Clean up! Clean up! Everybody, everywhere!

As you’ve probably picked up from all of the not-so-subtle hints I’ve dropped in past posts, I do not like cleaning. I also do not like for my house to be a mess. Funny, isn’t it?
I’m always trying to figure out new ways to get organized and stay that way. Most days I don’t feel like I have time to do anything because all of my time is being spent cleaning up after everyone.

D and I have come up with a solution.

We’re only on day 2, but I must say that these have been the two least stressful evenings I’ve had in a while. I am so much more able to relax when my house is clean. I don’t feel like there’s always a task waiting for me to come along and complete it.

King Daddy and Queen Mommy have passed a new law. Each night at 7:00, we have family cleaning time until 7:30. We clean until the half-hour is up. Tonight, we ran out of ‘things’ to pick up and put away, so we started vacuuming and washing windows. I still have to actually clean (i.e., dust, scrub countertops, etc...) but it makes it so much easier if all of the ‘stuff’ is picked up and put away. I can’t even count how many times I’ve walked into the doorway of a room intending to clean it only to turn around and just walk back out because of the overwhelming clutter of toys, clothes, shoes, and whatever other knick-knacks and toodleywinks a kid can leave on the floor.  One would think the big mess is more motivating, but that’s definitely not the case for me.

How do you keep your family and home organized?

Do you have a special cleaning routine or schedule?

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For some cleaning motivation, read my Two-Week Clean Along.

Week 2, Day 5: Bathrooms

Woohoo! We've made it to the end of the two weeks!

Happy Friday!

Today, we're going to revisit the bathrooms. 

First let's do our dailies!

Main Checklist:

• Do at least one load of laundry from start to finish. Wash, dry, and put away!
• Load and unload your dishwasher. If you don't have one, wash and put away all of your dirty dishes.
• Don't be lazy. When you take something from a room to put it away, put it where it belongs. Don't just toss it in the room. We're trying to prevent having a mess pile up.
• Do a quick pick-up in the kitchen. If there is anything in there that doesn't belong, go put it away.
• Clear the kitchen counters of clutter. 
• Do a quick pick-up in the living room. If there is anything in there that doesn't belong, go put it away.
• Check on the bedrooms. Is there clutter starting to pile up? Go ahead and pick it up so it doesn't get worse!
• Encourage your children to put away their toys when they're finished with them. Show the the correct place to put them. Don't just send them to their rooms with them.
• Do a clean sweep through the kitchen and living room before you go to bed.

____________________________

Bathroom Checklist:

• Pick up anything that is on the floor and put it away.
• Clear your countertops of clutter.
• Go ahead and put your toilet bowl cleaner in the toilet to let it sit for a few minutes and do its job. 
• Remove your contents from the shower and spray it with bathroom/shower cleaner. 
• Spray your sinks and counters with  your choice of cleaner and wipe them down. 
• Clean your mirrors.
• Sweep the floor.
• Replace your hand towels and bath towels with fresh ones.
• Scrub down your shower/tub with a sponge or rag. 
• Spray the outside of your toilet with cleaner and wipe it down. 
• Clean the lid, seat, and rim. Then, scrub the bowl with a toilet brush. 
• Mop the floor.

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If you have followed this far, I want to thank you for taking the challenge!

I hope your houses are clean, and your stress is down. 

This weekend, make it a point to read some books with your kids. 

You can read to them, or let them read to you, or even let them make up the story as they look through the pictures. 

Just spend that time with them. 

Happy Friday!

Week2, Day4: The Remaining Bedrooms

Happy Thursday!

We're almost done!!!

Today we're going to revisit the bedrooms you didn't clean yesterday. This should include your master bedroom and any other bedroom you didn't get around to.

Since this is a repeat day, I'll keep it short and sweet by just posting the checklists for you.

Main Checklist:

• Do at least one load of laundry from start to finish. Wash, dry, & put away!
• Unload and reload your dishwasher. If you don't have one, wash and put away all of your dirty dishes.
• Don't be lazy! When you take  something from a room to put it away, put it where it belongs. We're trying to avoid having a mess pile up.
• Do a quick pick-up in the kitchen. Remove anything that doesn't belong & de-clutter the countertops.
• Do a quick pick-up in the living room. Remove anything that does not belong.
• Check the bedrooms. Is there a mess? Yes? Pick it up before it gets out of control!
• Check the bathrooms. Clean up any messes you see.
• Encourage your children to clean up after themselves by showing them where and how to put their belongings away when they're finished with them.
• Do a clean sweep through the kitchen & living room before you go to bed.

