Declutter Project: Maintaining + Building Routines, Part 4

Although not exactly "decluttering", after my big cleanups in Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of my Declutter Project, I've found some challenges on maintaining. That's when I decided that I need a routine and  maintenance plan after a cleanup. That way, I do not go back to the previous state of things.

What I've figured out is: I can't be perfect! I have to learn as I go. Maybe something doesn't work, that's ok - just make a change. I've noticed that I've already started making constant adjustments in order to keep my home clutter free (well, not completely -- YET!) and in working order.  The routine has to work with my schedule and with my energy levels. 

A note to self: I need to go to sleep earlier and wake up earlier!! I'm more productive in the mornings. But if I go to sleep too late, I lag. I need that energy, as I get more done in the AM hours vs. PM hours. 

Kitchen

Now that the kitchen is in almost perfect order, I have to maintain that. For the most part, I've been doing well: Take something out, put it back after you're done. That might sound simple and easy. But add into it the hustle and bustle of daily life with a toddler and a dog and my own stuff. I've had to constantly tell myself to put things away, to take that extra minute.

Challenge: Dishes. One of my biggest faults is emptying the dishwasher and If the dishwasher isn't emptied, then the dirty dishes end up with no place to go and stay in the sink - creating a visual nightmare.
Solution: Trying to empty the dishwasher at NIGHT time. So, start the dishwasher after dinner. Do Little guy's good-night routine, then by the time I get back down to the kitchen, the dishwasher should be done running. Emptying it at night I've found to work better for me. As the mornings are too busy and I end up not getting to it. 

Challenge: Cooking - cleaning up after I've cooked.
Solution: This one I've gotten better at. I've started filling the sink with hot water prior to even cooking. All the used dishes get put in the sink after use. That way, they can be put directly in the dishwasher after I'm done. Non-dishwasher items I will hand wash. I also have gotten better about wiping down the counters at night time.

Challenge: All the junk ends up in the kitchen.
Solution: The kitchen is a "Catch All" area for things that need to go upstairs and don't belong downstairs. I've decided to use an empty drawer in the kitchen to "catch all" things. Then, at night time (or during the day) - I start bringing the stuff in the catch all upstairs (or to its designated areas in the house). So, by the end of the day - there are no items in the "Catch All" area. 

Challenge: Recycling - the recycling always ends up on the kitchen counter! Even though I dump the recycling in the recycle bin at end of day - it was just a visual eye sore to see it there.

Solution: I need a small trash bin for recycling! For now, I'm using a small box. It seems to be working fine thus far. But eventually I think another trash bin would work best. 

Clothes

I do a load of laundry a day, M-F. I hate doing laundry on weekends, so try to get it done during the work week. Ive used the Fly Lady technique in the past and have loved it for most things, especially laundry. My washing categories: 

• Monday - Adult Colors 
• Tuesday - Adult whites 
• Wednesday- Towels 
• Thursday - Adult sheets 
• Friday - Kid clothes 
• Infrequent (1x a month): bath mats, pet items. 

I work from home, which makes laundry-management easier. I start a load in the morning (about 5:45am), swap it to the dryer at my morning snack/water break, then fold either during my lunch break (if I take one), if I'm listening in on a conference call, or at night after my son goes to sleep. 

Benefits of a load a day: 

• There's not as many clothes to fold and put away. 
• It's manageable for me, this is the only method I've been able to maintain. 
• I hate marathon laundry days! When I do marathon laundry loads - I never end up folding and putting away. This eliminates that. 

I've noticed that I don't always have to do certain loads every week. Examples: 

• Towels, if washed every week they don't take an entire load. So I switched to every 2 weeks, but still replace towels 1-2x's during the week. 
• My son's clothes. He has enough clothes to last 2+ weeks. I was washing every week and not filling the entire washer, plus I ended up reusing most of the same outfits (that I liked) and others weren't being used. So I switched to every 2 weeks. 
• Same with my bed sheets, I wash every 2 weeks, but replace every week & rotate mattress weekly. 

So some days I don't have laundry to do - if the hamper isn't filled, it doesn't get washed that week. Exception is my clothes, as I have a lot of tank tops, jeans, skirts I use for different outfits. So I wash my clothes weekly - even if it doesn't fill the washer.

Challenge: Folding / Putting Away
Solution: TBD. Even with a load a day and less to fold, I still have a hard time WANTING to fold. Sometimes the clothes still end up in the dryer for a day before I get to folding them! Luckily, it's not totally out of control - as I will fold them when I get to the load for the following day. But still, it would be better to fold right away and not let it linger. 

Living Room

I reorganized the living room! I took down baby gates, which opened up the living room. This gives my son a little more "freedom" to wonder around... and we're still learning limits and learning to listen. But, so far it's gone well. I like the new feel of how it's organized. 

Challenge: Kid Toys! My son has a lot of toys!!! Do kids really need this many toys?
Solution: TBD. Right now, all his toys are in a basket and bins. It doesn't look too out of control - but I need to find a better alternative. Maybe after the house is all tidied up and I have more space to work with, I'll come up with an idea. 

My Goal: At end of day, leave all areas of the house the way it started in the morning. 

I've been sorting as I go, even if I haven't gotten to that "category" yet - if something is not where it's supposed to be, I've been putting odds and ends of things together in one area. Including donation items. I have a lot of little figurines that have been given away or have been donated.

See my Decluttering Project progress: KonMari Method Plan.