Feeling overwhelmed now that the whole family is functioning from home for school and work? Do the messes seem to pile up a little more quickly than before? “How can I keep the house organized when I have hours of work myself and I am trying to help the kids with school?” “My mind is running at full throttle!” Does this sound familiar?

Join the club! We are all feeling this weight on our shoulders. Every time the kitchen counter gets clean, the mess is back! The dishes pile up a little faster. Do any of us really get to the deep cleaning?  There are many ways that you can begin to organize the chaos of daily living during COVID. It is a time of so much shuffling to make it all happen in the 24-hour day.

Cleaning has taken on new priority. Maybe the house did not feel quite as messy or dirty when everyone was at work and school. Do we really take note of the dirt in the corners when we are running to and from practices or activities? Not quite as much as when we are sitting at our desks on Zoom calls staring at said corner and feeling like the house is so dirty. It only takes that one prompt to propel us into noticing everything else that is dirty thus throwing us into a cycle of stress.

There is always more mess during breaks and holidays. Life now is practically one long holiday schedule all year. The difference is now, you are working longer hours and the evenings are filled with schoolwork if that is your scenario. Just a few changes can help alleviate the clutter and dirt.

1. Set a daily cleaning schedule. This should allow for the daily items that need addressed for normal upkeep.
   • Making the beds is one way to really make the room feel clean and organized even if it is not. A messy bed leaves you feeling not quite prepared for your day.
   • Planning to dust one room every day. Then it is not a whole process to do the whole house. Vacuuming can be the same.
   • Loading / unloading the dishwasher and cleaning up dinner
   • Doing 1 load of laundry
   • Tidy up messes such as coats, shoes and bags

   
   Feeling overwhelmed now that the whole family is functioning from home for school and work? Do the messes seem to pile up a little more quickly than before? “How can I keep the house organized when I have hours of work myself and I am trying to help the kids with school?” “My mind is running at full throttle!” Does this sound familiar?

   Join the club! We are all feeling this weight on our shoulders. Every time the kitchen counter gets clean, the mess is back! The dishes pile up a little faster. Do any of us really get to the deep cleaning?  There are many ways that you can begin to organize the chaos of daily living during COVID. It is a time of so much shuffling to make it all happen in the 24-hour day.

   Cleaning has taken on new priority. Maybe the house did not feel quite as messy or dirty when everyone was at work and school. Do we really take note of the dirt in the corners when we are running to and from practices or activities? Not quite as much as when we are sitting at our desks on Zoom calls staring at said corner and feeling like the house is so dirty. It only takes that one prompt to propel us into noticing everything else that is dirty thus throwing us into a cycle of stress.

   There is always more mess during breaks and holidays. Life now is practically one long holiday schedule all year. The difference is now, you are working longer hours and the evenings are filled with schoolwork if that is your scenario. Just a few changes can help alleviate the clutter and dirt.
   
   

   1. Set a daily cleaning schedule. This should allow for the daily items that need addressed for normal upkeep.
      • Making the beds is one way to really make the room feel clean and organized even if it is not. A messy bed leaves you feeling not quite prepared for your day.
      • Planning to dust one room every day. Then it is not a whole process to do the whole house. Vacuuming can be the same.
      • Loading / unloading the dishwasher and cleaning up dinner
      • Doing 1 load of laundry
      • Tidy up messes such as coats, shoes and bags
      • Wiping down touch points such as door and appliance handles, light switches, and remotes. Cleaning touch points is an easy way to keep germs to a minimum.
      • A quick damp mop on the kitchen floor in the prep area can really make the house look better.
   2. Set a weekly cleaning schedule. Try to include the whole family in this schedule as much as possible. Set specific times and duties. Make it a family affair with some music. Everyone cleans at the same time for 15-30 minutes. Then everyone is helping, and no one feels they are the only one working.
   3. Work smarter.
      • BATHS: Touch up your bathrooms 2 days a week. There is less mess and scrubbing if you do it a little more often. Pour the toilet bowl cleaner in then you are on the hook to scrub the bowl vs just flushing product without scrubbing.
      • FRIDGE: Clean the fridge the night before the trash goes so that the food does not sit in the trash can.
      • DUSTING: If you are dusting a piece of furniture and end at the bottom, it only takes one arm movement to swipe across the baseboard next to the furniture on the way back up.

   A few small changes can make a huge difference on how you feel in your home. A clean home reduces stress and allows you to have some time to do the things that you enjoy. With COVID being so prevalent in society, knowing that you have cleaned and sanitized your home will help you rest well knowing that your family is safe in your environment.