____________________________

Week 2: Bedrooms Checklist

• Pick up the bedroom. Put away anything that is on the floor. Clear surfaces of clutter.
• Use a dust cloth to wipe down any shelves, trinkets, knick-knacks, etc. starting from the highest point in the room. 
• Pull the sheets & wash them. 
• Straighten the clothes, shoes, & accessories in the closet.
• Be sure the shelves & dresser look neat, and not cluttered. 
• Wipe down the blinds.
• Wash any windows, mirrors, and picture frames.
• Vacuum the floor. 

Don't stop now! We're almost finished! Push through and get it done!!!

Week 2, Day2: The Living Room & Foyer

Hello, Tuesday!

I hope everyone is still with me here! 

Are you keeping up?

Let's start with our dailies. 

Main Checklist:

• Do at least one load of laundry from start to finish. Wash, dry, & put away! 
• Unload and reload your dishwasher. If you don't have one, wash all of your dirty dishes and put them away.
• Don't be lazy! When you take something from a room to put away, put it where it belongs. We're trying to prevent messes from building up. 
• Do a quick pick-up in the kitchen. Remove anything that doesn't belong & de-clutter the countertops. 
• Do a quick pick-up in the living room. Remove anything that doesn't belong.
• Check the bedrooms. Is there a mess? Pick it up before it becomes overwhelming!
• Check the bathrooms. Clean any messes you see. 
• Encourage your children to clean up after themselves by showing them where and how to put their belongings away.
• Do a clean sweep through the kitchen & living room before bed. 

This list may seem like a lot of work when you read it, but if you do it each day, it should take you under an hour to complete it. 

______________________________________

Today we're going back to the living room & the foyer.

This is the area your company usually sees the most of. You want it to be presentable and clean.  We're going to tackle that right now!

Week 2: Living Room Checklist

• Pick up and put away anything that doesn't belong.
• Clear coffee tables and shelves of clutter.
• Start at the highest point in the living room and start dusting. For me this is my ceiling fan. You should also include shelves, picture frames, decor, the mantle, entertainment centers/tv stands, lamps, coffee tables, and anything else that could collect dust. 
• Vacuum the floor. Be sure to get around the edges of the room. Dust tends to build up in the corners and around baseboards. 
• Vacuum the furniture. Make sure you remove the cushions and vacuum underneath. 
• Wash any windows, mirrors, and picture frame glass that have finger prints on them. 

Week 2: Foyer Checklist

• Clear the foyer of any clutter: shoes, coats, junk mail, etc...
• Dust any surfaces: tables, picture frames, etc....
• Sweep or vacuum the floor. Include the stairs if you have them.
• Wash any windows or mirrors in the area. 
• Mop the floor if it can be mopped.

Happy Cleaning!!!

• 
  

Week 2, Day 1--Back to the Kitchen!

It's Monday again! We're going back to the kitchen.

Did you keep it clean over the weekend? 

Mine got a little messy, but it's nothing that can't be cleaned up in 5 minutes or less. 

Alrighty! Let's get on with the daily stuff.

Do these things to maintain a clean house in between actually cleaning each room. If you keep your house straightened up, it's not overwhelming when it comes time to do the cleaning.

Main Checklist:

• Do at least one load of laundry from start to finish. Wash, dry, and put away!
• Unload and reload your dishwasher. If you don't have one, wash all of the dirty dishes in the kitchen.
• Don't be lazy! When you take something from a room to put it away, put it where it belongs. Don't just toss it in there. We're trying to prevent having a mess pile up!
• Do a quick pick-up in the kitchen. Remove any items that do not belong, and de-clutter the counters.
• Do a quick pick-up in the living room. Remove any items that do not belong.
• Check the bedrooms. Is there a mess beginning to form? Yes? Pick it up! Don't let it get out of control!
• Check the bathrooms. Clean up any messes you see.
• Encourage your children to clean up after themselves by taking the time to show them how and where to put things away. 
• Do a clean sweep through the kitchen and living room before bed.

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Today, we're going to start the scrubbing!

We're going to revisit each room we straightened up last week so we can do some deeper cleaning.

We're starting with the kitchen again. 

Families function much better when the common areas of the house are clean. 

Obviously you can use whatever cleaners you want. It's not my place to say what you should/shouldn't be using, so get your cleaning supplies for the kitchen ready!

