My Efforts To Keep a [fake] Immaculate House

... all inspired by Becky at Organizing Made Fun.



A lot of the things Becky suggested I already do. I generally spend about 15-30 minutes each day cleaning, not picking up or putting away- ACTUAL cleaning. The things I do EVERYDAY are:

Vacuum

Sweep

Dishes

Wipes down kitchen surfaces

I'm pretty lucky when it comes to vacuuming. I only have carpet in my living room. We live in Army housing and 90% of the houses on our post have wall to wall tile. We purchased a remnant of carpet and laid that down in our living room. Between our dog, Preschooler, and Toddler a day doesn't go by that the carpet isn't littered with crumbs, leaves, and dirt.

I'll admit, sweeping doesn't happen everyday. Sometimes, I just don't have the time or plain 'ol don't feel like it! However, to make the task easier I purchased a Swiffer Sweeper Vac. It eliminated the need for a broom and dust pan. AND it cause me no back pain!

AGAIN, dishes don't get done everyday but I try very hard. If I don't get dishes washed and put away everyday they pile up VERY quickly. We're a family of five and we dirty A LOT of dishes! My dishwasher gets run at least once a day. On days that doesn't happen the right side of the sink begins to overflow with dirty dishes. Thankfully, my husband knows how much I really hate to do dishes so he'll try to help me out as much as he can.

Wiping down counter tops and the kitchen table is a daily must. I actually do this many times a day. I'm prone to accidents while cooking. Seems like a meal doesn't go by that I don't spill something. Same goes for my four year old. Seems like we can't get through a meal that half his food doesn't end up on the table. Don't even get me started on my toddler. We've been working on getting him to eat off dishes rather than his high chair tray. He'll make it through 1/4 of the meal using his utensils and dishes. Then it's like he gets bored with those and decides to dump the food on his tray and throw his spoon on the floor.

My son, Brody, eating chili

The best thing I have to help me keep a clean house is my dog, Summer! She gladly eats all the food my toddler throws on the floor during meal and snack times.

 I also have a designated 'play area' in my living room. We live in a two story home and most of our time is spent downstairs. While I can trust my four year old to play upstairs unsupervised, I can't trust my toddler. And when the two of them are left to their own devices, chaos is sure to ensue! My solution: create a play area in the living room where Mom and Dad can keep a close eye. I remind my children many, many times a day to keep their toys in the play area. This keeps toy clutter out of our living room.



Not my actual play area but a nice looking one!

I pile things up on the stairs that need to go up. That way every time my husband or I walk up the stairs we take things with us. Getting my children to do this isn't as easy as it sounds. However, when I hear my four year old walking up the steps I remind him to grab the things that belong to him.



So, there ya go! That is how I keep my house looking {fake} immaculate. Keep in mind, though, that there are plenty of days when my house looks like a toy store has exploded in it. There are days when things just get away from me and I fall behind.