Homemaking 201

What do you think of when you hear the word home? Does the word conjure up images of a cozy, warm abode? Do you think of someplace you can rest, relax, rejuvenate?

Home to me is the place my husband and I return to, our escape from everything else. It's our oasis. Our home is inviting, beautiful, comfortable, and enjoyable. It's a goal of mine to always keep it this way.

After I had decluttered my home, I was faced with the task of keeping it clean. What is the best way to do this without being bored or overwhelmed? For me, the answer was routines and small daily tasks. Everyday I do some housework, and I'm consistent with it. The alternative is that everything will build up, making our home a disaster, and the task of cleaning it up more time-consuming and tiring. The last thing I want to do is wake up, dreading the day ahead because I have mounds of cleaning to do, or try to go to sleep at night with the pressure of what has to be done keeping me up.

I also am not a woman who lives to do housework. I understand the importance of a lovely home without being consumed by it. It's important to focus my energy in many areas...family, friends, hobbies, cooking, etc. not just on homemaking. These are a collection of ideas I've picked up over the years that have helped me:

* Spend a small part of each day cleaning. It takes less than ten minutes at the end of the day to put everything back where it belongs. It takes less than ten minutes to wash *lots* of dishes (I know, I've timed these things). It takes less than two minutes to wipe down the kitchen counters. If all you did everyday was put things back where they belonged, kept your sink free of dirty dishes, and made sure there was no crumbs on your kitchen counter to tempt critters while you slept, you are spending less than 22 minutes a day maintaining your home. Add to this the two minutes it takes to make a bed in the morning, and most days you only have about 25 minutes of housework to do to have a presentable home.

* Assign chores to different days. For example, make every Saturday morning food shopping time. Make every Wednesday evening laundry time. Group the remaining chores into a one hour session on Monday, and that leaves you four days a week free from housework, except for the 25 minutes of easy daily maintenance that quickly becomes habit. What do you do during the one hour cleaning session? Spend about 20 minutes vacuuming, 15 minutes dusting surfaces, 20 minutes mopping or sweeping tiles surfaces, and five minutes spritzing and wiping down mirrors. It usually doesn't take a full hour, but it's nice to take small breaks in between.

* Group errands together to save time. For example, if you do your laundry on Wednesday nights, strip the bed and put on fresh sheets (takes five minutes), so you return with fresh laundry to a home with a freshly made bed. When you spritz and wipe the bathroom mirror, give a spritz to the fixtures as well.

* When your home is generally organized and neat, you feel motivated to clean more. If your kitchen is free of dirty dishes and the counters and clean and clear, you'll feel more motivated to clean the stove when you have some free time. If you are done with a one hour cleaning session early, you may want to keep going and tackle another chore, such as giving the stove or bath tub a quick scrubdown.

* I am trying to make my house as green as possible (health conscious), so I use vinegar diluted with water to clean mirrors and windows, and a non-toxic citrus cleaner for counter tops, floors, and many other things. If you have children and worry about them accidentally coming in contact with dangerous products, seriously consider switching to non-toxic yet effective alternatives. An added plus: the citrus oils makes your home smell terrific, naturally.

* It's easier to dust and vacuum if you don't have a lot of clutter...have you decluttered yet? Get rid of everything you don't find lovely and/or useful. You may have to be ruthless, but an uncluttered, beautiful, relaxing home is worth it. You can't relax with stuff all over your desk and floors. Pass your excess on to others who can use them (it's good karma).

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