Your New Year household cleaning plan

Jan 24, 2011 7:53 AM by Tiernan McKay

Posted in Parenting / Parenting Tips & Advice / Mom & Dad

Quick And Easy Cleaning

Oh, to have a full-time cleaning lady! Every mom dreams about it at one time or another. But for most of us, hiring a cleaning crew to regularly tidy up our homes is not an option. This year, combat the effects of clutter on your life by developing an easy-to-follow house cleaning schedule.

woman with mop

With the hectic schedules we keep, maintaining a presentable house is a big challenge. Still, it is possible to keep your house neat and tidy with minimal effort, provided you're willing to plan just a bit. Up for the challenge? Read on.

No more CHAOS

Many moms adopt a scurry-to-clean-up strategy when the mess gets unbearable or when guests are due to arrive. Although this strategy can be acceptable in the short-term, it causes unnecessary stress and makes housework miserable. "You want to always feel like you can ask a good friend in," says Leslie Reichert, a green home keeping expert with over 20 years of experience. "You don't want to live in CHAOS -- the Can't Have Anybody Over Syndrome. Your house doesn't have to look like a showroom, but if you have systems in place, you will never be caught off guard with your underwear next to the front door!"

Get started

If you feel overwhelmed when you face your family room or kitchen each day, you're definitely not alone. Rather than giving in to that overwhelming feeling, make the decision to get started...now. "Start with de-cluttering," suggests Rachelle Strauss, otherwise known as Mrs. Green of the Little Green Blog. "Anything that you have not used for a year, you don't like or doesn't work can be sent to a new home. Small baby steps taking consistently over time lead to success."

Develop a routine

If you are a sporadic cleaner, you'll never be satisfied with the results and will always be trying to get ahead. Set yourself up for success by developing a routine...and sticking to it! What are some practical strategies moms can use to develop a plan of attack? "A routine is a mom's BFF," says Stephanie Vozza, author of The Five-Minute Mom's Club: 105 Tips to Make a Mom's Life Easier. "A well-run household has daily tasks, weekly tasks and monthly tasks." Write down your particular needs, categorize them and stick to the schedule to ensure maximum sanity.

Clean speedily

Whenever a task becomes tedious, we'll find every excuse to avoid it. Reichert has some tips to help you clean faster and more efficiently:

Have everything you need in a caddy with you in every room.
Wear an apron. Professionals like carpenters and electricians wear one - we should too.
Pick one room and concentrate on it. You work on one room at a time, when you have time.
Work in a circle and don't retrace your steps. My mantra is "top to bottom - back to front."
Use new technology like micro fiber to make cleaning fast and easy.
Teach your family that everything has a place - and they need to put it there.

An example

Need some inspiration? Check out Vozza's weekly cleaning schedule:

Daily

First thing in the morning: Unload dishwasher. Do one load of laundry. Make bed.
Before bed: Wipe down kitchen counters. Load/turn on dishwasher. Pack lunches. Set coffee pot.

Weekly

Monday: Clean bathrooms
Tuesday: Vacuum
Wednesday: Clean kitchen
Thursday: Dust
Friday: Vacuum and mop
Saturday: Project such as dust baseboards, clean a closet, dust ceiling fans, etc.
Sunday: Strip and wash linens

Comments

Comments on "Your New Year household cleaning plan"

Great article, thanks! I guess not many of us actually enjoy housework, but putting Stephanie's idea of 'little and often' into place really does make a difference and stops overwhelm. The same is true of decluttering; just one drawer or shelf at a time, done consistently will see results :)