Housekeeping Advice to an Alien (Spinoff of Linen-Changing)

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amother

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 7:06 pm

I'm the one who only changes her linen 1-3 times a year.

I really don't know anything about housekeeping, no one taught me. I've figured out stuff, but I still scratch my head and wonder how other people's houses are so neat.

I realized reading that thread that there are so many things that other people just know how to do. Like changing linens on a super-regular basis.

I can't even figure out how to keep my table clear. I only have one as we live in a small apartment. Right now this is what is on it:
a bottle of water
an earring I took off when I was on the phone
school form used for coloring
saltshaker
parsha sheets
used aluminum foil
sefer
checkbook
a paper that we used to cut off a peice and send in a note to school
checkbook
broken crayon
3 kids books
olive oil
leftover roll
used plastic cup
used plastic bowl and 2 dirty spoons
phone
pen
hand cream
scissors
my husband's pocket things
pan of cake
cup from milk
package of tissues
box of dates and knife
broken phone (toy)
2 place mats
medicinal cream
novel I finished on Shabbos
kid's scissors
sifter and flour
another pen
kids toothbrush
school worksheet
receipts
roll of masking tape
package of powdered sugar
vase of flowers
laptop

And that isn't even bad for how the table sometimes gets!

But I digress.

If you were giving instructions to an alien in how to keep a house, what would you say?

PS - I say alien bc they don't know anything so you have to spell it all out
PPS - I have 6 kids under 8 and I don't really work but I am exclusively nursing

ven

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 7:11 pm

Well , the good thing is op , it's your table ! Yours as in u can put on it whatever u please and even more! Own it and flaunt it !

amother

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 7:13 pm

ven wrote:

Well , the good thing is op , it's your table ! Yours as in u can put on it whatever u please and even more! Own it and flaunt it !

I'm the fist-bumper from the other thread, and I agree. You have six kids under 8, and you don't have to answer to anyone. I don't even want to tell you what's on my nighttable, and I don't have six kids.

amother

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 7:16 pm

Well, I don't please, that's the thing! I hate disorder. I just have no clue how to keep things neat. Trust me that I have read stacks of organizing books.

MaBelleVie

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 7:42 pm

Everything needs to have a set place. Once that is established, you just need to set aside x amount of time daily to returning items to their designated places. Obviously it would be better if you put things away immediately instead of dumping on the table or whatever... But so long as everything is returned to its place eventually you are fine.

Did you grow up in a dysfunctional home? That would explain your lack of background.

wife2

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 8:01 pm

wow, you could have put that all away in the amount of time it took to type this!

the key to having a clear table is to get rid of everything extra. NO CLUTTER. If your kids haven't used a toy for 2 months, give it away or throw it out. Every paper or project that comes into your house gets put away or into the garbage. If you do not have a binder/shoe box/file cabinet, then make one. Once you get used to it, you won't just toss things on the table to get rid of it. Take an extra second to put it away now than an hour to deal with the piled high table later.

Counters: When you are done cooking or baking, put away all ingredients - flour, spices, sugar, etc. Wash all measuring cups. It will become a habit.

Do you have cleaning help? Is there a time of day where your kids aren't home? How much time do you have at night?

Do you have storage space?

Last edited by wife2 on Mon, Oct 27 2014, 8:05 pm; edited 1 time in total

mommyla

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 8:05 pm

For starters, you need to have designated places for all your "stuff." And when you finish using something, put it away immediately. (Easier said than done, but if you stick to it you'll find it's not as hard as it sounds.)

Your table, for example: throw out used plasticware, aluminum foil, useless papers etc. as soon as you're finished with them, and teach your kids to do the same. Keep the garbage can nearby if possible. Used dishes go in the sink as soon as you're done with them. Cake stays on the counter. Food goes in the pantry or fridge. Checkbook in your purse. Earring back on your ear or in your jewelry box. Books on the bookshelf and supplies in a supplies box or drawer.

Once you get in the habit of putting things away right away, it will be easier. Seems like you need a "junk drawer" too for odds and ends - you can clean it out once a week or once a month (or when it's too full to close!), and clutter stays out of sight.

Good luck!

ETA: sorry for cross-posting! I guess it's a good point.

rachel91

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 8:09 pm

amother wrote:

Ok, put the water bottle on the kitchen counter
the earring(s) inside a small box, the box in a drawer, cupboard, etc in your room
do you still need the school form? if not, throw it out
the saltshaker into a kitchen cupboard
used aluminium foil- garbage
sefer- cupboard
checkbook-drawer/ cupboard/ purse
do you still need the paper? if not throw it away, otherwise put it away into a cupboard/ drawer/ shelf
broken crayon- garbage
kids books- shelf
olive oil- kitchen cupboard
leftover roll- whatever you see fit
used plastic cup/bowl/dirty spoons -garbage
phone- leave it for the meantime, if it doesnt have to be recharged
pen- drawer, or take a cup and put all your pens inside it and put it on a shelf
hand cream- bathroom
scissors- are they kitchen scissors?if yes, put them into a kitchen drawer
your husbands pocket things- things that he doesnt need anymore- throw away, if he still needs them, ask him where to put them, or to take them away himself

etc. kitchen/ food items into the kitchen
used disposable items into the garbage
books- on the shelf
creams etc -bathroom
take a cup and put pens/ scissors inside and place it on a shelf
toys- into the kids room( into a box)
dirty, non disposable dishes into the sink

Ok, this was practical advice, of course, I don't know what type of furniture/ storage place you own, so I couldn't be specific, but I hope this helped you abit.
Try to clear everything from the table and wipe it off, then return things like the vase/ phone/ laptop on it and try to put away the other things.

