Wanna know how to get the whole family to help keep clutter under control?? Do what we have started doing....10 Minute Clutter Cleaning!
We aim for 7:30 every night to do our Family Clutter Cleaning. I set a timer, and all 4 of us spring into action! It's amazing how much you can do in 10 minutes!!
Fold a load of laundry, load the dishwasher, pick up toys, put belongings in their rightful place, clean your powder room, vaccum the carpet, wipe down your kitchen counters, throw away art project scraps, etc!!!
It seems like a fast, fun game for the kids and for us adults, too! The kids gain a sense of family responsibility as they help out, and learn how to do new skills (folding laundry, for example!) that will help them be responsible adults. My Hubby and I feel so much more relaxed having accomplished a task or 3. It feels good to be productive, and our home feels much more PEACE-ful!
Feel like giving this a try? What could your family accomplish in 10 Minutes of Clutter Cleaning?
37 comments:
We do this pretty often on Sunday afternoons. By the time the weekend is ticking away, the house can be a mess on Sunday. It's amazing what can get done very quickly if everyone helps.
This is a fantastic idea. I am always amazed that I can accomplish so much in so little time.
great idea! i'm trying to get myself in the habit of not putting things off, especially if it is something that will take less than ten minutes to do. i mean come on, that's almost the time of a commercial break! :)
~nicole
My main thing is getting dishes in the dishwasher and cleaning up after a meal. It usually takes only a few minutes, but I always dread doing it. I've started with the time thing and it's not so bad! Plus, I love having a sparkling clean kitchen!
This is genius! My boys are only 2and 3, so we have a clean up song we sing, but I will definitely have to try this one.
Sounds like Fly Lady! It's a great idea...I do something similar too in the morning with beds and getting dress!
I always try to go to bed at night with the house tidy and ready to go the next day. I am grouchy if I wake up to an unsettled house:(!
Great tips!
-sandy toe
Great idea, Stacey. Folding laundry is one thing I tend to put off. I think I will implement your 10 minute plan. Now, if I could just borrow a couple of kids for 10 minutes a day,...
Great idea.....but it gets really difficult with a teen's schedule....I'll just aim to do it every evening for myself....and maybe my dh will buy into ten minutes!!;)
Suzanne
Great idea! Teach them early. Your whole life will run better when it is free of clutter. BUT...never throw away art project scraps! You never know what you might create with those scraps! Tee hee....
Yep...it's the baby steps of doing it consistently. I just posted on that, but already, I needed a reminder. :)
Great idea. A lot of times I find it hard to convince myself to straighten my house. But if I time it and see how much I can get done in ten minutes, I'm sure I'll become much more efficient. That frees up some time to do more of the things I enjoy!
Great idea! Hi, My name is Meme from Screaming Meme! I believe we have already met in Blog Land...I want to personally invite you to share in a blog I just started...called Project: {Create A Home}...It is a blog that we all share in...we teach each other how to create a better life in 2009! I would love for you to join in...whether you want to be a writer, a follower or a commenter...we would love to have you! I have a personal blog called Screaming Meme...It is going to be a DIY 2009 year over there! I look forward to getting to know you! Meme
We have tried this, and you're right it works. My kids get really in to the "beat the clock" mentality. I think it even ignites the competitors in them as they try to get more done than their siblings!
We desperately need to start doing this. With the kids home all the time things just turn into a disaster area quickly.
Thanks for the tip.
sounds like a great idea. Wish I'd thought of it when my kids were younger. Good for you.
Margo
Great idea! Wish I had folks here to help me with that, do you think I can train our semi wild outside cat to do anything?
Linda
This is a great idea! I do think it's amazing how much we can get done in 10 little minutes! :)
Carrie
I am definitly going to give this a try! It makes perfect sense!
Thanks for the tip!
Beth
We always called in the five minute funk when we were little. It does help you to relax easier in the evenings when everything finds it way back to its home.
We were doing this at one point too...but 15 ...and we NEED to get back into it...thank-you for the reminder. cherry
Love this idea!!
That's a great idea.
It's just my hubby and I now, but we still make quite a mess. With all my time spent crafting and keeping the store in order, I don't keep up with the house like I should.
My guy is a terrific help, but this 10 minute thing, maybe before we did anything else, would really help us get a lot done.
I will pass it along to my daughter and her family of 4, and a husband. =0)
Blessings,
Barbara Jean
I love this!
We do this every evening as well. Before the kids are tucked into bed upstairs they each have to take a look around the main floor for anything that belongs in their bedrooms (and not on the dining room table!). Then they carry their "loot" to their respective bedrooms and must immediately put the items away in the proper spots. We usually sing a little song with my daughter, who is 4, that she was taught at her daycare. It's a great routine for families with young children.
Agreed! I have to go to bed with things in place or I wake up in a funk! The timer game is a neat idea! Now I can get my little guy and hubby involved! Fingers crossed the baby won't go after us during those 10 minutes and take it all back out again!!! ;)
OH I LOVE THIS IDEA!!! I am so STEALING it! Love your snow pics too!
Gotta know, which accent color are you loving, the burnished orange or the fuschia?
I have been on a burnished orange-fushia-chocolate kick lately.
whatever that is??
Dar
I sure needed this prompt! We are SO going to try this. I'll use the kitchen timer, I'll let you know how it goes.
This reminds me of The Big Comfy couch, a PBS show where the clown and her doll do a 10-second Tidy!
Here's the 10 second tidy link!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJa7P6dfmco
This is a great idea. I think I had 2 kids when I first started doing the 10 minute pickup. Now I have 6 and if we all work hard for 10 minutes it really does get a lot done! Since then I time myself for everything... always playing race the clock to try and stay focused on getting the job done... Great post.
Great Idea, I have to do this, I am going to start this right away. thanks, so happy I found your blog today,
LuLu
What a good idea- I wonder if it would work on my husband? :}
Thanks for sharing
Oh yes, we definitely have done these! Our clutter cleaning has a different name, but the concept is the same! It is the best way to get everyone motivated and working hard in a short period of time!
Thanks for sharing!!
Blessings,
Melissa
What a great reminder...we used to do something like this! Thanks!
-Kim
what a fabulous idea! I need to try this out with just me and my husband (babe's a little too young yet...)
Ten minutes times four people. You got 40 minutes worth of work done in 10 minutes. You can't beat that! Unless you had two more children -- or more. :-)
What a fantastic idea. I bet you do feel more relaxed after doing this. If everyone chips in, it makes it easier. I need to do this in the morning. I'm a morning person. Good tip.
I admit that I do the quick clean up...but usually after my girlies go to bed. I know I should have them help but I can get it done so much quicker. When I have them help it seems to take forever!
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