Wanna join me for a lessons I learned from HHBC thread?

[charla]

As I think of positive lessons I learned from the HHBC, I'm going to post them here to remind and encourage me to continue to keep up with what I've learned. Please feel free to join me. I probably can't think of them all in one post so I'll probably post as I think of them.


My family and I deserve a clean house not just when company is coming over.

Cleaning is so much easier when I have a plan.

Cleaning is so much easier when I do some cleaning on a daily basis.

One needs to clean the baseboards, light fixtures and ceiling fans, too. Who knew? :shrug :giggle

[charla]

Having a shiny sink before I go to bed makes me happy.

Decluttering is a lot of work, but I love the reward of having a place to actually put things away.

[klpmommy]

I love having a kitchen that looks good when I come downstairs in the morning.
It is easier to keep the kitchen clean when there is very little on the countertops.
It is easier to keep little on the counters when I declutter the cabinets so that everything has a place & fits easily.
Five minutes goes a long way in home maintence.
Clean begets clean.

[charla]

It is much easier to find clothes to wear when they are hanging in the closet or folded in the dresser drawers rather than lying on the dryer in the laundry room. :shifty

[joystrength]

I can think/feel/breathe better when there's SPACE in my home.

I cannot continue to complain (and I use that lightly, because most of it is to myself) about the size of my home -- and lack of storage space -- unless I DO something about it. (SO, I'm getting rid of stuff and organizing more and more!!).

My husband (well, we ALL) deserve a cleaner home! We certainly enjoy it more when it's tidier!!

I CAN break the cycle of semi-hoarding and semi-poor housekeeping methods. I CAN make a difference for my children now -- and their homes in the future!!

[klpmommy]

It is much easier to find clothes to wear when they are hanging in the closet or folded in the dresser drawers rather than lying on the dryer in the laundry room. :shifty


on that note, if I have only one type of socks per person, we only need 10-14 pairs b/c I will actually fold & put them away & no one has to go "sock diving" in the mound of "whites". Before, dh had something like 30 pairs of socks, but it never seemed like enough. Now he has 14 pairs & it is plenty.

Having a laundry schedule of what gets washed on what day really helps me to focus & we don't run out of things.

[charla]

I thought of some more...

Making the bed goes a long way to making the bedroom look neat and it really doesn't take that long to make it.

Having clean sheets weekly is really nice and something I previously thought I could never achieve. :bag

By sticking with the HHBC for two months, the new habits I've formed are sticking.

Cleaning doesn't take nearly as long to do if one doesn't sit and fret and stew about it first.

I was so upset with the state of my carpet but it's amazing what regular vacuuming and spot cleaning (with Kimberly's miracle carpet cleaner) can do for it - it has helped it to look a lot newer and not so matted down.

Natural cleaners work just as good or in most cases better than commercial cleaners and are MUCH cheaper.

[arelyn]

I can cook better meals and still take less time cooking if the kitchen is clean.
Rinse the pot/mixing bowl right away!
Put away all the clothes (not just the convinient ones) right away

[arelyn]

I CAN break the cycle of semi-hoarding and semi-poor housekeeping methods. I CAN make a difference for my children now -- and their homes in the future!!


This will only work if you actively and lovingly involve the kids. My mom was VERY neat but we didn't help with much once we got older (with public school and extracurriculars there's just not much time) so I saw a clean house as a mysterious, unobtainable goal. Now that I see how to do it and that I can do it without becoming OC it's lost the overwhelming factor that kept me from really trying before.

[charla]

I thought of another obvious one - POINTS are a great motivator. I still catch myself thinking in terms of points. :giggle

[Rea T]

I learned that it's more fun keeping things clean if I feel like I'm accountable to someone, even if they are on the other side of the computer.

I learned that maintenance is easier than I thought, and MUCH easier than 'full on disaster' cleaning.

I learned that when I slack I need to get off my rear and start picking things up.

I learned that when I'm keeping things clean my husband is more likely to pick up after himself.

[Atarah]

My husband appreciates a clean house. :shifty (and is more likely to pick up after himself if I'm keeping things clean)

[charla]

My family also seems to like a cleaner house and each one of them are much more apt to clean up after themselves. I never thought I'd see the day. :giggle