Counter bad habits with good ones for a tidier house...

As I'm typing this, I'm watching 'How Clean is your House?'. I know I've mentioned the show before, but I think there is allot to be learned from these shows to show how quickly a house can get so out of control that it poses a health threat. Not that a bit of dirt is dangerous, but a buildup of dirt, dust and damp is. Most people who's houses are dirty say things like "I'm not unclean, I'm just untidy" or "I actually hate living in an unclean house" and "It's so bad I don't know where to start".


The problem ALWAYS starts with untidiness. Once the clutter takes over, the surfaces are unreachable and things need moving before you can clean, so things just don't get cleaned. You cannot clean an untidy house, and an untidy house is daunting! But can all these untidy people change? Untidiness is normally a result of bad habits, habits that people can't seem to change.

Photo from and episode of How Clean is your House

Regular readers of my blog will know that I have said before, I am not naturally tidy, at all... my bedroom as a child and my student flat both had at times, a floor covered in clothes/wet towels etc. So what has changed? Well, I haven't changed, I still have very bad habits, the difference now is I admit I have bad habits, and I've developed good habits to counter the bad habits. Yes, at times our house does get very untidy, especially when there's a bit of DIY decorating going on. I can sympathise with the above statements, but the secret to a clean house, really is being tidy and clutter-free. Let's be honest there is no such thing as a 'clean untidy house'. So what can be done? The solution lies in first identifying the bad habits.

Here's an example of how a chaotic house starts off.

Let's start with a clean slate and imagine I've just finished my spring cleaning and the house is perfect on a Sunday night. This is what happens.
1- Sunday night I go to bed, and leave my clothes from that day on the floor after I get into my pajamas.
2- The next morning Mr L has a shower, and leaves his towel on the bathroom floor.
3- When we get home Monday evening I leave my coat on the sofa, sit down with a cup of tea and kick my shoes off. Mr L gets home, and after dinner he too kicks his shoes off when he sits on the sofa, and takes his jumper off because the house is nice an warm.
4- Then we take the dog for a walk, and it's raining outside, so he treads through the house with his wet feet, and chews his post walk biscuit on the rug.

In only one day we have gone from a perfectly clean house, to a bathroom that has wet towel on the floor, a bedroom with clothes on the floor, a living room with a coat and a jumper on the sofas, 4 shoes on the rug (and probably their socks too) and muddy footprints along with biscuit crumbs on the rug. And this example doesn't even include the cooking in the kitchen, the toothpaste in the sink or the dog hairs on the sofa. Now imagine another five days like this passes, and you can imagine that you already have a house that feels out of control and daunting to clean. so how do we change this scenario? All it takes is a bit of time to remember to look around and see what needs doing. Here's how we can change the same scenario with the bad habits still in place.

1- Sunday night I go to bed, and leave my clothes from that day on the floor after I get into my pajamas. Just before I put the lights out, I fold my jeans that are were only worn once, and put my undies and top in the laundry basket.
2- The next morning Mr L has a shower, and leaves his towel on the bathroom floor, I walk past and remind him nicely to hang it up and wipe the shower door down with the squeegee.
3- When we get home Monday evening I leave my coat on the sofa, sit down with a cup of tea and kick my shoes off. Mr L gets home, and after dinner he too kicks his shoes off when he sits on the sofa, and takes his jumper off because the house is nice an warm.
4- Then we take the dog for a walk, and it's raining outside, so I put a doggy towel at the front door to wipe his feet on. The dog then chews his post-walk biscuit on the rug. Before our favourite program starts, I set my timer for 5 minutes in which time I tidy away anything that doesn't belong in the lounge, and do a quick vacuum of the rug whilst Mr L unpacks the dishwasher in the kitchen so that we can use it the next morning.

Taking time to look at what is out of place, is a great way to start cleaning. so stop feeling guilty for the bad habits, and don't get mad at your partner for theirs either. Some bad habits are so ingrained that you're better off developing a new good habit than trying to un-learn a bad habit. With your good habit in place (give it time, actions take between 20-30 days to become a real habit) without realising it you might unknowingly stop the bad habit, and if you don't, oh well, you know you'll do something about it. And once your house is tidy, well then the surfaces are quick and easy to clean, and the vacuum cleaner can glide over the rug without the risk of getting a sock stuck in it.

Have you got any bad habits you'd like to confess?

Have a great weekend!
x

How often to clean what...

