Intentional Living: Part 5 - Intentional Homemaking

I am the last person on earth that should be giving advice on things like homemaking. So instead of advice I’ll just tell you what my humble goals are and you can chuckle in your perfectly clean and tidy home while I just try to keep mine manageable! When I was working I didn’t have much of a plan for keeping my house in order. I cleaned the whole thing top to bottom on Saturdays and tried to keep the clutter picked up during the week. Needless to say, those things didn’t always happen.

Now that I’m home I have started being more methodical about how I clean and tidy up my home. I am realizing that the same system could have worked for me while I was a working mom - but oh well! Here are my tiny little housekeeping goals.

Set a Timer

I try to set a timer each day for about half an hour but at the very least twenty minutes. During this time I clean and pick up and I don’t stop for anything! It is amazing how much I can get accomplished during these few minutes because I am racing to get as much done as I can before the timer goes off. That doesn’t mean I don’t do any cleaning at any other time. This is just a great jump start for me.

Check Off the List

I am a list person. Lists work for me. If they don’t work for you, figure out what does and use that! But for me, I have three lists: a daily list, a weekly list, and a long-term list. On my daily list are things like sweeping the kitchen and wiping down the bathroom counter and sink. The weekly list has regular chores on it like vacuuming, mopping, cleaning the bathtub, etc. The long-term list has those things that I should probably do every few months but don’t usually think about without a list - like the top of the refrigerator and cleaning the windows. I love the satisfaction I get when I check off an item on my list!

Leave the Kitchen Clean

This has been one of the hardest habits for me to form. But it has also made the biggest difference. Each night after dinner I thoroughly clean the kitchen. (Honestly, I should say “most nights.”) That means I load the dishwasher, hand wash anything that needs washing, clean the counters and stove top, and sweep the floor. Later, after my husband and I are finished snacking for the night I make sure everything is put away and I clean the sink. It may sound silly, but when I walk into a clean kitchen in the morning I start my day with that feeling that I am in control of the housework and I don’t feel as overwhelmed about my housekeeping that day. It makes a big difference!

Know Your Problem Areas

Most people have one or two spots in their house that are usually cluttered or dirty. For me they are the guest bedroom and the dining room table. These seem to be the two spots that catch all the things I’m not sure where to put. I try at least once a week to get them under control. You know what? Maybe I should put them on my list!


How about you? What is your routine for housework? Do you have any problem areas? Do you like to use lists? Leave me a comment below!

(image from Pinterest - could not find original source)

(This is part of my series on intentional living. You might also like to read about Intentional Faith or having an Intentional Marriage.)