Between kids, a husband, a puppy, lots of company, and regular day-to-day life, how are you supposed to keep up? It just seems like it's neverending cleaning and cooking!
Well I have found my routine. Granted, it's not very "organized", but it cuts down the stress and keeps a presentable home.
Dust. Here in Phoenix, it's dusty. We bought a house with zero landscaping. So the dirt makes for an extra dusty home. I wipe down all surfaces (doors, door frames, tables, eletronics, light switches, baseboards, ceiling fans, etc) every other day with a damp cloth. It seems tedious, but I don't have to worry about our allergies becoming miserable.
Sweep daily. It makes a difference. I move couches and rugs (after vacuuming rugs first) out of the way and sweep under beds and tables. You wouldn't believe how quickly those things collect dust and dirt underneath. Obviously, as you're sweeping, you are getting along the baseboards, so just lift the broom a bit and sweep off the baseboards themselves. We have 1,333 sq feet of tile, it only takes me about 10 minutes to sweep (and vacuum rugs) back to front.
Mop at LEAST every other day. As with the sweeping, it all adds up so quickly! I have a regular mop and a Shark steam mop. For days I need to really get down and clean, I make sure to use the regular mop and then go over everything again with the steam mop. The amount of dust that ends up on the microfiber, even after sweeping and mopping, is amazing! Between sweeping and mopping, it takes 25 minutes tops. Not that much time!
Dishes. Oh the neverending pile of dishes! The easiest way to keep up? When you're finished with a meal, wash the dishes! If you keep up, it's only 5 minutes for a large family! If you leave them to pile up, it's only adding time, and letting the food set. Plus, you get to wake up to no dishes in the sink!
Laundry. Since I handwash laundry, I try to keep up with it every 2-3 days. I have carpal tunnel and horrible arthritis, so large loads aren't doable for me. When it comes time to wash the winter blankets and comforters, I use the 8 load washers at the laundrymat. I can fit everything we used in that one washer. The awful part: sort, fold, and put all of it away immediately. It only takes a few minutes, and although tedious and boring, it's better to just get it over with. (Can you tell this is my LEAST favorite chore?!) One thing with the kids (2 and 4). They like to change 50 times per day, so their clothes are mostly on the floor. They have the responsibility of picking everything up, sorting them into whose clothes are whose, folding them all, and putting them in the proper cubby. They tend to make a little less of a mess, and it save me 10 minutes from having to do it myself!
Bathrooms. I leave a tub of Clorox wipes under the sink at all times, along with Scrubbing Bubbles foaming spray, a roll of paper towels, and toilet cleaner. Strangely enough, my 4 year old LOVES cleaning the bathroom. When they come in all muddy and wash their hands (and feet most days too), it's a muddy mess in there. But they know to wipe down the mess. They either grab a small piece of paper towel (select-a-size) or a Clorox wipe and wipe everything down! Simple. Takes 60 seconds. Ok, 90 second for a 4 year old. In my eyes, the bathroom should be thoroughly cleaned no less than once per week. I'm talking wipe down the walls, shower, tub, tank of toilet, toilet inside, the sides and base of toilet, sink, mirrors, pictures/clocks, towel racks. And really, it only takes 5 minutes.
Windows. I wash my windows once per week. I start inside and work my way outside. I have a hose in the front yard and one in the back, so I wash the house off (and sidewalks/patios) and spray the windows down. Then I go through with a towel to get the excess water off. Vinegar is cheap and the best window cleaner! So I wash all the windows inside, remove the screens (hose them off too!), wash the outside of the windows and replace the screens. Total time for windows and outside of the house: 45 minutes.
Sorting. Mail, newspapers, magazines, bills, and miscellaneous papers get piled up before you realize it. Go through them at least once per week. Have a designated place for magazines you want to keep, file away important papers and bills, put everything else in their assigned places, and then recycle the other paper items. We have a file box under our printer desk that holds folders, printer paper, weekly grocery ads, and wires for the computer (iPod/iPhone, cameras, hard drive, etc).
Once you start keeping up, it's hard to sit back for a day or two and see it all crash down. My daily routine has me cleaning for an hour every morning. It really doesn't take long if you keep up. Then, when someone says, "Hey, can I come over right now?" You don't have to panic (of course I still do) because it's pretty much ready for entertaining!
If you have any cleaning tips, let me know! What are some things you do to keep up with your family?
No comments:
Post a Comment