Nowadays we just don’t have the time to clean like our grandmothers and great grandmothers did.

I would like to invite you to let go of the idea that you must have a perfectly clean home. Even if you have one of those robot vacuums, It's pretty much impossible unless maybe you live alone and have no job and no hobbies. Or maybe your favorite hobby is cleaning your house? If so, this article is not for you. 

Please don’t look at the top of my Fridge!

Who has the time to clean everything? Don't get me wrong. I totally get that there is a time that everything does need a good cleaning. But I am here to tell you that not everything gets cleaned daily, weekly, or even monthly. If someone told you that you are not a good mom, wife, partner, or woman because the top of your fridge isn’t clean, well they are WRONG! Please stop feeling bad or getting upset if your house is not always perfectly clean. I guarantee you that the day the top of my fridge gets cleaned, will not be the same day that the toilets are! LOL!

A few steps that have helped me come to terms with the fact my house isn’t the cleanest.

I was getting so upset that no matter how hard I tried to keep the house clean and clutter free, the rest of my family didn’t seem to care. I was so sick of picking up other people’s shoes! I knew I was going to snap and turn into the “crazy ass” version of myself. Not many people like that version, including myself. Can you relate? 

So, I decided to pray. Everyday for a week I prayed asking God to make it so I no longer saw the clutter that drives me crazy. Guess what? It worked! My house wasn’t clean, I just didn’t see the little messes everywhere that normally bothered the crap out of me. The funny thing was, it was the rest of the family that noticed and when they said something I thought to myself “what are they talking about?” In my world, that is a MIRACLE! Thank you GOD!

I still clean. I just don’t get so upset that the house doesn’t stay that way in between cleanings.

There are so many tips for decluttering on the internet and I am sure that they all work great. My method has turned into a bit of a lifestyle and could take a little longer to see the full result depending on the amount of clutter you have and your determination to rid your life of it. 

If you want to tackle it all in a day or weekend, I always think it helps to get a friend to help. This is where you want to call on an honest friend. Not one that will just tell you what she thinks you want to hear. You know who to call. She will LOVE getting some stuff out of your house! 

If you are working on your own, start in one room, or one shelf, cabinet, or drawer. When you pick something up ask yourself “Does this bring me joy? Does it really?” If the answer is yes, you keep it. If its no, then you put it in the trash/recycling or a bag/box to be donated (or yard sale if you want). Keep this rule…Once an item is in the donation/sell box it does not come out. Have that yard sale (or online sale) asap and take that box to the donation center within the next 3 days.

Here’s another method you can try. Ask yourself “Do I use this everyday?” or “When was the last time I used/needed this?”

If you are having trouble letting go of things, gather everything up and put it in a box. Date the box. After 1 month, whatever is left in the box, put it in storage (garage, attic, basement, closet) Date that box. If you haven’t needed it in 1 year. Donate or Trash.

If at any point you need an item from one of these boxes, you must at that point find a new appropriate and organized home for this item.

If you have a partner, let them know that you are feeling overwhelmed with this responsibility and need some help. You are a superhero and are totally capable of doing it all, but why should you when you can get some help! This is a great way to start the discussion of how you can share the household responsibilities. 

You can also get the kids involved. There are several age appropriate chore charts available online. After looking at a few, I decide that nobody knows your kids the way you do. I’m not about to tell you how to raise your kids. Hardest job in the Universe! Right? I am not suggesting that we treat our kids like free labor. But when you ask them to do a few things around the house to help out, I have noticed that they do start to take a little pride in the home and they also understand better how hard you work to keep everything tip top for them.

There is also professional help for those of you willing and able to add that to the monthly budget. If house work is truly not your thing or you work so many hours or already don’t have the time for anything else, I invite you to hire a professional. I am lucky enough to have a couple of friends that own their own cleaning services. A while back I was heading out for a business trip where I was going to be away for a few weeks. It was a lot of hectic planning for the few days before I left. The day before I was supposed to leave, I looked around and my house was a disaster! The last thing that I wanted to do was stay up another hour to clean, especially since I knew it would take much longer than an hour. I also really didn’t want to have to come home to that mess! I asked my friend if she could fit me into her schedule while I was away. It was the best money I think I ever spent! Walking in the door after being away was such a treat. The place had never been that clean! She used essential oils in her cleaning solutions so even the air was clean. She also put a vase of fresh flowers on my kitchen counter. (not sure if she does that for all her clients, or if I was special. LOL) It was wonderful :) 

Quick Tips for Letting Go of the idea of the perfectly clean home.

• Do this for you. Not because you think a good woman always has a clean house.

• Make a plan or checklist to prioritize what tasks or results are most important to you.

• Always remember, dust bunnies happen to everyone. Some just hide them better. :)

• Toothpaste in the sink is proof someone brushed their teeth!

Please share this article with a friend that might need some help letting go of her ideas of perfection.