Take Five - How Five Minutes Can Tidy a Home

It's Monday evening, dinner is over and the children are finally snuggled down for the night. You take a look around and sigh in exasperation. What a mess! There's a way to get the place looking neat and tidy and it only takes five minutes per room.

Before you begin your five minutes, gather up the cleaning supplies you might need. If you don't have one, get a carrier that holds furniture polish, a soft cloth, window cleaner, Chlorox wipes and a roll of paper towels. You'll also need a timer that you can leave in the carrier or borrow one from the kitchen. Let's start in the family room.

Set the timer for just five minutes. Begin immediately picking up the largest items first. Gather the newspapers, magazines, toys, pillows from the sofa, and anything that catches your eye. Put them where they belong. Straighten up end tables, removing any glasses, cups, or plates. Quickly dust the end tables using the furniture polish and a soft cloth. Do the same if you have a coffee table. Spray the TV screen with window cleaner if there are fingerprints or dust visible. Stop tidying up the room when the timer goes off. If you think you're finished and the timer is still ticking, you may have time to dust off the top of the TV or entertainment center. Once five minutes is up, leave the room taking the carrier and timer with you. Move on to the next room.

Many homes have living rooms that are used less than the family room. Go ahead and set the timer for five minutes. Again, pick up all large items first, if there are any. If not, plump pillows on the sofa, dust the room, or wash a window or two until time is up. The idea is to tidy.

Move on to the dining room. A dining room can be formal or perhaps just the eating area off the kitchen. Regardless, it too needs a five minutes, so set the timer and begin. First things first, pick up large items that may be lying about. If you didn't gather up used dishes from dinner in your rush to put children to bed, do it now. Don't wash the dishes, yet, just put them in the kitchen. Wipe crumbs off the table catching them in a paper towel. If there's time use the furniture polish on the tables and chairs.