Earlier we discussed the family home and that it belongs to every member of the family. I noted that everyone is responsible for the home’s upkeep. It sounds simple, but it isn’t always easy in practice. Here is a method that any busy family can employ, despite a hectic schedule. I call it the Ten Minute Tidy Up, because it only takes ten minutes per room, per day, to keep a semblance of order in the home.
Some families need only five minutes while others need fifteen. There are different variations of this method, so you can adapt it as needed to fit your family’s lifestyle. For now, we’ll focus on ten minutes.
Simply set a timer for ten minutes and begin straightening any room. Work only in that room and get as much done as you can. You’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish in that short amount of time. When the timer rings, move on to the next room, and do the same.
Ten minutes doesn’t sound like much, but it makes life so much easier. If you do this each day, in each room, you will be able to tackle cleaning chores much easier. When a room is straightened and free of clutter, dusting surfaces, vacuuming, and mopping are much simpler.
Encourage each family member to participate. Divide the number of rooms by the number of family members. Say each of you has two rooms to tidy up. That’s only twenty minutes per day for each person, which is do-able for nearly anyone, if you make it a priority. If you can’t squeeze it in every day, try every other day.
Children can tidy up their bedrooms and the family room, while Mom and Dad tackle tougher spaces like the kitchen and bath. If everyone works at the same time, the whole house can be neater in less than half an hour, allowing everyone to feel more relaxed. Select specific places for items like backpacks, keys, and jackets, and make sure these things are in their proper spaces and ready to go when needed.
When things are less hectic and schedules are less demanding, you can do a more thorough job of cleaning. Until then, you can keep your home neater and more organized in just a few minutes time.