About 5 to 10 minutes is all it takes to have a clean home and a better morning routine.
You’ve probably heard it said over and over again, that the key to a productive day is to start off the morning on the right track. Can I tell you something? I have to agree with that philosophy. Just think about it for a second.
- If you start off with a good breakfast, you’ll have more energy to go through the day as opposed to not eating at all.
- If you start off going for a little walk, jog, or gym you may find that you are more refreshed to continue on.
- If you start off making a mental to-do list or jot it down somewhere, you’ll find that you are mentally organized to tackle what you have to do.
- If you start off with a shower and get dressed, you’ll feel more awake and ready to take on the day.
- If you start off with a made bed, your room would look automatically cleaner.
- But if you start off by lounging around, mindlessly scrolling online, or without any kind of plan for how to do things, you may find yourself comparing your life to others and not having a sense of direction of how to continue with your day.
Do you see how the comparison can make a huge difference in how your day starts? The same goes with having a clean-enough home if you want your house to look somewhat put together and feel like you’ve accomplished something. All it takes is about 5 minutes. But it won’t happen unless you make it happen. The KEY is to set some priorities and be consistent to get them done, starting with the main operating quarters of your home.
Moms of Littles – Tired of Feeling Frazzled?
Moms of littles, you may find yourself struggling to get anything else done during the day other than taking care of the kids. After all, you are busy taking care of the kids – feeding them, cleaning them, doing activities with them, taking them to the parks or play dates, running to appointments, and the list goes on. How could you find a moment to even do a chore or feel like you are productive in other areas of the home?
- Someone has to do the laundry
- cook the meals
- clean the bathrooms, etc.
Your husband may be working outside of the home and cannot always commit to help with the chores and the kids are just way too little to help do anything much. In addition, you may not have wiggle room in your budget to pay someone to help you. So you have to do something to help you stop feeling like your overall homemaking is struggling. I encourage you to start with a dedicated daily 5 minutes. It may seem small but it will make a big impact – you’ll start to see changes. To give you an example of what you can do, I share my 5 minute morning priority chore list below.
Top Chores I Do in the Morning to Have a Cleaner House
Mondays
- Make the beds (daily)/Pick up anything from bedroom floors
- Spot Clean the bathrooms (on bathroom cleaning days)
- Take out the trash for pick-up (on Trash day). My husband usually takes the trash cans to the front of the house on his way to work but there are always a few little bags to bring out after I’ve cleaned up the bathrooms.
- Take the laundry to the laundry room – start one load
Tuesdays – Make beds/check bathrooms (About 2-3 minutes)
Wednesdays – Make beds/spot clean bathrooms/take the trash outside (About 5-10 minutes)
Thursdays – Make Beds/take laundry downstairs, start a load (About 5-10 minutes)
Fridays – Make the beds (Huh, it’s Friday after all). So while I kinda let things go, I still want the house to feel as if I’ve done something. Although lately, I’ve started to deep clean one of the bathrooms during that time.
Saturdays – Deep clean the bathrooms (that’s my main ones)/take out the trash (Usually about 25 minutes for 3 bathrooms). Sometimes, I get a head-start by cleaning our attic bathroom in the morning (which only my husband uses mainly on week-days before work) and the downstairs bathroom in the evening when everyone is getting ready to head upstairs for the night (that way it stays clean).
Note: I also love to open the blinds/curtains daily for fresh air and motivation (About 1 minute).
May have to do occasionally but not always
- Clean up the dishes (If any was left in the sink overnight)
- Sweep the floors (If left un-swept the night before)
- Quick fix of pillows and blankets on the couches
Since the kids can now help, I include them to do a few little chores in the morning.
- Make their beds (daily)
- Pick up toys off the floor (as needed)
- Help organize pillows and blankets on the couches (as needed)
Once these 5 minute chores are done, the house usually feels way more put-together and clean-enough even if I don’t get any other major chore done for the day. It’s not frivolous, it really makes a big impact! Then I can slowly “start” the morning with breakfast, breakfast clean-up and the kids. Once the kids are off to play or do school, I’ll sit with a cup of coffee (most mornings) and write a detailed to-do list for the day.
Here’s How this Philosophy Can Help in Your Own Home
So how can you manage the kids and home without always feeling that you are struggling behind? Here’s 3 things to do now to get you started:
- Decide on the most important task(s) you want to get done. Keep in mind that the most important task doesn’t have to be the biggest task (you may want to save it for later). Make it a task that ONE task you need to do daily or regularly enough to keep your house in order. Something that would help structure your day. Will that be starting the laundry, unloading the dishwasher, cleaning the bathroom?
- Set yourself a 5-10 minute frame time to get it done.
- Do that task as early in the morning as possible – before breakfast and before the kids wake up.
You’ll be amazed of how just that few minutes could go a long way and make a difference in how your day starts. You’ll feel like you have accomplished the most important task even if the rest of the day turns up with some ups and downs.
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Tell me, what chore(s) you can you prioritize to do in 5 minutes (5 -10 minutes) in the mornings that can make a good impact on your home? Would love to know in the comments so I can cheer you on!
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