Self Help

You need a housekeeping schedule that works for you. Lots of people like the unhurried feeling of sprucing up on a Saturday morning. But if you can’t bear to spend weekend time on housekeeping, choose an evening and block out a couple of hours to zip through and get everything done. Don’t be afraid to choose an unorthodox schedule, as long as it works for you.

Some people have insomnia, and that’s when they get up and clean the house. Others clean house for fifteen minutes every morning instead of (or in addition to) exercising. Cleaning a little at a time works for some people. Another idea is to pick up clutter and do dishes before you go to bed, then at least you have some semblance of order each night. I like to sweep through the entire house in one massive, weekly cleaning. Then I know that at least once a week the whole house is totally spotless. Choose a style that fits your personality and life.

Next, clean fast. Put on some upbeat music and get moving. What makes cleaning seem like drudgery is when you plod along, wring out clothes one drip at a time, and crawl through the experience with eyes half closed. The way to enjoy it is to pick up the pace and feel you’ve accomplished a lot in a short time. You’ll finish sooner and feel more invigorated. You could
even make a game or contest out of it: Set a time limit and see how much you can do in thirty minutes, an hour, and so on.

Share the Work

If you don’t live alone, you absolutely must share duties with everyone in your house, whether there are two of you or ten. Everyone contributed to the dirt and mess, right? So everyone must pitch in. And believe me, once you have children, this is a lesson you must teach early - everybody has a job to do. Otherwise you’re picking up after a growing family and your resentment will grow right along with them.

Divide up the chores and trade off each week if some task is particularly distasteful to everyone. Post a chart if it helps you stay organized and know whose job it is to take out the trash, clean out the fridge, and so on.

Organize the Cleaning Tasks

If you’re the parent of young children, you can draw up a chart, and use magnets or popsicle sticks to rotate which person has which set of duties, making sure the little ones rotate among themselves, so they aren’t suddenly climbing ladders or trying to move sofas. In a household of adults, a household meeting is a good idea, so that everyone can contribute what they feel is a fair distribution of the assignments, and a reasonable time limit for each person.

A good rule of thumb is that nobody’s done until the work is done. If you finish early, be a good guy and help a slower member of the team with her chores. To prevent resentment if someone isn’t doing their job, attach a reward for those who finish on time. With dawdling children, sometimes you have to withhold a privilege until their tasks are completed.