How can you keep your house clean if you only have a few minutes a day?

1. 71

   Brainy Bunnyposted 13 years ago

   How can you keep your house clean if you only have a few minutes a day?
   
   I'm a working mom, and between doing my work and doing the afterschool routine with the kids (carpool, activities, dinner), I'm left with very little time and energy to keep up with housework. Any tips for keeping the house clean and tidy in a very short time?

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2. 66

   genuineaidposted 13 years ago

   I'd say try not to make it dirty
   
   But with kids that's impossible, so I'd recommend cleaning your house only once a week. Either Saturday or Sunday after church would be a good time to do it. Or just pick one day when you have an hour or two to clean, and get on it

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3. 60

   nlclarkposted 13 years ago

   I was given advise from a shrink once, on this very subject.  I was too busy or too tired to make my home meet my own expectations.  His advise:
   
   Take the thing that is bothering you the most, and use those few minutes a day to fix it.
   
   For me, it was dog hair balls gathering along the baseboards of the hardwood floors.  Those tumble weeds made me crazy.  Seriously, it only takes 5-10 minutes to sweep them up.  Don't clean the whole living room (or dining room), sweep up the hair balls.
   
   Toothpaste and hair in the bathroom sink, drove me nuts.  Don't clean the whole bathroom.  It takes 5-10 minutes to clean the sink.
   
   Use your 5-10 minutes to do what's bothering you the most.  Before you know it, the hair balls are gone, the bathroom sink is clean, and you're using your 5-10 minutes for that annoying mailbox pile.
   
   This advise helped me a lot.  It made me not feel so overwhelmed all of the time.  Don't tackle the room.  Tackle the thing in the room that is bothering you the most.  Remember, doors were meant to be closed (like the dreaded laundry room)! I hope this helped.  Keep me posted.

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4. 59

   duffsmomposted 13 years ago

   Ask for help.  If you are married and the kids are older than toddlers, everyone can have a job. Keeping a home iup s every family member's job if both parents are working full time.
   
   you can throw a load of laundry in every evening as someone is cooking dinner, and fold it while watching TV.
   
   Sit down together on a Saturday and decide who does what.  Then once the assignments are handed out, if each person takes 15-30 minutes to do their room and their one chore--it will be done and ready for the next week's mess that inevitably shows up.
   
   Or--my favorite tip is to hire someone to come in once a week if it is at all affordable - to do the heavy cleaning like tubs, showers and floors.

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5. 71

   Amy Gillieposted 13 years ago

   This is a challenge for all of us with busy schedules! I wrote a hub that may help. It focuses on the bathroom, but the principles apply to other rooms. Good luck! http://amygillie.hubpages.com/hub/Keep- … utes-A-Day

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6. 0

   Emily Sparksposted 13 years ago

   Try to fit it in any time you have.   Pick up a little here, dust a little there, ect.  Just take it in small steps...........you'll be that closer to a clean house!!

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7. 60

   AliceFSpencerposted 13 years ago

   I'm really tired at night when I get off so washing clothes in the morning while the kids get ready for school, and I load the dish washer on my way out the door to work has helped a lot. My biggest issue is the junk mail monster

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