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.

More Home Organization Printables

Here are additional pages for the Home Organization Binder.

First post found Here.

1. Here is a collection of Deep Spring Cleaning Cards.  They include everything from Lights, Fans, down to the Baseboards. 

Printable Spring Cleaning Cards found: Here.

2. & 3. Here are two PDFs Household Job Calendar by Day & Household Job Calendar 2 hr a Day.(which wont show a preview in the Google Docs, you have to  click on the download...sorry). 

These are the weekly charts. One splits up all Household Responsibilities by days of the week, and the other splits them down to 2 Hours Maximum a Day (for Deep Cleaning). They are rather self explanatory, but I previously explained how they work: Here.

Printable Household Job Calendar by Day found: Here.

Printable Household Job Calendar 2 hr a Day found: Here.

Free Printable Household Organization Binder

I love to be organized and all the fun organization printables available, but I found I wanted things changed here and there to fit my needs.  So I created my own Household Organizational Binder and I have included the Free Printables.

Click on the following for all of the Free Household Organization Binder Printables:

Set 1 (portrait)   Set 2 (landscape) 

Spring Clean List       Weekly Cleaning A     Weekly Cleaning B

(***The weekly cleaning downloads, have no preview.  The preview image had an error, so just click the download button that appears to get the Weekly Cleaning Printables***)

My Household Organization Binder includes 10 sections:

1. Schedule

2. Cleaning

3. Meal Plan

4. Food Storage

5. Budget

6. Projects

7. Blog

8. My Goals

9. Family Goals

10. Contacts & Resources

The Schedule section includes: Daily, Weekly & Monthly Agendas and Calendars. A Year @ A Glance, list of Holidays *I also include our families work, sports, & school schedules.

The Cleaning section includes: Cleaning Chore Cards and Sheet, 5 minute Clean Up List, Spring Clean Out and Problem Zones Sheet, House Hold Job Calendar, & Thorough Entire Home Spring Cleaning List

The Meal Plan section includes: Weekly and Monthly Meal Planning Sheets, Entertaining Planning, Shopping Lists, Family Menus, Seasonal Menus, Freezer Meal Lists, & Frozen Meal Preparation List.

The Food Storage section includes: Freezer Inventory, Pantry/Food Storage Inventory, & 3 Month Supply Plans. 

The Budget Section Includes: Coming in Future Blog Post of it's own.

The Projects section includes: Project Lists, Ideas and Resources, Short/Long Term, Small/Big Lists.

The Blog section includes: An Idea and Resource List & Calendar. 

The My Goals section includes: Personal Weekly, Monthly, and Long Term Goal Lists. *A Weekly Goal Check Off Chart not included & notes for my thoughts.

The Family Goals section includes: Family Weekly, Monthly, & Long Term Goal Lists,  A Funny Moments List, *And in mine I add A Weekly Goal Check Off Chart, & Ideas/Resources to help us reach the goals.

The Contacts section includes: Lists of contacts (address, email, phone, etc), Resource List, Babysitting Information Sheet, *And here I include all of our contact lists, directories etc.

This little binder is "my life".  It keeps me organized and on track.  And it gives me a place to put the important papers, notes, etc. Some pages I put in sheet protectors and write on with a white board marker, others I print out and write directly on.  

Many of the lists I created have multiple versions, so look around and find what works for you!  Enjoy.

How to Clean the Washing Machine

With all the spring cleaning in the air, cleaning the washing machine is often forgotten.  But I found a great tutorial for cleaning the inside of your machine from Ask Anna, found here. 

It is quick and easy 3 steps.

{image from Ask Anna}

Step 1: Fill machine up with water.  Add 2 cups of white vinegar and let sit for 1 hour.
Step 2: Start the machine over and let it run a complete cycle.
             Once drained, Wipe down the inside.  All the grime will rub off easily.
Step 3: Fill machine up again and add 2 cups of bleach.  Let soak for 1 hour.
Step 4: While soaking, clean the outside.

* This is where I add my own little trick. I use an old credit card 

(mine is actually an Albertson's Club Card).  

It fits into all the cracks easily and gets all the grime out.

You'd be shocked how dirty it can get.  

Do you have a Front Loader Washing Machine?  

Ever wondered how to clean and maintain a front loading washing machine.  Here is a great tutorial.  This lady's laundry was not washing well and smelling and she found the solution.  Found at: www.ecokaren.com.

*cleaning, washing machine, spring cleaning, how to clean appliances, how to clean washing machine.

Dollar Store Magic Eraser

I love the Dollar Store Magic Erasers.

They work just as well as the name brand Magic Erasers, but are 2 for $1.00

And I use them often so I go through them fast.

