This post was first published in July 2008.
While I was scraping dried food bits off my seven-month-old son’s Bumbo the other day, I was reminded of the best universal cleaning hack there is.
Clean it right away.
If I had wiped off my son’s Bumbo as soon as he finished spreading his meal hither and yon, it would have hardly taken any elbow grease, and at most, it would have killed two minutes of my time.
Instead, I chose to wait until later that day, which meant I had to roll up my sleeves, use the scouring pad, and devote ten minutes of time I could have spent emptying the dishwasher, folding a load of laundry, or reading a blog post.
A few minutes of time can really add up when it comes to managing our home.
Which is easier, rinsing and loading your dishwasher right after dinner, or scrubbing off hardened bits of food the next morning? What about folding and hanging a freshly dried load of laundry, or folding wrinkled shirts that will then need ironing in order to wear?
It’s so easy for all of us to breathe huge sighs of desperation when we think of the day’s chores ahead of us. But consider how long — really — your typical daily chores could take, on average, if you did them right away.
Here are a few from my day:
- making the bed – 1 to 2 minutes
- decluttering the bathroom counter after getting ready for the day – 1 minute
- wiping off the bathroom mirror and faucet from water marks – 10 seconds
- clearing the dining table from the meal (especially if everyone brings their own plate back to the kitchen) – 1 to 2 minutes
- unloading the dishwasher – 3 to 5 minutes
- loading the dishwasher – 5 to 10 minutes
- wiping off the dining table – 1 minute
- wiping off the kitchen counters after cooking – 2 minutes
- throwing away items after using them (envelopes, wrappers, etc.) – 5 seconds
- putting the magazine back in the basket after I’ve perused it – 5 seconds
You get the idea. I just wonder how many minutes — or hours — I sometimes spend cleaning things that could take mere seconds or minutes if I did them right away. Add to that the reduced stress, the lessened physical output, the visual peace, and the increased space earned from a home cleaned quicker, and I’m sold.
I’m going to work on getting better at cleaning as I go.
Application Time
Set a timer for 15 minutes and see how much you can get done in your immediate environment. If you’re currently surrounded by clutter in your living room, that’s an obvious choice. I’m not asking you to rearrange your day’s schedule – just spare a tiny handful of time.
Step back and review your decluttering job. Does it look better? Does it make you feel better?
As soon as I post this article, you better believe I’m getting up to empty the dishwasher.
What are some daily chores that could be cut in half if you did them immediately? Have any tips on quick cleaning?
About Tsh
It is the paper stuff that I always put off dealing with. I end up with stacks of paper that I have to deal with later and it takes so much time. I’m working on getting better at cleaning as I go too…it really does make it so much easier.
.-= Jamie @ Six Bricks High´s last blog ..How I Met My Best Friend =-.
You are so right about this-the key is to clean up as you go. I am so bad about this, especially when it comes to the dishes! All I can do is keep trying, right?
.-= Post-Modern Jen´s last blog ..Free Fun for All- Storytime at the Library =-.
This is so true!! I’m getting better at doing this. The hardest for me to manage is the laundry, but hopefully that will get better when we move back to the states and have a real laundry room where things can be folded right away.
.-= Monica´s last blog ..Worship in the Army Chapel =-.
My worst habit is leaving saucy, gooey pots and pans. I curse every time the food bits are too crusty to wash off so then I leave them to soak and waste more time! Anyway, check out my new daily schedule on my blog. It’s only been two weeks since it’s implementation but I am beginning to feel I am on top of things…finally (dealing with postpartum depression as well)! Not sure what will happen when I return to work in March but for now I am feeling somewhat organized and less overwhelmed which means the house looks better and more importantly, I feel better.
.-= JulieO´s last blog ..Routine =-.
Point taken…but then there are the slow people (raises hand). And the very short children who wish to help unload the dishwasher, so that it takes even longer (like the whole 15 minutes). Whenever I do household chores (or other mindless tactile tasks) I tend to get lost in thought, and that tendency combined with my methodicalness makes it appear to the outside world that I am moving in slow motion (I also sometimes repeat tasks I’ve already done because I am so not in tune with what my physical self is doing). The only things I do quickly are reading, typing and eating. Still, I aspire to greater efficiency, and posts like these provide the mental reinforcement to help me pick up the pace.
