A cleaner Kitchen

A week ago I had the opportunity to attend BYU-I Education week.  I looked and looked through all the classes and the ones that stood out to me most were the house cleaning and organization classes.  I don't think that I am ready for "nesting" yet, but I sure have been in the mood for cleaning and organizing lately.  We have been doing a lot of moving rooms and changing things up lately, so I was really excited for these classes.  

I thought that over the next few weeks I would share a tip or two that I have put into practice, that actually work (at least for me and mine)

So the tip for this week is really a very simple one. 

Have your dishwasher unloaded first thing every morning.

I know, I know.  What kind of tip is that?!?  But, I swear to you, it really works like magic.  I started this exactly one week ago, and for one week my kitchen has been clean ALL DAY LONG!! I am not even joking.  I told all family members that they were in charge of loading all their dishes after every meal.  Now, I have to say, when (and this has not always been very often) the dishwasher is empty everyone was in charge of their own dishes, but because I always slacked, there was never an empty dishwasher, because I always chose to empty it right after dinner.  But seriously, just because I changed the time I unload the dishwasher my kitchen is clean.  When we finish making breakfast everything goes in, when lunch is done everything goes in, and while I am fixing dinner, when I finish with a spoon or bowl I load it, and all the sudden....WALLA... my kitchen is clean even before I sit down to eat dinner.  When everyone is finished with dinner and all dishes are loaded all I have to do is put soap in and push start.  I have even been unloading the dishwasher before I go to bed every night so we start each day off fresh!  

I seriously cannot tell you what a HUGE difference this has made in my house and with my mood and stress level at dinner time. 

My sweet hubby, who tries not to critique my house keeping skills even commented on how big of a difference it has made.  He thinks it is great that he never has to wonder whether the dishes are clean or dirty.

Anyway, I hope that you will try out my simple tip to keep your house a little more organized.

~Rachel~

A Clean House

Now, I am not saying that my house is always in perfect order, or ever in perfect order, but over the last few years I have come up with an order in which I clean and organize my house each week that I find quite nice, and less stressful.  I try to have all my jobs done by noon each day, so that during nap time I can have some time to myself to do what I want.  Then after school I can spend time helping with homework and making dinner.
So here it goes...

Monday:
Sheet day.  Everyone knows they do not make their beds in the morning, instead they bring me their sheets.  By the time the kids get home from school their sheets are washed, dried and ready for them to put on their beds.
Floor day.  I dust before vacuuming (or one of the kids if it is summer break). I vacuum all of my floors upstairs, mop floors upstairs that may need it.  (I vacuum my kitchen floor everyday, but this is the day it gets mopped also along with any other day their is a spill) I move the furniture around in the front and living room about once a month, beds and such once a year (usually during spring cleaning time).

Tuesday:
Toilet day.  Enough said.  :)  I now have 5 bathrooms, so as you can imagine that is all I need to do that day. The kids do help, they each get 2 toilets, or 2 sinks, sometimes they get all the mirrors, or dumping all the garbages.  I have the kids help as much as they can according to their age.  This is the day I also clean the bathroom floors if they need it.  They all get vacuumed the day before, so unless they are really dirty, I usually only mop them once a month.
Towel day.  I wash all the towels, cleaning rags, placemats, and anything else along those lines.  I also really, really try to get them folded and put away!  That is the hardest thing about doing laundry for me!!

Wednesday:
Wash Day.  This day is a very busy day.  I gather all the dirty laundry baskets, sort and start washing.  I usually have about 5 or 6 loads of wash.  I work really hard at only concentrating on doing laundry so that by the time the kids are out of school I have all their laundry done, in their baskets and ready for them to put away.  (sometimes, when I don't get all the towels put away, I will send the towels that go downstairs with the kids that are downstairs, and stick the others in my basket so I have to put them away) I always have the kids put their own clothes away, even my 4 year old (whom I help) and have them return their baskets, that way I know that they put the clothes away and they are not just sitting in their room in a basket all week.
Windows.  I have the kids go through the house and wash all the windows.  With 3 helpers it doesn't take long.

Thursday:
Floor day.  I dust downstairs, then I vacuum downstairs and the stairs.  The kids each vacuum their own rooms.  I also re-vacuum the family room upstairs since it is the most used room in our house.  And I usually get the hardwood floor in my entryway again for the same reason.
This is the day when I can either catch up on other things that have gotten away from me during the week, or I pick a project room or closet to work on.
Bills.

