Start on the room which will have the best impact on you, if you are living in the home and it's the kitchen which is getting you down more than anything then start there. Once you complete one room it will typically help spur you on to clean the other rooms.
To clean a very messy home start in the least emotionally charged area. Something easy to focus on like trash, dirty dishes, and gathering dirty laundry into one location. Another good strategy is to look at your biggest struggle area and work on that so you can see benefits quickly.
Rule #1 – Don't have a Maybe Pile
Well – the fact is that decluttering involves decision making. Decisions on every item as to whether you keep it or let it go.
'The best room to start decluttering is where two things converge: the area that is causing you the most stress and the place that you live in the most,' she explains. 'The attic or a tucked away closet might be messy and nagging you but if the kitchen, entryway, or primary bathroom is too - go there first!
Most experts agree that the kitchen and bathroom are the most important rooms to clean first, because they get the most use and are considered to be “wet” areas.
Belle's one-hour cleaning method involves dedicating a single hour of your time to nothing else but cleaning. At the end of that hour, you can reward yourself with a timed break: Scroll away on socials, binge your favorite Netflix show, or whip up a snack.
Allow yourself 2 1/2 hours a week to clean a two-bedroom home. You should also add an extra 1 hour a week when you decide to deep clean. 3 Bedroom 2 Bath Home: If you have a typical three-bedroom home or apartment, you can expect to spend about three hours a week on basic cleaning.
Combine 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup dishwashing detergent, 1-2/3 cups baking soda, and 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar. Stir the mixture until everything is dissolved. Pour it into a spray bottle. Wash flooring in small sections by spraying on, mopping off, then rinsing thoroughly with warm water.
You Don't Have a Routine
Make a schedule and check off when you've completed a task. Being held accountable, even if it is just to your list, helps. It's been said that it takes two months to form a habit. Sticking to a routine is one habit of people with clean houses.
The most important part of your home to always keep clean is your kitchen and living room area. Because you need it nice and tidy for any surprise visits. And very simple to keep up with tidying up your home is by always starting the day with making your bed.
Clutter Be Gone
Look around the room and see what clutter has accumulated. It's easy to throw this here and throw that there but picking up clutter in your room will help your cleaner get done with their job much faster. Clutter includes clothes and blankets so pick them up and put them away neatly before cleaning day.
Weekends are also helpful because older children can help with the cleaning process. That said, young children can also get in the way of cleaning. For most households, we recommend cleaning on Sundays. That way, you can start each week with a fresh and clean house.
The 90/90 rule for minimalism encourages you to keep only items you've used or will use within 90 days. This minimalist rule is all about timing.
When applied to our homes, the 80/20 rule suggests that we roughly use 20% of what we own around 80% of the time. The remaining amount serves little purpose, taking up space and mostly just gathering dust. Think about it - how many of the utensils in your kitchen crock do you use daily? Probably very few!
When struggling to make decluttering decisions, the 20/20 rule says you should consider letting go of an item if: You can replace it for less than $20. And you can replace it in less than 20 minutes.
Called the Five Second Rule, the idea is simple – pick up an object and if you can't remember when you last used it within five seconds then you have to get rid of it.
There's a saying that goes, “If it won't matter in five years, don't spend more than five minutes worrying about it.” If you're someone who gets stuck on what to declutter and what to keep, remind yourself of this rule to keep things in perspective.
Quite simply, the six-month rule for decluttering suggests that if you haven't used an item in the past six months, you can let go of it. For some very seasonal items, it might not apply, but it's a useful way to frame decluttering and help you to clear out things you rarely use.