How to Keep Your House Neat

Elosie Wilkin "We Help Mommy"

Clean in ORDER.  That means, you pick the most important room in the house to YOU, and start there.  You never deviate from the path (otherwise you get sidetracked). It works really well because it is thorough. 

Example:  I start with our bedroom.  I make the bed, take clothes to laundry baskets, straighten dresser tops and books.  If it is a cleaning day or changing sheets day, I do it. 

Then I move on to the next room clockwise. 

If I find something that does not belong in the bedroom I take it to that room, and just place it down anywhere.  I don’t decide to feed the cat, or wash dishes, or sort laundry or wrap a gift or…

I simply place it down and go back to the room I’m working in. 

This ensures that: all the clothes from each room in the house ends up in the laundry basket before I sort and begin the wash; all dishes are in the kitchen; all trash cans emptied; all toys are in the playroom; etc.  To me there is nothing more frustrating than finishing the whites and then finding socks or towels in every other room because I didn’t go IN ORDER and started the laundry too soon.

But!  If I’m in the living room and something needs to go into a bedroom that I have already straightened, then when I go into a completed room I PUT IT AWAY immediately.  No lying it on the bed.

This has worked really well for me except in the area of dishes.  Sometimes I just need to get a load going before I clean in order; otherwise, I may not have clean counters to make dinner on!

Choose which room motivates you to keep going. 

I chose the bedroom because if I need a break that is where I rest and read.  I really like my bedspread and pillows, so it is easy for me to WANT my bed made, plus, when the whole house is a mess it becomes a sanctuary I can run to to get motivated again.

The more you do this, the easier every day becomes because your things have homes and you can find them when you need to, plus the house stays cleaner longer.

Go home, and take care of what you have.  Provide places for all your things! ~Mother Ann, Shaker Founder