Everyone must have been gearing up for Spring Cleaning because Pinterest was loaded with various cleaning schedules. Curiosity got the better of me, & I indulged in looking at each of them. I figured there was nothing to lose & decided to give one a shot...lo & behold if it wasn't A-MAZING...so much so that I decided to share it with you.
The concept of a cleaning schedule is that there are tasks to be completed daily & others that are done on a designated day. For me the benefit of this is double fold: 1. It takes the mental stress out of the equation. I know what I need to do each day. It's hanging on my fridge. I don't have to try to remember what needs done or when it needs doing. 2. Literally 2 hours a day is spent keeping up on my home...that's it.You might be thinking 2 hours sounds like a lot, but I'm talking about a CLEAN house...not just a stuffed-in-the-closet-clean...a look-under-the-beds-clean. Skeptical? So was I...believe me, but here's the kicker: It Works! Here's a rough draft of how it works for me:
Daily Chores: (30 minutes-1hr)
- Make beds
- Load/Unload Dishwasher
- Gather up trash
- 2 (15 min.) pickup sessions *
- Wipe down kitchen countertops & stove top
- Wipe down & clean toilets
*Twice a day, before nap time & before the Lone Ranger gets home, the darlings & I do a general pickup of the entire house. Sometimes I literally set the kitchen timer & make a game of it. The girls are responsible for picking up toys while I do the rest of the house. I've found that this allows both them & I to truly rest better. It also allows the Lone Ranger to come home to order rather than chaos. After Daddy gets home the general rule is no more mess. They can play with one thing at a time, read books, or etc. but no more everything out at once. It allows our evening to be relaxed.
Monday: Laundry (1 hr)
-generally 5 or 6 loads (work clothes, darks, whites, reds, sheets, & rugs) *
-This means complete the cycle in it's entirety: Wash, Dry, Fold, & Put Away Each Load
* A variant of this is that some prefer to do one load of laundry a day throughout the week. I personally prefer to do all my laundry at once & as such I have 2 laundry days per week. You might have scoffed at my labeling this at 1 hr, but seriously how long does it take to put a load in, throw one in the dryer, & fold...not long. I generally have all of my loads done & put away shortly after noon....not because I'm awesome, but because it really doesn't take long if I discipline myself to get it done.
Tuesday: Floors (30 min)
-vacuum: bedrooms, office, living room
-sweep: kitchen, bathrooms, mudroom
-mop: kitchen, bathrooms, mudroom
*goal is to once a month wipe down all baseboards & vacuum vents
Wednesday: Dust (15 min)
-living room
-dining room
-bedrooms
-office
*goal is once a month to quickly wipe down walls as well
Thursday: Kitchen (30 min)
-Clean out pantry, fridge, & freezer
-Wipe down counter tops
-Clean appliances
-Dust cabinets
*goal is once a months to organize/reorganize all cabinets & pantry
Friday: Laundry (1 hr)
Saturday: Bathrooms (15-30 min)
-Clean sinks & wipe down counters & cabinets
*Pinterest had a handy little recipe of shower & tub cleaner that can be kept in each & used when one gets out of either the shower or the tub. This little trick makes bathroom day a breeze because the toilets are cleaned daily & the showers & tubs cleaned as used.
Sunday: Sabbath!
I have maintained this schedule for over 3 weeks now, during which time all 3 girls as well as myself have been sick. I was astounded to find that it allowed me to still get my tasks completed despite very needy darlings & feeling crummy myself. The OCD in me loves is that each task is thorough...there's no half-doing or shortcut. Every room is cleaned completely. The clean freak in me loves that each & every day the house feels & smells clean. People have stopped by & commented on it. The mom in me loves that I am very freed up to spend time with the Darlings. I am truly with them now. The woman in me loves that nap time is now me-time. I'm not scrambling to get things done when the girls rest...I'm resting too or doing something that I want to do. The Lone Ranger thoroughly appreciates coming home to a clean house. I know how chaotic & stressful life is for me, & I am a career homemaker so I can only imagine & admire the life of a working wife & mother....I know that I could not do it or handle it with grace if I had to. Certainly the cleaning schedule would be a great tool for the working woman as well. If maintaining the home could be boiled down to an hour or 2 a day tops, then surely it would be far more manageable & maintainable. This time diminishes even further as children are able to take on some of the chores themselves. This week I was stunned to find that my darlings were capable (& enjoyed) being responsible for a daily task. For example today was Dusting Day. Goldilocks & Sweet 'N Sassy asked to help so I wet down a rag & set them to wiping down baseboards.
Men are to be the head of the home, & we are to be the heart. It is our job to maintain this hub of our family...to keep it well functioning & running smoothly, & it is indeed a monumental task. We could easily run ragged trying to keep order, or we could just as easily surrender in defeat...neither is prudent nor beneficial. I hope that what I have shared today will give you hope that it can be done...and with time & energy to spare. In no way am I saying that there won't be occasional messes...this is life...they happen, but the overall feeling is that of a organized, well-run home. Give it a try...what's there to lose? I will say that to feel the full impact of a cleaning schedule's benefits you have to give the cleaning schedule 2 full weeks. The first week is getting started, & the second is falling into the groove. I've added several links below to different samples of cleaning schedules so that you might find the one that works for you! There are countless ways of accomplishing the same goal, & one will be the fit you need! Be blessed this day!
Proverbs 14:1
"The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down."
Proverbs 31:27
"She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, & keeps them all busy & productive."
Titus 2: 5
"...younger women will know how to love their husbands & children, be virtuous & pure, keep a good house, be good wives."
Cleaning Schedules:
http://pinterest.com/pin/280138039293214658/
http://pinterest.com/pin/57139488992718909/
http://pinterest.com/pin/263601384411523937/
http://pinterest.com/pin/122863896055975395/
http://pinterest.com/pin/53550683041223233/
http://pinterest.com/pin/136233957449756869/
http://pinterest.com/pin/136233957450017150/
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete