In my de-clutter the closet post, I talked a little about relocating things from one place in your house to another. I wanted to expound on that idea some more, because there are a few principles about relocating that will help you in your everyday chores.
Have you ever started cleaning in one room, let’s say the living room, and picked up something that belonged in the bedroom? So you walk to the bedroom, and put that item away. On your way back to the living room, you realize that a bath towel was left on the floor, so you pick it up and go hang it in the bathroom. In the bathroom you realize your laundry hamper is full, so you pick it up and haul it to the utility room and start a load of laundry. Now, where were you? Oh yeah, cleaning the living room. You head back there, and see some toys that your kids left out… and the whole process begins again. Before you know it, you’ve spent an hour running around the house, and you have nothing to show for it in the living room, which was the main reason you were cleaning up in the first place!
You need to institute a relocation program. All you need for this is a basket, bin or box that has a capacity of about 6-8 cubic feet (2’x2’x2′). When you start cleaning in one room, bring your basket with you. If you find something that belongs elsewhere in the house, toss it into the basket, and keep cleaning the room at hand. You’ll find that in doing this you won’t be as easily distracted, and your primary room will be clean before you know it. Then, when you move on to the next room, bring the basket with you. First put away anything from the basket that belongs in that room, and repeat the process. By cleaning one room at a time, you’ll waste less energy running back and forth from room to room. This is especially important the larger your house, or if you have multiple levels!
The relocation program will help you see the fruits of your labor sooner, so no matter how long you clean, whether it’s for 30 minutes or all day, you’ll be able to see your progress.
Feisty Girl 