If you know anything about the world of housekeeping, homemaking, or organizing websites, you probably think I'm going to say "clean your sink" first.
Of course not!
Cleaning your sink to keep your house clean is a silly tactic for most people. In my house, for example, my nine year old is in charge of dishes. Every day, after school, he unloads and loads the dishwasher. If I cleaned the sink each morning, I'd just ending up doing a chore that I have effectively delegated. That would be crazy.
Instead, I clean off the island in the kitchen first.
You can see how that would instantly improve the condition of my home. (You can also see that I have no shame. Who posts their mess for the whole world to see?)
In my home, the island is a hot spot. It is where things land in the afternoon rush. The island is where I prepare veggies for dinner. It is where we gather to chat about our day. The island is where we fold laundry, since it is near the laundry closet.
If the island is clean, it not only affects the visual of the whole house (with an open floor plan that means everyone sees the kitchen), but a clean island makes other chores easier. In addition to cooking and laundry, a clean island means that I can rest cleaning supplies or pots there while I clean the stove or the kitchen table. A clean island gives me a place to clean out my purse or do a craft.
Understand, I do not suggest that you clean the island in your house first.
Instead, I suggest that you identify your hot spot. What is the one place that, if neat and clean, would produce great visual impact and allow more stuff to get done?
Even though I never make the beds, if that is where you fold clothes, your bed might be that spot. Perhaps it is your coffee table or a counter where you dump stuff at the end of a long day.
Heck, it might even be your sink!
But it's not your sink because someone arbitrarily declared sinks important. It's your sink because that is your hot zone.
Find your hot zone. Now, promise yourself that, six days out of seven, you will clean that spot first. Watch how that simple tweak changes your home.
For help finding your hot spot, click on Etcetera below and join the conversation on Facebook.
Etcetera.
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9 comments:
Ha, the sink thing... I tried it, but we drink a lot of coffee here (four adults working from home) and also often forget we poured a cup. It drove me crazy each time someone dumped cold coffee in my shining sink, so I stopped making that a priority.
My hot zone? Dining room table first, coffee table second. It's where everybody dumps and leaves stuff, but I really need those tables to be free of clutter. And just moving it to other visible spaces is not okay (tried that). Stuffing it into a closet does work though ;-)
Nothing I hate more than going to bed or getting up in the morning to a sink full of dishes. ICK!
The sink thing is great for FlyLady's original target audience - the ladies in her Yahoo group who had NO IDEA where to start. It gave them a starting place (that they didn't have to second guess) when nothing around them was in order.
I love your honest photo!!!
I would have to say making my bed & keeping it cleared off is my hot zone. It doesn't make a difference for most people who come to the house, but makes a huge difference for my mindset. I feel like I can relax more. And if I go to my room at the end of the day, I can ignore the rest of the house. :)
Excellent suggestion. I wholeheartedly agree!
Great tip! Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty - we hope to see you again next week. :)
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
Great tip! That catch all place does wonders for the house when cleaned! Thank you for sharing this week on the Art of Home-Making Mondays :)
Always so many dishes in the sink! Sometimes it feels like it's never ending. But definitely I feel much better when the sink is clean before I head to bed that way no need to do in the rushed morning. Thankyou for sharing your tips on #HomeMattersParty.
Great tip! My trailer is so tiny, the dining room table is my hot spot. And I'm the only one living there! facepalm
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