My Favorite Strategies for Keeping our Digs Clean

Earlier this week I mentioned using my 5 min rule.  I spend about 5 min in each room, picking up and putting things away EVERYDAY.  I set a timer and go.  Trying to get as much done as possible in those 5 min.I found that after doing that for a few weeks, that there was less and less to pick-up, well except for Siri's stuff.  I do engage her in this activity to get things done quickly, but I encourage not just speed, but putting things back where they go, so that she can find them again.With that as a segue into how I handle Siri's helping, I really encourage her to pick-up something before she moves onto the next thing.  Over the course of a few years, it's starting to be more natural for her to do it.  Which is an amazing payoff!! The other thing is that I really try is to model the behavior I want from her.  Like making the bed first thing in the morning, or brushing our hair, teeth, etc…, so she has an example to work from.I have a ton of hobbies, and my stuff can take over a room pretty quickly (just ask my husband!).  I've tried to compartmentalize this stuff, so I can pull it out, work on a project, but by dinner time be able to get most of it back into its compartments and off to the side, even if it mean the compartments part themselves in the dining room for a few days.  The compartments keep my things organized, so I don't have to dig for things as well.  The other piece of this, is that I set a time limit of a 2-5 days to complete the project, and then put everything back where it belongs.Next on my list is cleaning stuff.  I find that cleaning products start making more of a mess then the messes they clean.  I do mostly homemade cleaning products except for a few(and a few my husband requests). I have a large jug of vinegar and an essential oil called Lemon Myrtle(it makes a powerful disinfectant), these two items form the bulk of my cleaning.  Then I use Dr. Bronner's Peppermint soap with Wintergreen oil added for the toilets(because it's a familiar smell).  I use Seventh Generation glass cleaner.  My hubby likes Tilex & Scrubbing bubbles for his shower.The last thing I'll talk about, is picking one big thing each week to accomplish, even if it only gets 10-20 minutes a day.  I find that committing to one "project" each week really does two things, it keeps things from getting done last minute  & rushed (like before you have a ton of guests arrive for a party), and it keeps the "project" list from getting so out of control that we end deciding to have someone else do it, or buy whatever it is that we could have made.  Which in turn helps us save a bit of money over the long run.I hope you find some of these strategies helpful!All the Best,LizNext week I'll be talking about meal planning, and keeping a few areas toy-free!