"Cleaning with kids in the house is like brushing your teeth while eating oreos."
"Instead of cleaning the house, I just turn off the lights."
"You never know what you have until you clean your house/room"
Being the month of Thanksgiving and making a more earnest effort
to have and show Gratitude. Here is a shout out for my parents. THANK YOU for
teaching me how to clean and clean well.
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| If the thought of cleaning causes you to do this. Create a schedule, it will help. |
Growing up, of course, I hated it when my mom or dad would double
and triple check my work for completeness. It has paid off, literally. After I
served an 18 month mission for my Church,
work was very hard to come by. Long story short I started cleaning houses. In
doing so I discovered three things: 1) I enjoyed it (no boss, flexible hours,
and peace and quiet) 2) I was good at it and 3) It pays well (I was making
between $15-$22 an hour).
I have met many (including myself) that have a hard time keeping
clean and organized. Having a clean home improves my spirits. Take care to not
let it consume you (I have and it no fun). This routine helps me balance having
a clean home and other activities.
Here is my Cleaning Routine. Later I will post
on house size and what is really needed. I have used this routine for 1+
years in a 2 bedroom 2 bath house and currently 1 bedroom 1 bath
apartment.
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| Let's get cleaning! |
Daily
Tasks
1. Pick Up Clothes
Put clean clothes away and dirty in laundry basket. Do before
bed.
2. Tidy My Room
Whatever is tidy for you. Put things in their place. I make sure
nothing is on the floor so when I get up to get the baby (in the middle of the
night) no angry words come out of mouth. Do before bed.
3. Unload Dishwasher
This is my least favorite chore. Nothing is better to waking up to
an unloaded dishwasher. Do before bed.
4. Tidy Bathrooms
Wipe counters if needed. And just put things away. Do before bed.
5. Tidy Baby's Room
Put toys away and such. Do before bed.
6. Weekly Task
Compete task for that day during the day. See below.
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| OH what joy comes from finishing cleaning. |
Weekly
Tasks
Monday - Laundry Day
Tuesday - Clean Bathroom
1. Once a month scrub shower and/or bathtub (i do it twice a month
because my baby uses tub and I want it cleaner for him)
2. Clean Toilets
3. Clean Mirrors
4. Clean Counters
Wednesday - Clean Surfaces
1. Wipe Cupboards and Appliances
2. Dust Master Bedroom Furniture
3. Dust Family Room
4. Dust baby's room
5. Dust Window Seals
6. Once a month or every other wipe inside of fridge.
Thursday - Clean Floors
1. Sweep or vacuum entire house
2. Mop Kitchen
3. Alternate mopping other rooms with hardwood floors i.e. (Master
bedroom and bathroom) and (Baby bedroom, bathroom, and family room)
4. Once a Month Clean Corners and Baseboards
Friday - Organize Something
Whatever you want to do. Pick something small. A kitchen drawer, a
cupboards, a closet shelf, sewing supplies, etc. No more than 20 min.
Saturday - Monthly Task
Monthly
Tasks
Pick one from the list
Wash walls - and use touch up paint where necessary
Clean out drawers and closets - donate usable clothing and items to
charity
Clean and organize the garage and or basement
Wash duvets, blankets, comforters, spreads, pillows
Organize the pantry and kitchen cabinets - throw out
expired food or plan meals to use soon to expire items
Wash windows - (inside and out) and screens
Deep-clean Floors/Rugs
Clean all the hard-to-reach places - behind the
stove, refrigerator, washer/ dryer, sofas
Clean medicine cabinets - throw away expired medications
Clean and organize personal files
Defrost and clean freezer, stove, oven
You will find that at first it will take up a bit of time to clean
all this, but by the second week it will be a lot easier and the third it will
be a breeze. Why is this?
The more dirt and scum build up the more elbow grease will be
needed in the beginning. Another is that you will develop your own way of
cleaning and just like anything else you will get quicker and better at it. And
lastly, as you keep it up you will only be dealing with a week of dirt, so
cleaning time will go faster. Also I skip some cleaning tasks some weeks depending my time and/or if its not dirty.
Having a day to clean one thing helps me not get overwhelmed and
consumed. Before my baby was born and a bit after I did all the cleaning in one or two days. This made it so I did not have to worry about cleaning the rest of the
week. I hope you find this helpful.
Love this article and this one that explains why we
should make an effort on keeping a clean house. Note I am not perfect nor is
anyone else. I am not trying to shame others but encourage (including myself).
