Imagine you already have a full-time job, kids, a spouse, hobbies, you know – a life. Tack on top of that a part-time job of cleaning house and getting all those chores done. Not a stranger’s house but your house. Oh, and you’re not getting paid.
According to a research survey, in 2011 the total number of housework hours in two-parent households is around 28 hours per week. Averaging 4 hours a day in household chores is a lot of time to be spending on cleaning. I don’t know about you but my wife and I don’t have enough free blocks on our Google calendars to schedule this in. Why bother dusting, washing, and organizing, when you could be doing something (anything) else? After all, the kids and dog tracked dirt in again, the laundry is piling up once more, and there are always dishes to be done.
In reality, nobody really likes cleaning and we try to avoid it at great lengths. But clutter has a significant effect on how we feel in our homes, and in turn how we feel about ourselves. There are many negative effects of having a chronically messy house.
1. Excessive Stimuli
When you have clutter in your home, your mind is incessantly bombarded with all kinds of stimuli, making you feel overworked and overtaxed. Your mind finds it difficult to relax, you become increasingly irritable, anxious, and edgy. By swallowing up open and airy spaces, clutter inhibits creativity and productivity. Messy environments suffocate thinking, brainstorming, and problem solving.
2. Needless Expenses
A disorganized home can take a toll on your finances. Since things are more difficult to locate, you end up making shopping sprees for the same items. Clutter makes it difficult to keep track of bill payments, receipts, and tax deductions.
3. Fighting
Statistics show that nearly two-third of couples argue over chores at least once a week. 1 in 5 people know a couple who fight regularly or have broken up over chores. Issues with household chores can incite heated arguments, creating bitterness, resentment, and stress at home.
4. Home Shame
61% of Americans admit to not extending invitations to friends and family because they felt ashamed of their homes. A messy house not only makes you feel guilty and embarrassed about yourself, it pulls you into a vortex of social isolation and low self-esteem.
Household chores are imperative for a healthy and clean house, but they can seem overwhelming when you’re staring down a hallway where the light at the end is blocked by that giant tub of laundry. American novelist and environmental activist, Wendell Berry once said, “Don’t own so much clutter that you will be relieved to see your house catch fire.”
I’m sure a house fire is a lot more trouble than dealing with the chores facing you today. I like thinking about them like I would eating an elephant. You can eat an elephant, just not all at once. Same principle applies to household chores, tackle them one bite at a time.
1. Organization and Labeling
If something has been sitting in your closet for 5 years, it needs to go. To be really aggressive, if you haven’t used it or even missed it in a year, toss or donate it. Go through your possessions and make a pile of items you no longer use. Break up the piles into donate, yard sale, toss, or recycle. Labeling items makes them easier to access for all family members. Teaching your little ones where to put things helps get everyone on the same organizational page.
2. Sort Your Refrigerator
Old food, stains, and moldy or expired products should not be left to grow legs and escape the fridge. They contribute both to bad odors and bacterial growth. Plan your shopping trip so that you’re not running several times to the store or going at the busiest times (right after work). Tip: Wednesdays are the least busy day to grocery shop or from 9 pm – 8 am.
3. Embrace Kitchen Simplicity
Baking bread pudding, boiling pasta, sautéing vegetables and shrimp, and putting together a fruit bowl makes for a lavish dinner spread. But the more pots you get dirty, the more you have to clean. Keep it simple and efficient by planning out your cooking resources like you would at work which will reduce your after dinner workload and keep you from eating out too often.
4. Never Let Things Pile Up
Cleaning a mound of dirty dishes is a nightmare compared to cleaning them as soon as you are done using them. Assign yourself 20 minutes each day to complete household chores. That way, you are always taking steps forward.
5. Delegating Work
Every member of the household should pull their weight. For example, make each person responsible for washing, drying, and putting away their own clothes. Delegating will not only reduce your burden, but also teach other family members to contribute toward the upkeep of their home and teach your kids a valuable life skill their future partners will appreciate.
Do you have other tips to share or questions? Share below, or send me a note. I’d love to hear from you!
