Organizing the Home

Organization is not in my genes. I was one of those people who had a clean pile of clothes, a pile of clothes that could be worn again, and a pile of clothes that could get up and walk to the laundry room on their own. Once a year I would organize my room and it might actually stay that way for a whole week. Every thing had a home but that home was where ever I set it down.

I married a man that had a place for everything and a back up place just in case something happened. We were the perfect example of opposites attracting and it was a struggle for me in the beginning. Eventually I began to uncover some secrets to organizing the home and now household chores only take a few minutes each day.

Tips for Organizing a Home

1. Make a list of everything that needs to be done and break it down into daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly.

a. Daily – sweep floors, make beds, fix meals, wash dishes, feed pets, work in garden
b. Weekly – wash clothes, change sheets, clean porch, dust furniture, wipe down spider webs, clean bathrooms, mop floors, empty trash
c. Monthly – change air filters, wash windows, clean out cars, wash curtains, clean off cabinets
d. Quarterly – sort through closets and drawers, check insurance policies (update or change according to purchases), service vehicles
e. Yearly – Get shots for animals, service air conditioner, review financial plans

2. Break down the jobs into even daily chores. Trying to do everything in one day will make it overwhelming for anyone. Plan to spend no more than one hour each day doing the chores for that day.

3. Have set days for specific chores (plus daily chores).

a. Monday – sheets and towels , mop
b. Tuesday – deck, porch, car
c. Wednesday – bathrooms, dust, trash
d. Thursday – clothes laundry
e. Friday – quick pick up, monthly, quarterly and yearly chores

4. Delegate! Every one in the family should begin learning how to do chores – feeding the pets, making the bed or picking up a room – as soon as they start walking.

5. Be consistent and don’t give up. It doesn’t happen overnight. It may take weeks, months or years to find a schedule that works for you and for your family. Keep trying, keep adjusting and keeping working towards organization and you will eventually find your life going down the path that you desire.

Organization will be a personal journey. Just start down the path one step at a time. Be persistent but be flexible. The tips and suggestions that are available may not work for everyone every time but they will help you uncover what does work for you.