What are some housekeeping tips and secrets for non-domestic goddesses?

I have suffered from depression for over ten years now and am starting to work on improving my life beyond it. One of my difficulties is motivating myself to regularly keep up with housework. What are some tips and suggestions that I can use to improve my Housekeeping skills. I truly appreciate everyone's ideas. Thank you.
Wow, these are all great ideas! I'm printing them out as they come in. Thanks a million and keep them coming.

I have 4 children and suffer with bipolar disorder so know all to well how it can all get on top of you. I always just do one room at a time even if that is just one room a day its better then nothing, try and keep the place you spend most the the time in clean so that it will not drive you to crazy because of the mess. Stay focused on one thing at a time. write a list of things you want to get done the night before and even if you only do 2 of the things on the list its better then doing none of them.

May 8, 2009 | Filed Under Housekeeping 

Comments

7 Responses to “What are some housekeeping tips and secrets for non-domestic goddesses?”

  1. lisa1cares on May 8th, 2009 6:17 am

    I have 4 children and suffer with bipolar disorder so know all to well how it can all get on top of you. I always just do one room at a time even if that is just one room a day its better then nothing, try and keep the place you spend most the the time in clean so that it will not drive you to crazy because of the mess. Stay focused on one thing at a time. write a list of things you want to get done the night before and even if you only do 2 of the things on the list its better then doing none of them.
    References :

  2. Dark Angel on May 8th, 2009 6:37 am

    The best possible solution to a clean house is "keep it simple". No, not the housework…the amount of stuff you have. Less stuff means less clutter. Clutter makes a house look messy regardless of how clean it is. Your house will look clean and you won't spend your precious time constantly dusting and picking up things. Simplify your life by getting rid of anything you don't wear or use on a continuous basis. That's doesn't mean you have to toss the family heirlooms or pictures, but get rid of things you don't absolutely love. I am slowly weeding out "stuff" from my home and people always ask how I keep it so clean. I hate to clean…my mom said it makes you ugly. LOL Check out flylady.com
    References :
    http://flylady.com/

  3. Ashley81 on May 8th, 2009 6:45 am

    I went through something very similar to what you are going through. My life (and house) were in chaos. I started out telling my self to begin in one corner (I didn't know how to start!) and work around the room. Then I started putting things together that went together. Pretty soon I could see an improvement. I found watching shows on HG TV to be inspirational. Now I do a 15 minute "straighten up" every night before bed to maintain the major cleaning I do on weekends. I also find having the proper cleaners and equipment make the job much easier. Good luck! I'm glad your feeling better.
    References :

  4. The Dog on May 8th, 2009 7:18 am

    Get rid of as much stuff as possible! The less you have, the less there is to clean. When there's less to clean, it's easier to maintain a clean house. Throw away absolutely EVERYTHING that you haven't used in over 3 months.

    Move towards a simpler life and you will find more peace and more free time to pursue the things you love.

    Also, try to clean a little bit every day rather than doing it all at once. Steady maintenence is always less effort than a less common but complete overhaul.
    References :

  5. Sidra A on May 8th, 2009 7:39 am

    1. Go through each room with a laundry basket and put anything you don't absolutely need in it. Ask your kids to help you. Have a garage sale and make some money! Money usually cures my depression :)

    2. Now that there's less clutter, it will be a lot easier to keep clean. You can't do this alone-get everyone to help you out. For example, everyone should put their own dishes in the sink.

    3. Completely thoroughly clean the house top to bottom-once it's totally clean, you just won't want to make a mess.

    4. wash dishes.

    5. broom. mop if necessary (use swiffer wet jet! very easy)

    6. throw everyone's sheets and pillowcases in the laundry machine.

    7. spray your oven with the easy oven cleaner and leave it in for 2 hrs while you clean the house.

    8. fill the toilet with cleaner and let it sit there while you clean.

    9. put disinfectant wipes in the bathroom so ppl can wipe away the countertops.

    10. give windex and a roll of paper towels to your kids and have them do all the mirrors and windows.

    actually 7 and 8 should be first. anyway, the first time you do such a thorough cleaning it will take a long time and you might get tired! but once you get practice, you will get very fast at it and you will feel much happier and calmer with clean surroundings.
    References :
    i clean very fast and very well :)

  6. Hopefully Helpful on May 8th, 2009 7:46 am

    This is a short answer about dusting. If you really want to see results, wail until you can write your name in the dust. At this point there will be visible differences. You will feel glad that you dusted.
    References :

  7. justpeekinaroundhere on May 8th, 2009 8:09 am

    http://www.flylady.net is the best answer out there. She has checklists and very easy day-to-day instructions on how to get your house in order. Almost anyone who's suffered depression has dealt with this problem. Another hint is to set a timer for 15 minutes and just jump in—maybe tossing stuff from the kitchen table or clearing a junk drawer. The timer will go off and you're done for a bit. You'll feel better that you've at least done something but its not as overwhelming as saying "I'm cleaning the whole kitchen". Keep plugging away and you can do it!
    References :

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