Our Lives: Minimize it Monday: Hot Spot

According to FLYlady, Hot Spot is any area, but usually one that is clean. Yet, as soon as you lay one piece of paper on it, the paper will begin to multiply and before you know it, the surface will be covered.

Yesterday afternoon I decided to call for a family meeting to fight the hot spots in our home. I supposed if I were to live alone, I may or may not have these many hot spots to take care of, depending on how diligent I could be and if I were a pack-rat. But since we have five people living in this tiny condo, chances are if everyone just put one or two items on a clean spot, before you know it, as FLYlady said, they multiplied.

I am starting this minimizing effort by giving both Christine and Joshua "their hot spots". They are responsible in keeping the areas clean. The good thing is, our home is not filthy, meaning you won't find decay food scraps around the house, just clutter. It didn't take long for them to clean the stuff off the surfaces.

I will be assigning them a new spot each week till we cover all of the hot spots in the house.

Just in case you are wondering, I have some spots, too. even Robert volunteered for one. The family felt very good last evening after all of the "assigned" spots were cleaned before sitting down for an old movie viewing.

Minimize the Hot spot, minimize the stress.

Christine took the really hot spots: Dinner table top, the high traffic spot...

She loves the "after"!

and the stair rail spot. Whose stuff are these?

Now gone. Christine has been keeping that area stuff free since yesterday. Believe me, it is an accomplishment.

Joshua took the up stair ledge. That surface is an awful area to keep it clean at all time. Everyone of us all have put things there waiting to take down stairs. So far, Joshua has been keeping a keen eye on it, nothing has landed there since yesterday as well.

Another surface that beckons for stuff to be put there, this, too, is Joshua's "territory".

Last but not least, for Joshua, the linen closet top. Stuff just seemed to appear up there often and *NO ONE* seems to remember who put them there...

After - oh boy, the inside of the house needs to be painted desperately...

Good job Josh!

I love how this look every time when it is clean. I hope this time it will stay clean longer since Joshua is staying on top of the clutter there now.

Robert claimed this spot. The quickest cluttered up surface due to its position being next to the garage door and we just unload things there as we come in from outside. The battery recharger seems to reside there permanently.

I couldn't believe my eyes! Where did he put that battery recharger? I found a place for the rice cooker on the other side of the counter since we use it almost daily. I just noticed the adhesive residue from the shipping tape in front of the top drawer. We were trying to keep Peter's little inquisitive hand out of that drawer. I have to figure how to get rid of the mark without damaging the wood surface.