CLEAN – Lounge Room
We spend a lot of family time in our lounge room, playing games on the floor or watching movies together so I enjoy having a clutter free room so I can relax easier.
Laundry pile clutter
One of my biggest pitfalls with an untidy lounge room would be my clean washing pile on the couch. The key to getting control over the clean washing pile is to create a routine:
- Fold and put away while kids are having their daytime nap
- Fold before you start dinner and then the rest of the family can put away the washing
- Fold later that evening while watching favourite TV show and put away in the ads (this is my current preference)
Read more: Readers share their laundry routines.
Toy clutter
When the kids were younger they often left toys on the floor. For a quick tidy up I had a nice basket next to the TV unit which I threw their toys into and then got the kids to put them back into their rooms/playroom before bedtime.
Read more: How to get kids to clean up their toys.
Cleaning task
Today’s cleaning task is to do the following in your lounge room:
[wlchecklist name=’CleanDay4′]
- How to clean walls
- How to clean windows
- How to kill dustmites in non washable items
- Spot clean couch and carpet using your all purpose cleaner
- How to clean remote controls
Remember just do the tasks above, we will be coming back to other tasks. Cleaning floors is tomorrows task.
Here are a few posts I have shared previously about organising the lounge room:
DECLUTTER – Your magazine collection
Do you have a pile of magazines that you have read and no longer need? Are they occupying a space that could be better used? Then it’s time to purge.
I collect a lot of cooking magazines. Read an old post here sharing what I did with my food magazine pile, I still use this same system and it’s made searching for something new for dinner so much easier!
Then when you have your firm family favourites, take the recipe out of the recipes to try system and place into a recipe binder.
Have home magazines? Make yourself a home binder to store all your future home design ideas.
[wlchecklist name=’DeclutterDay4′]
ORGANISE – Pamper yourself with ‘me’ time
Our days seemed to be filled with cleaning, caring or doing things for others. Yes we love doing all these things for our family but often we forget about ourselves. It’s important to take time out for yourself. Today’s organise task is to plan and organise some ‘me’ time, by yourself or call some girlfriends and make a date in your diary.
- a coffee date, dinner or movie night with friends
- get a pedicure or a massage
- plan some time one afternoon or during bubs naptime to read a book or take a long bath.
My friends and I now have a planned day each month that we get together for a coffee or dinner. Sometimes it needs to be planned far ahead just so we can all coordinate a date that suits us all.
[wlchecklist name=’OrganiseDay4′]
NEW HABIT – Say No
Do you reluctantly say yes to people asking you to do things just because you’re trying to be nice, want to help or don’t want to let them down? But reality is that you don’t have time to be saying yes and you are then putting your own priorities aside.
Quite a few years ago I found myself saying yes to things that didn’t fit into my schedule, I was a yes person to everything, babysitting, projects, school committee, I wanted to make my friends and those around me happy and just be a help. But reality is I needed to say “No”, I needed to commit myself to my own projects, my family. You could answer:
- I’m sorry I have something else planned on that day, I hope you can find somebody else that can help.
- I’ll get back to you (so then you have time to look over your calendar)
- I’m sorry I’ll have to decline, but thank you for thinking of me
- I can’t at the moment as I am trying very hard to complete a few projects I have started
- I won’t be able to today, but can organise something in a few weeks time
- That sounds wonderful, I’d love to do this, but I can’t right now. Thank you for asking.
- Sometimes no is enough, you don’t need to justify and give explanations to everybody
Great quote from Paulo Coelho “Don’t say maybe if you want to say no”.
Download this print for FREE from my shop. Use coupon code at checkout: 20DaysNO
Click here to download
When you say YES to others, make sure you are not saying NO to yourself – Paulo Coehlo
One of my friends that followed the challenge last time did a fortnight of no’s. She said no to everything that was asked of her as she had just moved and wanted to get her house into order. During this time she managed to get her house unpacked and become more organised than she imagined. Give saying no a go.
