Saturday, May 7, 2011

Questions Saturday**May 7, 2011

Q: Do you have a cleaning schedule of any kind?

A: Yes, when it starts to bury us alive I clean it...just kidding! (That's how it feels sometimes, though, doesn't it?!?!) I ADORE a clean house and letting it "go" a bit has been the toughest part of having four kids, a part time job, hobbies, friends, and family...there's just no way to do it all in a sane way (or if there is I haven't found it!). Here's what I have found:

KITCHEN
I clean the kitchen after supper....the rest of the day I try to just keep it manageable...meal dishes into the sink, pots and pans set to soak, but that's it. This is much easier to accomplish than trying to clean it after breakfast, lunch, AND supper. Doing it before I go to sleep insures that I wake up to a clean kitchen and I don't go crazy doing it three times during the day only to have it get messy again.

The floors get swept every 1-2 days depending on how messy it is. I wash the floor about every 2 weeks (again, depending on how sticky it gets!)

OUR BEDROOM
I try to ALWAYS keep my bedroom clean...this is something I started about 4 mo. ago when I realized that our room was the WORST one in the house. I felt so frustrated by that! Why was EVERYTHING getting stuffed in the last room I saw at night and the first one I woke to in the morning?! Talk about being defeated before even leaving your bed....no wonder I felt so 'behind' all the time! Since instituting keeping our bedroom tidy I have noticed that I feel much more accomplished in the evenings and much more energized in the morning.

How did I accomplish it? I got rid of over 1/2 of my clothing (it was packed and put in storage) and my husband moved out (effective, but not that much fun)! Without much in there it makes it MUCH easier to put the laundry away! I also changed to a duvet cover over a down comforter...making the bed is as easy as shaking out the cover and laying it on the bed. I also got rid of several of the 'extra' pillows...its just the pillow I sleep on, the sham pillows, and three decorative...I could have axed more, but I wanted ot make sure it still looked cute for when the house gets shown.

BATHROOM
I keep it tidy each day and CLEAN it every 1.5-2 weeks...usually while someone is in the tub taking their bath...I wash the floor once they are all in bed. I figure I'm in there anyhow I might as well scrub a toilet while they soak.

KID'S BEDROOMS
Before school begins they each make their beds.
They are to tidy it before bed...toys put away and clothes sent down the laundry chute. I help them if I can...surprisingly Leve doesn't need as much help as the others! She is GREAT at putting away her toys.

FAMILY ROOM
This is our hardest one to keep clean since we are there ALL the time...we try to make sure their toys are in their rooms before supper and I take care of the rest of it about twice a week. Deep cleaning happens about every 2 weeks.

ENTRY WAY
This is Kiki's chore area...she is to make sure it is cleaned each morning before we start school...we just have the things we are currently wearing by the door. The rest of our shoes, etc. are in the hall closet.

Hope that helps! I have found it to be SO MUCH easier now that a majority of our belongings are in storage. I have been following this blog and it encourages me greatly...I hope that when we finally do get to Duluth I am able to cull things out for keeps. I am hopeful that after having lived with much less for the last 4 months I will recognize what I really DO need and what I can do without. Here's hoping! ;)

Keep those questions coming...this is fun!

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