Smart Housekeeping is a simple, straightforward and to the point book with tips to make housekeeping easier for you. While I’ll admit there is really nothing extraordinary or new in the book it’s still very helpful if you feel overwhelmed or lost about de-cluttering and cleaning your home. What I liked most about it was the focus on finding what works for you. The main idea behind the tips in the book is to help you find simple solutions that you will actually use because they are comfortable for you and make sense in your life and in your home. What works for some will not work for others and it’s all about finding the end result that you are seeking and the simplest way to get and stay there. I also like that it was short! Who wants to spend days reading about cleaning up around their home when they can actually be doing it? This book offers some ideas and inspiration to get you started in the right direction, and then lets you use the rest of your time to get going.
Some topics covered are a simple decluttering method, clutter control, organization, cleaning, and tips for getting household members on board. Some tips that I found helpful or encouraging were:
- work for short periods and break projects down into manageable bits
- be realistic about your limitations (time, money, energy)
- balance your resources (you may have more money than you have time, or more time than money. Spend money where you can to make things easier, or put in extra time where you can to make things cost effective.
- Analyze where things collect and why and then design your clutter control around your habits and preferences (a laundry hamper where you undress to avoid a dirty laundry pile, a “gathering basket” holding place for things waiting to be put away. When the basket is full make one trip to put everything away, etc.)
- “Never nag. It’s useless.”
This is a quick read and has some valuable tips for anyone who feels like getting their home under control is a daunting task. The tips I found helpful might not make sense for you, but there were plenty of others that might work in your home and just weren’t a good fit for me. The biggest takeaway for me was that the state of your home is a personal choice, and the level of organization and cleanliness have to work for you. How you do it is flexible so that it fits in your life and you build a routine you will maintain instead of one you will abandon.
I received a copy of this book for free to read and review through Netgalley
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