Living Room

Cleaning:

• Vacuum once or twice a week, paying special attention to high traffic areas or pet areas. I find that the rug where the cats nap needs extra care, plus a few spots on the floor in front of the couch.
• Before vacuuming, fluff throw pillows. (Fluffing them tends to stir up dust, so you should do this before vacuuming.)
• Vacuum under the couch cushions along with weekly vacuuming.
• Dust after vacuuming. Don't forget about lamp shades, wine bottles, etc.
• Every few weeks, remove the covers of couch cushions and launder them.
• Don't forget to wash afghans on the couch.
• If you have a sleeper sofa, remember to pull it out and clean it periodically, at least before any guests arrive.

Organization:

• Keep blankets for the couch neatly folded and off to one side.
• Keep DVDs and tapes on shelves near the TV in alphabetical order for easy finding.
• If you have books in your living room, place on shelves in alphabetical order by author.
• Don't let shoes, coats, bags, etc. drape over chairs in the living room; either use a coat rack or hall closet, or remove them from your person in your room so they can go straight into the closet.
• If you keep your alcohol stash in the living room, use a wine rack. Failing that, keep the bottles together on a shelf, with the most used ones within easy reach.
• Don't let projects from other areas of the house overflow into the living room. My dad uses the living room as an extension of the garage and his computer room, and I constantly have to move things out of the living room.
• On that note, I do usually have at least one knitting project in the living room. I move unnecessary knitting tools back to their storage places, and I keep the knitting in a basket on the floor under the table in front of the couch. If it's a big project that won't fit in the basket, I put it on top of the couch.
• I exercise in front of the TV every morning, so there's no point in keeping my weights anywhere else in the house. Rather than clutter the floor, and since I don't have enough equipment to necessitate a specialized storage system, I keep my weights in a seagrass basket by the TV.
• If you aren't using it, get rid of it. I've slowly decreased the amount of junk in my house over the years by throwing away or donating items no longer used. Doing so will declutter your space, giving you more room, destressing you, and making cleaning easier. Also, should you move, you will have less to take with you.
• If you are getting rid of an old DVD player, etc., make sure there are no DVDs in it before you do so.