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Click the eBook Cover to Order Work at Home Truths, by Tiffany Dow
Cleaning
When you are planning a party at your home, you will find that it always seems like no matter how much you clean, or how much you organize; there is always more which you could do. The key to effectively preparing your home to host a party is cleaning and de-cluttering some very vital areas. You should understand that as long as those areas care clean and clutter-free, then your guests will feel comfortable and welcome in your home.
However, even the most seasoned hostess can be intimidated by trying to prepare their home for guests. So, for that reason, here are some tips from professional cleaners and organizers on how you can best prepare your home to host your party:
Tip #1 – Take a look around your home in a quick sweep and decide what you need to do. Take along a pen and paper and make notes for each room of your home. You will want a closet for your guests to hang their coats in and a place to store women’s purses. While you are doing your home walk-through decide where these two locations will be and write them down.
Tip #2 – The first place you will want to start cleaning and tidying up is the entry area of your home, and then work from there cleaning the living room, bathroom, and kitchen areas. In addition, if there are other areas in your home where your guests will be, perhaps a game room or similar, that area will need a good cleaning and de-cluttering as well.
Tip #3 - While everyone has some clutter which they treasure; understand that clutter can give an even spotless home the appearance of being messy and unclean. You want your guests to be able to move freely in your home and not be knocking things off of tables or shelves. When you are cleaning for a party be brutal and get rid of as much clutter as you can bear – even if you just simply box it and place it in the garage for the night.
Tip #4 – If you have a spouse and family, now is the time to enlist them to help you in cleaning and de-cluttering your home. You can easily assign a room to each person and have them be responsible for cleaning and removing anything in the room which does not absolutely need to be there for the party.
Tip #5 - If you have children with messy rooms, but are having an all-adult party, it is fine to simply close your children’s bedroom doors and not make a big deal about them cleaning their rooms for the party. This can greatly relieve your stress pre-party. In essence, stick to cleaning rooms which you absolutely must clean because guests will be in them.
Tip #6 – If your party is informal, consider using casual serving dishes and casual eatery as well. You may even want to purchase some good quality paper plates for the event if it will be a pot-luck or BBQ type event, rather than a sit-down meal.
Tip #7 - It is important for you to know that where there are people with food and drinks, there will be spills and stains. The easiest way to deal with these issues is to be completely prepared to deal with them before they ever happen. Have a small box with cleaning supplies which you can use to clean up any messes which might occur during the party.
Tip #8 – Once your home is clean and clutter-free, then it is time to go around your home and add back some small, personal touches which make your home comfortable and inviting for your guests. You can accomplish this through the use of flowers, photographs of your family, and candles. To deal with any musty odors your home may have, you can burn candles or simmer cinnamon and cloves on the stove.
Tip #9 – Once your home has been prepared and you have a back-up plan to deal with any unforeseen stains or spills, then it is time for you as the hostess to sit back and enjoy your party.
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You’ve undoubtedly seen the television show called “Clean Sweep”, or one like it. It’s a show that helps families clean up and unclutter their homes. If you think your home needs a clean sweep, one way to achieve this is to clean one room at a time until the whole home is clutter-free.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed when your home is cluttered. Trying to decide what to do to get rid of the clutter is even more discouraging. You look at the things in your home and wonder where to start. Here are some ideas that will help you succeed at clearing the clutter.
Start by focusing on one room at a time. If you look at everything you’ll easily be intimidated by the scope of the work to be done. By cleaning out one room at a time, you’ll get a sense of accomplishment when you’re done with one room, and be encouraged to move on to the next.
Be prepared with trash bags, plenty of cardboard boxes, and some storage containers. Label the boxes “Keep”, “Donate”, and “Trash”. Then start going through the items in the room.
Clean off all surfaces and empty out each drawer. If it’s a bedroom, take everything out of the closet. You will have a number of boxes, but don’t look at the total number. Concentrate on one box by deciding about each and every item in the box, then go to the next box.
Clothing: If you love the clothes and wear them often, put them in the Keep box. If clothing hasn’t been worn in six months you may want to donate them, so put them in the Donate box. If they’re torn or need repairs and you love them, put them in the Keep box. If they need repairs or are stained and you don’t like them, in the Trash they go. Put the boxes you intend to keep aside and move on.
Shoes: Treat shoes as you did clothing. Keep only those pairs that you love and wear often. If you haven’t used them, unless they are seasonal shoes, let them go. Each pair you get rid of will give you more room and less clutter.
Music: Go through your music collection to see if there’s anything you’ve outgrown or your musical tastes have changed. Sort and store your favorite music.
Papers: Take the time to go through the papers in this room. Start a filing system if you don’t already have one in place. You can begin by separating items by broad categories and then into smaller subcategories as needed.
Books: Unless you’ve read a book multiple times or have recently acquired it, books may be something you’ll consider passing on to others. You can donate them to shelters, charities, or even a local library. Books take up a lot of room so getting rid of some of them will open up space in your room.
After you’ve taken the time to decide upon which items you’re keeping, what is being donated, and what is being thrown away, take the donate boxes and trash bags out of the room. Clean the room from top to bottom, paint if that is planned, and then rearrange or remodel the room. Put the items you’re keeping back into the room, being careful to store the items in an organized manner.
Give yourself a break after completing one room. Then start on the next room – separating, keeping, tossing, and donating items until each and every room in your house has been swept clean and is organized. Congratulate yourself for hard work well done.
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When you’re the woman of the house, it’s often expected that you’re going to be the one primarily in charge of keeping the home clean and running smoothly. You may not be able to do everything, however, and really need to get the whole family to help you get organized.
Division of labor in the home is one topic that causes stress among families. The man of the house often feels that the house is the woman’s domain and therefore he shouldn’t have to help. And we know what happens when we ask the children to help with chores. You’d think we asked them to walk over broken glass or something equally sinister.
The problem with organizing the home and delegation of chores is that you may work away from the home as well. Even if you’re a stay-at-home mom, that doesn’t mean you’re the only one who does the work. If everyone made the clutter or the mess, it only makes sense that everyone in the family should help to organize and clean.
First, getting the whole family to help you get organized will take some effort. Be sure not to nag and coerce them into helping just to get to you stop nagging. They’ll only resent you for it. Ask them to help, giving them tasks they may find enjoyable, or at least not completely boring.
If you can get everyone to take care of their own messes, it will make your job easier. Have them put their own clothes in the hamper instead of leaving them on the floor, take their dishes to the sink when they’re done, and clean up anything they spill. Help them remember that you’re not a slave and that everyone in the family is expected to chip in with the chores.
When your children are younger, you may have to spend extra time teaching them how to clean and organize their own things. The effort, if they are receptive to learning, will be well worth it in the future. You won’t have to worry about their being able to take care of their own things, they will be less likely to lose them, and they’ll be better prepared to live on their own when the time comes.
Staying organized, at least as far as being where you’re supposed to be on time, will be easier if everyone knows how to read a calendar. Whenever the children bring home a paper with an important date to remember, transfer it to a family calendar. Color-code the calendar so everyone has their own color. You’ll all be able to look at the calendar and quickly see if you have something to do that day.
To help keep the home organized and running smoothly, you may have to get creative. Your goal is to help everyone learn personal responsibility even if that means being tough when someone doesn’t pitch in. Encourage each family member in a way that will appeal and you’re closer to getting the whole family to help you get organized and clean up the house.
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