I hope everyone in the UK has been enjoying the lovely sunshine! It's been scorching hot yesterday and today, but lovely... just what we need really.

I've been bad at getting into my old routine after our holiday (hence not posting regularly). Even our healthy eating seems to have gone out the window since our return. So every now and then I think it's a good thing to be reminded of the basics around that need to be done, so I thought I'd do a post about how often what needs to be done about the house as a reference for others and a reminder for myself. Of course this is only a rough guide, and every household would need to adjust it accordingly. For instance having a dog with muddy paws probably means vacuuming or mopping needs to be done more frequently than in other households. But a basic guide is a great way to help write up a cleaning routine. I myself find looking at these daunting, but the point of them is not to make more work but rather to help create a schedule so that work around the house can be done efficiently and regularly enough so that no job becomes a major task. I'll start from daily tasks through to tasks that need only be done yearly.

Just a small note: Please don't allow this list to make you feel bad for not doing all of these things all of the time. I certainly don't get all of this done, but if you try an do as many of these just as regularly as you can you certainly have nothing to worry about. I remind myself that it's not a requirement but just things I could do to show that I appreciate my house.

Daily tasks

• Make the bed
• Put dirty clothhes in the laundry bin, and hang up or fold the rest
• Sort out laundry, whether it's puttin on the washing, hanging it up or ironing
• Wipe the bath, shower and sink after use
• Wipe down kitchen surfaces after use, and clean the sink
• Wash the dishes/ load and unload the dishwasher
• Tidy away books and magazines in the sitting room/bedroom
• Sweep or vacuum floors as needed
  

Once a week tasks

• Thoroughly vacuum carpets and rugs
• Dust all surfaces
• Change the bedlinen
• Clean and disinfect the toilet bowl
• Clean surfaces and fixtures in the bathroom
• Clean mirror
• Shopping for food and non-food items
  

Tasks for once a month

• Clean the windows (or every other month depending on where you live)
• File all papers
• Turn and vacuum matresses
• Wash mattress & pillow protectors
• Wash the inside of the dishwasher and washing machine (vinegar is perfect for the job), and wipe down the rubber seals with some vinegar
• Wash hair and make-up brushes
• Wash scuff marks on walls and paint work
• Wipe down the oven, microwave and fridge shelves and kitchen cupboard doors
  

Spring cleaning tasks for once a year

• De-clutter by discarding old magazines, outdated catalogues, clothes you no longer wear, and electronics that don't work.
• Check and replace batteries in torches, remote controls, alarm clocks etc.
• Polish furniture
• Wash ornaments
• Dust or vacuum books
• Clean light fittings, shades or chandeliers
• Shampoo carpets, and have soft furnishings, curtains and blinds cleaned
• Turn-out and clean the loft/attic/garage
• Empty and clean all cupboards that are rarely used.
  

I know! Other than the shopping for non-food items (now that I can do!), this is quite a list and probably reminds you that housework is never done. And well, okay it's not really. But if you have a routine or a list of things to do at a time, or even if you do 10 minute timer cleaning, you will be done for the day and put your free time to something else. For me it's about changing my mindset about housework from seeing at as a chore, to seeing it as just a daily thing I do because I appreciate that I have a roof over my head, and a lovely space to which I come home to. Without wanting to sound airy fairy, we need to love our homes and enjoy them regardless of it's size or status.

Have a great week! I hope to catch up with you all soon
x

Sources:
The Housewife's Handbook by Rachel Simhon
Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendleson
How to be the perfect Housewife by Anthea Turner

Procrastination...

Sure, there are many moments on life when tasks just don't take priority. But they are not that often, and most of the time, for things to work we need to do certain things even if they are not our idea fun.
I know that I am way too tempted by new exciting creative projects that also make me think 'I'll do that other task later'. So I also have to start off with apologising for not posting as regularly recently - I've actually not been procrastinating with my blog (I love it too much), I've just been pre-occupied with all sorts of other things... probably due to the fact that I procrastinate and leave other things to the last minute - ha ha.

Actually I've become allot better in recent years, for instance only tonight I finished dinner and immediately set out to pack the dishwasher - even before I had my after-dinner cup of tea. But then I've also come to realise that trying to persuade myself I'll do it later only leads to frustration because 'later' becomes 'too late'. My worst moment was only a couple of weekends ago - we had friends coming over for lunch at our house and I wanted to mop our floor after a naught muddy pawed dog had trailed his way through the house. I had the whole Saturday morning to do it, but put it off until 20 minutes before our friends arrived. They of course arrived early and I found myself staring at them through the front door window mop and bucket in hand and they had to walk on a wet floor to come in. Not my best moment.

