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My house looks clean but I do not spend all day cleaning —I don’t have time! Most days there are crumbs on the floor, counters, and table. Our homeschool table is always strewn with art masterpieces. There’s always something left in the drop zone when I go to bed, and I have a pile of papers in my office.
In the age of social media, we’ve been inundated with messages that our homes must be absolutely perfect and clutter-free at all times.
This is not practical or doable.
The reality is we’re real people living in real spaces, and our homes will never reach perfection.
And that’s okay.
If you’re anything like me, you have many other things that require your time and attention more than making sure your bookshelf is perfectly styled.
I want to offer you a solution, or idea, that allows me to enjoy my home and family and not stress about keeping it perfectly clean all the time.
The way to not spend all day cleaning is to prioritize one area of the home to focus on and leave the rest for another time.
Step 01: Choose one area
I can tolerate many “messes” around the house for several days.
Crumbs on the floor? It’s fine.
Dirty bathroom counter? I’ll get to it eventually.
A big pile of laundry? Not a problem.
Homeschool/ playroom a mess? My kid can clean it up before we start school.
Dishes in the sink? No, no, NO!
As long as I stay on top of the dishes, I can handle all these other things not being done.
Homeschool mentor and host of the Make Joy Normal podcast, Bonnie Landry, recommends focusing on bringing order to one small area, especially with young children. Having just one orderly area will bring peace to your day, and she’s right.
When too many things happen during my busy days, the only chore around the house I try to keep up with is the dishes. I know I’ll lose it if the sink and counters are piled high with dishes at the end of the day. Dish management, to me, is pain management.
If you’ve downloaded the Where To Start Decluttering Guide, the first thing you’ll uncover is which area of your home bothers you the most. (If you don’t have it, download it here.)
That area should be the one you focus on as your one area to keep tidy. From here, you can identify a task or chore that needs attention daily.
For example, my family uses the kitchen more than anywhere else. That’s why dishes are the one thing I manage daily.
Step 02: Manage the area by decluttering
Once you’ve chosen your area, get it to a place where you can easily upkeep it. In other words, declutter!
For example, a past client knew that if her laundry was under control, she could handle everything else. We worked on paring down clothing to reduce the loads, making it manageable.
Other clients have worked on decluttering paper to manage home offices and kitchen counters. (If this is you, I recommend using the Paper Hubs System Organizing Guide, available here.)
Step 03: Organize daily management
The next step is to get organized with a system for managing the area. In this previous post, I gave you an inside look at my daily cleaning rhythm. That is to say, this is my organizing system for keeping on top of the dishes throughout the day.
Yes, there are other chores included in this system. But if you’re just starting to get organized or your time is limited, prioritize the one area and task that will keep you feeling in control.
Step 04: Getting to everything else
At some point, I have to clean up the crumbs and do the laundry. I set aside specific days for doing specific tasks when I have time. For me, this means a batch cleaning day where I knock it all out in a couple of hours.
I’ve noticed that since I’ve mastered keeping one area calm and orderly it’s easier to work on tasks in other areas of my home.
How to not spend all day cleaning
Most of us cannot spend all day cleaning. Instead, prioritize one area of your home to focus on. Identify which area using the Where To Start Decluttering Guide, declutter the area, implement a management system, and master keeping the area tidy.
