Tame 2022 With the Triple T Approach to Tidying

I’m here to share my secret for sorting out my home life in a hurry. This technique can be applied to any space and has cut my cleaning time in half. I call it the Triple T Approach to Tidying and not to be dramatic but… it’s kind of changed my life. You know those “Life hacks for moms” articles that leave you feeling like the writer is possibly a bot, and definitely not a mom? I can assure you, I’d never do you like that. Give yourself 10 minutes to try Triple T and you’ll see that it’s the real deal.

I see you, friend.  You’re a veritable momming machine. Maybe you’re a stay at home mom, rocking snack time, nap time, play time, second snack time {seriously, am I the only one surprised by how much they eat?}. Perhaps you work outside of the home, juggling school runs, commutes, deadlines and dinner plans. Or maybe you’re somewhere in the middle, as so many of us have been since 2020. You might work from home, where you’re likely balancing school prep {or schoolwork!}, meals, Zoom meetings, naptimes and client calls.

How it Might Be Now

No matter how you spend your day, chances are you’ve likely spent a portion of it picking up toys, feeding the dog, making snacks, cycling laundry, taking calls, changing diapers, sending email… only to catch your breath and realize that every surface in your line of sight is covered again. How did this happen? Wasn’t this place spotless a few minutes ago? {Well, okay, so ‘spotless’ takes on a different meaning once you have kids, but you know what I mean!}

And yes, I’ve read the same advice you’ve read about how it’s best to get everyone in the household involved by doing chores that fit their skill and age level. But we both live in the real world so I’m not here to share that again. We’ve all seen the Pinterest-perfect chore wheels and daily schedules that went viral at the start of the pandemic. Maybe some of us {ahem, guilty} entertained the idea of implementing them for our own families.

But this will not be another article featuring beautiful hand drawn visuals. Certainly, there are times when gentle parenting and housework intersect perfectly. That’s when you take the time to patiently show your child how to use the broom properly or swish the brush in the toilet bowl. And then there are times when it’s just easier to blow through the house like the spraying/wiping/vacuuming/pile-hiding whirlwind you know you’re capable of being.

How You Do the Triple T Approach

So, here’s how the Triple T approach works:

The first T stands for TRASH… Do a quick scan of the damage and identify anything that can be tossed or recycled. String cheese wrappers littering the coffee table? Gone! Remnants of the kiddo’s lunch still sitting on the table? Scrape those plates into the garbage! Mysterious strips of paper that you don’t recall supplying to anyone strewn all over the floor? Yep, throw them in the recycling bin! The point of this step is to secure an easy win that will propel you towards the next phase, which admittedly, requires a bit more work.

The second T stands for TOYS/TECH… There was a time when this step only included toys but now that my son is older, it’s evolved to include tech. And to be honest, this is an area where I can be just as guilty of leaving my own things laying around. If you’re like me, your living area is no doubt laden with various stuffies, books, blocks and maybe a tablet or laptop. This is another quick step that will have the space looking spiffy in no time. Stash those lovies, loose Lego pieces and much-loved picture books in a container with a lid. Put the tablet on the counter {bonus points for plugging it into a charger} and move on!

The final T stands for TEXTILES… After getting my son off to school in the morning, I often come home and have about 20 minutes before I head back out the door for work. Greeting me on the couch is the nest of blankets and pillows that he lazes on during that hazy period between waking up and getting dressed. There’s also often a handful of clothes, usually pajamas and maybe the occasional outfit that I’ve vetoed after deciding it’s not quite the look I’m going for that day. A quick folding and stashing of the blankets and a minute spent hanging the rejected outfit in the closet will leave you feeling so much better about life. I promise I’m not being dramatic about this.

How Did It Go?

And that’s it, that’s the entire secret! True, Triple T doesn’t eliminate the need to vacuum or wipe down the counters but surfaces should now be accessible in a way that they weren’t 10 minutes ago. I promise you that somehow, having a cutesy name for your clean up routine will make it seem like less of a chore, maybe even somewhat game-like. That’s been my experience and I’d love to hear what yours is, if you give Triple T a try!

Pin this post and be sure to follow
Houston Moms
on Pinterest!