Week 2: Kitchen Checklist

• Be sure your kitchen is straightened up. No clutter, dishes washed and put away, etc....
• Fill your sink with hot, soapy water. Use a wash cloth or cleaning rag to wipe down the cabinet doors, pantry door, appliances, and the trash can (do the trash can last!). 
• Using your cleaner of choice, wipe down all the countertops, sink, stovetop & kitchen table. 
• Mix 1/2 cup of water & 1/2 cup white vinegar in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave until it starts to boil, 1-1.5 min. This loosens any stuck-on food. Remove the bowl. Wipe out your microwave. 
• Check your refrigerator for any expired food or condiments. Throw away anything you won't eat, then wipe down the shelves if needed.
• Look in the pantry for any expired food. Throw it away and organize what's left.
• Wash the windows & wipe out the window sills.
• Sweep the floor. 
• If you feel like your baseboards need cleaning, do it. 
• Mop the floor. 

If you guys can think of anything else to add to the list let me know! 

Happy Cleaning!

Day 5: Bathrooms & Weekend Homework

Happy Friday!!!

Aren't you so excited? 

You get to clean your bathrooms today! 

(woohoo!)

Ok, so I lied when I said we weren't doing any deep cleaning this week. 

We have to clean the bathrooms today and they need a good scrubbing at least once a week. 

We're going to actually scrub the bathrooms because quite frankly, they get disgusting if you don't clean them.

I like to clean my bathrooms on Friday. If we plan on having company over, it's usually on the weekends. I like to have fresh, clean bathrooms for them to use. 

Let's get going!

Main Checklist:

• Do at least one load of laundry from start to finish. Wash, dry, and put away!
• Load and unload your dishwasher. If you don't have one, wash and put away all of your dirty dishes.
• Don't be lazy. When you take something from a room to put it away, put it where it belongs. Don't just toss it in the room. We're trying to prevent having a mess pile up.
• Do a quick pick-up in the kitchen. If there is anything in there that doesn't belong, go put it away.
• Clear the kitchen counters of clutter. 
• Do a quick pick-up in the living room. If there is anything in there that doesn't belong, go put it away.
• Check on the bedrooms. Is there clutter starting to pile up? Go ahead and pick it up so it doesn't get worse!
• Encourage your children to put away their toys when they're finished with them. Show the the correct place to put them. Don't just send them to their rooms with them.
• Do a clean sweep through the kitchen and living room before you go to bed.

____________________________

Bathroom Checklist:

• Pick up anything that is on the floor and put it away.
• Clear your countertops of clutter.
• Go ahead and put your toilet bowl cleaner in the toilet to let it sit for a few minutes and do its job. 
• Remove your contents from the shower and spray it with bathroom/shower cleaner. 
• Spray your sinks and counters with  your choice of cleaner and wipe them down. 
• Clean your mirrors.
• Sweep the floor.
• Replace your hand towels and bath towels with fresh ones.
• Scrub down your shower/tub with a sponge or rag. 
• Spray the outside of your toilet with cleaner and wipe it down. 
• Clean the lid, seat, and rim. Then, scrub the bowl with a toilet brush. 
• Mop the floor.

Have fun scrubbing those toilets!

_______________________________

Since I'm a stay-at-home mom, I've decided that I get weekends off from housecleaning just like my husband gets a weekend off from work.

 I try to get everything cleaned up by Friday, maintaining the work I did earlier in the week, so I don't have to really focus on cleaning over the weekend. I would much rather be spending that time with my family. 

I don't completely neglect the house though. I do quick pick-ups all weekend instead of focusing on particular rooms. 

If I don't clean at all for those two days, my house becomes a disaster area. 

I'm going to leave you with homework for the weekend so when we start the scrubbing and organizing on Monday, we don't have to clean the room first.

Weekend Homework:

• Don't slack on keeping the house picked up. 
• If you see a mess starting to form, pick it up!
• Keep your dishwasher cycled.
• Spend some quality time with your family since you're not worried about cleaning.

Don't wait for your house to look messy and cluttered before you start cleaning. That's when most of us get overwhelmed. If you continually clean throughout the week, it stays picked up. For me, it's much easier to go into a room that's a little messy to clean it up. If it looks like a tornado ripped through there, I don't even want to start on it.

Day 4: Remaining Bedrooms

Happy Thursday, everyone! 

Today we're going to focus on the remaining bedrooms in the house. 

If you guys are anything like me, your bedroom is a catch-all for when company comes over and the house isn't quite ready. Or maybe you have papers that need filing or laundry that piles up. I never really liked cleaning my room as a kid....and I still don't.

Let's get started!

