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Updated on February 14, 2024
Daily Pick Up. Do a quick 15-minute tidy to keep your home feeling fresh without a lot of extra work.
We have been working hard on getting some basic systems in place around our home so we can focus on the larger decluttering projects.
Project Organize Challenge
When I started writing about using routines and schedules, I said I would be there with you to get back on track.
I had a rough few days at the end of last week, but it is Monday, and I am ready to get back to it! Are you still with me in our quest to set up our daily routines and schedules?
If you are joining us, you can read about what we have already accomplished: choose a cleaning routine, do one complete load of laundry per day, and do all the dishes daily.
15 Minute Daily Pick-Up
Today’s task is to do a daily pick-up. I suggest setting a timer for about 15 – 20 minutes.
If your house is a big mess, this task will initially take some time to see results, but if you stick with it, your home and sanity will thank you!
Get Everyone Involved
Please involve the whole family. If you are married and have two kids, that is actually one hour of cleaning that is getting done since there are 4 sets of hands all working together for fifteen minutes each.
How to Do a Daily Pick Up
- Gather baskets or boxes to collect misplaced items. An empty laundry hamper works well for this.
- Set the timer for 15 or 20 minutes.
- As quickly as you can, starting in the most used room, start putting things away that belong in that room.
- Then, fill your basket or box with anything in the room that belongs in another room.
- Once your basket is full, return those items to where they belong.
- Repeat steps 3 – 5 until the time runs out.
Tips for Getting Your Children to Help Pick Up
In our home, each of my kids has their own bucket from Dollar Tree that is perfectly sized for them to carry when full.
I added their names on the buckets with vinyl cut out with my Cricut. I have them run around the house as quickly as possible to find their toys, clothes, and belongings.
When their basket is full, or we get close to about 5 minutes left on the clock, I send them to their rooms to put the items in their baskets away.
While they clean up their toys, my husband and I return any other items we can find to where they belong in the house.
Don’t Get Discouraged!
If you have never done this, you will probably not get everything put away in one night. That is okay. The mess wasn’t made in a day and will not be cleaned up in a day, either!
Try not to be discouraged.
Doing a daily pick-up will easily return your home to order over a few weeks.
As you do this task each day, you will start to figure out which items don’t have a set place in your home. You will also find what systems are working or not to allow you to put away your items easily.
This is a great time to add those areas to your master list of spaces to organize. You can also think about what you need to declutter to make room for the things that don’t have a home.
The goal is to eventually have a place for everything and everything in its place each and every day!
Project Organize Daily Checklist
Each day, we will build on the previous day until we have all our basic daily routines on auto-pilot.
- Use your planner and master list
- Do chores from the cleaning routine you chose
- Stop multitasking
- Do the dishes
- Complete one load of laundry per day
- Daily pick up
- Make the beds
- Quick vacuum or sweep the floor
- Sort the mail and papers
This post is part of Project Organize: The Basics. Together, we will work on setting up basic systems in our homes to conquer overwhelmed and busy schedules.
These are the basics we need to do daily that will set up the foundation for success. This will allow us the space to tackle the larger decluttering projects with ease.
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