Cleaning 101 Series: Kick Off

Cleaning 101

There was a time I considered myself to be a clean freak.  Sometimes a little OCD.  I credit my mother, who was very clean and literally vacuumed herself out of the room after tucking us in at night...so we could walk onto fresh carpet.

Personally, I feel better, think more clearly, and am so much more productive and happy when my house is clean.  But I know not everyone is that way and I also have learned, since having children, that I have to find a balance.
I NO LONGER HAVE THE TIME TO CLEAN THE WAY I DID & WITH KIDS IT DOESN'T STAY CLEAN VERY LONG.

 So after several years of trial and error...I have a cleaning schedule and plan that works great for me...hopefully it can help you too.

Here is the Basic Break Down:

Daily Quick Clean: (20 minutes tops)
A Weekly Cleaning Day: (2 hours)
Monthly/Spring Cleaning Duties Day: (1-2 hours)

Daily Quick Clean:

I do a "Quick Clean" every day that last AT MOST 20 minutes.  Usually it takes me 10 minutes.

This includes making beds, picking up, and a simple wipe down of surfaces, etc.

I have a routine, and once I got the routine down I can do it in 10 minutes.

1. I begin in my room: Make bed, pick up & put away clothing etc.
2. Bathrooms: Put away items, wipe down counters, sink, and toilet.
This is a QUICK wipe with a disposable Clorox Wipe.
3. Living Spaces: Pick Up & Put Away items. Wipe down kitchen counters & Table.

Staying on top of this daily, keeps the house under control and tidy.  AND makes Cleaning Day easier.
*ALSO, this keeps the house tidy for those unexpected visits from friends or neighbors.

Cleaning Day: 
 I have one day a week that is my CLEANING DAY. For me it is Friday.  We usually entertain on the weekends, so I like the house to be freshly cleaned.  This "day" isn't a whole day, it actually totals 2 hours of cleaning. That is not a lot, but I can get a TON done. I work fast, use a timer, and have a routine.
1. Scrub Bathrooms
2. Scrub Kitchen
3. Dust
4. Vacuum & Mop Floors
 I will go into "cleaning details" further posts of this series.

Monthly Cleaning:
Each week, I rotate through a "Spring Cleaning" project totaling 1-2 hours.  Depending on my week I may tack it on to my cleaning day, or Do it another day.  

These jobs include anything from cleaning appliances, vacuuming the couches, washing windows, etc. Tasks that don't need to be done each week (or maybe I should say, in reality, I can't accomplish each week). I rotate through them, so that I don't have to have a huge Spring Cleaning.  I like staying on top of it.  It keeps the house clean and my job easier to handle.

Cleaning 101 Series:

So Throughout this Cleaning 101 Series I will break down the routine, how to clean, cleaning tips, kid's chores, and so much more.  To follow all of the posts in the Cleaning 101 Series I will continually link them below.