The Lazy Girl's Guide To Cleaning In 20 Minutes For 30 Days

THE LAZY GIRL'S GUIDE TO CLEANING IN 20 MINUTES A DAY



When I first learned to clean my own place, I thought Saturday had to be an all day clean-a-thon. I didn't really have a concept of how to balance the workload during the week so weekends could be reserved for larger projects or actual FUN! Now I clean in 20 minutes a day, every day, and things just seem to take care of themselves. Here's a glimpse at the schedule I use!

No one said you had to do everything at once and even when time seems short, if you can manage one task a day, things should start to work themselves out. Adjust this list as your family's needs require (those with more or less children might require doing certain activities more or less). If it's easier, take a blank calendar and fill it in accordingly so easier tasks are on days where your day is go, go, go and reserve the more difficult ones for days when things are a little lighter.

Here are 5 tips to help make these 30 days a success:

1) Dealing With What Comes Through The Door

Set up a small area by the front door to act as a "landing strip" for incoming items to your home. If you're a longtime reader this is nothing new to you. If this is the first time you've heard this phrase outside of reference to personal grooming habits (heehee), then make sure to check out Maxwell's Home Cure video on the topic.

2) Do Your Dishes After Every Meal

This will help you stay on top of your kitchen instead of having it turn into a monster! NO ONE wants to do them.. after all, you probably cooked dinner to boot. But waiting for another meal or until you have enough to fill the dishwasher just makes things feel overwhelming and easier to procrastinate. The same goes for taking out trash as well. If you need to take the trash out, place it by the front door to go out in the morning or dispose of it that night so it's over and done with. Procrastination never makes things better!

3) Laundry

If you have a washer and dryer at home, do a little bit each day - spreading things out will mean you don't feel bogged down by 200 towels and stinky socks. Not feeling inspired? Treat yourself... to a new laundry basket and an easy line to hang things on. It's the little things that make the jobs go quicker!

4) Whistle While You Work

No one really enjoys cleaning, but singing, humming, whistling or turning up the radio are all great options to keep the beat in your feet and have fun while working. If you feel like you are missing out on your reading, try an audiobook, or even put on a TED talk.

5) Set a Timer

Most items on the list below should take no more than 20 minutes total. It's easy to rationalise 20 minutes, but it's also easy to get distracted by phone calls, emails, children and other projects that call your name as you tackle each chore. Set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes (whichever works best for you) and that way when it sounds you know exactly how much time you have left. If you find yourself off task it's easy to get back on track.

ONE ITEM A DAY TO DO LIST:

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