.-= Myrrh´s last blog ..About the Tomatoes =-.
Myrrh… I so believe we were separated at birth. Okay, maybe that’s going to far, but wow… I smiled and rejoiced the whole way through your comment! I am the exact same way. Adult ADD? My mom says, Yes. I so love the way you worded it, though… methodical. I too do the same– appear to be so slow to everyone around me and then too often let it get me down. Right now as I speak there are piles. Piles of laundry on top of my bed. A pile of dishes in the sink. A pile of papers on the table. I have started on each pile, but start to think about things… and well, you know….
I agree that cleaning stuff that dries hard is definitely best done straight away! I have a seven month old too….
However I think the magic of the ‘just do it right now’ cleaning for most clutter is that when you tidy as you go, there is never that tipping point – the horrible moment just before you fiiiinally begin to clear away a days (weeks?) worth of built up clutter. I call it my own-a$$ kicking moment. If you do it straight away, it probably takes more physical energy (I know if I’ve dragged out 10 magazines over a week taking them all back at once is more efficient) but far less *emotional* energy.
.-= The Accidental Housewife´s last blog ..Bedroom Makeover =-.
What a great point. I usually wait to do things all at once because it will take less physical energy, but I feel better when I do it right away, and there’s not that guilt pressing on me all day (week) (weeks)…yikes.
.-= Shayla´s last blog ..MIA =-.
very logical and helpful. more power!
.-= hailey´s last blog ..Walking in the Woods on a Sunny Morning =-.
I like the idea with the timer! And I’m trying to do always a morning routine with unloading the dishwasher, get a free and clean kitchen table and making the beds.
.-= Micha´s last blog ..Quittendessert / quince dessert =-.
Thank you for this simple reminder! I, too, have spent more time than I would like to admit wiping down that darn Bumbo and if I had only done it before the food dried…well, I’m preaching to the choir! I’m going to make an effort to implement this in my day-to-day routine and see how much it helps.
.-= Tricia´s last blog ..Not Me! Monday =-.
Sadly I have been a procrastinator all of my life, so as a home maker I’ve really had to step it up. I’ve always been the “clean it all at once” kind of gal which means eventually everything’s a mess. I am definitely working on changing my habits for my family’s sake.
.-= Shannon´s last blog ..Dr. Eades on 7 Reasons to Eat More Saturated Fat =-.
I love timers – they help me get started without feeling overwhelmed. I think you’re right – so many cleaning tasks don’t take very long. It’s the “idea” of doing them that is sometimes the battle!
Jamie
.-= steadymom´s last blog ..The Gift =-.
Thanks for listing those times! I put off and put off emptying the dishwasher (and you can imagine the consequence for this over the course of the day–it makes cleaning the kitchen in the evening a DREADED task). To see 3-5 minutes listed next to it was such an encouragement. If that is all it takes, why am I putting it off? Today is a new day!
.-= Emily´s last blog ..Potato Rosemary Bread =-.
I hate cleaning, but I always feel better when things are in their place and clutter is at bay. I’ve been trying the clean-as-I-go thing lately with success, but it still hasn’t permeated my entire routine. We’re getting there! I’ve also read a tip that encourages you to leave the room better than when you entered it. Even if that means taking a glass from the coffee table to the kitchen, the room is better. Little steps like that do help. I just have to get my lazy self off the couch!
.-= My First Kitchen´s last blog ..Asian Chicken Salad =-.
One of my ‘tricks’ is to get as many tasks done as possible while boiling water for tea. It’s really amazing how much you can accomplish in that time!
.-= Leah´s last blog ..Music Monday- "Our House, CSNY" =-.
Thanks for the timer reminder. I’ve got 2 rooms that are a bit overwhelmingly cluttered right now. 15 minutes would do a world of good.
I wish I had read this post weeks ago, before I let my house get out of control. But I didn’t so instead, I spent almost the entire weekend cleaning the entire thing. Hopefully I can just spot clean going forward so I don’t have to do that again soon!