*sorry my picture is showing the color dingy and yellow...but it is actually bright white

 Combine it with a disinfectant and it cleans up a trash can amazingly well.

Foaming Soap Recipe

Want to refill your foam soap dispenser? And save money?

I love foaming soap, but we go through it so much faster than regular liquid soap.

And I like saving money.  Liquid soap you can buy the bulk refillable, but not foaming soap. 

But with the simple recipe to make foaming soap, you can not only refill it and save a ton of money, but it also uses about a tenth of the soap it takes to refill a regular soap bottle. So you save even more.

Foam Soap Recipe:

- Foaming Soap Dispenser

- Liquid Soap (Can be hand soap or liquid dish soap)

- Hot Water

*Optional: Soap Fragrance Oil

Directions:

Fill Foaming Soap Dispenser 1/8th full of liquid soap.  If you are using fragrance oils, add in 15-30 drops. Then slowly pour in hot water.  *Don't fill quite to the top, the pump takes up a bit of room. Stir until completely mixed. Don't shake or it foams over the top. Screw on Pump and you're done.

I bought liquid hand soap that had no fragrance and added oil and it worked great.  But I found Liquid Dish Detergent has a stronger fragrance  and color so that was easier and cheaper.

*I also like to match my choice of fragrance with the original soap from my pump. That way they match and no one knows.

Hand Sanitizer

Germ-X has a foaming hand sanitizer I love.  It is alcohol free, so it doesn't sting when your hands are cut or dry.  And less concern around children.  Also, this is one of the few alcohol free hand sanitizers that smells nice.  Just simple fresh and clean.

And when you buy it at Big Lots, it is a third of the price than at Walmart...

And even greater savings from several other stores. 

House Cleaning Schedule

Cleaning alone can be overwhelming.  And the larger the house the more to clean.  Then there are the "chores" that don't need to be done daily or weekly but more monthly and even seasonal... I find it easier to split it up so that things don't build up and become even more work.

So on my usual day I like to clean for an hour or two each morning, to keep the cleaning up and the house tidy. So instead of a full day of cleaning I split up all the chores between 6 days of the week, and rotate in the monthly and seasonal chores as well.  Below is a basic schedule I follow...but it may require tweeking for your schedule or your house.

House Cleaning Schedule:

 

Daily
Make Beds (5-10 min)
Pick Up (5-10 min)
Wipe Down Bathrooms (5-10 min)
Wipe Down Kitchen (10 min. repeated throughout day)
Dinner
Dishes & Sweep (after dinner)
Load/Unload Dishwasher (as needed)
Each Day Do one section of Weekly

 

Weekly:
(Assign a day of the week for each letter, leaving one day free...for you!)

 

     A. Dust
         Vacuum
         Mop
     B. Change Sheets
     C. Laundry
     D. Meal Preparation/Freezer Meals
     E. Scrub Kitchen (Microwave)
     F. Sat. Chores:
         -Scrub Bathrooms (shower/tub trade off)
         -Sat. Outdoor Jobs

 

**On Designated Day:
*Grocery Shopping
*Collect Trash and put Can of Curb

 

Monthly:
 (each "letter" below is to be combined with the Weekly chores for that day.
For example: Day A you Dust, Vacuum, & Mop AND do one of the Monthly listed chores with the "A" label below.  So either baseboards/Vacuum behind furniture and Hose vac the edges OR Wax Floors.)

 

     A. Baseboards/Vacuum behind furniture and Hose vacuum edges of floors.
     A. Wax Floors
     B. Windows/Mirrors/Window Sills
     B. Blinds and Drapes
     C. Straighten Closets/Pantries
     D. Rinse Trashcans
     D. Seasonal/Yearly (rotate through the List below)
     E. Refrigerator, Oven, Dishwasher
     F. Showers/Tubs
     F. Wash Cars

 

Seasonal/Yearly:

• Clean Small and Large Appliances
• Clean Carpets
• Clean out Closets, Bedrooms
• Scrub and Clean out Cupboard
• Clean Drains
• Update Food Storage
• Update First Aid Kit
• Update Emergency Kit

Spring Cleaning

I happen to LOVE spring cleaning, I like to do it more than just spring and I look forward to it.  It just feels so good to know it is deeply cleaned, fresh, and smelling good.  So here are a few tips to help in your spring cleaning efforts.