In the times we live with the hundreds of distractions available to us with a flick of a switch or a click of a button, procrastinating is easier than ever! And procrastination is probably the biggest problem in keeping a home clean and tidy and presentable. So is it possible to overcome procrastination? Well, I'd love to try, so I've been researching this topic a bit and I'd like to share with you what I've found.

Good 'ol Wikipedia says:

Procrastination is a type of behavior which is characterized by deferment of actions or tasks to a later time. Psychologists often cite procrastination as a mechanism for coping with the anxiety associated with starting or completing any task or decision. ^[1] Psychology researchers also have three criteria they use to categorize procrastination. For a behavior to be classified as procrastination, it must be counterproductive, needless, and delaying.^[2]

Okay, so I realise that not EVERY task left undone in a house is due to procrastination - but it certainly does play a part. If you know that you put tasks off without a real valid reason, then read on.

Routine

Putting tasks off for 'later' happens when we don't have a routine. I've written about routines previously, and mentioned that it takes 21- 30 days to create a new habit. So it's important to turn a routine into a habit ... just part of everyday. That way you will do tasks without having to think about them or give yourself the choice. Flylady.com is great for setting up a home cleaning routine through baby steps.
The trick with a routine is to realise that it's easier to get out of a routine than it is to get into it. Illness and holidays are two real routine breakers. Next time you are ill or on holiday write a to-do list for when you are better or back home. Give yourself a deadline to get back into your routine and stick to it.

Perfectionism

This is one big reason many of us procrastinate. We are so adamant to do a task perfectly, that if we don't have ALL the time available to us that we think we'll need to complete a task perfectly, we'll just put it off hoping the time will come. This is where we need to change our mindsets and realise that picking up just that one pair of shoes from under the sofa is better than not picking up any of them. A good way of overcoming the 'perfectionist procrastinator' is to use 5 minutes available to you to do a task regardless of whether you will be able to finish that task. For example, if you have 5 minutes of waiting for a friend to pick you up, start sorting out your book pile next to your bed - you don't have to finish it, but at least you've made a start.

Rewards

This is the trick I use most often. I know that I procrastinate because I can ALWAYS find something better to do (like reading all your lovely blogs!). So I tell myself that I can have a cup of tea after I pack the dishwasher, or I can surf the net for 1/2 hour after I vacuum the rug in the living room. It works, but don't make it too serious and tell yourself 'I can't have x until I've completed y' - try and stay positive and just tell yourself you are doing this task so that you can relax with your treat.

Feeling Overwhelmed

Another big reason we procrastinate is because a task often seems to big to handle right now. This can also be linked to perfectionism. Have you ever had a pile of laundry at the end of a weekend or holiday that made you think it's just too much to do? And that you'll never have the time to get through all of it? In this case I try and break the task down into smaller tasks. For instance I'll separate the laundry into small piles - one for each day of the week. And then I make sure to put that pile of laundry allocated to that day on first thing in the morning. Even if it takes a couple of weeks, as long as you do the smaller tasks regularly enough it will get done!

Most importantly, try and remember how nice it is to relax after something has been completed, you feel all the better for it!

Do you procrastinate? And what's your favourite distraction?

I sure hope to become better and better at doing things as they present themselves. Do it now, then it's done... I'll keep telling myself that.

Another great resource for overcoming procrastination is:

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/overcome-procrastination-once-and-for-all.html

I'm on holiday! Sort of...

I must just take the time to let you all know that I will be flying to South Africa this week to spend some time with my mum who has suffered from a bad knee and has had two operations on it now. I will also be seeing my brand new niece back home! My next post might only be in a couple of weeks as a result, but I'm hoping to do a post about home keeping in South Africa, and pick up some tips from my mum's home. I hope you all have a lovely two weeks!!!

Cleaning Routine

We all know that the key to a beautiful clean and tidy home, where you can open the front door without having to say 'excuse the mess' every time, boils down to a good cleaning routine. This is by far the thing I struggle the most with in my home.

As I've mentioned before, it takes 21 days to form a new habit. But that's easier to do for a daily habit such as making the bed and brushing your teeth. I'm afraid very few of us have the time to make a daily habit of cleaning every single room. So the problem lies in trying to form a once or twice a week habit that sticks.
I've tried the old trick of Monday is laundry day, Tuesday is... but because some Mondays I have something on after work, some Tuesdays I'm exhausted, and some Thursdays the sun is shining and we go for a walk, it just never stuck.

