Balance

the SELF CLEANING HOUSE

Written by Elizabeth May

Is the self-cleaning house the unicorn

of mothers of toddlers everywhere? Is it a myth made by wishes and dreams of parents of messy teens and wives of well meaning men who just cannot seem to get those socks all the way to the hamper? Or can it be true? What if a house could be transformed into a seemingly “self-cleaning house”? I have made it my mission over the last thirty plus years to do just that.

As a wife, mother of four and a daycare provider, I was stretched, stressed, frustrated and tired. I wanted a clean home without nagging my husband and children and being cranky about it. I was spending all my time doing never-ending chores and did not get to enjoy my family. I knew there had to be a better way.

The Self-Cleaning house is what has come together over years of trial and error. We have been taught that you must spend all day in sweats and rubber gloves to get housework done right. That perfectionism is what holds us back. Breaking housework into small easy tasks that can be done in just a few minutes each day creates a clean home with little effort!

I know you’re thinking “I don’t have time to clean my house once a week, much less clean it every day!!” You’re right! No one has time to spend hours cleaning the house. And who wants to? These simple routines literally take only minutes each day.

This is not your mama’s house cleaning! We are not going to spend all day on Saturday doing laundry, cleaning toilets, and scrubbing floors. Ain’t nobody got time for that!

Routine is going to become your new best friend. Routine is going to free you from house “cleaning”. Instead, you’ll be doing house “keeping”. By implementing simple routines into each day, you will find the time and freedom to spend time doing things you truly love and enjoy your own home so much more.

These routines are what make your house seem to be self-cleaning and are the foundation of a clean and tidy home. Things you do on autopilot. They will become so much a part of your day, you won’t even think about them. No different than brushing your teeth. w

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Elizabeth May is the founder and blogger of The Self Cleaning House (www.theselfcleaninghouse.com)

MORNING: q Set up your day for success q Make the beds q Clean the bathrooms q Empty the dishwasher q Check your calender q What’s for dinner? q Start a load of laundry

EVENING: q Every good day starts with the night before q Do the dishes q Finish that load of laundry q Take out the trash and/or recycling q Room Reset: Tidy up, fluff the pillows etc. q Check the calendar q Set out the clothes for the morning

WEEKLY: Don’t clean on weekends! q Monday - Laundry q Tuesday - Bathrooms q Wednesday - Sweep, mop & menu plan q Thursday - Kitchen q Friday - Vacuum & dust

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