang it back up, or to refold it!! Nip it in the bud before it becomes a habit!!
4. Have a strategy. Find what works for you. Some people like to do all the towels on one day and all the jeans on another day. Some people like to do all of one child’s clothes one day, and husband’s clothes the next. I like to empty the hampers into the laundry basket, take it to the laundry room and sort, and then decide what I’m going to wash.
5. Don’t wait for a full load. There are dials on the machine for a reason. If you wait for a full load of jeans, you will use more water to wash them, and they will take up more time in the dryer. I like to do small loads. They are easier to fold and put away, and they don’t take as long to wash and dry. I rarely use the full button on the washing machine. I like the low and medium loads.
6. When the washer and dryer buzzes, go switch the load. Do not put it off. If you leave the clothes in the wash, they are going to smell and need rewashing. If you leave them in the dryer they are going to wrinkle and cause you to do more ironing. Or your children will just look like a sloppy mess when they go to school!
7. When you take the clothes out of the dryer, fold them immediately. And then put them away. Don’t just leave them in the basket till later, they will wrinkle. And don’t just fold them and stick the basket in the bedroom. The kids will just filter through the basket to get what they want and make a mess out of the rest of the neatly folded clothes.
8. Hang a line in your laundry room. Keep hangers on hand in there. I like to take things that need to be hung like pants, and hang them as soon as they are out of the dryer. This way you’re only touching the pants once. You’re not taking them from the dryer, into the basket, folding them, and then taking them to the room and hanging them. This will also help with items that need ironing not to get too wrinkled, such as dress shirts. It’s good to take them out and hang them while they are still slightly damp, you’ll have less wrinkles, which means easier ironing! It’s also good to have a line to hang things that can’t go into the dryer. Of course now with the warm weather here, be sure to use that great outdoor air to dry your clothes!
9. Here is something you may want to think about. I know a lot of women have no problems doing the laundry, just putting it away. Did you ever wonder why? Maybe its time for a reorganization of the drawers and closets. Its a bit of a chore to stuff the folded clothes into a messy drawer that won't even close. Or clean out the closet. Maybe there is a need for more or newer hangers. So check out the system you use and figure out where its failing and why. When you can answer those questions you will have solved your problem and your hate for doing laundry!! So lets iron out the wrinkles ladies!!
based on article written by me and published on the Happy Housewives Club

GET A CLEANING SCHEDULE AND DAILY ROUTINE IN ORDER!!

You must have a routine to follow. A weekly cleaning schedule and also a daily chore list! Your daily chore list must get done every single day..no excuses!! A sample of daily chores would look like this:

WIPE DOWN KITCHEN, LOAD AND UNLOAD DISHWASHER
SWEEP FLOOR
MAKE BEDS
QUICK WIPE AND SWIPE OF THE BATHROOMS
AT LEAST ONE LOAD OF LAUNDRY, WASHED, DRIED, FOLDED AND PUT AWAY
QUICK RUN THROUGH THE HOUSE FOR A PICK UP AND PUT AWAY
FAST SWEEP AFTER MEALS, DISHES IN DISHWASHER AFTER EVERY MEAL..NEVER LEAVE DISHES IN THE SINK..EVER!
FAST WIPE DOWN OF FINGERPRINTS..USE THE MR.CLEAN MAGIC ERASER AND GO THROUGH THE HOUSE WHILE YOUR ON THE PHONE WITH YOUR FRIEND OR MOM..JUST WIPE DOWN FINGERPRINTS AND AROUND THE DOOR JAMS, LIGHT SWITCHES, ETC.
QUICK WINDEX OF MIRRORS AND WINDOWS IF NEEDED

If your consistent with these daily chores, your home will always be company ready!

For your weekly schedule you may have to play around with it till you find something that works for you. No two schedules will look the same. Some women work and find doing all their cleaning on the weekends works for them. Others find doing one room at a time is the key to their success! Here is just a sample of what my weekly schedule looks like! While most women who have small ones aren't able to do the whole house in two days, just do what you can when you can! Make a list of 10 things to do each day, and if you do it everyday, your home will be in order!