Doing a bit of research I decided I'm going to re-try getting into the habit of some sort of a weekly routine by trying out a timing method. The reason for doing this is that I think subconsciously I avoid doing the daily cleaning because I convince myself I don't have the time. But what if it just takes 10 minutes a day? Surely I have 10 minutes to spare?

So here is how it's going to work- everyday I must pick one room or task and the rules are:

• Pick a time of day that will work consistently to form a habit (perhaps after breakfast, or in my case straight after work)
• Asses what needs doing in the room, and what will be needed to clean.
• Gather all cleaning equipment before the task starts.
• Take along an empty washing basket or bucket.
• Once all the equipment you need is set up, START THE TIMER.
• Don't rush, but work through the area systematically.
• Anything that doesn't belong in that room must go in the washing basket/bucket.
• When the time is up- stop! If you're not done, make a note of when you're next session will be. Who knows, maybe you are so into the swing of it, that you'll do it right away again. If not, your room is probably allot cleaner already than it was before, so that's a job well done already.
• Now take the washing basket with the things that didn't belong in that room, and chuck any rubbish in the bin, the rest must go back to where they belong.
• Pack away the cleaning equipment.
• Sit down, have a cup of tea, and get on with the other stuff you love to do.
  

This method could be used for a messy wardrobe, untidy drawers or similarly you could use this method for a spring clean by spending half the day doing 15 minutes per room.

The task willof course take a bit longer than 10 minutes because you have to gather all your equipment as well as unpack that washing basket. But the idea is that those things don't take that long anyway, and you get 10 minutes of focused cleaning or tidying.
I'm going to try this starting today. I will keep you posted as to how this works for me. Hopefully I'll be onto a new good habit very soon.

Below is a list of all the handy places to find help for a cleaning routine. Perhaps you've tried some of these yourself - did they work for you?


FlyLady.net
Marla Ciley is the very clever lady who shares shares her ways of establishing a daily cleaning routine for free! If you join FlyLady, you will get daily emails, and step by step guides to help you slowly establish all new good habits. I think this is a brilliant and uplifting website, and is extremely helpful for people who really feel overwhelmed at getting their homes back in control. FlyLady says "Our FlyLady system is all about establishing little habits that string together into simple routines to help your day run on automatic pilot. You can do this! " . FlyLady's first habit she teaches you is to shine the sink on a daily basis. What a great idea!

Monthly Deep House Cleaning Schedule
Here Housewife Sherry Morris gives a handy method to deep cleaning your house for one month spending only 15 minutes a day. Details on how to do it is available on her website. This is another timer based cleaning method.

Home keeping and organisation books:
There are plenty of books out there that claim to help you sort out your home. Take a look at some of the books at the Library and try them out before buying, you don't want an information overload! I have plenty of other favourite home keeping books which I will post about at a later date, but the list below are ones that deal specifically with routine cleaning

A handy little book with some helpful hints. Although there's no set method laid out, this book does have some original hints and tips.

I know many people don't like celebrity books, but this one, it has to be said is a pretty good home keeping manual that keeps it simple. Its' not too text heavy either, I just wish it had more how-to pictures. But I recommend it.

I've not read this one myself, but thought I'd put it up since it seemed relevant on the 10 minute cleaning routine. It's meant to also be a good laugh - there's nothing wrong with some good humour! Have you read this?

A manual to help establish a method to work your way through the house. Unfortunately for us full time workers, this book (as the title says) is for full time home keepers. None the less, it seems a great read with good tips.

I've found some really fun timers out there- these are just what I need to cheer up my cleaning routine.

Left to right

Row 1: Rope neck timers from Legend Cookshops; a sweet pink clock & timer from Little Blue Sheep; Digital sand timers that come in different colours from Salter- available from Pots and Pans.

Row 2: The FlyLady timer; A retro time from Amazon; A flashing kitchen timer also available from Amazon.

Row 3: An Alessi mr. Chin timer from fitzsu; I just love these, a kettle and pan timer from Shopintuition; A classy round kitchen timer from Anthropologie, of course!

Have you got a cleaning routine that works? If so, please please share it with us. If you want to share it in detail with us, email me at laundrybasketcase@rocketmail.com and I will post all about it.