Instructions

• Step 1: Schedule chores Schedule chores, dividing tasks into daily, weekly, and monthly categories to maintain order and cleanliness, and to avoid overwhelming tasks.
• TIP: Create cleaning checklists for each room.
• Step 2: Use gravity Use gravity to be a better housekeeper by cleaning from the top down and avoid cleaning fixtures, shelves and other surfaces more than once.
• TIP: Recycle old towels into cleaning rags.
• Step 3: Be efficient Be efficient by keeping handy a supply cart or caddy that you can easily move from room to room, and seek out new time-saving cleaning tools and products.
• Step 4: Organize Organize your home with storage systems for everything from food to toys and make sure each family member puts things in their place.
• TIP: Establish the expectation that children put their things away before going to bed.
• Step 5: Delegate Delegate cleaning tasks to family members according to age and ability, making sure they understand how to complete a job.
• Step 6: Relax Relax and avoid obsessing over perfection so that everyone in the household can pitch in without you re-cleaning what they've already cleaned.
• Step 7: Prioritize Prioritize tasks in accordance with your time and energy, and you'll not only become a better housekeeper by addressing the essentials, you'll be a happier person with more time to spend doing what you love.
• FACT: A 2009 study showed that on an average day that same year, 85 percent of women and 67 percent of men spent time doing housework.

You Will Need

• Cleaning schedule
• Supply cart or caddy
• Storage systems
• Task delegation
• Relaxation of criteria
• Prioritization of tasks
• Room checklists (optional)
• Old towels (optional)
• Expectations of children (optional)