Did my husband put you up to running this post? You sound just like him! Of course, both of you are right. It IS easier to clean as you go. Thanks for the reminder. . .maybe I’ll try to do this all week for a tidier house!
.-= Amy Reads Good Books´s last blog ..A Gate at the Stairs =-.
I am soooo trying to be better about this. I have started doing one load of laundry every day so it never piles up, and it’s very easy to fold that one load fresh from the dryer (thus avoiding the dreaded ironing, which I never do anyway). I now never feel the panic of knowing there are four loads of laundry that *have* to get done today, and I never have to do laundry on the weekends.
Also, I have a new system for paper that is working so well for me, I just have to share! The rule is, every piece of paper that comes into this house has to go somewhere — immediately! — or it must be trashed. I have two drawers in my kitchen, one for “to be filed” (a holding place for things that need to be filed upstairs in the office, like paid bills and bank statements), and one for kids’ artwork/school papers that are *worth keeping*. Then there is a little stand-up file folder holder on the kitchen desk with three folders in it: Reference (the preschool class list, for example), Bills To Pay (so that once a week I can sit down and pay all the bills that have accumulated), and Other To Do’s (things I want to research, gift ideas, order form for school pictures, etc.). Once a day or so, while I’m in the kitchen waiting for the oven to preheat or the water to boil for tea, I pull out the Other To Do’s and see if there’s something I can take care of right away.
Oh, and when I bring in the mail, it immediately gets opened, junk mail trashed, envelopes tossed, and put in one of the drawers or file folders. Nothing may stay on the table or counter! I used to have a real problem with mail build-up, sometimes only opening it all every two weeks or so, when it would become a big chore and bills might be already late, etc. Dealing with it immediately makes a *huge* difference.
.-= Laura´s last blog ..The Staff of Life =-.
Thank you so much for sharing your paper clutter organization tips! I love your method and am planning on going out to buy some file folders this week. Thanks again!!
Yeah, my desk area is always the messiest. Paper clutter is the worst!
So here’s a question… why make beds? We rarely, if ever, make our bed. We’ll straighten out the sheets and so forth before we get in at night, but we dont usually make it in the morning. If we’re having guests over who will likely be upstairs we usually do, but that’s about the only time. I’ve never really understood why people are so concerned with bed-making…. is there a secret reason behind it that I’m missing?
I only recently started making my bed regularly. I really didn’t see the point. And I guess it depends how much time you spend in your bedroom. But I have noticed that when my bed is made, the whole room feels more relaxing and put-together. And when I go in there during the day (to put away laundry or grab a book), I am affected by that little oasis of peacefulness… even if the rest of the room is messy!
Also, it keeps the dog off the sheets. If she jumps up on the bed, she might get the top of my coverlet dirty, but she can’t get to the sheets I actually sleep on. Big plus.
.-= Laura´s last blog ..The Staff of Life =-.
When I was a teenager, I worked for a popular fast food chain that had the motto “clean as you go!” Now, many years and 3 kids later, I still find myself repeating the motto in my head as I bake, open the mail or feel tempted to just pile things in one place “for now.” Still, I thank you for spelling out so clearly how LITTLE time it actually takes to do jobs that are so easy to procrastinate!
.-= Becky´s last blog ..pick me up! =-.
Whenever I get a phone call that might last awhile (like from my mom, sister, or friend back east) I try to immediately find some mindless task to do at the same time. Unloading the dishwasher, doing the dishes, folding clothes, or tidying up — these are all so easy to get done when I’m focused on a nice conversation instead of the somewhat boring task at hand. It’s amazing how clean my house can get when I’ve had a lot of phone calls in one day! Does this work for anyone else?
There’s nothing worse than a guest bed covered in clean but unfolded clothes and a kitchen full of dirty dishes…not that I know what that is like. Thanks, I’ll let “my friend” know about this secret.
These tips are so true! I have what I call “mad dash cleaning”. I get the whole family to pitch in and we each take a chore that takes 5 minutes or less, and get the house clean. These chores are vacuuming, one takes the upstairs and the stairs and one person takes the downstairs. (We have a big black lab so we have to vacuum almost everyday). Another person takes care of “decluttering” (usually me) which means going around and picking up the stuff and putting it away where it belongs, or throwing it out. We also clean the bathrooms and dust. This helps to keep the house nice and fresh at all times. The dishes “usually” get done on a regular basis, but if not, then we include those in the mad dash cleaning.
