(Links in this post are affiliate links. I will be compensated when you make a purchase by clicking those links. See my disclosure page for more information)
I call myself the snail pacer because I believe that there is no project out there worth overthrowing the balance of my family home life for.
I do set personal goals beyond my role as a home manager and homeschooling mom of three; I just accept that I will reach those goals at a slow pace.
Sometimes, however, certain unforeseen events get me behind and throw our home life off balance. Such as just the other week when both my husband and I came down with horrible colds leaving our children ages 10 to 17 to basically fend for themselves (good thing I taught them how to cook).
As I was cleaning up the mess left from our week as sick parents, I thought about a few tricks either I or people I know have used to help catch up on housework in a hurry.
6 Tips For Catching Up on Housework Fast
1.Take the laundry pile to the Laundromat
I know of two people who have done this and I have to admit I have been tempted many times. If you are so far behind in the laundry that the children may soon go naked, gather it all up in containers and head to your local laundromat with a cup of coffee and a good book if you are lucky enough to go child free, or a pile of coloring books and crayons if not (but still bring coffee). Don’t forget your quarters.
2.Hold A Family Working Bee Day
Announce the night before to the children that the next day will be a family working bee. Make sure you have enough cleaning supplies to go around. Delegate tasks according to age. To motivate your workers tell them the day ends in take out pizza and a Redbox movie.
3.Have the Spouse take the kids out while you work
This is what happened last week after my husband and I were both ill. He already had plans to take all three children out on Saturday so I just used the day to clean without interruption and it is amazing how much more I can get done without anyone home.
4. Hold a cleaning date
Not romantic but if your hubby is willing, drop the children off at a friend’s house and spend the day catching up together. My husband and I did this often when the children were younger, as we found we could clean the house top to bottom in half the time that it took with little ones under foot.
We always made sure to leave enough time for ice-cream out together to celebrate catching up with the housework.
5.Hire Help
Consider helping out a teenager by paying them to come in and entertain the kids while you catch up the piles. Or perhaps you know of a housekeeper who doesn’t mind a one time gig now and then just to help you catch up.
6. Decide what is important
Before you employ any of the points above the first thing you have to do is decide what has to be addressed first.
For our family last week it was restocking the cupboards, followed by laundry, bathroom cleaning, and then clutter pick up. My children had actually kept the kitchen up pretty well while we were ill otherwise it would have made the top priority list.
Keeping these tips in mind should help you catch up in a hurry and get you back on to a balanced track.
Do you have any tips you to add?
Looking for cleaning tips? Follow my How To Clean board on Pinterest.
Feel like you are always trying to catch up on housework and that even if you did try these tips above you would be behind again in just a short while? Crystal Paine’s course Make Over Your Mornings can help with that problem. Learn how to set realistic expectations as well as how to get more done every day. This course isn’t just about mornings it is about transforming your entire day for the better.
Feel like you are always trying to catch up on housework and that even if you did try these tips above you would be behind again in just a short while?
Tired of living a chaotic life? I recommend taking Make Over Your Mornings and/or Make Over Your Evenings. These are 15 day, video driven courses that come with a workbook for you to complete. Each day’s lesson consists of a five minute video, five minutes of reading and a five minute workbook activity. These courses will help you streamline your day taking you from frazzled to calm.
Become A Snail Pacer
Receive a monthly newsletter full of tips for making life changes at a realistic pace.
Love all those tips, funny I wrote about the same topic today too lol
Good tips. I have had a housecleaner come in when I got so far behind I just couldn’t see my way through. Have also packed up the laundry and taken it to the laundromat.
This is a fabulous list–especially #4! Ha! Now, the question is how will I get my hubby excited about this? 😉 I’d love to have you link this to Titus 2 Tuesday this week on Cornerstone Confessions.. I hope to see you there.
Love your tips! I don’t get too far behind on housework now since we live in a one-bedroom apartment. But when we were in a house, I definitely prioritized and focused on the most important tasks.
These are all terrific ideas. I like the idea of taking all the clothes to the laundromat. That would be a better idea after a week or two of camping too!!
What we do when the kids’ areas get crazy, is we pile everything in the center of the room. I sit in the pile and sort (dirty clothes, Babydoll clothes, legos, etc) I task each off my kiddos (all 7 and under) with putting one “pile” away, and then run back to me as fast as they can for the next pile. They see it as a game, and i get stuff put away quickly in the right spot. Otherwise the kids get overwhelmed and stuff stuff places. This works especially well after friends come over and things get very messy, very quickly.
Great tip!