The "NOT ME Fives" are those five things that can mess up a home fast. "Not me" is the person who messed it! Here's a trick from my house. Anytime it is starting to look like it was hit by a storm, or I am getting that "where do I start?" feeling, I tackle the "Not Me Fives". Yes, I usually get the kids involved. They don't mind because once we get started, it doesn't take very long. If no one is around, I just do it myself. No big deal. And it is amazing how much better the home feels when the "not me fives" are gone. Let's take a closer look at these "Not Me Fives."
1. Laundry
"Who left the towels in the hallway?" Not me.
We all have laundry. If you have children, you have even more laundry. And this laundry loves to hang out all over the home and it doesn't matter whether it is clean, dirty, or someplace in between. Shy laundry hides in piles with other shy laundry on top of washers, inside dryers, on top of beds, behind the couch, and in the corners. More aggressive laundry comes out into the open and flings itself into piles right in the middle of the room. Adventuresome laundry grows legs and travels throughout the home and yard (sometimes even the neighborhood!).
Yup, laundry is one of our biggest mess makers and "NOT Me" is the biggest culprit. The best part about laundry is how fast it can be picked up. You grab your laundry basket and start at the front door. Go throughout the house and gather up all the dirty clothes and towels. Yes, you even go into the children's room. Ignore everything else, just concentrate on the laundry. If your kids or spouse are around, get them to help gather up the laundry as well. We get the kids to count how many pieces they pick up. There is nothing like a race or a bit of a game to get the kids moving LOL!
Once you have gathered up the laundry, put away the basket. If you have enough dirty laundry to start a load in the washer, go for it. Washing and drying clothes is one of those great things that takes you about 5 minutes to set up, and then it does its thing in the background while you go onto other activities. Just remember to move the load from the washer to the dryer. And the best tip - fold the clothes right away when you take then out of the dryer. The warm clothes are like a mini-sauna. Then bring the clean clothes to the right room right away. We are only talking minutes here.
2. Dishes
"Who left their coffee cup by the computer?" Not me.
Dishes have legs. They walk from the kitchen to the couch, to the office desk, to the nightstand beside the bed, onto the floor in the family room, down to the basement by the drumset, and out onto the little table between the two comfy chairs on the porch. Dishes also bring their friends, fork, knife, and spoon. They are quite happy to hang out with the family until someone notices them and returns them to the kitchen.
Empty the clean dishes out of the dishwasher first. Then tour your home and hunt down those wayward plates, cups, and cutlery. Load them up right away into the dishwasher. If you don't have a dishwasher, set them beside the sink so they can be washed with the next set of dishes.
3. Trash
"Who left their used tissue and a candy wrapper on top of the TV?" Not me.
It's funny. We have a large trashcan in the kitchen, one in each bathroom, and one in each of the kids' rooms. Why is it then that trash still manages to elude the can and end up everyplace else? Stranger yet is the trash that ALMOST makes it to the trashcan. It's like that last two feet was too much to handle, so the trash settled down on the kitchen counter for a long term rest...
Grab an empty plastic bag (one of those hundreds that you have collected from the grocery store). Now go through your home and load up all the trash. Look on top of coffee tables, beside the favorite sitting chair, beside the microwave in the kitchen. All over the place. This trash is sneaky! Collect the bags that are in the bathrooms and bedrooms as well. Take a peek on the floor around the trashcan. It is amazing how much trash missed the can (I think we have to practice our basketball skills with the kids). After you have gathered all the trash take it outside right away to the garbage can. Get it out of the home.
4. Papers
"Who dumped all the papers from their backpack onto the floor by the front door?" Not me.
This is a biggie. Newspapers, junk mail, advertisements, school newsletters, old assignments, print outs from your favorite websites, envelops, magazines, phonebooks, paperback books, the list goes on and on! This paper usually starts its journey as a single sheet placed on a single pile with other single sheets. Then this pile decides to party and mix with other piles. Then it begins to dance, wiggle, topple, and fall to floor where it sprouts its legs and explores new territory. The more important the paper, the farther it will travel!
We have a wonderful paper recycling program in our area. We do not have to sort the papers either. So newsprint, fine paper, and magazines can all go into the same bag. If you don't have the ability to recycle your papers, then I guess you use a trash bag (yick!). Quickly go through your home. Gather up all the papers that you don't want anymore. The quick hitters are the old newspapers, junk mail, and old school papers. Gather up the papers you want to keep (including the ones that you are not sure about) and set them back into their pile. Make a date to go through this pile the next time you settle in front of the TV to watch a show. Papers are best dealt with one pile at a time.
5. Other Stuff
"Who left their stuff on the kitchen table?" Not me.
Stuff comes in all shapes and sizes. It also likes to travel. Stuff from the bedrooms like to explore in the family room. Stuff from the living room finds its way up to the bathroom. Stuff from the toyroom ends up all over the place LOL. And if you have a dog like Charlie, stuff is meant to be chased, hunted down, and buried in the backyard!
A certain amount of stuff has to be moved around. These are the things that we use and enjoy in our homes. And as much as I hate to admit this, those words you use on the kids applies just as well to the adults: "When you are finished playing with your toys, put them away." I am the worst offender! Right now, as I look at my desk in the office, I see the photos that need to be put away, a glass that needs to go back to the kitchen, a candle that belongs in the living room, my purse that doesn't belong here, and my keys (that I better put away right now or I will never find them again - be right back).
You may want to carry a basket or a cardboard box when you deal with this "not me." Start at the front door and pick up the stuff that doesn't belong. When you get to the right room, put the stuff away. I usually let the kids have a head start on this activity. They get to deal with their own stuff before I find it. Otherwise it may take them a long time to figure out where I put it LOL.
I have a confession to make. In our home, I am often the "not me" culprit. And I know that when I am picking up other family members' things, they are also often picking up mine. It goes both ways.
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The "NOT ME Fives"!