Use a Timer to Clean Up a Room Quick in 15 Minutes
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Do you need motivation to clean your house?
I'm pretty messy and sometimes have to find ways to motivate myself. I could piddle around for hours and never finish straightening a cluttered room. Finally, I came up with a method that got me going and could actually keep me going for hours. Much later, after I had started using this technique, I heard that the flylady (see link below) also recommended this technique. Well, I can vouch for it. If it works for a somewhat messy procrastinator such as myself, then it can work for anybody.
What is my secret? An egg timer. A simple little egg timer. I started setting my timer for 15 minutes and then would rush around one room de-cluttering, straightening, and cleaning until the timer went off. Then I would go to another room and try the 15 minute time frame again. This strategy really gets me going. It makes me much more efficient!
My Kitchen Photos Before...
Clean that Kitchen: Before and After
Recently, I cleaned my living room and kitchen using the 15 minute timed method. After I was finished and pleased with the results, I thought that I should have taken before and after pictures and used them to write an article. Oh, well, I thought, the rooms will be messy again in no time. And right I was! So, tonight, I set my timer for 15 minutes and cleaned my kitchen yet again.
In 15 minutes, I put dishes in the dishwasher; washed some pans and pizza pans; cleared off groceries, mail and numerous other things off the counters; wiped down the stove top, counters, and sink; put away the bag of cat food; straightened the rug, and swept the floor. I worked fast and had about two minutes to spare. I was extremely pleased, as I rarely clean during the week. Doing so gives me a headstart on the weekend, leaving me more time to do things I'd rather do!
My Kitchen Photos After...
Basic Technique on Cleaning the Entire House
Here's a method I've used before to get the whole house in good shape as fast and efficiently as possible.
--Use timer for 15 minutes per room. As soon as the timer goes off, move to the next room for another 15 minutes until you have covered every room in the house. If you finish any room before the timer goes off, do extra things in the room, or go back and finish what you didn't get to in the previous room.
--If your house needs more than 15 minutes per room, do another go-around, this time setting your timer for 10 minutes per room. Again, go through each room, stopping after 10 minutes.
--Finally, go through with 5 timed minutes to put on the finishing touches.
I've found that this method will turn out a pretty nice-looking house. Next, try 15 minutes per evening during the week to maintain your success. I'm hoping that when I get good at maintaining a neat house, then I will move on to use the timer for specific areas to de-clutter, areas such as a closet, cabinet, or even under the bed!
You are probably way ahead of me in being able to keep a neat and clean house. Naturally neat (or motivated) people perhaps don't understand the need to trick oneself into cleaning house, but those messy folks like me will definitely understand where I'm coming from.
If you have ideas and comments, feel free to leave them. Any tips are appreciated.
Messies Books--I love these!
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NEW Meditations for Messies - Felton, Sandra
Current Bid: $7.06
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The Messies Manual by Sandra Felton (1983, Paperback)
Current Bid: $1.99
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Messies 2, Sandra Felton, Good, Paperback
Current Bid: $5.98
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Helpful Websites for Messy People
- Messies Anonymous
A website that offers support and encouragement for "messies" in an attempt to help them declutter and organize their environment, thus simplifying their lives. - FlyLady.net
This site gives motivating quotes, tips to try, habits to form, all to help one take the steps to tidy the environment around them.
Books on DeCluttering and Organizing
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10,001 Ways to Declutter Your Home on a Small Budget
Current Bid: $7.73
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Living Simply Improve your Life with Less Clutter Tina Razzell Book Declutter
Current Bid: $7.99
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10,001 Ways to Declutter Your Home on a Small Budget by Sheree Bykofsky, Rita...
Current Bid: $3.15
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Organizing for Life: Declutter Your Mind to Declutter Y
Current Bid: $7.16
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Organizing for Life: Declutter Your Mind to Declutter Y
Current Bid: $6.49
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10,001 Ways to Declutter Your Home on a Small Budget by Sheree Bykofsky, Rita...
Current Bid: $14.95
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Arlene, It's really amazing how much I can get done flying around for 15 minutes. Of course, the floor isn't mopped, and the room isn't perfect, but it's a quick fix, especially if you're trying to get the house looking decent in a short amount of time (like if someone is coming over). Try it! Now, to really clean and tidy my whole house, including closets, drawers, under beds, that would take another lifetime. hahaha. That 15 minute thing has really helped me in a pinch, though!
Victoria Lynn, thank you for the inspiration, but I'm not there, yet. When I'm out and about, I hear mothers tell their kids, "Now put that back where it belongs." D-U-H. I'm not there yet, either! Don't forget to list your clutter-busting Hubs in Simone's ongoing Forum. Come socialize with us and make your Hubs known!