Main Checklist:

• Do at least one load of laundry from start to finish. Wash, dry & put away!
• Load and unload your dishwasher. If you don't have one, wash and put away all of your dirty dishes.
• Don't be lazy. When you remove an item from a room, put it away where it belongs. We're trying to avoid having a mess pile up. 
• Do a quick pick-up of the kitchen. If there is anything in there that doesn't belong, put it away.
• Clear the kitchen counters of clutter.
• Keep an eye on the living room & bedrooms. If a mess is starting to form, pick it up.
• Encourage your children to help you pick up messes as they're finished with toys.
• Do a clean sweep through the kitchen and living room before bed.

______________________________

Since this is the second day cleaning bedrooms, we're doing the same checklist we did yesterday. 

Bedrooms Checklist:

• Pick up anything lying on the floor. Put it in its proper place.
• Remove clutter from flat surfaces including the dresser, nightstands and shelves.
• Put away any clean clothes that may be lying around.
• Place dirty laundry in the hamper/basket, or take them to the laundry room to be sorted.
• Make the bed.
• Vacuum the floor thoroughly. 

Happy Cleaning!

Day 2: The Living Room & Foyer

Happy Tuesday, readers!

Today is Living Room Day, but first let's focus on our Main Checklist.

Don't forget, I'll be adding new things to this list daily. It will help you keep the house straight as we move from room to room. 

Main Checklist

• Do at least one load of laundry from start to finish. Wash, dry & put away!
• Load and unload your dishwaher. If you don't have one, wash and put away any dirty dishes.
• Don't be lazy. When you remove an item from a room, put it where it belongs. Don't just toss it in its respective room. We're trying to avoid having a mess pile up. 

Did you remember to clean up the kitchen after dinner last night? I hope so!

Your kitchen should be clean if you have not yet eaten this morning.

Here are the new items for the Main Checklist:

• Do a quick pick-up in the kitchen. If there is anything that doesn't belong in there, put it away. 
• Clear the counters. We don't want any clutter to pile up!
• Do a clean-sweep through the kitchen and living room every night before bed. 

If you stick to the tips from yesterday and clean up after yourself in the kitchen, as well as keeping the dishwasher cycled, you'll find that the kitchen stays cleaner longer.

You'll also find that it doesn't hurt to go ahead and wipe down the sink faucet or take a minute to sweep the floor after a meal since you don't have to spend so much time focusing on the entire room. 

If your dishwasher is properly cycled, you can put dishes in it as you're cooking dinner. It will minimize the amount of work you have to do to clean up afterward. 

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Now, on to the living room!

I don't know about you guys, but keeping my living room clean is a constant battle. 

I have one kid who can clean up after herself, one who is still working on that particular skill, and one who just drools all over everything at the moment. 

The worst thing about the living room (and the kitchen) is that it's a room the whole family continually uses. It doesn't stay clean for very long.

I probably pick up my living room at least 3-4 times in a single day. 

That's ok with me, though. I would rather do 3-4 small pick-ups than one large one. 

If you do damage control, there won't be a disaster.

My main rule for the living room is to keep an eye on it throughout the day. 

If you see a mess starting to form, go ahead and pick it up. Don't let it pile up until it gets to be a ton of work. That doesn't mean that you need to swoop in and pick up everything little Jenny or Johnny sets down as soon as it hits the floor. You know where your tipping point is. Just try to make things easier on yourself. 

Living Room Checklist:

• Remove anything that does not belong and put it away where it belongs.
• Clear off any flat surfaces; coffee tables, sofa tables, ledges, shelves. Unless it is there on purpose for decoration, it doesn't belong. Put it away. 
• Use your choice of cleaning supplies (I use Lysol Multi-purpose cleaner and paper towels) to wipe down your tables & lamps, as well as any other main pieces of furniture. This does not include picture frames, hanging shelves, etc... We will get to those next week. 
• Vacuum (or sweep) the floor. 
• Vacuum the couches and footstools. 

Living Room Quick Tips

Pick up messes multiple times throughout the day so it doesn't suddenly multiply and overwhelm you. 

Try to limit the amount of food your kids are bringing into the living room. Less crumbs and spills means less mess for mommy & daddy to clean up. 

Do not go to bed with a messy living room. I know I said the same thing about the kitchen, but I truly believe that when the common areas of the house are cluttered it heightens the stress level in the household. No one really wants to deal with the mess and the frustration gets taken out on each other. At least, that's what happens at our house.

If the living room is messy after dinner, we have a quick pick-up time. We make the kids help us clean it up before they get ready for bed. It helps tremendously. 

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Now let's focus on the foyer!

The foyer is the first thing guests see when they walk in your house. 

In our case, everyone sees stairs since our home has a split foyer. 

The stairs are carpeted and they get gross quickly with all the foot traffic coming in from outside. 

