Domestically Challenged Teachers' Survival Guide: Keeping a {Clean Enough} House

Hello.

I am a teacher.

I am messy, creative, spontaneous, busy, scattered, and flighty.

Did I mention I'm messy?

I was raised by messy people.  God love them, they're precious.  But they're messy like me.  And we had a housekeeper growing up.  So I never actually had to clean up my messes.

I am married to a Civil Engineer.

He is organized, anal, perfectionist, neat-freak, and structured.

Did I mention I'm messy?

We clash sometimes because of my messiness.  And I'm raising a messy daughter.  Something had to give.  Frankly, I'm tired of cleaning up the same mess over and over.  I'm tired of spending every weekend cleaning for hours on end. So I decided something HAD to change. 

I wanted to share what I'm learning and doing in a series of blog posts.

If you're like me and you teach from 7-3, then shuttle your child(ren) around to gymnastics, choir practice, soccer, softball, or playdates....then come home, fix dinner, and sit at your computer for hours creating Teachers Pay Teachers units then maybe, like me, your house tends to get messier than you'd like.  So let's talk Keeping House when you're a domestically challenged teacher!

First up, my inspiration for change has come largely from a FABULOUS book I've been reading.

This amazing read was penned by Melissa Michaels of one of my favorite blogs--

The Inspired Room.

Melissa's book has made me realize that I don't have to have a perfect house...I can have a {Clean Enough} house and still have a life outside cleaning.

  

Melissa proposes that you adopt daily routines.  If you're familiar with Fly Lady ,

you know that she proposes routines, too.  For routines to become habit, they need to be practiced over and over.  Even on days you don't feel like it.  Even on Saturdays and Sundays.

So I decided to set up some routines as Melissa, Fly Lady, and other homemaking Gurus suggest.  Here are my morning routines:

Starting with the word of God is a must for getting my day off to a great start!  In the evening, I have time for a longer time in the word.  But in the morning, I prefer a quick devotional like this one:

I will confess that I am not naturally a bed maker.  I'm in a hurry.  I'm just going to crawl back in it that night.  And y'all there was actually a study recently published that said it's healthier NOT to make your bed...so it can air out!  I ALMOST threw that one in hubby's faced and kept NOT making my bed.  But, as Melissa Michaels says the first thing she noticed when she started making her bed was that she started the day with a sense of accomplishment.  She walked away from her bed feeling content and motivated.  As the day went on, she was less likely to clutter up her bedroom.  And it was refreshing to climb into a tidy, clean bed at the end of a long day.  So I'm becoming a bed maker y'all.

Need even more reasons to make your bed?  Check these out:

Or, take it from the Head of the Navy Seals, Admiral McRaven:

So, yep, I'm totally a bed maker now.

Getting dressed is a given.  But I'd challenge you to get dressed even on days when you'll just be home--like weekends or holidays.  Getting dressed and getting fixed up also motivates you to get more done.

As far as wiping out the sink EACH morning, Melissa Michaels explains it like this:
"My mom taught my sister and me to appreciate clean sinks.  Her friends always asked her how she managed to keep our bathroom and kitchen sinks so shiny.  Her secret was simple!  When she was done with whatever she was doing--brushing her teeth or scrubbing pans--she rinsed the sink and polished it with a rag she kept in the cupboard beneath.  Who knew that the elimination of toothpaste residue or clumps of dried oatmeal could make such a difference?....Daily housekeeping habits become like dominoes....one successful task leads to another."

So, shine those sinks, guys!

 

Next up, I unload last night's clean dishes.  This way, at dinner time the dishwasher is empty and ready for me to rinse and load as we cook or eat.  I hate washing dishes by hand, so I use the dishwasher whenever possible!

 

Lastly, I start a load of laundry.  As soon as I walk in the house after school, they're ready to go in the drier.  I try to never put clothes in the drier unless I'll be home and available to remove them from the drier and hang them up or fold them immediately.

 Because guess what?  I hate ironing, too.  I don't iron unless it's a necessity--which is maybe twice a year.  *wink*

 

Don't hate me....but I have an amazing hubby.  I told y'all he's an engineer.  Which means he's a neat-freak.  Which means he likes crisp clothes, neat creases, and zero wrinkles.  Guess what?  He irons his own clothes every morning.  And he doesn't whine or complain about it.  Bless his heart, he's precious.  I don't iron unless I'm looking like a shar-pei.  Seriously.

The late Erma Bombeck, after all, said it best:

I'll be back next week with more in this series on Keeping House.  If you're domestically challenged like me, try setting up a morning routine and sticking with it in the meantime.  You can download this morning routine printable and create your own routine to follow.

{Click Below}

 

Leave a comment!  Tell me if you make your bed...or if you iron.  Tell me what's in your morning routine.  Tell me if you're naturally neat or a slob.  Just tell me something! ;)