It just takes five minutes. Five minutes at the end of the day can make the difference between heaps of mess all over the house and a neatly tucked away dwelling. Getting into the routine of a quick pick up at the end of the day can keep a house from getting buried in clutter. To explain this process it is broken down into one minute increments. If one section is finished before the minute passes, simply move on to the next task. Make sure to set a timer, and it will be surprising to see how much can be accomplished in a five minute pick up.

One Minute

Start with a basket and a plastic grocery bag. Go through the room and pick up everything that does not belong there. All of this goes in the basket, unless it is trash, and they it goes in the plastic grocery bag. Travel around the room clockwise working from top to bottom. Pick a jacket off of the back of a chair before picking a crumpled paper from the floor. By having a predetermined pattern in mind, the process is quicker. It might also be a good idea to have children help with their own baskets to collect their own toys that need to be put away.

Two Minutes

Organize the items in the basket, so that they can be quickly directed to their proper places. Anything that goes upstairs can be placed in a basket at the bottom of the stairs. Dirty cups and dishes go directly to the dishwasher. Clothing goes to the hall closet, the upstairs basket, or the laundry room. Books, CDs and DVDs go back on the shelf. By staying on task this job can be completed in a minute or less.

Three Minutes

Keep the vacuum handy, because in the third minute it is going to spring into action. Give the carpet a quick once over to pick up any new dirt that has accumulated in the room. By vacuuming every day, the room will only need a very superficial pass with the vacuum. For hardwood or laminate floors, use a sweeper vacuum with a microfiber head. This step will also pick up pet hair and dust, and then tuck the vacuum away for tomorrow.

Four Minutes
Fluff pillows and straighten chair cushions. Then gather any throw blankets, fold them and lay them across the back of the couch. Place remote controls in a basket on the coffee table. Freshen up the air by lighting a scented candle, and it can begin to add a pleasant smell to the air while the final minute is under way.

Five Minutes

Grab the day’s mail and flip through it. Junk mail goes directly into the recycling bin, and bills go into the in basket in the home office. Getting rid of junk mail the day it arrives will really help to keep paper clutter to a minimum. After the mail has been sorted, the five minute cleanup is completed.

By going through this routine everyday, the home will never feel chaotic or disorderly. As the process becomes more familiar, it will eventually become a habit. There is something comforting in knowing that a home can go from chaos to complete order in five minutes or less.

Author Bio: Senior staff writer Jessica Ackerman of WallDecorandHomeAccents.com, writes “How To” articles on decorating with blue metal wall decor and gold metal wall decor.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: home, decor, design, wall art, improvement, remodel, budget, repair, organize, feng shui, clean