You have proof! I like that :D To totally clean my house takes a few more... ahem...days :D
Arlene...I don't even have kids in the house, and it's hard enough to pick up after myself! haha My hub is in Simone's forum since I responded to the weekly topic about decluttering. That brings up a question, though. How do I know about her ongoing forum? Does she have one every week? Is she the one who always puts out topics to write about, and does she put out a question every week? And how would I know? Where do I check to see? So many questions. Let me know what you know! Thanks!
Yes, bayareagreatthing, I thought that proof of my method would make the hub more effective and believable! I was pretty proud of myself for doing this on a Monday night after a long, hectic day at work. You're right, though, to do the whole house--now, that would take some time! :-)
Hahahahahah. I KNOW NOTHING. Oh, I was looking for your Hub, so I probably missed your posting. I think this last subject combo of home improvement/home organization/killing clutter writing suggestions by Simone is different because it lasts two weeks this time instead of a week. I want to do at least one Hub a day on her suggestions because we are always doing our own work at our home because we don't want to spend on someone else doing it. Being a homeowner, I'm sure you feel the same way. This is the first time I tried writing to Simone's suggestions, so from now on, I will always check the Forum and look for her name, announcement, and current suggestions for Hub writing. I do post my Hubs on Simone's thread as I go, and I read the Hubs put out there on the current subject by contributing Hubbers. Makes it way easier than searching the feed. When you pull up the Forum page, you easily find her near the top of the page, kinda to the left. I am enjoying this these subjects, and since I am doing the 30/30 Challenge with homesteadbound and her group (also posted on the Forum to the left and a very long thread from 2 years back), anything goes.
Yeah, Arlene, I work hard for the money, so I don't want to pay others.... Plus, I'd have to pick up everything (which is the bigger problem) before someone could even clean! Okay, I'll start looking for Simone in the forum. Having a topic may give me ideas to write about, although the longer I'm here the more ideas I have--without the time to write them! I'll see ya, Arlene. Have a nice evening!
..I think sweet Victoria the title of my hub would be
How to clean up a room in just 15 easy years .......lol
lake erie time 4:49am
Great tips. I am lucky to have a husband that helps keep house. That frees me up to do the vacuuming and mopping or other deep cleaning that needs done. Loved this hub.
i'm going to try this with my toddler. I think a timer will help her get in the cleaning mood :)
I hear ya, Epi! it sure is hard to keep up with a house!
mljdgulley--Yes, you are lucky to have someone to keep house! My pets don't seem to want to help. haha I'm glad you liked the hub!
Mroz--Great idea! I think a timer would be great with children. It might make it fun for them.
I think some other handy tips include straightening up. If you have piles of books and paper, taking a few seconds to straighten them up instantly gives a neater appearance. Also, if you do fit in some sweeping in the 15 minutes, go for corners and edges mainly - often people sweep and miss these parts. I've found it makes a huge difference visually!
samanthamayer--That's true about straightening piles! I'm bad about papers. Putting stuff in neat piles, even if it's still out, does make a big difference. I have to sweet around the edges to get the hairballs from the pets. Thanks for your comments!
I love the timer idea Victoria, it's great and would get me moving!
The timer does wonders with me, Movie Master!
Very inspiring hub, Victoria. You have valuable information here. I believe that we can do this in 15 minutes. Thank you very much for writing and share with us. Rated up and useful!
Prasetio
It works for me, prasetio30! Glad you think it's useful. :-)
Ohhh, this is very good, Victoria!
I'll add a suggestion - wear headphones and an MP3 player, and get a blinking timer, lol.
Music always helps me move faster. ;)
That's true, femmeflashpoint! Music is a great motivator. One afternoon I put on Michael Jackson's greatest hits and got so much done! Thanks for the comments!
Oooh... I'm definitely going to try this idea Victoria! My house is extremely messy with two pre-schoolers trashing the place as well as my third overgrown 35 year old child who is incapable of even dropping his dirty clothes in the hamper! The sheer scale of the tidying task ahead of me often stops me in my tracks at the pure futility of it - but a fifteen minute dash? That is so do-able!!! Voted up and thanks!
Try this method, Earthy Mother! I'm a naturally messy person, and this works for me. It really gets me moving. Funny how we have to "trick" ourselves sometimes! But it works to get me going for hours. Hope it does the same for you!
I love this hub. I'm trying to train myself not to procrastinate, and to move faster. My worst problems are becoming distracted, not throwing junk mail away immediately, and failing to straighten up the house before going to bed.
lj gonya. I'm much worse than you, it sounds. My house gets to be a mess so quickly. I'll turn around after a few days and wonder what happened! That's why I have to prod myself along with this timer method. Whatever helps! Hope it helps you, too! Thanks for reading!
Victoria (by the way, my niece's name-always loved it), if it makes you feel any better, I threw everything out of my closet to sort a month ago, and it is still on the floor. Really have to work on that today!
lj gonya--My name is really Vicki, but I was almost named Victoria, and I love that name, too. Good luck on your closet today. I think that will take more than 15 minutes! LOL!
Arlene V. Poma 5 months ago
15 minutes on a timer? What skill and control! I need eternity.