How to Keep Clutter Clear??

I am also a working mom with 2 kids and a working husband. I discovered flylady.net It has helped me so much with ways to break it down into small tasks and to get rid of the "guilt" for not having a perfect house. It is a free website and has lots of info. I'm noticing that my kids and hubby are also picking up some good habits. It is very adaptable to everyone's schedule and clutter is her number one priority. Good luck.

You sound just like me! I have a 2 and 4 year old and a husband that works and a 5 year old dog.

Here's what I do: I adopted flylady's cleaning habit of making sure the kitchen is clean when I go to bed. I do not want to be faced with a sink full of dishes first thing in the morning! This is hard to do when I'm finished in the kitchen at dinner, but hubby goes in there to get a snack before bedtime. Just a quick look-see before I go to bed and it makes me a happier camper in the morning. ha!

Second, I spend about 30 minutes (max) each morning picking up clutter around the house. Our hots spots are the counter tops in the kitchen. I put stuff away (everything should have its own place - if it doesn't, designate a space for it), throw away, gather up magazines, put away toys, etc. If it's not done in 1/2 hour, it's OK!

Third, I am not afraid to get rid of stuff we aren't using. We have a garage sale once a year in the spring. I also take stuff to Goodwill ocassionally, or sell it on craigslist or Ebay. This could be toys, books, exercise equipment, or just "stuff" that is unused in your house! Every few months I also take a stack of magazines to my kids preschool. They love to receive them 'cause the kids cut them up for crafts. You won't get anything for them at 1/2 Price Book Store, and this way at least you're recycling for a good cause.

Fourth, I try to involve my kids with cleaning. With your five year old, you could do this. I do it with my 2 and 4 year old and they love it! I set the timer for 10 minutes and we "race" to see if we can have the room picked up of toys before it buzzes. The other day I put socks on their hands and let them dust the living room -- they LOVED it! They were doing baseboards and everything! LOL And they ASKED to do it the next day! But I wouldn't go overboard on that so the newness won't wear off. ha! But I also have them take toys, books or shoes back to their room where it belongs, or help me match socks when I take a load of clothes from the dryer, etc. Any little thing I can do to have them be invovled keeps them occupied (at the very least) so I can finish the task and it also makes them feel helpful.

Don't stress too much. Even for all of this, my house can sometimes look like a clutter zone! Phyllis Diller was the one that said, "trying to clean house while your kids are young is like trying to shovel the sidewalk while it's still snowing!" LOL

Good luck!
L.

Flylady.com

And throw stuff away. I know it's weird - but the more you throw away, the less you have to clean.

S.

I live in a 750 sq foot apartment with my husband, who works 12 hour shifts in Law Enforcement, go to school, work, and have a 2 year old, a five year old, a 11 year old step. No dog - we got rid of her.

I have been facing the cleaning and clutter challenge too. I am a sahm but I have 4 kids at home with me all day. And an additional 3 kids afterschool. My house is never clean! I have come to let go of thinking things have to be perfect and I have prioritized things. I made myself a chore list and I check things off as I get them done. There are things I want to get done everyday, once a week, and twice a month. I also keep a list of projects I want to do. I may not get everything done everyday or even every week but because I have a check sheet I feel like I accomplished something. I also use Sat. morn. as family clean time. I tell the kids what we have to accomplish and then reward them with Jr. Candy Sundaes at Sonic for a job well done. When it comes to projects or decluttering I pick one and give myself ample time to complete it. So if I need to clean out closets I give myself all week to do it, a little at a time, and have everything boxed up to go to charity on Sat. when we go get ice cream. The biggest thing that helped me is letting go. And since I have done that I don't feel as over whelmed and I actually get more done and have more time for my family and myself. Good Luck to you!

First, invest in shelving in every room and containers of every size to use on the shelves. Next, look at replacing end tables, coffee tables etc. with pieces that serve as storage as well as furniture. Look at every nook and cranny as possible storage space with the right equipment. Then, look at your kitchen and figure out how to simplify retrieving and putting away dishes, silverware, pots, etc. For instance, there are silverware holders that are similar to the basket in your dishwasher. Get in the habit of putting spoons in one section, forks in another as you load the dishwasher. That makes transfer to the silverware container fast and simple...no sorting. Do laundry the same way. Buy lingerie bags for using in the washer and pre sort socks for each child in those bags; in fact, get your five year old to place his dirty socks in there when he takes them off. Do the same with underwear, onesies, etc. When you wash a load of clothes, the time spent sorting and matching will be cut in half. You can do the same for your husbands socks. Just make sure not to over stuff so clothing gets clean in wash. Look at things like lingerie bags that are intended in one way but can be expanded to use in multiple ways. Let your house be "decorated" for practical use and storage. Good luck and have fun with your babies!!!

