I was listening to my almost 16 year old son explain to a college mathematics professor how to work as we were all sweating out in the hot sun of Jamaica this past July. The professor was slinging a sledge hammer, busting up concrete to help make way for a new concrete wall.   He was working very hard and wearing himself out. My son said, “You need to work smarter, Mr. Samuel, not harder.” 

Now I don’t know where my child learned that, but he went on to show the professor how to let the weight of the hammer do the work.  That’s pretty good thinking. And it applies to homemaking.

Working at home is just that: WORK. Anyone who stays at home, especially with the added responsibility of little children around, knows that it is work.  If you work outside the home you either work yourself twice as hard with two jobs (both your paid job and your home job) or you let your home go and live with it, because something has to give.

There’s enough work in a home to last several lifetimes, if we’re honest about it, so its best to learn how to work smarter, not harder.  Learn how to take all the laundry out of a room before leaving it, how to leave a basket at the bottom of the steps and fill it with things that need to go upstairs and take it all at once instead of many trips. Learn to be efficient. 

One of the biggest ways to work smarter in a home is to develop routines.

It can really be difficult to keep a home clean and somewhat organized, specially if you have little ones at home all day long.  But, as a homekeeper, your job is to keep the home. Go ahead and embrace your job and do you best. And its easier to do a good job if you have a routine.

Here are some ideas you can build a homemaking routine from. No one said you had to have the house sparkling and the bathroom floors clean enough to eat off of every day. these ideas will simply help you to keep order and cleanliness in he midst of your chaos.

A clean home really does start in the evening.  A properly developed evening routine will motivate you to keep the house clean the next morning.

Before going to bed in the evening:

* all dishes should be washed and put away
* pack lunches and refrigerate
* set breakfast table with dishes and vitamins
* set out all pans and utensils needed for breakfast
* give a quick straighten all rooms

When you rise in the morning:

* Make your bed [wash sheets on one particular day of the week such as Tuesdays, blankets during your fall or spring cleaning]
* personal grooming
* After your shower: clean bathroom mirror, sink, counter top, tub, toilet, straighten bottles and shower curtain, put out fresh towels, bring all laundry out, take out trash, replace trash bag, wipe down the floor with a damp towel
* Start a load of laundry
* Wake children, make beds, pick up clothes, children’s grooming.

For the rest of the day:

* Personal morning devotional and prayer
* Breakfast and cleanup
* Keep the laundry going
* Keep the dishes washed
* Work on paper piles
* Make sure your dining area is cleaned up and ready for dinner
(Run a sink of hot soapy water first thing and use this to clean counters and soak dishes. After dishes have been soaking a while they will probably need just a good rinse)
* Make dinner plans, defrost food and set out ingredients

There are so many other ways you could put together your day and make it work smarter for you.  That’s the beauty of routines, they can be altered to suit you. Do you have a house cleaning routine? Is it working for you?

What kinds of changes do you need to make?

These little things are handy to have, even if they are a bit messy and time consuming to make.  I think if you use them regularly instead of Grab-It or Swiffer pads, you can save a lot of money.  You could even go so far as to sew up the cloths to fit over the ends of your Swiffer or Grab-It mop like this inventive Homemaker. 

Pre-Treated Dust Cloth
1 tablespoon mild soap powder or grated soap such as Ivory Snow
1 tablespoon ammonia
2 tablespoons linseed oil
1 quart warm water

You will need several small pieces of flannel or other soft cloth to use as your cleaning cloths. Old cloth diapers work well, or cut up an old flannel shirt. Make the cloths about 8′x11″ .

Mix all the ingredients in a large plastic bucket or pan. Soak the pieces of cloth in this solution for about 10 minutes. Wring out the cloths and hang to dry. Store the cloths in a covered glass or plastic container. Once they are used a few times and are dirty, treat them again.

You can use these as dust cloths or on the Grab-It or Swiffer  type mops to dust mop the floors. The cloths will catch and hold dust and dirt really well. I don’t have any first hand experience with them harming anything, but if you use them, be careful not to use them on glass or things like television sets, I think the oil might not be good for those!

This is a basic schedule for those who need more specific instruction on daily cleaning and chores. After you use it a while, you will be able to tailor it to fit your own use. You are most welcome to print this out for your personal use.

You can break down your schedule into smaller increments of time, but this basic schedule gives you more wiggle room!

And speaking of schedules …. you can find all kinds of useful printables for FREE at donnayoung.org.  I’ve used her printables for many years. The one I picture here is her Dated Block Calendar, but she has lots and lots of styles and different forms.

Before going to bed in the evening:
* all dishes should be washed and put away
* pack lunches and refrigerate
* set breakfast table with dishes and vitamins
* set out all pans and utensils needed for breakfast
* give a quick straighten all rooms

6 a.m.
* make bed [wash sheets on one particular day of the week such as Tuesdays, blankets during your fall or spring cleaning]
* personal grooming
* After your shower: clean bathroom mirror, sink, counter top, tub, toilet, straighten bottles and shower curtain, put out fresh towels, bring all laundry out, take out trash, replace trash bag, wipe down the floor with a damp towel
* Start a load of laundry
* Wake children, make beds, pick up clothes, children’s grooming.

Between 7 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
* personal morning devotional and prayer
* breakfast. wipe down table, counter tops, straighten table. Get the children to help! Some families have devotions at the table together.
* Every day: vacuum, sweep and dust, have the children do their rooms.
* As a family: hang out laundry, iron, mend, bake, garden
* School – either transport or homeschool
* Project time: canning, quilting, needlework, laundry folding and putting away if needed

Clean Up Call at 11:30
* All items out must be put away at this time
* Prepare lunch

12 noon
* Lunch, reading time, outside play, clean up for lunch, wash dishes.

Between 1 and 4:30 p.m.
* quiet time, naps, personal devotional time, diary or journal writing. We draw the curtains and have the house very quiet at this time, we avoid interruptions.
* sewing time
* homework hour
* evening chores
* personal time for children, or play time

The 10 Minute Tidy™ Time – 4:30 p.m.
* All items left out are put away at this time, house is straightened, papers and books put away.
* Supper prep

6:00 p.m.
* Supper and clean up
* clear supper dishes, wipe down the table, vacuum or sweep under the table
* put away food, make lunches for those who take a lunch
* dry and put away dishes, set the table for breakfast
* wipe down dish drainer, counter tops, stove
* clean sink, sweep and damp mop the floor, set out fresh dish towels

6:30 until bedtime
* clean up call for the house
* baths
* teeth
* prayers and story time
* reading for older children
* family time
* bedtime