I learned a few things living in Europe and one of them was how and why they keep such immaculate houses. When I say “immaculate” I don’t mean fancy and decorated up to par for a spread in a magazine, I mean clean. Eat off the floor clean.
For the Slovaks (I lived in Slovakia for a year and a half. Going back to visit is so on my bucket list.), cleaning wasn’t something they devoted half their Saturdays to and dreaded. It was something they did every day. They just knew what to clean, how to clean and the importance of a clean house.
I feel there are some basic reasons why cleaning wasn’t such an issue for them. Which is why I came up with these 3 Reasons You Don’t Clean. It’s what I learned by being in the Slovaks’ homes.
Reason #1 – Your house is covered in clutter
If you have to move pile after pile of stuff, by the time you remove all the piles you are exhausted and you’ve gone and messed up another space. No wonder you don’t want to clean!
The first step to a clean home is removing the clutter. It’s as plain and simple as that. Don’t bring something into your home unless you absolutely love it and it adds something positive to your life. If you don’t use it or love it, get rid of it. Getting rid of clutter is a whole series I plan on writing, so stay tuned for that.
Reason #2 – You Don’t Have a Plan
Let’s say you have removed all of the clutter. Now what? What do you clean and when? How often? Do you set up a schedule? So many questions, especially if you’re not used to the idea of cleaning on a daily basis. Just the sheer overwhelming aspect of knowing what to clean on what day can stop you from getting the job done.
My solution? The Motivated Moms Printable Chore List. I love it. I used it. I swear by it. It’s only $8 for an entire year and it’s a printable chore planning system. Follow her list and you’ll have a clean home and time for yourself. Just check the list every day, do what it says, mark it off and enjoy some free time! You can purchase the Motivated Moms Printable Chore List here.
Reason #3 It’s Not a Family Effort
Reason #3 is me preaching to the choir. This is something I seriously need to work on. There are all sorts of reasons I don’t ask for help from the family, that I won’t begin to get into, but the rule should be – If you live here, you clean here.
If keeping a clean and organized home is important to you, ask for everyone to chip in. Give everyone their set jobs, a set day to do them on and stick to it. Everyone should have a few things they do each day – such as wiping down the bathroom sink, making your bed, keeping your room picked up, etc.
The best way to start something which involves the entire family is to have a family meeting. Explain why this is important, either assign jobs or let everyone pick from a list, let them know what will happen if they don’t perform their chore and adjourn the meeting.
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Are there other reasons you don’t clean? Or maybe you have a system nailed down and you would like to share it. Please do!
Related organizing articles on Mom Fabulous:
- 10 Benefits of Being Organized
- How to Sort Through Clutter
- Organization Ideas for the Home: The One Thing I Do Before Anything!
