"Vacuuming too often weakens the carpet fibers." Say this with a serious face, and shudder delicately whenever anyone mentions Carpet Fresh.

Okay...after typing "Great Housecleaning Tips" for the THIRD time, I'm starting to feel a little shame at using the word "great" so much. So, they're ordinary ideas - but used with gusto, you can feel better and have your home look nice, too! (Does that sound less pompous?)

8) Everyone helps! This includes everyone. At our house, we use a chore list for the kids to know what to help with. Kids get on the chore list when they’re a year old. One of my cleaning mottos is this: “Our whole family lives here. Our whole family helps to keep it clean.” You’re part of the family from the day you get here, whether by birth, by foster care, or by adoption. I’ve yet to figure out a way to add the infants/newborns to the chore list (I guess I could have put “Be held”, “Be loved” – so I suppose they could have been added to the list at birth!) The one year old might have “help pick up your toys” or “put your sippy cups in the sink” – but yes, it helps all kids to know, from their very earliest that “Our whole family – including you – lives here. Our whole family – including you – keeps it clean.” I know many mothers who prefer to do the cleaning and not involve the children for various reasons. That has never worked for me. I have a lot of things I want to do WITH my kids – so I can’t use all of my time cleaning FOR them. We work together.

9) Hire help. If all of the above tips aren’t helping and you still overwhelmed with getting to the basics, hire help. I know it’s hard when money is tight. For a while, I tried to do it all myself with the “help” of five tiny preschoolers and a husband working two jobs. Paying for help seemed extravagant. Then, my sister needed some extra money and we worked out to pay her for two hours housekeeping once per week, costing me $20. It was SOOOOOOO worth it! She would do the “details” so that I could just keep up with surface/easy cleaning in some of the ways I’ve talked about here. And, I could relax and enjoy my family more, knowing that, at least once a week, the house actually would be clean, clean.

10) If you’re still stressed about your house, think on the idea that it might help to relax your standards. Repeat this a few times: “Looks clean, is clean”. And, above all, remember: You are not your house! If someone comes over, it should be because they wish to see you and not your house. I’ve often heard the quote “If you came to see me, come on in. If you came to see my house, you’ll have to make an appointment!” (Of course, I have met souls whose standards really could have not been relaxed any MORE, I don’t think. So evaluate your own situation. Of course, maybe those other folks just forgot about the orange scented candle??)

Two funny links for you to check out:
Housecleaning Tips for Internet Junkies
Funny Advice on Housekeeping: 10 Rules to Follow

Part One: Tips #1-4
Part Two: Tips #5-7