Overly basic but worth remembering:
-First: don't leave all your cleaning for one day. Split it up amongst the days, weeks and years. So that when you do get to your Spring Cleaning day, you can do the really deep hard stuff. Look at this Cleaning Schedule I posted here.
-Have a plan: List all the jobs you need to do, the order of which need to be done first, and make sure you have all the supplies.
-Carry a tote/bucket with commonly used supplies so you aren't running back to get forgotten items.
-Piles: I'm all about piles.  Instead of running back and forth all day, as you are working in one room or area make piles of the things that need to go upstairs, in the trash, or to their designated place.  Then when you are all done you can take care of the piles.


Kitchen:
-Microwave: Before cleaning the microwave, microwave a small glass of water for 2-4 minutes.  This softens any spills or splatters that have built up and hardened on the walls of the microwave...makes for much faster cleaning.
-Dishwasher, run your empty dishwasher with vinegar in place of detergent.  Followed by another cycle using lemon juice. This will clean your dishwasher, remove build up, and the lemon leaves a fresh scent. I also like to finish by wiping down the door and cleaning any cracks and crevices.
-Oven after cleaning your oven, line the bottom with an oven liner, or with foil.  This catches any drips and spills in future baking and can be easily removed to keep from burning and keeping your oven clean.
-Hard Water and Mineral Deposits:  Use a strong cleaner like CLR, or SHOWER POWER.  Spray them and let them soak on the area while you clean something else.  So that they have loosed when you go to clean them.
-Use a butter knife inside a washcloth to scrape and clean out the cracks and hard build up in places like you sink faucet.
-Don't forget the back splash and the walls...these often have splatters and drips on them!

Floors:
-Spoon: a spoon can easily scratch shoe scuffs off of the floor.
-Don't forget the baseboards...they get dirty! and are often forgotten.  After cleaning use a Magic Eraser or even better a little paint to touch up marks and scuffs that don't wipe off.

Clogged Drains or just Freshen Drains:
- Pour 1/2 c. baking soda & 1 c. vinegar down the drain through a funnel. The mixture will foam up considerably & unclog drain. When there's no more foam, flush drain with hot tap water. After 5 min,
flush drain again with cold water. It also deodorize drain.
-To speed up a slow drain, pour 1/2 c. salt followed by 2 c. boiling vinegar down drain. Flush with hot water, then cold water & drain will be much faster.

Washing Windows and Mirrors:
-Use newspaper instead of a rag or paper towel.  The newspaper doesn't leave streaks or dust & lint from the rag behind!

Toilets:
-The "ring" of minerals and water deposits that build up in a toilet can be removed using a pumice stone.
Showers and Tubs:
-As I have said before...Shower Power, it works like a charm!
-Also, use an old credit card to scrape the walls, it scratches build up and soap scum amazingly well!

Extras:
-Electrical switches:Wipe down light and electrical switches.  These are rarely cleaned but collect dirt from constant contact.
-Lights: Wipe down lights.  Again rarely cleaned, but they collect lots of dust and dead bugs.

Dryer Sheet Tip

So I've been enjoying this simple tip from a friend...After you unload your dryer take the used dryer sheet and use for a quick dusting job. 

-This not only helps keep your dusting to a minimum, but dryer sheets are also famous for keeping dust away...so it is better than dusting with a regular rag.

-And the dryer sheet has already been used so it is inexpensive and a way to reuse them!

My Favorite Air Freshener

My absolute favorite air freshener is: Pure Citrus Air Fresheners (in the Orange Scent).

I learned about this years back in a seminar on Organization and Reducing Stress.  They sprayed this and recommended it for relaxation.  And yes, it is relaxing, but it also smells amazing!  It's just like that smell when you peel and orange.  Which would make scents because it is made from highly concentrated citrus oils from fresh oranges or citrus fruit (depending on the scent you choose). 

It is 100% NATURAL, Non- Aerosol, No Chemicals, Eco-Friendly, and eliminates odors imediately and naturally.

The ingredients are: 100% oils found in fresh citrus fruit. (pretty impressive)

It also doesn't stain or discolor fabrics, carpets, etc.
I used to buy it at Walmart, but recently went to get some more and my Walmart was out, so I found it here at CVS.com ($5.99) and here at drugstore.com ($4.99) , both are slightly higher priced than Walmart (I hope I remember right) at $3.50 ish.

Anyways, it is great smelling and I never worry about the chemicals in my house with kids, being pregnant, or just for overall health...and it helps that my husband loves it, so we use it regularly!

Shower Power

Shower Power is this cleaning supply I discovered while in college and I have yet to find something more effective at cleaning showers, mineral deposits, and other hard to clean problems.

And it isn't just for Showers, it works on all kinds of hard surfaces, faucets, etc...and what I also love about it, it SMELLS good!

I love cleaners that smell good and clean!
So, try it...you won't be disappointed!