.-= Mary Lutz´s last blog ..Five Yummy Halloween Treats =-.
Love this tip! I am a wee bit obsessive about cleaning up the dinner mess after we eat, but if I don’t do it right away, it drives me crazy! I love the timer idea, that is something I will be trying out immediately!
.-= Kelly´s last blog ..Looking back… =-.
Great post! Lots of wonderful tips to help get a lot done in a little time – I know a popular one who advocates this same principle! Thanks!
.-= Susan´s last blog ..Are you going to saw the sawdust today? =-.
Along the same lines of cleaning as you go, my husband and I have created a weekly chore list, and we are working very hard to become disciplined about sticking to it. The chores on there are basic household maintenance items (taking out the trash, laundry, vacuuming, etc.) but if we tackle a little bit each day, it is never too overwhelming. If we don’t, we feel like we spend most of our weekend playing catch up, which totally stinks! We’ve found we’re much happier when we stick to our schedule!
.-= Tiffany´s last blog ..Truly Awful Wipes…and How I Rescued Them =-.
I’m a firm believer in all that you recommended…when I’m not 9 months pregnant. Everything seems to be a HUGE deal now that I’m having a baby in a couple of weeks!!! Thanks for the reminder of my OWN tried and true principles.
.-= Intentionally Katie´s last blog ..Whirlwind Weekend =-.
Mail, dog hair, all things strewn about by the baby are hard for us to keep up with around our house. Once I pick up the baby’s toys, she’s back in them throwing them all over the place. Oh and if I could only unload my dishwasher in 3-5 minutes then I would be in great shape. Instead it takes at least 15 and most of the top rack items need to be hand dried since we have a cheap dishwasher. Last thing, I will admit that one of my secrets is the Roomba. I recommend it for hard surfaces.
I’ve taken to setting the timer for ten minutes after I send my boys off to school. I can get the kitchen organized, get my bed made, and do a bit of de-cluttering before sitting down to my writing for the day.
.-= Caroline Starr Rose´s last blog ..On Writing =-.
I loved this the first time you posted it and I still love it, but have a lot of work to do to break my bad habits!
.-= Andrea @ The Train To Crazy´s last blog ..An old friend =-.
This is such a timely reminder. I tend to leave things, especially when I’m distracted. Then it’s a much bigger production to do a lot at once! I really need to focus as I go through the house, and think about what’s staring me in the face…
.-= Valerie@CookingSharp´s last blog ..Grany Paring Knife =-.
I’m learning to not let my paperwork pile up. As soon as I get the mail, I throw junk mail in the paper waste, put bills in the file where I keep the monthly bills. If I don’t have time to look at “other mail” I will put it in the mail sorter until later in the day when I can get to it. I just started this system and so far so good!
.-= MamaRose´s last blog ..Antiquing in the Mother Lode! =-.
I have two laundry hampers-one for lights, one for darks, and I toss my dirty clothes into the correct one at the end of the day so my laundry is pre-sorted when it’s time for washing. It makes laundry day go so much smoother!
.-= Anna´s last blog ..Organizing Your Closet: Part 3 — Organizing your accessories and maintaing a clean closet =-.
Anna, great idea! I also turn my clothes right side out before putting them in the hamper, so there’s one less thing to do before tossing in the washer.
.-= Laura´s last blog ..Gifts That Keep on Giving =-.
Great post and so true! It is so much easier to just stay on top of it!
I used to be horrible at housework. There are two things I began to do that made a huge difference (I was inspired by a book called the Messies Manual – great book!). I started writing a morning to do list and attaching a time to them. Then I would race around and try and meet my estimated time. Helped immensely!! I no longer got distracted with an interesting article or forgot what I should have been doing when I had returned something to another room and then ended up puttering about there for awhile… I also refused to leave the room I was in. I used a laundry basket to throw stuff into that had to be returned to other rooms. I only moved onto the next room once one room was done. Not necessarily spotless but just good enough. I use the same system with my children now. They really get into the spirit of it if I use an oven timer with a bell. Hope these tips help someone else too!
