Where to start, when you don’t have a clue

Dear Home-Ec 101,

My house is a wreck. I’m scared to open the fridge, and I swear something growled at me the last time I grabbed a soda. I think a dust bunny ate the baby.

Help Me!

Signed,
Don’t Know Where to Start.

Dear Don’t Know Where to Start,

When I’ve gotten off track, I begin with the kitchen sink. It’s a small area that can be conquered!

Empty your sink of all dishes, and fill it with hot water and a little dish detergent.

Come back and read for a few minutes or empty the dishwasher if you’d prefer.

After the hot water has had time, loosen the crud, drain the sink, and use a non-abrasive cleaner to scrub it. Don’t be afraid to use a little elbow grease! If you have a sink like mine, you may have to use a mild abrasive like Bar Keeper’s Friend or baking soda in a pinch.

Finish by shining the faucet with a little window cleaner and wiping with a paper towel or soft cloth.

It’s a lot easier to face the day when you don’t have to shovel dishes out of the way to brew a pot of coffee.

Now go find that baby!

And yes, before you ask, I did get this tip from the FlyLady when my first kid was tiny, and I had no idea what to do. We all start somewhere.

Where do you go after the sink?

In the top menu, you will find the Clean It tab.

You can start by printing off our free printable chore chart and then join The Deep Clean Cycle, which gives you weekly cleaning challenges delivered on Saturdays. The Weekly Organizational Challenge gives you small, weekly organizing tasks delivered on Sundays. These three tools will get and keep your house in order.

None of these are meant to work in a day.

Your ho,m didn’t get messy in a day and don’t punish yourself by trying to get it together in a day.

If you have the energy, here are six things to do. Click the image for the full article.

Submit your household questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.