[wlchecklist name=’NewHabitDay4′]
5 MINUTES ONLY – Clean windows of main areas in your home
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Read here for my tips on how I clean windows in my home.
DOWNLOAD
Print the daily sheet and checklists to keep for reference while you are completing the above tasks.
- DAY 4 DAILY TASK SHEET – file behind ‘Daily Task’ divider – click to download.
- LOUNGE ROOM CLEANING CHECKLIST – file behind ‘Checklist’ divider – click to download.
- BLANK LOUNGE ROOM CLEANING CHECKLIST – use this to create your own checklist, file behind ‘Checklist’ divider – click to download.
116 comments
Augh! This task is scary – we have a formal lounge room and a family lounge room. I am worried this is going to take all day!
Just pick one Louise, don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to do both. Choose the one you spend most of your time in. Then at the end of the 20 days go back and do the room you decided to leave.
Oh my goodness, that was a hard day…. didn’t think the smallest room in the house could take so long to clean. I’ll have to tackle the other lounge another day, I’m pooped……
How you feeling Jackie, how are you progressing? Please email me and let me know, I’d love to hear 🙂 x
My home is starting to come to life again. I vacuumed the walls yesterday to remove dust and will wipe over today. If Im brave enough i will post a photo on fb.
Well done Janine, love it so much and I can hear your enthusiasm between these words, love it!!
Saying “No” has been a difficult thing for me for a long time so I printed out the sign and framed it and left it by the phone. My Dad stuck a note by his phone “say no” 20 years ago so I guess it’s hereditary. “Pamper me” time hasn’t happened yet but I’m getting there. I was looking after my Mum the day the lounge room came up so it didn’t get done but I have it on my radar to do after the 20 days is over.
LOL that’s so funny he put something on his phone, maybe a modern day version of that could be a phone background!!
I can see the floor, free of toys and clutter!
Yay!!!
Hi Kat,
The “Say No” challenge I started at the beginning of 2017. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (an auto immune disease that effects you joints) in December last year. I cut back on my help in my daughter’s school and i cut one of my 3 jobs i was doing. In the past 3 months Im alot happier and I have more time to spend cleaning my house and doing the things that I need to do as a wife and a mother. Doing the hard task of saying NO is extremely difficult but my needs and my family’s needs far outweigh what others want from me. Reading the say No challenge from previous 20 day challenges gave me the push that i needed. So thank you xxx
This is so wonderful to hear Lana. It’s the stress that saying yes puts you under that effects our wellbeing, so glad that you have found your happy place with saying no. My hubby has a very similar condition, with Psoriatic Arthritis I’m currently helping him to improve his work schedule (which includes a lot of No’s) and can already see that he isn’t in so much pain and less stressed.
My lounge area is looking sparkling , I’m loving these tasks .. just a question do you have any recxomendations what to do with paper clutter , old bills or rego papers that I had on my Tv unit
Yes, Hala this post here may help you: https://theorganisedhousewife.com.au/organising/paper/tips-for-organising-the-finances-filing/
I can feel the excitement rising
I agree, the clean laundry on the couch is my bad lounge room habit. That and leaving out the ironing board for longer than necessary and packing away when expecting visitors. Now the lounge room is so fresh and new and free from laundry pile am inspired to keep it that way.
You can do it Fiona, I am really loving your positive vibes in wanting to see changes 🙂
Ok… done 🙂 My lounge looks awesome!!! I have a question for you though Kat – do you have any ideas/suggestions for cleaning an internal exposed brick wall? It’s a feature wall in our lounge. I’ve vacuumed it, but I think it needs washing/cleaning more (I’d love to bring in the gerni lol). Thanks 🙂
I researched this last week for another member as I’ve never had to clean a brick wasll. It was suggested to vacuum the wall to remove the dust then use a cloth and warm water to clean it.
Thanks Kat. Running behind with tasks – that time of year having sick kiddies at home 🙁
Will do a catch up over the weekend.
Mine have been sick like the domino effect, one last week, another this week. I got the flu shot yesterday as I don’t want to come down sick too.