Tips on keeping your house clean when everyone seems to be too busy to help.

There is no magic cure for a messy house. I believe we are pre-programmed to be tidy or not. For those of us that are not naturally inclined for tidyness, we have to work at it. We have to try to reprogram our brain and not give into the temptation to "get to it later." Here are some of the things that work for me.

1. Clean as you go. I think this is one of my biggest issues. If we just put things away when we were done with them, our homes would not be overrun with stuff everywhere. Walking into a room and just seeing stuff makes us feel overwhelmed. Plus, you can't actually clean a room until it's picked up. Keeping your stuff where it belongs, allows you to quickly dust and wipe down surfaces and truly keep it clean.

2. Reduce clutter. Get rid of the things you don't need or love. The less you have to put away, the easier it is. Also, it makes more room to put away the stuff you truly need. Take 15 minutes to go through a drawer, closet, toy box, etc. But the the bag or box in your car and drop it off at a thift store while you are out running errands. Don't wait until you have lots of stuff to go, or for that "garage sale" you plan on having "someday" - drop it off now and just get it out of your house!

3. Have a place for everything. After you have reduced your clutter, figure out a place for everything in your house. Examine your storage spaces and figure out how to maximize the storage capacity. Could you buy any more organizational bins, drawers, etc? Having a specific place for everything, allows you to clean as you go and avoid letting stuff pile up because you don't know where to put it.

4. Break big jobs into little ones. Is your entire house a mess? Take it room by room. Do as much as you can for 5, 10 or 15 minutes (set a timer). When it goes off, move on. Having a little bit done in each room will make you feel better. If I am trying to get the whole house cleaned at once, I will spend 10 minutes in each room until I have done them all, then go back for just 5 mintues to "finish up." Before I know it my house looks and feel super clean and tidy.

5. Start a routine. For example, as soon as dinner is finished - spend 15 minutes loading the dishwasher, soaking dishes and wiping down the counters. You will feel so much better in the morning and will more inclined to keep it clean during the day. Unload the dishwasher first thing in the morning and you will have a place for dirty dishes allowing you "clean as you go" also. Make your bed as soon as you can in the morning, just having that one perfectly clean spot in your room will make you feel better, make the room look better, and might lead you to keep the room tidier overall.

6. Clean up the messiest parts first. When my house is a disaster, I clean the worst parts first and I immediately feel better. Then I can quickly clean up the smaller messes and suddenly the whole house feels clean.

7. Keep flat surfaces clear. Stacks of stuff on tables and countertops make the room feel messy and cluttered. Spend 5 minutes just putting stuff where it belongs.

8. Watch TV. I am not joking! Turn on the TV and find a show to watch (you can't flip through). As soon as the commercial comes on, get up and put things where they belong, start a load of laundry, sweep the room, etc. Then when it's done, give yourself a break and watch the show. You will be surprised how much you can do in 2 minute spurts over a 30 minute or 60 minute show!

9. Does it belong here? Every time you leave a room, quickly ask yourself "What doesn't belong here?" Then on your way out, grab it drop it off where it does belong on your way to the next room.

10. Worst case scenario: Stash and Dash. But when the crisis is over, be sure to set a timer for 15 minutes and put stuff where it belongs.