Organizing Your Housecleaning

Remember that keeping a house is just not one skill; it is a combination of many, many skills.  Getting windows sparkling clean is a totally different skill from organizing cupboards efficiently.  Maintaining shiny floors is a separate skill from retaining the stain finish on wood furniture. 

First, make a list of all your housecleaning skills.  This doesn't help too much in becoming a better housekeeper, but it does cushion the shock of the next step a bit.

Second, make a list of your weaknesses or skill deficiencies.  Be honest, but not depressing.  Give yourself credit for partial conquests. 

Third, choose a realistic, easy goal from the second list.  Studies show that anytime you try to make a drastic change in your life the chance of failure is very high.  Failing makes the project more miserable and discouraging on the next try, so make your goal as simple and as precise as possible.  For example "I am going to vacuum the floor when it needs it instead of waiting until I know that company is coming." When you have worked this task into your routine, choose another goal.

Fourth, be patient with yourself. Becoming a better housekeeper takes knowledge and time.  The basic knowledge is found reading books or searching the Internet.  It will teach you total care of everything in your house.

Time, of course, is an individual matter, but most of us don't have enough of it.  Learn to be a very clever impostor, by following a basic housekeeping rule that compensates for the lack of time: Being every cleaning effort by attacking those areas that visitors will see first.   

"Housekeeping is like stringing beads with no knot in the end."