Hi KD, I highly agree with Candice. I have an 8 and 5 yr old and they have chores around the house. When we do it as a team we all win. We have more time to do fun things. I also subscribe to www.declutterfast.com. Just scroll all the way down and sign up. You get weekly tips and she starts with baby steps. It has helped me not feel so bad. I CANT do everything and its okay. She helps you tackle one thing at a time so you don't feel overwhelmed! Hope this helps.

You will have to just lighten up and know that everything with that age children isn't going to always be spick and span and in it's place. Harder for some than others to let go, but you will enjoy your family so much if you just don't worry about everything being perfect. They have to play and have toys out, and two minutes after you clean than can come behind you and mess it all up, so just enjoyu them they grow so fast, and do first prioriety stuff and don't sweat the smaller stuff. Maybe clean good once a week, or pick up after they are in bed, and enjoy the clean house for a minute, and not worry about it the rest of the day or time. It will be fine,

First off try to let some of it go! Some clutter can sit there and it won't hurt anything! One thing you can try is to use more paper plates,cups,napkins ect. to free up time from doing dishes! Also, I have switched to using those frozen vegetables that you can steam in your microwave That saves a dish or two! Also, don't be afraid to ask your husband to help out! My husband has had to learn to help around the house. Since he likes to sit on the couch and watch TV when he gets home from work, he agreed to fold some laundry while he sits there! Then I get my 6yr old to help him put everything away! The biggest thing for me was to teach my daughter and husband that if they could each pick up after themselves more, that leaves less for me to do! Its taken some time, but there getting there! I know these aren't alot of help, but just a few ideas!

Check out Flylady.net. This has been a huge help for me!

Can you afford a housecleaner 1x a month?

in addition to the great hints already, invest in a maid service once a month or two to come in. they will conquer the worst of the cleaning, then you just have to handle the day to day stuff. this tip alone has saved many an arguement between me and hubby over whose turn it is to clean the toliet. ;) i do a minor pickup once a day or every other day, but i don't obsess over it. i do expect hubby and 2 boys to help pick up and do chores. in addition to them, i have 2 cats and 3 dogs. the most damage in my house are my carpets. ;) i focus on the basics (laundry, dishes, feeding the troops, being able to see the furniture) and call it even. then i do heavy cleaning once a week or so. the kids clean their rooms once a week, even the 5 yr old. life is too short to live cleaning!

Hello KD,

That's a touchy subject for me...it really comes down to getting rid of things you don't need and having a place for what we have. I made the mistake of keeping the kids' toys for too long. In the last few months I've gotten rid of bags of toys and I'm still not done. I figure w/ a 6 and a 9 year-old...that's 15 years worth of toys between the two of them! Whatever you do, don't buy too many containers. Do buy a few to store what you'll be keeping. I'm to the point of actually getting rid of some of the containers and that's helping me. I wish you luck! I commend you for starting now and not 5 years from now (like I did).

I hang a black 30gallon trashbag on the inside handle of my bedroom door and as I find stuff to give away, I put it there. it's out of sight and ready to be put in the car and dropped of at the thrift store.

Besides making sure toilets/sinks are sanitized, have a couple of days where you concentrate on putting things away. have ONE cleaning day for the upstairs and ONE cleaning day for the downstairs. then all the other days are for putting things away. Of course sweeping the kitchen, dishes, and laundry are everyday things for me. I'm not there yet but I'm trying! Good luck! ~C.~

Visit FlyLady.net. It has really helped me. It will help you baby step into keeping a clutter-free house. It has made such a difference in my life. It's free, too. Good Luck and Best Wishes!

I follow the flylady.net rules and advice. I don't do everything the site suggests, but even just doing a few things can make a big difference. The biggest thing I do for my home is eliminating clutter quickly and regularly.