Foyer Checklist:

• Put away anything cluttering up the entryway. Coats, shoes and umbrellas can all either go to the correct bedroom closet, or the hallway coat closet.
• Clear off any tables you may have positioned by the door. Throw away junk mail. File important mail.
• Sweep or vacuum the floors. If you have stairs, vacuum them. If you have a split foyer, vacuum both sets of stairs.

Foyer Quick Tips:

Put away your coats and shoes when you get home. Do not leave them lying by the door.

When you get the mail, immediately go through it to decide what's important and what isn't. File the important stuff, throw away the junk.

Try to be sure your foyer emulates something you would want to see when walking into a friend's house. First impressions are  important.

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I know this post seems crazy-long, but there isn't a lot of work here. Just try not to fall behind. If you stay on top of the mess instead of constantly running behind it trying to catch up, your days will be much easier on you!

I ask one thing of you before you get started.
Today is my sister-in-law's birthday. Hop over to her blog and wish her a happy day today!

Monday! Kitchen Day!

Ok! Happy Monday, everyone! 

Are you ready to get started on that mess? 

I am SO ready!

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We're going to focus on a different room each day, sometimes 2 rooms.

There are things we need to do each day in addition to our focus room in order to keep the house straightened up. 

I will be adding some things to this checklist as we move on throughout the week. 

 Main Checklist:

• Do at least one load of laundry from start to finish. Wash, dry, & put away!
• Load and unload your dishwasher, or if you don't have one, wash your dishes.
• Don't be lazy.When you remove items from one room, put the where they belong. Do not just toss them in their respective rooms. We are trying to avoid messes piling up.  

________________________

Today we're going to focus on the kitchen. 

The kitchen is one of my least favorite rooms to clean since I have to clean it so often. That's why I have to clean it first each week. If it doesn't get clean on Monday, the mess just piles up and I don't even want to walk in there, let alone cook or clean!

We're not  detailing today. We are just cleaning it so there isn't any clutter and your countertops and appliances aren't sticky or coated with food. 

Kitchen Checklist:

• Clear your counters of dishes. Wash any dirty ones, and put away any clean ones. 
• Clear off your kitchen table. There should be nothing left on it unless you have a centerpiece.
• Clear your counters of any trash or items that do not belong in the kitchen.
• Wipe down your countertops, table top, sink, and stove top with a wet soapy rag or a cleaning spray.  
• Sweep the floor, thoroughly. 
• If you have a quick & easy mop, go ahead and mop the floor. I use a Libman Freedom mop and I love that sucker!

By just following the checklist above, you will have a clean kitchen in just a few minutes. I know we didn't scrub or deep-clean anything, but we'll focus on those details next Monday when we revisit the kitchen. 

Your goal is to keep the kitchen picked up throughout the week.

Quick Tips:

Clean up after yourself after you make a sandwich or pour a drink.

Wipe the stove top & counters down after you finish cooking a meal.

Keep the dishwasher cycled so you can immediately put dirty dishes into it instead of piling them in the sink. 

Again, don't be lazy. It just takes an extra few seconds to put things away or into the dishwasher.

Don't go to bed with a messy kitchen. Most families start their day having breakfast in the kitchen. The last thing you want to do is wake up to dirty dishes and clutter everywhere.

Hopefully taking the time to do these things will start to form good habits!

You can do it!!!

Two Weeks to Clean!

Here is my initial reaction to having to clean the house:

Do you like my pink gloves?

This week, I asked my Facebook fans if they would be interested in a 2-week clean-along.
This way, we could all participate together and get a jump-start on Spring cleaning!
It's a lot easier to do when you've got others to help you with motivation.

Here's what I feel like with a little motivation:

GRRR!!! No mess stands a chance against this!
::motivation::

Quite a few of you showed interest in participating, so here are the details!

Week 1 will begin on Monday, April 16th. 

During this week, we will focus on getting the house straightened up.

We will be working on one or two rooms each day. 

Each morning, I will post which room(s) we will be focusing on for that day. 

There will also be small tasks included each day so the house doesn't fall back into disarray.

Week 2 will begin on Monday, April 23rd. 

During this week, we will focus on more detailed cleaning tasks. 

We will be going back through each room in our homes to clean and organize. 

Again, I will post which room(s) we will be focusing on each day so everyone can follow along.

______________________________________________ 

I will post checklists for you to follow along in each room. 

I know the specific tasks will vary for each of us since we all have different homes, but you can use the checklists as a guideline. 

Share this blog post with your friends! 

We all get tired of cleaning the house, especially if you have kids going behind you pulling things out faster than you can put them away.

Let's get all of our friends involved so we have accountability partners!