Steps to ‘Clean & Clear’ Your Entryway
The steps I use when cleaning and clearing my entryway are shown below. Remember, do not burn yourself out. Do only as much as you can without feeling burnt out. You can always finish up tomorrow. Do not stress over these steps.
Step in the door to your entryway and take a look around the room from one side to the other side. I usually take a sweeping look from left to right but go in whatever direction works best for you. It doesn’t matter which order you do the steps in as long as you do them. They all play an important part in helping to make a big difference in the appearance of this room.
My entryway is very small and I don’t have much in this area anymore – however, it was a completely different story even a couple months ago. I used to have my treadmill in this little 5’x7′ area … talk about making this area seem even smaller!
In most houses, the entryway is also a catch-all for items. In my house, it is a catch-all for pop cans that I need to take back to the redemption center. There are, also, items that I need to take to Goodwill or to an Animal Hospital/Shelter. Over the past 2 years, I have really cleared this area up quite a bit and gotten rid of most everything unless it is absolutely necessary to be here (like my ice-melt for the sidewalk, in the winter months). Other than that, I like this area to be very neat and clean. I want people to feel welcome when they come to my home.
One thing that has helped my family immensely is that I bought a nice shoe rack to hold the shoes and it has a storage place up on top with baskets (one basket for each child), so that they can just drop their items into these immediately upon entering the house. Then, when they go to do homework, they know exactly where to find it. No more excuses … it also serves as a reminder, when I see it, to ask about homework that needs to be done today. We no longer have to worry about getting their papers mixed up and they always know where to find them now – no more searching in a frantic rush before school … more importantly, no more calls from school saying “Mom, I left _ _ _ _ _ at home and it’s due today! Can you to bring it to me so I don’t get in trouble?” Also, I put anything they need to take in those baskets and we are good to go (signed permission slips, lunch money, etc).
You can go into any home store and find a nice shoe rack that will match your decor. Our shoe rack is taller and has 3 tiers or racks for shoes with an area to put items into it on top. I think ours only cost around $30.00 and I bought the baskets separately to fit on the top area for around $12.00. The main thing to look for is whatever works best for you.
If you have a larger entryway (with alot of furniture and other things), You can use my steps as a starting guide and modify them to suit your needs and what will work best with your family.
Just start looking at one side and wherever your eyes see something that needs to be cleaned and cleared, stop right there and concentrate on this one area. Do this until you can look from one side to the other and don’t see any areas that need cleaned and cleared. That is how I ultimately am getting my house cleaned out. My house is not perfect, but I can honestly say that it’s much cleaner looking than it was a year ago because I have cleared out so much clutter – on my own terms. And, when you do this again, you may find that the knickknack that you thought you loved and had to keep is now something that you can get rid of … because you just don’t like it as much as you thought you did. And, that space will look better now that it’s gone. You’ll surprise yourself if you keep doing this long enough. This is not a change, this is a life-style choice. Once you start feeling the changes, you’ll re-think your old ways … and, it feels GOOD!!! 🙂
If you will notice, my cleaning and clearing steps (shown below) will probably take you less than 15 minutes to do each step but I guarantee that you will see a noticeable difference after each step. So, remember, don’t get stressed, you can always come back and finish where you left off.
Good Luck and Have Fun Cleaning and Clearing !!!
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I start with the shoes. I pick up all the stray shoes all over the area and put them on the shoe-rack.
- I use my shoe-rack baskets for the catch-all, but you might have a table or something else that you put everything on. I start by clear the catch-all area completely. I only put items there that are needed (such as school-work and things that can’t be forgotten). I remove all the papers and whatever else gets put there when my family members come home. I put each item in the place where it belongs – if it belongs in a bedroom, I put it there (or have my children put it there). Do not put it anywhere else or it will stay there. Do it now and get it done. Empty your catch-all. Once you do this initially, it won’t take long to do it again each day.
- When I head out the door, I take all of the empty pop cans and items for donation out to my car trunk. I only put them here (by the door) because I know that the next time I leave my house, they will go with me. It makes it much easier when I’m out and about to just drop the bagged items off and get them out of my house. If I did not put them by the door for when I leave next time, I would forget them. This system works best for me – it clears my entryway each time I leave.
- My entryway is also right next to the basement door – I usually get items piling up by the top of the stairs (just waiting to go downstairs and be put away in it’s proper place). So, in order to clear this area, I make myself take items downstairs each time I go down there. I don’t take everything down all at once, unless I’m feeling really ambitious. Normally, I take a handful down with me each time I go. I have items on my steps, too, but that will be another section so I don’t worry about these now as long as we have a clear path to the basement – and, it’s not a tripping hazard. My steps are 4′ wide and I have a clear 3′ wide at least on each step. I do not generally recommend leaving items on steps … but, in real life, I am guilty of doing this.
- With my entryway area all cleared up, it is time to get to cleaning it up. Now, I grab a bottle of Windex and clean all of the fingerprints off of the insides and outsides of both doors (the screen door and the security door). This makes a world of difference and only takes a few minutes.
- Next, I grab my entryway rugs and take them outside and shake them or throw them in the washing machine. Then, I grab my vaccuum cleaner and vaccuum up the dried dirt and mud to make it easier to actually wash the floor.
- Now, it’s time to use some floor cleaner and wash my tile floor. It is always being tracked in on. I’ve found it easiest sometimes, when I’m in a hurry, just to grab my bottle of Windex and spray it on the floor and wipe it up instead of dragging out a mop bucket and mop.
Each of these steps have the ability to change the whole tone of your house – It will simply smell cleaner and feel fresher. You will notice the difference! So, go ahead and relic in the pleasure of a job well done – You’ve earned it! … And, with any luck, this is the motivation you need to keep going on to more success!