Dont stress on it too much. I have found that when everyone goes to bed I can usualy spend about an hour doing house work or picking up. That way I wake up to a clean kitchen ect. also the main key is clean as you go and teach your kids that also. Even when they are little. My kids are 10 and 12 (boys) and it is so nice coming home from work and they are doing laundry and have already done there chores. But it starts at about 5yrs old. Dont get a toy out unless you put away the last one you were playing with. Let them help you.ha ha its fun. Let your 5 year old help with dishes ect. Its hard. Being a mom but enjoy every minute because it goes fast. Ive learned to let things go a little in order to spend more time with mine. Thats hard when your a neat freak. God Bless you and yours S.

Start taking note of where your clutter gathers and what it is. Then organize it where you use it and this may not be the way your house is set up.
Mine became a lot easier once I gave in to this idea.
A place for everything and everything in it's place...as best as we can ;o)
I put a basket near the door for my dd shoes that she wears all the time and her jackets. Not as neat as ours hanging on the hooks, but she can reach them and put them away herself. She has a shoe hanger on her door for the others, and I put a type of dishwater pan at the backdoor for muddy/dirty shoes (Saves me from having to mop more than I should). I have a small basket near the laundry on a shelf that I put all her socks. (Works for me, no digging in drawers, I can see she needs some washed..)
We usually gather up toys in the evening before we go to bed.
If you have to, and as much/often as you need, use paperplates and such to help out some.
Running out the door to the store or about to go to bed, throw a load of laundry in the washer. You can sneak those in but you need to be home and awake when you run your dryer.
Have hubby unload the dishwasher every morning or such. Mine does while he makes his coffee.
Work your way around a room...stays, goes (another place), trash, done.
Don't try to DEEP clean everytime (my worst habit), just tidy up as you go.
Save the deep cleaning for Saturday morning or when it is convenient.
Picking up as you go makes it easier for when you have to get in there to clean.
Deep cleaning, say the tub, weekly or biweekly, makes it an easier chore to do than to let things build up.
Dishes are easier to clean when they can be wiped or rinsed out and not left out where food hardens. that takes twice as long as well.
In a perfect world right!
So, what I am trying to say, just each little thing that you can do to make it easier for what works for you and yours.

Well my first thought is that your 5 year old is old enough to help with some things. My 5 year old could put up most dishes from the dishwasher (I have a foldup stool that tucks in the kitchen).

You can get a cute basket or bin that he can go around and pick up his stuff (toys, shoes, clothes, etc) and he can put thse up. Its easier if they can put it all in one place and then put it all up, this works better with attention span. He can also do this to help you out with the baby toys as well.

I am a firm believer that kids need to contribute to the home, I think otherwise they have a bigger chance of growing up to be men who think chores arent required of them or women who struggle with being disorganized and overwhelmed.

Plus it takes so much stress off of parents. I do not slave drive my kiddos, but they have certain things they know they do. We all pitch in on cleaning days and my 7 year old puts up the dishes everyday, while my 10 year old puts dishes in the dishwasher AND cleans the pots and pans. This is a HUGE timesaver for me.

I also say take a weekend and do nothing else but go through your stuff and see what you dont need, use or really want anymore. A lot of time we have stuff that has piled up over time and we just dont realize that it isnt something we really even need. Go from room to room and really ask yourself, "Are there things in here that would rid me of time and stress cleaning?". Getting rid of stuff you dont need gives room for things you do, then those things have a home and are easier to clean up.

I am sure lots of other good sugestions are coming your way. Good Luck!

Check out the book "Sink Reflections" and www.flylady.net

It changed my life

First, enlist the help of your hubby and 5 year old step son, if they aren't helping already. Make a list of the things you want to accomplish for the week and stick to it. Make it reasonable since you are so busy. No more than 1 chore/day in addition to your daily chores like dinner and laundry. Give your step son a list of 1 or 2 things he can do for the week and ask your husband to pick up a chore or two from your list on his days off. Tackle the big jobs like floors and cleaning baths on days when you and your hubby are both home. You get it done twice as fast and then you have time for your family. Also, I've found that if I(and my family) pick up after ourselves, don't wear shoes in the house, wipe up spills when they happen, etc. I don't have so much to clean up in the first place. Lastly, get rid of anything and everything that you don't use. Getting rid of clutter is the easiest way to help you feel more organized and you won't have so much to clean up. Take some time for your self once in a while. You deserve it!Good luck!!