Stuck at home the next two weeks? Yeah, me too.
We aren’t sick, but schools are closed, work is closed for many, and grocery shopping is done. I don’t guess there is really much else to do, except maybe catch-up at home!
Did you know a clean, tidy home can actually make you feel better? It can lower your anxiety, make you feel energized, and generally put you in a better mood.
I’m not saying you should spend your entire “mini-break” doing housework, but a little effort each day can put you feeling pretty good about your home in just two weeks.
Catching up at home will also ensure you have a comfortable, happy place to work and hang out with your family.
Here is your 14-Day Home Catch-Up Plan:
1 – Catch up on paperwork.
You know that pile of mail and paperwork that’s been sitting in the “to-do” spot for longer than you would like to admit? Let’s tackle it.
I recommend doing this task early in your social distancing before you are sick of your sweet, dear family.
No one wants to pay bills, file papers, and generally do anything financial when they are starting to dislike everyone around them.
Need more help getting paperwork under control? Check out how my best tips for mail organization without a big DIY project!
2 – Polish all the furniture.
I love the smell of fresh furniture polish, and I love the look even more!
Grab a bottle of polish and a couple of dusting rags and get to work! This task won’t take long, and your home will be shiny and pretty.
This is a great task for kids too. If they’ve never dusted before, give them a quick lesson and then trust them to get it done.
Want to get your kids involved in more chores? Check out this free downloadable chore chart for kids.
3 – Wipe down your kitchen cabinets.
My grandmother wipes down all her kitchen cabinets daily. I’m almost sure of it.
Me, not so much. I try to do it monthly. They probably could handle it weekly.
Grab your favorite kitchen cleaner and get ready to put in some elbow grease. Get all the “tacky film”, you know that grimy stuff that builds up, off and enjoy your sparkling clean kitchen.
After getting all the grime off, I enjoy an extra wipe-down using Murphy’s Oil. It gives a nice, shiny look to your cabinets.
4 – Inventory your food.
With all the panic and runs on the grocery store, it’s easy to want to freak out. Chances are though, you have more food than you think you have in your freezer, fridge and pantry.
Grab a notebook and create three separate pages. Title each page, “Fridge”, “Freezer” and “Pantry”.
Next, write down every single thing you have in your inventory.
For example:
- 3 lbs chicken breaks
- ½ bag of frozen broccoli
- 2 containers of yogurt
- 5 eggs
You might learn you can survive for weeks off of what is in your pantry!
Feeling lost on how to survive not grocery shopping every week? Check out my No Spend Grocery Challenge. It may be the tool you need to make it another few weeks.
5 – Do a repair that’s been on your to-do list.
You know that repair that’s been on your to-do list for weeks, maybe months? Now is the time.
Pick a repair or project you can do with the tools on hand, and get it done.
Don’t worry about something being outside your wheel-house. YouTube can literally teach you how to do anything. (I learned how to drywall from YouTube. Seriously, you can learn anything.)
6 – Wash ALL your bedding
I wash our sheets often. I don’t wash our blankets and comforters as often.
Open a window, air out your room, and wash ALL the bedding. You will feel so good when you crawl into bed later tonight.
7 – Wash your windows, inside and out.
Just because you are social distancing doesn’t mean you can’t go outside your home!
Check off this spring cleaning task no one really wants to do but we all enjoy it when it is done.
Get your kiddos to help with washing the windows on the inside. This is a task they can likely help with if they are in elementary school or older.
8 – Organize your spices.
You are going to be cooking at home a lot more often than you might be used to before this crazy time.
Pull all of your spices out. Then, inventory them if you like.
Think about what spices you use and how often.
Some people like to organize their spices in alphabetical order. That’s not my jam. I like to organize by what I use.
Baking spices and baking additions go on the top shelf. I bake less often than I cook.
The weird spices we love but don’t use often, those go on the middle shelf. The least used go in the very back, on a stair-stepping type shelf. The more popular go towards the front.
The spices we use daily go on the bottom shelf, with the most used spices in the very front. It works!
9 – Declutter and organize a storage closet
Had enough of your family? Go lock yourself in a storage closet. Seriously. It’s a place no one will want to help you!
Go find a box or two you’ve been meaning to tackle for YEARS, and start decluttering. If you can’t go anywhere right now, consider moving the give-away pile to the front of the closet, to the trunk of your car, or to the garage.
Finally, organize what is left.
10 – Declutter and organize your clothes closet.
If you are home a lot, you may be getting caught up on laundry. Use this time to declutter your clothes you don’t wear that often or have been meaning to go through.
Look for clothes you haven’t work recently, still have tags on them, or don’t fit
Need more help? Check out these posts:
- How to Declutter Your Closet Fast
- How to Create a Capsule Wardrobe: Beginner’s Guide Included
- 9 Proven Methods to Decluttering Your Closet Without Regrets
11 – Declutter and organize kids’ toys.
If you are spending more time with your kids than usual at home, you are probably getting a really good idea of the toys they continue to play with every day and the ones they skip over.
Use this opportunity to purge toys they have outgrown, don’t like, or that you hate. (It’s ok to hate a toy and find it a new home. I’m not judging you!)
Related Posts:
12 – Declutter and organize your craft space.
If you find yourself not going anywhere and spending time doing more crafts and projects, use this time to be honest with yourself about the types of crafts you enjoy.
If you have a craft that used to be your thing, and now you don’t enjoy it anymore, move it to the give-away pile.
Use this time at home to finish any projects too.
Finally, organize what is left.
Don’t go buying more craft supplies until you have used up what you have on hand!
Related post: Declutter and Organize Your Craft Room
13 – Tidy up your entry-way
Your entry-way is the first space you see when you or guests enter your home. It can also set the tone for the rest of the space it flows into.
Use this time at home to tidy up your entry-way and organize things like shoes, coats, and any other items you store in an entry-way closet.
I like to keep my shoes organized on a shoe rack in the entry-way closet. Maybe you enjoy a basket or a door hanging organizer. Find what works for your space, and get that project finally done!
14 – Clean out and detail your car.
OK, so your car isn’t inside of your home, but when you are finally able to travel freely without worry, you will have a spic and span car to travel in.
Bonus, make your kids help. They can empty out trash, see all the fun treats they left under the car seats, and generally make the task a little less daunting.
14-Day Home Catch-Up Plan
If you are stuck at home for two weeks with your kids out of school and no businesses to really frequent, then now is the time for a home catch-up plan.
Check off a quick task every day, and when we all no longer isolated, you will feel calmer and have a clean home!
Good luck!
Monthly Decluttering Challenge: Closets and Clothes