Here's the practical side of how I keep my house tidy. Remember that post on rotations? I use the same concept on cleaning. I created this rotation when Skeeter (#1) was only approximately 6 mos. old. I found that my thinking went like this, "Oh the house is clean." I thought this for several days. Then, suddenly EVERYTHING needed to be cleaned on the same day. And, it all looked terrible. I'd rather do a little every day and have the house basically tidy all week. Then, drop-in visitors don't create panic and embarrassment and my family has a nice place to live.
M - Tidy couches (we have pets), Wash Fingerprinted Windows, Clean Microwave, Generally Tidy up from Weekend
Tu - Quick Mop Kitchen, Vacuum Whole House, Pull Down Cobwebs
W - Dust House
Th - Clean All Bathrooms
F - Full Mop Kitchen and Bathroom, Vacuum Whole House
Every morning, I tidy up the kitchen (meaning any additional dishes, sweep floor, etc). I do at least one load of wash every day. We tidy up toys (we call it quick-clean) before lunch, before supper and before bed, so that keeps the toys under control. I rarely go to bed without completing the chores for the day. The house is manageable this way. I can plan around my rotation. For example, Wednesday is my easiest day so I tend to make plans more often on Wednesdays. Mondays are catch-up day from the weekend. And, this rotation rarely changes so I typed the above from memory. I know what is expected and the house benefits, as does my family.