My weekly schedule
MONDAY:
Daily chores
Clean out the refrigerator
Go grocery shopping
Mop kitchen floor

TUESDAY:
Daily chores
Vacuum stairs and family room and any other rooms if needed
Project Day. This is the day that I will clean a cupboard, drawer, closet or any other out of the ordinary chore that is not on my schedule. Each week I’ll see something that needs to be done. If I notice that the boy’s drawers are getting messy, I will make a note and do it on Tuesday.

WEDNESDAY:
Daily chores
UPSTAIRS CLEANING DAY
Strip beds and wash sheets
Clean bedrooms and upstairs bathrooms

BEDROOMS DETAILED LIST

• Strip beds
• Vacuum mattresses
• Take everything off dressers and dust/wipe down
• Wipe down everything before returning it to dresser
• Windex the mirrors and windows
• Dust the baseboards and windowsills
• Vacuum the rugs
• Put fresh sheets on the beds

BATHROOMS DETAILED LIST

• Remove all rugs/towels and throw into the wash
• Wash/clean
• Toilet
• Bathtub/shower
• Vanity and sink
• Wipe down everything
• Clean light fixtures
• Dust off baseboards/window sills/tp holder and towel rack
• Wipe down the walls
• Vacuum the floor
• Mop the floor
• Put out fresh hand towels

Hallway

• Dust the baseboards
• Vacuum the rugs
• Stairway
• Dust the railings and spindles
• Vacuum the stairs

THURSDAY:
DOWNSTAIRS CLEANING DAY
Daily chores

KITCHEN DETAILED LIST

• Remove all rugs and throw into wash
• Anything that can go into the dishwasher goes in. If you have burner trays, knobs from the stove, sponges, cookie jar, canisters (my canisters are lined with plastic bags, so I only have to pull the bag out), microwave tray, any other washable kitchen knick-knacks or items. They all come out nice and shiny and you didn’t have to scrub anything.
• Remove all other items from the counters. Scrub the counters well and scrub everything before putting back onto the counters. The less you have cluttering your counters the less you have to clean!
• Scrub sink
• Wipe down all the outlets and behind the sink really well
• Wipe down cabinet and drawer fronts and handles
• Clean light fixtures
• Wipe down table legs and chair legs
• Wipe down the refrigerator and top of refrigerator.
• Clean out inside and outside of microwave
• Clean stove top and front
• Windex windows
• Get into the corners of the kitchen with your vacuum attachments
• Clean the baseboards and corners
• Sweep/vacuum floor
• Mop floor

FAMILY ROOM, LIVING ROOM, DINING ROOM DETAILED LIST

• Remove all knick-knacks and dust/clean surfaces (now is a good time to throw in knick-knacks that are washable into the dishwasher…vases, decorative dishes etc)
• Dust/clean baseboards and corners
• Dust ceiling fans, light fixtures
• Vacuum cushions on couch, if removable, remove and vacuum under cushions
• Vacuum the rugs

POWDER ROOM DETAILED LIST

• Remove and wash rugs
• Clean toilet and sink
• Clean baseboards
• Windex window/clean window sill/windex mirror
• Vacuum and mop floor
• Put out fresh guest towels

HALLWAYS/ENTRYWAYS
Vacuum, mop hallways, dust all baseboards and throw rugs into wash

FRIDAY:
Daily chores
This is a “FREE DAY!!!” The house is clean and as long as I keep up my daily chores, it stays that way.
I may vacuum if needed on these days.

I also recommend having “free days” for the purpose of flexibility.
You never know when you may have a sick child, or you yourself is sick, or some other life issue that pops up during the week.
This day can be used to stay on track and keep your schedule!
If my son is ill on Wed, then I’ll just push everything up a day.
So I’ll do the upstairs on Thurs and the downstairs on Fri. Nothing gets left undone and I don’t have to spend the weekend cleaning!

SATURDAY:

Daily Chores

“FREE DAY!!!”

SUNDAY:
Daily chores
Make out Menu plan and shopping list