Cleaning House again

Last year, I started off with this grand plan to have a clean house within 30 days.  (See that meager beginning here.)  Now, it's the first Monday of 2011 and it's time to attack the house again.  I'm so glad I saved my cleaning schedule!!!  That'll help me stay on track once again as I purge the junk and clutter from the recesses of my closets! 

Pray for me please.  Pray that the Lord will help me to be ruthless as I toss out un-needed items and junk that I've hung on to for years because, "I'm gonna use that!"

Clean House: Day 30 - Arts & Crafts supplies

1. Gather sewing/craft items; divide into groups
2. Toss any unusable scraps or packaging
3. Wipe drawers with damp dusting cloth
4. Replace items by type; Label outside of drawer or container for easy access. Store duplicates elsewhere

TIMESAVER: Color-code storage boxes or labels, such as red for knitting, blue for sewing, yellow for stamping, etc. etc.


There ya go! 30 days to a clean house! You're all done! Yay!!

Clean House: Day 29 - Toy Closet

1. Group toys by categories: blocks, board games, dolls, puzzles, army men, cars, books, etc.
2. Discard broken toys
3. Put outgrown toys aside for donation, storage, or rummage sale
4. Store keepers by category in bags, boxes, or plastic bins. Label or stick a picture of what’s inside on outside of solid containers
5. Stack containers; label shelves for board game storage.

Clean House: WEEKEND 4 - Garage

1. Sort garage items, tools, sports equipment, gardening & lawn supplies, etc.
2. Group old paint, pesticides, and other chemicals. Call city sanitation for disposal info.
3. Clean & sweep floor
4. Check for rodent & pest infestation
5. Vacuum & clean windows & shelves
6. Clean, oil, & sharpen tools
7. Check tools & machinery for damage or wear; schedule repair & maintenance as needed.

TROUBLE SPOT: Avoid water damage by moving items up off floor to shelves, tool-hanging systems, or onto long , thick nails pounded into studs.

Clean House: Day 26 - Front Closet or Mud Room

1. Pick up everything from floor; sort & replace where they belong
2. Make a pile of things that go elsewhere
3. Cull extra hangers
4. Place a storage crate for each family member in the closet
5.Label individual hooks for family members
6. Remove, clean & store any out of season items

Clean House: Day 25 - Windows

1. Clean window ledges & sills w/ vacuum
2. Use window cleaner & clean windows
3. Wipe off any smudges w/ paper towels

Clean House: Day 24 - Laundry Room

1. Clear top of washer & dryer
2. Wipe down surfaces, Check inside surfaces of dryer for gum, ink, or other buildup
3. Check hoses, filters, & dryer ducts. Clean and repair as needed.
4. Clean iron as needed
5. Vacuum, sweep, mop floor
6. Check supplies and make a list

TIMESAVER: Get hanger caddy from local dry cleaner to recycle extras.

Clean House: Day 23 - Blinds

1. Close blinds & firmly brush across slats w/ a treated dust wipe, lambs wool duster, or disposable foam brush. Reverse slats & repeat. OR cover your hand with a cotton glove or sock and run each slat between your finger and thumb.
2. Dust vertical blinds w/ dush brush attachment on vacuum
3. Remove smudges & fingerprints w/ a warm, damp sponge.

TIMESAVER: If you’ve had these blinds for a while….treat yourself….go by new ones each time you get a room done! My personal favorite tip!!

Clean House: Day 22 - Kid's Rooms

1. Either tidy or supervise kids efforts to clean up rooms
2. Place a crate or box on closet floor to hold outgrown items
3. Spot-clean windows and mirrors w/ windex
4. Dust surfaces & vacuum or dry-mop floors
5. Help kids organize their stuff w/ over the door storage systems or plastic crates.

TROUBLE SPOT: Initiate a no-food rule for bedrooms.

Clean House: WEEKEND 3 - The Kitchen!!

1. Straighten countertops & tabletops
2. Spray surfaces with sanitizer, let sit, wipe & rinse
3. Survey cupboards & drawers to assess level of disorganization; rearrange & restock as needed with an eye toward storing things where they will be most handy.
4. Spot-clean cupboard surfaces, doors, windows, and shelves: replace shelf/drawer lining as needed.
5. Vacuum, dry-mop, or wash floor
6. Dust baseboards, cupboard fronts, and tops
7. Wipe down stovetop, microwave, and toaster oven.