.-= Catherine´s last blog ..Emma’s present =-.
Such great advice!!
Part of me always thinks it will be easier if I just “do everything at once” but that never works. It’s MUCH better to clean as you go.
Thanks for the reminder….
AMEN! This is a lesson I wish I could learn AND practice!
.-= Sheila@Momfessions´s last blog ..Life Changes =-.
I am finding it hard to clean my own room.
.-= Palabuzz´s last blog ..Angel Locsin represents the Philippines in the 37th Emmys Awards Night =-.
I’ll try to remember this! I always set stuff to soak straightaway, so that eases the dried-on issue, but UGH, paper is the worst! I have a mail problem. ;(
My worst habit: NOT folding the clothes in the drier when it finishes the cycle. I end up having to iron more AND use more energy, creating higher bills and waste.
My Grandma Flo always used to say, “If your bed is made and your dishes are washed, then your whole house looks clean.”
I find that to be good advice.
She’s also the one who told us to wear lipstick, if we wore nothing else. I guess she was the queen of simple advice!
.-= Melanie at Parenting Ink´s last blog ..Murphy’s Law =-.
Ok – this is my first comment but I’ve really been enjoying your blog
My problem is this – when I try to keep things picked up by doing it right away, I end up being tense and crabby all the time. I feel like I’m endlessly cleaning, picking things up as I see them, keeping things tidy. I become a maniac! I’ve had this problem over and over again through the years as I’ve tried to “get it together” on keeping my home clean. I’m home all day with the kids…so it’s just more time to obsess! Then I find myself being constantly annoyed with kids and hubby for not picking up after themselves (which will NEVER happen) and I make everyone else miserable too. I can’t seem to find a happy middle between obsessing and total mess. Anyone else have this problem?
This is an very interesting post! and I like it! I like my house to be spotless, but with a dog and a husband is too hard to do. When I live by myself, I clean my apt on daily-basis, but now once a week. I start my work at 8:30 daily, and I will have to see how many things I can get it done before that
THANK YOU! This has been stuck in my head for the past week now, and it makes me feel so powerful, silly as that might sound.
My husband and I are horrible about leaving things undone; we’ve even gotten to the point where we don’t change the toilet paper roll, we just place the new roll on top of the old. (HORRIBLE, I know!) This post has helped me in my baby steps toward a regularly clean house! Thanks!
Oh, I am just getting through the things in my reader now
This is what I am trying to work on. I have always been a “come back to it later, do a thorough cleaning then” type person and at times can be a perfectionist. With two littles now, getting it done perfectly is never going to happen and I am learning that it is OK.
.-= Jenn @ Beautiful Calling´s last blog ..When You Don’t Celebrate Halloween… =-.
A friend of mine used to spread a largish plastic sheet (could also be a cloth sheet or anything that might look a little better) under her kids’ high chair. Once the child was done flinging food around, she folded up the sheet and shook it out either outside or into the garbage. She put it back under the high chair right away unless it needed to be laundered. Another friend got a dog for the same problem. Magic!
Tidying up wouldn’t be nearly that difficult if the other people in the household also picked up and put THEIR things away. I find it frustrating when I am tidying up and the others are playing, drinking coffee, reading a book, etc while I am de-cluttering, washing dishes, washing/folding laundry, etc. It is not that I want to do these tidying things but that no one else will. I would rather join the rest of the group and do what I want to do; not what I don’t want to do. I don’t understand how to get the rest of the household on board with keeping things clean and clear of clutter with the “do it right away attitude”…Does anyone have any “fool proof” ideas other than hiring a housekeeper or bribing my family to keep the house in order?
This is SO true! Great post!
I recently came across FlyLady who takes this idea of “do it now” and totally runs with it! Your house practically cleans itself (well, I’m not quite there but it’s getting better all the time
).
And her other phrase is “make it fun and it will get done”. I really like that, because if I’m going to do housework, I’d MUCH rather it was fun
The best kept cleaning tip is Genesis 950. But you didn’t hear that from me
The weather is really improving here in the UK so some spring cleaning shall definitely go ahead for me