Want your cleaning to pass by as fast as it can? Before you think it’s a drag, it’s already over, and you had to deal with a litter-cluttered garage or lumber room? There are ways to do it.
Get help
Why tackle the job alone if you can try and find somebody to come along? Also, your assistant can save time advising what should be kept or thrown away.
Get everything ready
You may need a lot of things like bags, boxes, even stickers and markers to label the boxes – bring them along and put them in one place.
Mind the weather
If you intend to store things from your cluttered garage outside, make sure there will be no rain that will make you change your plans.
Think it over before you start
You mean to clear the space first? Do you know where you will put the items for the cleaning period? Will you need a storage unit? What are you going to do with the rejected items, sale, throw away or donate? Know all the answers before you put your hands to it.
Take photos
It’s a gratifying idea to have a before and an after photo – just for you.
If you have less than a minute
- Bring your bathroom counter in order, put away hair brushes, put all makeup and skincare bottles and tubes together.
- If you left the clothing you rejected for today’s wear on the floor or on a chair, put them away into the closet – and while you’re at it, see if any clothes have dropped down onto the floor.
- Sort out your mail heap by taking away all catalogs, magazines, sales leaflets, after that you will manage your letters much quicker.
You have a full minute
- Check your refrigerator for food gone bad and clean up spills.
- Bring out what you will need to be taken to town and stack them into your car.
- Clean out your fridge and bulletin board removing what is out of date.
Five minutes at your disposal
- Clear away your living room coffee tables, get cups and mugs back to the kitchen and dispose of old reading matter.
- See how your laundry is getting on – wash what’s unwashed, dry what’s washed, fold and put away clothes that are already done.
- Organize your surface spaces by adjusting cabinets so there’s convenient room for large items, blenders, toasters.
- People are apt to believe that chores take a very long time, while actually it’s not so long! Time your most common chores and see how many minutes they require.
You’ve got 10 minutes
- Take up your dresser one drawer a day. See that in today’s drawer socks are matched, T-shirts and PJs folded and all items arranged conveniently.
- If you have unwrapped purchases, especially bought in bulk, undo them and store away, saving room along the way.
- What about your cleaning products? Are there bottles that are already empty or almost empty? If you get rid of old stuff, polishing will start and proceed more smoothly.
15 minutes free for tidying up
- Go through your car, take away rubbish, shake out the mats, take gadgets and things you won’t need into the house. Maybe you will want to place the garbage bin closer to the door where it will be easier to throw stuff away immediately.
- Find a place for incoming bills and keep necessary things like pens, envelopes, stamps, address labels nearby. Think what bill payments you can transfer online and deal with them on your PC.
- Get your dining table in order – take away books and items that don’t belong here, sort out items that belong, arrange bags.
Half an hour assigned to tidying
- While you’re watching your favorite show on TV, tear up or shred old papers and mail. You are sure to dispose of old stuff before the program is over.
- Go through your hubby’s pockets and see if they are dumped and want taking out loose change, old receipts, stubs, what not. Put his wallet, keys and other important things on a special tray.
45 minutes for chores
- Tackle your food storage containers – see which are better be thrown away, which need corresponding lids; keep them one in one in graduating sizes with lids put together for better spacing.
- Sort through the craft supplies, designate them to drawers or bins where children can get at them easily (and put back when they are through!). Put similar items together.
Housework for an hour’s time
- Group your beauty products according to their use: hair stuff, nail stuff, teeth stuff all separately. Keep those in daily use in the most accessible place choosing small bins or baskets for replacements to be stored on the far end of a shelf.
- Separate all the tangled cords and cables under your desk. It’s a good idea to stick some tape on each cable and write what it belongs with.
Disposal piles
Things you no longer want had better be stored in three disposal piles:
- To be sold Contact your local consignment store, ask them what they can take and how to arrange the sale. If you will go for a yard sale, get a permit and designate a date.
- To be donated Donation is what you have in mind? Find out how you should arrange it, what percentage will be allotted to charity. Remember to collect a receipt and send it with your tax return.
- To be thrown away Set the date for clearing away close to the day when the trash truck comes around. Consider if you need to rent a large container or even resort to a removal service.
