Day 11: House "keeping."

Caution: a long post with lots of words and lots of random pictures of my currently clean (but not perfect) house follows.

Forgive me for starting my week late. We had Thanksgiving Dinner on Monday instead of Sunday, so that means I'm starting my week on Tuesday.

My version of Martha's pumpkins.

I was a whirling dervish last week as I cleaned the main areas of the house--in fact, (quick aside) my Mom kept exclaiming, "the house is so clean. The house is so clean. It's amazing. It feels so nice." (I love my Mom!)


I have my house in a very good state--an excellent state, actually, to "keep."

How?

In addition to the daily routine, there need to be tasks done on a regular basis once a week. Again, it's not rocket science. But there are many ways to break things down.


I have been very lucky to use Motivated Mom's comprehensive cleaning list for the past few years.

When I follow it, things look fantastic around here. Tasks are broken down into their smallest possible actions. So, for example, you never "Clean the fridge." Starting the last week of the month, you wash the top shelf. The next week you may wash the middle shelf and the bottom shelf--but not on the same day. Then, the next week, you do the drawers. Later that week, or the next, you do the door. Some would find this too pokey.


But I love it for a few reasons:
1) “Clean the fridge” is daunting. It is a huge task taking a whole morning, clean counter tops and zero dishes in the sink.

In the past, it never happened.

2) Cleaning a shelf takes less counter space and no time at all.
3) I’m in the fridge all the time. This system keeps the science projects from sprouting.

The only problem with MM is that the tasks are scheduled according to what works in her life --not mine! I need to customize it for me and our family.


I started doing this last night. I made a list of cleaning tasks which need to be done every week and a list of the non-cleaning but still essential weekly home (and homeschooling) tasks which need to be done. Then, I assigned each task a rating from 1 to 3; 1 being easy, 3 being “onerous,” physically demanding, time consuming, or both.

Then, I slotted the tasks in the days of the week. Some I already do on certain days, others just have to be done on those days.


Here’s how it looks, so far:

Sunday:
Plan lunches, check menu for the week and make a grocery list.
Shop for groceries.
Make up weekly homeschool schedule.

Monday:
Visit library/renew library books
Stock bathrooms with toilet paper
Dust main rooms and tops of doorways
Bake muffins
Make soup/salad for husband’s lunches


Tuesday:
Clean out purse and wallet.
Vacuum: living room rug, entry rug, back door rug, stairs. (Normally I would break this up but getting the vacuum out—and then put away is a pain.)


Wednesday:
Wash hardwood floors. Upstairs one week, downstairs the next.
Clean microwave


Thursday:
Pay bills, file papers
Wash Kitchen floor
Wash downstairs bathroom floor



Friday:
Clean downstairs bathroom. (We’ll see how it goes. I may be breaking it up.)
Change sheets (childrens' one week, ours the other)

Saturday:
Water plants
Clean upstairs bathroom. (My daughter says she wants to keep this job.)


As for today, I've:

made bed --yes

washed dishes—yes.

picked up and put away—yes.

swished and swiped bathrooms:
upstairs? --Had to make a special trip back upstairs to do it, but glad I did.
downstairs? –yes.


started a load of laundry? –yes.
folded? --yes
transferred? as soon as I hit "publish post."

Made out my "to do" list? —yes.

Completed one essential task? This schedule—yes.

Have a great day, everyone!