Clean Sweep: Mum’s housework schedule keeps her home neat and tidy
It’s hard work to keep your house clean, but this mum has figured out a simple way to keep every space in her home clean and organised.
Welcome to Clean Sweep, news.com.au’s home organisation series featuring exclusive advice on how to declutter your home direct from Aussies who have spruced their way to success.
Many mums would be horrified at the prospect of strangers looking into their pantries or children’s T-shirt drawers.
But not Kate Rowe.
Her beautifully styled home in Mudgee, NSW, is a source of pride for the 29-year-old dance teacher.
And this organised mum has designed a housework schedule she sticks to meticulously, in order to keep her home looking spotless, day and night.
A self-professed home organisation enthusiast, Rowe started her Instagram account four years ago and has amassed an impressive 45.5k followers in that time.
“I had always loved interiors and there were a few great Instagram accounts I really fell in love with,” she said.
“They sounded like everyday people like myself and that inspired me to start my own.”
Despite working four days a week, Rowe estimates she spends about two to four hours a day tidying up, cleaning and organising her home, which she purchased with her husband Eddy seven years ago.
“I created a housework schedule that I shared with my audience a few months back and I find it’s great for keeping me on track and being made aware of when things need to be done,” she says.
For the most part, Rowe said her home does indeed look the way it does in her Instagram pictures.
“We do actually live like this, believe it or not,” she said with a laugh.
“Sometimes I’ll have clothes on the table that I’m folding, or my five-year-old son Ollie will have toys all over the floor, but for the most part my home is as it seems.”
She said she prefers to keep everything “in its place” and reset at the end of each day, in order to wake up to a fresh home in the morning.
Her friends marvel at the fact her home is so meticulously neat, despite having a young son.
“I think so long as you have some great organising systems set-up it doesn’t matter if you have children in the mix,” Rowe said.
“The trick is making sure everything has a place.
“Ollie has his big toy bags that at the end of the night, everything gets packed away into”.
“We also have an Ikea organiser where everything is sectioned off into LEGO, blocks, train tracks etc,” she said.
“When he is playing he removes the tub and it slides back in once he is done.
“That keeps everything together and is easy to pack away at the end of the day.”
THE KITCHEN
Rowe said her kitchen is the space she is most proud of in her home.
“We did a mini renovation and those little changes really had a big impact,” she explained.
“It’s the heart of the home and we spend a lot of our day in there, so it really makes our home feel like something special”.
She believes clutter leads to waste, so having an organised pantry and fridge will ultimately save her family money.
“I think that being organised in the fridge and pantry is a big one,” Rowe said.
“Only storing what you use in a spot that is visible is key. This saves food going off too.”
Rowe said meal planning, especially with children, is vital in order to save money.
“If I am disorganised I end up spending a fortune on takeaway,” she said.
Her favourite kitchen “hack” is using Kmart lazy susans to organise the space.
“I love a good lazy susan … we store all our condiments on one in the pantry, and we have recently put two of the Kmart ones in our fridge,” she said.
“It’s so much easier to see everything”.
The storage turntables can be picked up at Kmart for just $5 each.
THE PANTRY
She said her enviable pantry is mostly made up of items from Kmart.
“All the containers are Kmart. I am always being asked if they are airtight and they haven’t missed a beat,” she said.
“I’m so happy with them. They also look like the Tupperware ones.”
When looking for new items for her home, Rowe said she loves to check out Freedom and Adairs (particularly for bedding).
“H&M home always have some really great affordable homewares too … I also love The Rug Lady, the rugs are affordable and absolutely beautiful,” she said.
Another hot tip Rowe offered for nabbing some affordable homewares was to scope social media for unique pieces.
“Instagram has some really great ‘makers’ and small businesses for homewares,” she said.
Rowe was adamant that it’s possible to have a beautiful home without spending a fortune.
“The more you are willing and able to DIY, the more you are able to achieve on a budget,” she said.
“Comparing prices and shopping around is key. For example we popped some beautiful plantation shutters throughout our home and went with a DIY company.”
According to the thrifty mum, she ended up saving a lot of money and the installation process was simple.
MONEY SAVING TIPS
According to Rowe, there are simple ways to make your home look beautiful on a budget.
“I splurged on a beautiful hand soap … when it was finished, I kept the bottle and I fill with cheaper soap, so it looks great many months later,” she said.
Rowe said she is also a big fan of fresh flowers around the home, but makes sure they can last the distance.
“Natives are my best friend they make the home feel lively and fresh and once they are dried I keep them to make beautiful dried wreaths,” she said.
PICK A SPACE AND START
Rowe’s advice for anyone wishing to follow in her footsteps and reorganise their home is to pick one particular space to focus on.
“Make sure that when you are reorganising that you are not holding onto excess clutter and things that you no longer use or need,” she said.
“This creates space and room to appreciate and see what we have, use and value.”
Rowe also said practicality is extremely important when reorganising spaces in your home.
“When you are in ‘cleaning mode’, make sure you don’t get carried away putting things in places you don’t intend on maintaining, or that will be too hard to maintain,” she said.
“It has to work for your everyday life.”
She said it’s also vital to remain committed to the changes you put in place at home.
“You have to put the time in to maintain your own systems,” she said.
“A great organised pantry isn’t so great when you are going to dump this week’s shop in front of it or wherever it fits.
“Maintaining routines in the long term will keep the space looking organised”.
Rowe said she could always remember being neat and tidy, but her hobby has escalated as she has become older.
“I think the older I’ve gotten the more I seem to like systems and organisation,” she explained.
“I also have less time for clutter. I keep taking my organisation to the next level.”
Share your home organisation story with the Clean Sweep team at cleansweep@news.com.au
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