Quickie Cleaning: When You Have Limited Time To Clean

There are plenty of days where I feel like I have no time to clean. My husband is at work, our six-month-old is teething and wants to be held, I have work, I have classwork, we have errands to run, or I have coupons to cut and print. Etc. Etc.

Shit happens.

Cleaning can often take a backseat because "I can do it tomorrow." And it can. The issue is when too many things "can be done tomorrow" and then they pile up. Now the kitchen is a wreck, laundry has piled up, the carpets haven't been vacuumed in an unacceptable (to each his/her own) amount of time.

Now I don't know about you, but once the house reaches that "everything needs to get cleaned" stage and there's clutter everywhere, I freak out. I become irritable and I get snappy and nit-picky with my husband until we have a mass-cleaning frenzy and everything is clean. For a couple days. Then the cycle starts all over.

The Solution

 I'm currently working out the kinks of a schedule, but it has to change every week because my husband does not have set hours at work. In the meantime, here's an idea.

Take a set amount of time and get as much crap done as you can. 

Everyone pick a number. Five minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, whatever works for you. Keep it short. Now set a timer. Use the oven, the microwave, I like my cell phone because it's always nearby.

Now pick a task. It might be the dishes, putting away laundry, picking up the living room, vacuum. Whatever. And get as much done as you can in your set amount of time. NO HALF-ASSING. When the timer stops, you stop. Finish up, and move on with the next thing. Play with your kids or your dogs. Go to work. Whatever it is. 

Good job. Feel accomplished. You got something out of the way today!

While you're not going to have a sparkling house in 10 minutes, it's something. And something helps. It makes a difference, and you'll notice.