Friday:
Fridge Friday.  I clean out my fridge and get rid of any nasty-ness.  Then I make a menu for the upcoming week, grocery list of what I will need and go shopping.  Obviously, I am not perfect and forget things that I may need and make extra trips into town during the week, but I do try to get all my shopping done on one day.

Saturday:
Free day.  I try to have everything done by Friday so that on Saturday when my hubby is home we can spend that time together as a family doing something fun, instead of cleaning.  When I was growing up Saturday was our cleaning day, and I dreaded Saturday.  It felt like all we did all day was clean, nothing fun. I know that is coming from the mind of a child and it was probably a little better, but that is how I remember it.  I want to be able to go and do things and not be embarassed if someone were to come over on Sunday morning after we were gone playing all day Saturday.  Of course we still have to do the dishes, but that is about it. :)

Now my kids help out a lot.  I have a chore chart for them, actually 4 of them so they can rotate and not get bored with the same thing.  I rotate a lot of little jobs for them that really help out, and everything listed up above is on their charts.  But I have other things like taking out all the garbages the day before garbage day, cleaning the fronts of the appliances, organizing mud room.  My sister Heather taught me that kids can help with the dishes everyday.  I make sure I unload the dishwasher every morning, and every night the kids rotate who washes and who loads.  (On the chart) I am kinda a freak when it comes to how my dishwasher is loaded, so when they are done I fix a few things, but they actually do a very good job of doing the dishes.

Well, I think that is about all.  This routine has been working for me for about 5 years now.  My house is never perfect, but it is clean.  I don't feel stressed during the week because I live in a mess.  Hope that someone can at least use some of this to help them be more organized.

~Rachel~

Get Rid of the Clutter!!

So in my ward in Twin one of my really good friends was such an inspiration to me. She was the live definition of a stay at home mom, she put me to shame! She always has fresh home made bread, her kids are amazing at everything they do and so strong and smart in the church...and she has this AMAZING house and it is ALWAYS clean! She's got 6 kids and there is never anything out of place. Which made me feel even worse when then few times she came to my house...it was far from spotless...and I have 1 kid. Anyways, she spoke at enrichment one night and showed us all of her secrets...so I thought I would share with any one who needs a few pointers.

CLUTTER

1. The Problem

     * "The average American burns 55 minutes a day - roughly 12 weeks a year - looking for things they know they own but can't find." -Newsweek

     *$$$ too...have you ever had to buy something because you couldn't find the one that you have?

     *CHAOS: Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome

     *STUFF:  Something That Undermines Family Fun

     

OLD WAY: Sorting through piles and moving them from one place to another-as a result the clutter just piles up every time you buy or get something new.

NEW WAY: Meet your new best friend - The Timer!

        

--For this she was asked how to get your kids motivated to help clean, and she said the timer works every time. Once everyone is done eating everyone takes a bet on how long it will take to do the dishes, sweeping the floor and all, and then she gives them a minutes less than what they said and the work so hard and fast to beat the timer. She said they can usually get the kitchen all clean and spotless after dinner in about 6:52 minutes.

      

 --She says games are great with kids. She will even have her 3 year old help her fold laundry and he loves it! She has the head bands that has all different cards with animals on them. Each of you put one on and while you fold laundry you guess what you have on your head.

--When she sends her kids to clean their rooms when they say they are done she will ask them "Would President Monson feel comfortable sleeping your your room?"

2. Tips for Decluttering

     *You cannot organize clutter...so get rid of it!

     *The more you throw away...the cleaner the house will stay

     *Don't keep anything in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful

     *Even "free" clutter is still clutter - Don't let it in to begin with

     *Try the "5 minute room rescue"

     *Make a jar with places that need to be dejunked - pull one out to do each day

     *Set the time for specific amount of time, have three boxes on hand and go to each room when you clean them:

               --Give Away

               --Throw Away

               --Put Away

3. Keeping it That Way! - A Matter of Habit

     *Clutter attracts more clutter!

     *Clean as you go, wipe as you work, pick up as you pass by, look back as you leave

     *Never go anywhere empty handed

     *DON'T PUT IT DOWN-PUT IT AWAY

     *If you buy something, give or throw away a similar item

     *Have kids choose some things and leave under the tree for Santa to take

     *Use a kitchen file for the endless paper war

She makes a goal every so often to get rid of a certain amount of items. When we moved I was telling her how much we were getting rid of...which was a TON! And she was so proud of us and she said "this week I am trying to get rid of 200 things around the house." We probably got rid of about that much...and we haven't missed any of it.

We had a friend that told us that the have a plan they live by, when they go through their stuff, clothes would be a great one, if you haven't used it in a year...get rid of it!!

--Michelle--