TROUBLE SPOT: Place 1 cup of water in microwave, can put lemon juice in water, turn on & let warm/hot water sit & everything will soften so it can be easily wiped off w/ paper towels.

Clean House: Day 19 - Bulletin Boards, Calendar, Fridge Door

1. Strip items off bulletin board & fridge door, tossing old, & rearranging the rest by event/family member.
2. Go thru calendar & review scheduled items for this month & next
3. Compare appt. cards & invites against calendar to make sure everything is listed
4. Consider storing & recycling extra magnets

Clean House: Day 18 - Pantry

1. Remove all canned goods & spices; toss outdated items
2. Group by type or arrange in abc order
3. Use permanent marker to label & date can & jar tops
4. Wipe down shelves & replace lining if needed
5. Restock shelves, keeping like things together
TIMESAVER: Use plastic turntables to keep things in plain sight.

Clean House: Day 17 - Freezer

1. Do a quick survey of freezer items: rearrange items, grouping like things together, such as meats, veggies, dessert items, pizzas, etc.
2. Check dates on packages, & move oldest up front for next use
3. Spot-clean any spills
TIMESAVER: Date any new items before storing in freezer; keep a list on front of fridge of meats & leftovers to help w/ meal planning.

Clean House: Day 16 - The Refridgerator

1. Toss expired products & past prime leftovers, fruits, & veggies
2. Wipe down the fridge walls, bins, shelves, and gaskets…I use warm soapy water for inside. All purpose cleaner or Pine Sol for the outside.
3. Restock after grouping like things together; consider clear plastic storage bins for jams, breads, or condiments.
TIMESAVER: Clean fridge before you go shopping to better complete your grocery list.

Clean House: Day 15 - Recipe Books & Boxes

1. Gather recipe books, binders, & boxes in central location
2. Review books & move those you seldom use to another bookshelf
3. Toss clipped recipes that you haven’t made or didn’t like.
4. Paste “keepers” on to paper sheets and file in a binder
5. Flip through recipes & make grocery lists for needed items for the next few weeks.

Clean House: WEEKEND 2 - Master Closet

Oh my! This is even worse than my bedroom! Eeeek!!

1. Clean off floor & straighten up shelves
2. Go thru clothes & shoes, Pull out anything you don’t wear or that needs repair
3. Cull unused hangers
4. Keep a dry-cleaner storage bag on a hook to stow items that need cleaning. Check it weekly to see if it’s time to drop it off.
5. Vacuum floor & dust shelves
TIMESAVER: Either hang entire outfits together or group similar items such as skirts, tops, and pants.
Another tip: Color coordinate your closet according to rainbow colors … off colors (pink, lilacs, etc would go with the color closest to them).

Clean House: Day 12 - Master Bedroom

I don't know about you but I've been dreading this particular chore! My Master Bedroom is also my sewing room, craft room, library, and everything else room. Arrrghhh!

1. Pick up clothes, tidy dresser, & table tops
2. Open window to freshen room
3. Vacuum or dry-mop floor
4. Spot-clean windows & mirrors
5. Dust furniture & baseboards
6. Change linens & fluff pillows

Clean House: Day 11 - Houseplants

1. Transfer portable plants to kitchen or utility room counter
2. Trip or snip any dead leaves & flower heads
3. Dust or wet-wipe dirty leaves as plant – appropriate
4. Water & fertilize as needed
5. Dust & spot clean surfaces where plants are displayed

Clean House: Day 10 - Bathrooms

1. Tidy counters, wipe down shelves & cupboard surfaces
2. Use degreasing cleanser on sink, tub, and shower walls
3. Launder bath linens
4. Sanitize toilet bowl and seat cover
5. Clean sink & tub fixtures with all-purpose cleanser
TIMESAVER: Spray tub, showers walls, & sink and move on to other chores, letting the cleanser do its work.

Clean House: Day 9 - Dining Room

1. Clear off piles of junk that have accumulated on the table, then dust.
2. Return clean dishes and vases to storage areas
3. Spot-clean any stains or chair covers & spray with stain repellent
4. Spot-clean windows & mirrors w/ damp paper towel or windex.
5. Vacuum or dry-mop floor
TROUBLE SPOT: Remove scratches from wood floors by sanding very gently with fine steel wool that has been dipped in paste wax.