5 ACTUALLY REALISTIC CLEANING HABITS THAT HELP ME KEEP A TIDY HOME

Nothing makes me feel like I am winning at life more than a tidy home. It gives me this sense of "I am controlling life, it's not controlling me," (I bet you could already guess that I'm an Enneagram type one).

I really resonate with C.H.A.O.S., which stands for "Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome." It's the idea that when you're living in chaos, you tend to avoid inviting people over, or perhaps you hide when someone rings the doorbell.

Routines are the cure for this syndrome, but they need to be manageable. Finding out what works for you takes some trial and error, but here are my five go-to cleaning habits that help me avoid the chaos.

Practicing the One-Touch Rule

When it comes to keeping our home tidy, the one-touch rule has been a game changer for my husband and I. The one-touch rule is a different way of thinking of the cleaning-as-you-go method.

The concept is that once you use or "touch" an item, you shouldn't have to touch it a second time to put it away later.

I'll give you some examples. After you're done applying your makeup, put it back in the drawer instead of on your vanity. Or, after you check your mail, toss the junk and address the bills right away instead of letting it pile up on your foyer table—and hang up your coat while you're at it, too.

Daily Loads of Laundry

I know this one sounds pretty basic, but I am so glad I started doing one load of laundry a day. When I lived in an apartment, it wasn't quite as convenient to do daily loads since it was a shared laundry situation, plus I hated going down to the old basement.

My husband and I would have to devote an entire day to laundry (usually a precious Sunday), and having to fold a mound of clothing would feel so overwhelming that I would just end up procrastinating the task.

Now that I have my own washing machine and dryer, I love doing one simple load a day. The dirty laundry never piles up, nor does the ready-to-fold pile.

Dishes Before Resting

I'm a clean now, rest later type of person, but my husband is the opposite. Both lifestyles present their own pros and cons.

There's always more you could clean, so if you don't practice some restraint and stop cleaning, you'll never rest. Of course, the opposite is also true.

However, we both agree that when it comes to the dishes, it's best to rinse and load them in the dishwasher and handwash the pans right away before watching "just one episode."

That always turns into two or more, and then we often end up too tired to get to the dishes before bed. Doing them right away allows us to wake up the next day with a clean slate.

Practicing Zone Cleaning

When my house gets extra messy, I take things one room at a time. I start in a corner and start putting away stray objects. If something belongs in a different room, I place it in a pile. I try not to leave that room until everything is clean again, and then I put the pile away.

I recently learned the term for this is "zone cleaning," and it helps you stay focused and on track rather than distracted and flustered. For lack of a better word, zone cleaning helps you get in the cleaning zone.

There are other ways to apply zone cleaning to your routine. For example, one of my friends devotes each day of the week to a different zone in her house. For example, on Mondays, she vacuums and dusts her living room, and on Tuesdays, she focuses on the bedrooms.

Accountability Cleaning Sessions

This might be the most unorthodox part of my cleaning routine, but I swear it works. It's called body doubling, which involves tackling those unpleasant tasks in life (like cleaning), alongside someone.

For the past three years, I've been getting on a video call with one of my friends for virtual co-working sessions. We try to meet up Monday through Friday for an hour or two. I usually devote the first half to finishing up work projects, but I spend the second part doing chores.

At the beginning of the session, we tell each other what we want to accomplish. Then, we do 30-minute check-ins to share our progress. It helps me because I am more likely to meet a goal if there is an outer expectation.

Body-doubling has risen in popularity over the years, especially as a strategy for managing ADHD. There are even entire websites, like Focusmate, dedicated to matching you with accountability buddies for tasks like cleaning, studying, and working.

Read the original article on The Spruce.

2024-04-04T10:11:38Z dg43tfdfdgfd