by Alisha Link

Created on: March 07, 2009

I can't stand having a dirty house! It makes me feel anxious and makes my everyday life even more chaotic than normal. Keeping my house clean all week long is no small fete with a contractor husband, two active boys, and two crazy dogs, but I do it and it gets easier all the time. It took me awhile to get to this point, and here's some things I learned along the way.

GET ORGANIZED

Getting organized is the key to keeping your house clean. Everything should have a home and everyone in the household(not just mom) should know about it. Of course this part takes the most time and energy, so start with organizing one room at a time and then keep it that way. It took me awhile to figure out what systems work best for my family and I am still always on the lookout for cute, affordable organizational accessories. Do whatever works best for you and your family, and remember to keep it simple.

GET EVERYONE INVOLVED

Getting the family involved eliminates the time you will spend cleaning. My children go through their toys and throw out the broken toys and put the ones they no longer play with in a bag for charity about two to three times per year. I let them organize their rooms the way they want and it is their job to keep them that way. They never leave the house to play with friends or go to bed with a dirty room. I have not personally cleaned their rooms in over a year which saves me a lot of time to do other things around the house.

PICK UP AFTER YOURSELF-MAKE IT A HABIT

It may seem like a chore to put your dishes away or pick your clothes up off the floor after a long day, but it takes a lot less time to pick it up immediately rather than waiting. The little things, if left unattended all week, will pile up and consume your entire weekend or days off. What could be a couple of minutes here and there throughout the week, turns in to an all out cleaning fest that can tie up your entire weekend. If you get out the cereal, put it away. When you go to bed, put your clothes in the hamper. When you get the mail, go through it immediately and trash what you don't need. It's really quite simple and once it becomes a habit, you won't even realize what your doing!

DO A LITTLE BIT EVERYDAY

For the "heavy cleaning" like vacuuming and dusting, doing a little bit everyday will also allow more free time to spend with family and friends. Have an extra fifteen minutes while dinner is in the oven? Fold a load of laundery, dust the living room, or vacuum a room or two. It literally takes minutes, and in the long run will allow you not only a sense of accomplishment but also shorten your cleaning on those off days!

DO MEALS ONCE A WEEK

I do my grocery shopping once a week, and try to cook as much as possible on my days off. I make casseroles, soups, and stews and freeze them for the week. Of course you can't freeze everything, but on those days that you just really don't feel like cooking it's a great relief to know you have meals already prepared! This dramatically cuts down on kitchen cleaning time, which for me at least is where the bulk of my cleaning time is spent.

NEVER GO TO BED OR LEAVE THE HOUSE WITH A MESS

One rule that I try to strictly adhere to is never go to bed or leave the house when it's a mess. It feels so much better to come home or wake up to a clean tidy house. In cases where I am having an especially busy week, I do have some fallbacks that allow my house to appear clean like strategically placed baskets for toys. mail, and shoes. Even though it is "cheating", having a basket full of shoes by the front door, is a lot better than having muddy shoes strewn all over the house.

Hopefully these tips will help you on your way to a cleaner stress-free household!

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