Cleaning is one of those chores that I don’t mind doing. Well that is once I get stated. Up until that point, I’m dreading every minute that I must wield a broom, mop, and toilet brush.

One of my resolutions for the New Year is to keep a cleaner, more organized house. Here are some guidelines that I plan to follow to help me keep on track:

Schedule cleaning – First of all, I hate schedules but love them at the same time. They really do keep you on task but seem so planned. That’s the whole point I know but there’s just something deep inside that wants to rebel against that. But if each day I have time set aside for dishes, sweeping, and other tasks then I’m more than likely to get it done. I will just have to move past my hatred of schedules and realize that they are a good thing afterall.

Get the family involved – When we worked together, my husband and I get household chores knocked out in half the time. And since he doesn’t mind doing them, I just have to ask and follow through. You see, when I ask him to do something, I mean do it now. He thinks it means to do within the next three days. When I ask or schedule, I will have to give complete instructions including a time frame. Also, Rae is getting to the age where she can pick up her toys. If she wants to help more with things, then I need to have patience and let her. Who knows. That helpful attitude might hang around and be really useful when she’s a teenager.

Keep supplies together – I have a plastic bin under the sink where I store all cleaning supplies. It has a handle, so it is easy to carry with me around the house. Usually I just grab what I need and return it when I’m done. If the house was bigger then I would probably carry it around.

Everything it’s own place – If everything you own has a place it belongs, then in theory it should be easy to straighten up since you will know where to put it. This is the area that needs the most work in our house. Too much stuff and not enough room. It’s time to thin down to what we use and what we like. From there we need to decide what needs to be in the house and what can be stored.

One day I hope to have our house in order as it will make cleaning easier. Until then we will have to keep slowly clearing away the clutter and chaos.