Simple Chore Schedule

The fewer things I have by default, the better.  This also makes cleaning much less of a maintenance issue.  I am always seeking to minimize, simplify and to make steps towards a more intentional way of living.  Apart from the obvious concerns of cleaning everyday messes and allergens, I have always been attracted to clean and uncluttered spaces.  The kind of spaces that make some people go “Oh, it’s so empty, so bare, it needs something!”

I’ve been in houses where every nook and cranny was filled with something.  No space was left unadorned, no horizontal area left uncovered by a figurine or souvenirs, trinkets or other pieces of home decor.  Why?  What is the fascination with clutter? 

In our first shared apartment, my husband fought me over the same issue.  He wanted to decorate the walls (with pictures, maps, banners and quite possibly his hat collection) until he visited with our neighbors in an identical apartment and felt claustrophobic and overwhelmed in their space.  The apartment felt tiny and dark due to all the wall-hangings, it was over-furnished and cluttered with belongings.  I don't like to meddle in other people's business and I belief everyone has a reason why they act they way they do.  To each his own!  However, I am mentioning this couple in the flat next to us because their relationship eventually fell apart and the man moved out because of the mess.  He claimed, all the clutter and stuff in the apartment didn't provide room enough to accommodate him adequately.

This is the point where it gets problematic.  It is no good if your life is negatively affected by your belongings or the state of your home.  I wouldn't want to feel uneasy in my own space because there is so much going on, or because it is so unkempt and dirty.  I wouldn't want to be the person who cleans like a fiend in order to avoid embarrassment just so I could have visitors.

Bright spaces, clean lines and the lack of adornment make me feel at peace and relaxed.  It is like a natural stress reliever.  As a child I didn't always have to opportunity to be in spaces that were allergy-free, clean and orderly.  At some point, I became aware of feeling better every time I was in a clean and clutter-free place.  I felt like I could actually breathe, feel inspired by it's clean beauty and be at peace.

When it comes to our home, my aim to keep things simple and clean help to keep our home free of unmanageable clutter and it also makes it easier to maintain a healthy, allergen-free living space.
The flip side of this issue is my tendency to go to the extreme, where I become a perfectionist and freak out if things aren’t done in absolutely the best way.  I have a hard time finding a balance, where things are done and organized but they aren’t perfect and I’m still ok with that.

Since living with my husband my daily to-do-list folded significantly to a small point on which it once read: Bring every room back to "ready."  In the beginning, we decided to tackle our chores in daily 15 minute increments.  We delegated our attention to areas that felt most essential and called it our "15 Minute Clean!"  Often, we scrubbed and tidied for 15 minutes only to get inspired to tackle the odd deep cleaning project.  On other days, the time ran out and we were quite happy with the result.  Over time, we developed the following list of guidelines that work well to keep our home tidy.
 
If you're in the mood to get inspired and keep your home clean without needing to set aside hours at a time then look no further.


Save this image to your computer, print it out or use it as inspiration for your own cleaning schedule!

♡ Nina