Tightwad Tuesday: 15 Minutes to a Clean House

Does it feel like your house is never clean and organized? One of the best tips I learned years ago is to set a timer for 15 minutes and clean as much as you can in that time. In our house, we set the timer once dinner is cleaned up and everyone is involved. It is so easy to tell my oldest to go play in his room so we can clean, but that is not teaching him anything. I usually pick an easy task for him such as picking up his trains and then if he gets done before the timer goes off, I will find something else for him to do.

You will be amazed how much you can accomplish with as little as 15 minutes. On good days, I will set the timer of a morning too but that doesn't always happen. I also find that sometimes I get in the groove and just keep going once the timer goes off. On days I do not want to pick up the house or get out the cleaning supplies, I remind myself that 15 minutes is such a small portion of my day and I will feel so much better when it is over because I have accomplished something.

This week, try to dedicate 15 minutes every day towards cleaning your house. Come back next week as I am starting a new mini series on organizing your house and life. Early in the week each week, I will post a new tip and challenge you to implement that tip that week.