Ask your husband and kids to help.
Good luck!

amother

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 8:12 pm

What I find really hard is when I look at it as a house/room that needs orgenizing,
When I think of it as many little diff tasks it's easier to fit it in.
I.e the table only takes 15 min to clear. The floor ten min to mop
I don't think about it I just do it. Trying to come up w the right or fastest way to do things takes time. So I just do. I find that a mess doesn't accumulate this way... But if u do want a fresher feeling in a big way.
I would suggest, even if it's a stretch to try and get cleaning help for a few hours now. One time thing, have ur husband take out the kids and sweat with her.
It's an amazing feeling to be in a clean and neat space, motivates u to try and maintain.
Agreed w all the posters that say it's ur standards that matter, no one else's

real israeli

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 8:14 pm

Im not sure if this is what you want to hear or you really want sympathy but here's what I do when my house starts to look similar to what you describe: first I would clear iff everything from the table that could stay in that room. Dont go out cuz if you're like me youll get distracted and forget to come back. Id throw out the garbage, put away the oil etc. Then id sort through the stuff and divide it into which room it belongs in. Dining room one pile bedroom another etc. Id take one pile at a time and put them away. That way even if I get distracted its relatively easy to continue when I get back. However many hours later that may be. Eventually when thats done id look around the room and see what else is out of place. Id wash the dishes etc. When I finish one room I either go to the next or take a break.

Sorry for lack of punctuation. Typing from my phone and it takes too long.

amother

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 8:20 pm

I'm the amother from812

Forgot to say about the linen, pillows are the easiest to wash and they are by ur face meaning germs and oils from skin and hair. I would start by trying to throw in a diff persons pillow once a week with a load. They don't take up much room and are easy to put on and off

naomi2

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 8:25 pm

to maintain order you should do a quick cleanup 2x a day. once when your older ones go to school and once when everyone goes to sleep.
set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and try to categorize the mess as you clean.
like, scan the room and clear all garbage to the can. then gather all things that go in the bedroom, then all fridge things and last you can spray all surfaces and then dry them all...
before or after dinner, you can call cleanup time and give out small tasks for your kids to help with. " Ruchy, please clear off anything that's garbage from the table", " Chaim please put away the books", etc.
I like the idea of having a consistent place for every item you own. it also helps to find things when you need them.
as far as bigger jobs, you can make a weekly cleanup system as follows: switch it up if you like.
sundays-laundry, floors
mondays-bathroom
tuesdays-linen,/fridge you can switch off weeks
wednesday-laundry
thursday-bathroom, floors

zaq

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 9:32 pm

Oh, honey, with 6 kids under 8, you WORK big time. You just don't get paid for it.

penguin

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 9:37 pm

When you are busy with the children, you have no time to clean.

When they are all finally asleep, you want a little time to relax before the baby wakes up.

Of course you have no time to clean. Plus you probably weren't taught much about it as a child.

Can you afford some help? That could make a big difference.

Another idea is to read books about how to get your kids to help. In fact, I think there's a book with that name. Wait a sec, I will go see.....

Well, I don't see the book I seem to remember from years back, but there are plenty of web pages. Just google how to get your kids to help.

I would definitely enlist your kids in helping, but, of course, first you're going to need some kind of system for where things go etc. So maybe a professional organizer, if you can afford one?

amother

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 10:06 pm

This is me. I'm a cluttered type of person. My way of dealing with my bad organizational skills is by hiring someone else to take care of it. To me this is money well spent. I've tried so hard to be more organized and put together but it's just not going to happen ;(

amother

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 10:43 pm

I work and I spend a huge chunk of my salary on cleaning help. When my kids were little, I had a babysitter who did light housekeeping (folded laundry, put away dishes) as well as weekly help for the heavy cleaning.

Some of us are just not very talented in the domestic area. But you did inspire me to go put away a few groceries that I had left sitting around...

Sherri

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 11:05 pm

Hi OP-

I agree with those who say that having a designated space for everything is crucial. Easier said than done, but will be a game-changer.

You mention you have read a lot of books. Have you read the FlyLady's book, Sink Reflections, or The House that Cleans Itself? Also, a great blog is A Slob Comes Clean.

Good luck!

wife2

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 11:35 pm

Cleaning clutter can be very distracting. Do not stop to look at every paper or it will take you forever. Just put it all in one big pile in a neat stack to deal with when you have the time and put it in a designated place that you will make for papers. Also, do not keep walking around to each room to put away 1 or 2 things. Make a basket or a pile and put everything that goes in each room into it. Then just dump the pile into that room to deal with when you get to that room - at least it is in the right room and you are one step closer. If you start putting it away in that room, you will get distracted by the original dining room table. Put toys in the correct room, clothes into their room, garbage in garbage, and papers in a pile. Then take each basket/pile to its proper place. Don't stop your original goal or it will never end.

Twinster

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 11:37 pm

naomi2 wrote:

This.

This is what helped me. I often went to sleep with a messy, flying house because how in the world will I ever manage to clean this tornado?

I set a timer for 10 minutes, and jump into it. I'm usually surprised by what a 10-minute frenzy can do (it often leaves me feeling so good, I do another 10). And I usually tackle the clutter (rather than dishes or folding laundry), because to me, it makes the biggest difference. And once the clutter is somewhat cleared, it's easier to think straight.

Twinster

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 11:41 pm

It's also worth checking out Pinterest for great organization tips. I've found some ingenious, super easy ideas that made me a lot more organized.

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