Maintaining a clean home can take on a life of its own. There is only a small number of submissives that can live the dream of being an at home submissive. Most of us have outside jobs and families and commitments that leave the housework low on the priority list. My goal for you today is to pick up an easy to do, low time commitment way to keep your house clean and looking good.
It doesn't have to be a headache every time you arrive home and see the house in disarray. With these easy to implement steps, you can keep the house maintained in just a few minutes each day. These may seem obvious, or common sense ideas but they really do work and with just a few minutes each day can free your time to meet the other demands of your day.
Sure you can continue to say you don't have time every day and then stress when you have to spend 2 hours or more every weekend cleaning what could have already been maintained all week long. Make the point to change your thinking. Start small and it will make a difference. Develop the habit. Even if you are great at home care, these ideas could help cut down the amount of time you take cleaning your house each day.
To do lists
To do lists are a great way to get started in a cleaning routine. Plan out your day when you have five minutes in the morning by writing down five things you need to do around the house that day. Then when you have a few minutes when you get home from work or picking up the kids take a look at your list and try to accomplish one of the items on your list. Feel great when you can cross it off. Try to do three of the things on your list that day. Each day you can come up with three new things to add to your existing list. The idea is to not put off items more than two days.
15 min blast
The 15-minute blast is more like a game. You need to have a kitchen timer. The microwave timer works in a pinch. Set the timer in a room you need to clean and do as much as you can for the 15 minutes that you have before the timer goes off.
For me, I then go do something I want to do for the next hour or so, then play the 'game' again. I can get the whole room clean in about 3 timed sessions. It makes me feel good and I've enjoyed the free time too. You can play the game whenever you have a few minutes.
Involve the kids
Yes, we usually give the kids chores and I know when I was growing up I had to do them in order to get an allowance each week. But I admit I put it off as long as possible. If we give the kids the same timer game that we play each day, they could help you keep the house clean and get the allowance they are looking forward to.
If we make cleaning fun and part of our daily activities with kids then it could instill a desire to keep things picked up. Picking things up as we go along is a very valuable trait that you family could nurture in children. This would ultimately cut down on the amount of cleaning that needs to be done. I wish I had picked up that trait; instead of letting things get as bad as they do here before having to do the 15 min blast or a to do list.
Home Control and Management Journal
A Home Control Journal is an organizational tool used in many households to keep things clean, organized and a home running smoothly. You can put cleaning lists, meal plans, finances and so much more inside a binder that is your go to guide for everything to do with your home. The link will take you to google search if you want more information on how to make on, or stay tuned. I plan to share what I have in mine and how I developed it.
If you still have a mess to deal with before friends are visiting, here's a fantastic article to help you out.
THE 10-MINUTE RESCUE by Mrs. Mary Hunt
(If you know where I can find the original source of this article, please let me know, thanks)
The phone rings. Surprise! Long lost friends will be at your front door in 10 minutes. You have no time to clean the house. What you need is a 10-minute rescue. This is a terrific technique you should learn right now, and then keep tucked away for that time when despite your best efforts, you’re caught in a jam. So, are you ready? Go!
- Set a small pan of water over medium heat. Dump in spices like cinnamon, allspice, and cloves and leave it to heat.
- Grab a box or grocery bag. Move through the house starting in the kitchen clearing counters, coffee tables, end tables and all other flat surfaces of clutter. Just scoop everything into the container and stash it in a closet.
- Gather all bathroom clutter including towels, stuff lining the walls and ledges of the tub and shower, toys, and all the stuff on the vanity and deposit it in the tub or shower. Draw the curtain.
- Clean all the flat surfaces you have just cleared using furniture polish or all-purpose cleaner as appropriate.
- Empty the kitchen sink of dishes, pots and so on using the stash methods described above if necessary. The oven and dishwasher are handy hiding places. Scrub the sink, rinse quickly and perform a quick polish.
- Starting at the front door vacuum the visible areas.
- Light the candles and the fireplace.
- Switch on the stereo and turn down the lights.
Whew! You made it. The house looks great. Smells good, too. Enjoy your company and when they are gone, take a few more minutes to go through the box in the closet, the pile in the tub and, above all, anything you stashed in the oven!
Final Thoughts
Routines take the time to develop. What you should try to do is take the smaller steps pointed out here until it becomes a habit. Habits become the routines that you don't even have to think about; just like the order of your morning tasks or how you prepare for bed. Cleaning can become easy and stress-free.
Do you have any tips to pass on? I'd love to hear them!
