We’ve all had those moments at the end of a long week when we look at the disaster area that doubles as our living space and think, “I don’t even know where to start! I’ll go to bed and take care of it later.”
This approach might satisfy you for a few hours, but eventually that disaster area has to be tackled. Instead of ignoring the mess, why not do just one thing?
Here are ten quick tasks that make a big difference in the appearance of your home – even when you do just one.
- Clean out the kitchen sink
- Wipe down the front of the microwave, oven and fridge
- Vacuum your area rugs
- Wipe down the bathroom surfaces
- Clear the kitchen counters or kitchen table
- Empty the fridge of old leftovers
- Make the bed
- Empty all the trash cans
- Start a load of laundry or put away clothes in the dryer
- Give the family room a 5 minute fix – straighten pillows, put away TV controls and toys, take dirty dishes to the kitchen
My household cleaning schedule includes most of those ten items on a daily or weekly basis. I’ve found that taking a few steps each day toward a tidy house gets me so much closer to my goal (a tidy house) than running a marathon of chores once a week!
You might not have time to do it all, but you can do something! If you have children, give each of them one task to do every day. It will make a huge difference, I promise!
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Come Home For Comfort 
What great tips. Number 10 is a must for me in each room before I go to bed. I put everything in place so that in the AM I wake up to a clean and tidy home.
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Yes, me too! I love taking a last glance around my tidy living room before heading to bed.
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Good list! Miss. E even “helps” when we tidy and do chores. It’s adorable! I agree with you- get the kids involved!
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You’re smart to get her started early!
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I like this little checklist! Like I said on FB, I’m trying:)
Tif
http://www.brightonabudget.com
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I believe you and I’m cheering for you! 🙂
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This is a great list! I find that when I make my bed and empty the dishwasher it makes it pretty easy to get going and keep going.
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Emptying the dishwasher makes such a difference – those dishes pile up in the sink so quickly!
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Great plan! I like the idea of having a list of things to work through. I’d like to make a weekly checklist of my cleaning tasks to make sure they get done. I tidy up throughout the day so that my house isn’t a disaster of toys and messes at the end of the day. Olive is big enough to help so I include her in this process. Makes my job easier and she’s learning in the process. I like to go to bed with a picked up house so it’s important for me to tidy up every day.
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You’re so smart to get Olive involved! Who doesn’t want a housekeeping assistant with adorable pigtails? 🙂
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After having Elliott here for three days, I will be mopping floors this morning. I am amazed at all the things he managed to drop and spill. It is much easier to keep up than to catch up!!
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I imagine you didn’t mind cleaning up those messes! Looked like you had a good time with that little sweetie!
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I agree! Keeping up with those 10 tasks sets a good foundation for a tidy home. I have a couple of tidying staples, as well. Once I complete the tasks, I have more motivation to tackle other organizing projects: https://organizedujour.wordpress.com/2016/01/23/3-habits-toward-a-tidy-lifestyle/
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That’s a great point – when the house is in general order, you have time and energy for bigger projects!
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