Cleaning and Organizing made easy
When it comes to tackling those deep-cleaning projects and accomplishing the arduous task of organizing your home, the best advice may be to take it “one step at a time.” Set up a list of goals and a time limit in which to complete them.
Grab your notebook and enter each room of your home as if you were an inspector. For example, in the kitchen, are utensils placed in convenient reach of when you are cooking over the stove or do you have to walk to them? Are your cupboards used in such a way that you get the most use out of them or are they storing small appliances that rarely get used?
Write down any “problems” you feel you incur on a daily or weekly basis. Are you always running out of key cooking ingredients, detergent, or hand soap? Make a grocery list with items used most on it and post it in easy reach so you (or another household member) can check them off when you run out. Grab your lists on the way to the store so you don’t forget anything.
Think about what events happen in your living/family room. TV watching, video games, snacking, visiting, etc. Do you have the proper storage space for magazines, dvds, videos, cds, throw blankets, etc.? Extra shelving, a modest entertainment center, or a new cabinet could hold all the essentials to show off a clutter free gathering room.
When targeting a particular closet you might ask yourself if you are using it to store objects that are near the point of where they are used. For example, a hall closet near the bedrooms should house linens, blankets and/or paper products, soap and other items if it is located nearby bathrooms as well.
Weeding out items being stored but not used very often can be put to this simple test. First, have you used this article in the past year? And if not, does it have any value whether monetary or sentimental. And if not, would it come in handy some day? You will answer your own question of whether you should hang on to it or put it in your “throw out” or “giveaway” pile.
What about that junk drawer that just keeps collecting old mail, writing utensils, pizza coupons, etc? How do we keep this drawer from taking over the entire room?
Grab a trashcan and plant it under the drawer as you examine the “junk”. Go through the drawer every week or two, paper by paper and throw out what is not needed. Then do it a second time to really weed out the paperwork clutter.
And when it comes to cleaning windows, using newspaper to wipe them down gives better results than paper towel. Alcohol cuts grease when used on mirrors and glass. Just pour it directly on a cloth, you can also use it on tiles to remove soap scum.
Don’t forget to wear old clothes that you don’t mind getting stained or dirty and listen to your favorite music or book on tape to pass the time!
Here’s a checklist you can print out to help you keep track of your progress as you breeze through those monotonous chores.
Living Room
- Dust and vacuum corners and crevices from top to bottom. Use light variations to check for cobwebs.
- You can vacuum dust anything! Remember all those gadgets and brushes that come with your vacuum cleaner? Use them and experiment with different attachments for furniture, doors with designs on them and corners of rooms.
- Vacuum or wash curtains.
- Dust mop wood floors.
- Vacuum carpet.
- If warm enough, take plants outside for a gentle washing or use a water bottle to mist them.
Bedrooms
- Wash, or dry-clean curtains.
- Take blinds outside and use the garden hose to wash them with a mild ammonia solution.
- Strip bed linens and dust ruffle.
- Vacuum your mattress and box spring. Flip and rotate the mattress before putting on new sheets. This will help keep it firmer longer.
- Vacuum everything, from the floor behind and under the bed to the carpet, lampshade and pictures.
- Clean mirrors and wipe down light fixtures and lamps.
- Dust mop wood floors.
Kitchen
- Let cleansers do the scrubbing for you! Spray your oven with cleaner the night before you plan to spring clean your kitchen.
- Microwave need a cleaning? Fill a microwavable bowl or cup with water and nuke for a minute to steam up the inside, take a rag and wipe the inside clean.
- Vacuum stove vents, refrigerator coils, floor, and counters.
- Clean out that refrigerator! Check dates on rarely used condiments for expiration.
- Clean the inside of freezer and fridge with a solution of three tablespoons of baking soda and one quart of warm water.
- Clean outside of fridge.
- Clean counters, appliances and stovetop with an all-purpose glass cleaner or the baking soda solution listed above.
- Wash out the trashcan, spray it with a good disinfectant, and put a fabric softener sheet in the bottom before putting in a new lining. Dust or sponge-mop the floor.
Bathrooms
- Spray shower and tub with strong cleanser and let sit a minute.
- Pour cleaner into the toilet bowl, and spray the outside with the same cleaner. Let the chemicals do the cleaning while you do the next steps.
- Clean mirrors, chrome, bathroom scale, and light fixtures with glass cleaner.
- Vacuum everything! This will remove dust and hair that is hard to get up when surfaces are wet.
- Empty and clean the wastepaper basket, place fabric sheet in bottom.
- Clean the sink and wipe off the cleanser you already applied to the shower and tub.
- Working from the top of the toilet down, clean the outside, and brush and flush the inside.
- Scrub the floor with a strong cleanser.