Homemaking Card System

A few years back I read at 50’s Housewife about her homemaking card system she used.  Years later, married, with a home, I have begun to adapt the same card system and have found it amazingly helpful in keeping my housework in line and consistent.How it works is I have the whole month divided by each day (the numbers) and the year which is divided by months.  Each card is labeled with a job, how often I am to do it, and how long it takes. 

For example: Water Plants: Daily: 10 minutes

Each card color is divided by how often it is done.  One color for daily, one color for weekly, monthly, a certain amount of times a year, etc.

After all cards are made I organize them into that month and for items that only happen a few times a year, I put those in their designated month. 

After I have completed a task, I insert the card into the next time I need to do it…next week, next month, etc.

One area that I have found most helpful is the time it takes to do things.  Before this card system I would make excuses that I did not have enough time to start cleaning something because I needed to be somewhere in 20 minutes.  But by labeling the time and splitting up jobs into individual tasks (like clean toilet bowl vs. clean whole bathroom) I am able to tackle smaller tasks here and there when I have a free moment.  My time is used so much more efficiently and I do not have to feel like I must have large chunks of time free to get anything done. 

The system also includes a color card for personal items.  This includes things like doctor’s appointments, painting my nails, and returning library books.  Not only am I making sure my home is taken care of, it helps me to keep myself a priority as well.

I was amazed at how easy and efficient this system has been in keeping our home clean and organized.  I never have to worry about a dirty toilet or that it has been months since I dusted.  I now have a personal reminder each day of what needs to be taken care of.

This system can be as flexible or rigid as you make it.  Obviously, there needs to be some sort of commitment to getting it done but it does not have to take over your life.  If I pick up more work last minute or schedule lunch with a friend and do not have time to get to all of my tasks for the day, I just move the cards to another day or next week.  I also use a small calendar where I write a check mark on days that are full of jobs already (or on a day I will be busy with something else and will not have time for housework).  This helps me to organize the jobs evenly so that I don’t get stuck with an overwhelming amount of jobs on any certain day. The card system is adapted from this book that gives full and complete details.  It is a very easy read and gives lots of helpful information that I could never type all out in this one post. :)

How do you keep your home {and yourself} in order?