I see you on the horizon, Spring Cleaning, and I will take you down.
And while I’m at it, I’m going to re-resolve to get back on the horse with my cleaning routine, because as long as I stick to it, it’s highly effective and not all that time-consuming. I’ve been…well…not doing it lately, because I’m all “Oh, I’m totally moving, the house is going to be a mess what with packing anyway.”
Cut to three months later, and we’re still…
here.
So. Let’s do this.
My System: There are six rooms in our apartment (kitchen, water closet, living room, nursery, bathroom, and bedroom), so I’ve assigned each of these rooms to a day of the week on my iPhone, and I tackle one a day, no excuses (with a No Cleaning Day built in somewhere in there). I find that handling chores in miniature portions makes me dread them less, and makes me do a better job.
This list is a whittled-down version of Martha Stewart’s Weekly Cleaning Checklist, and it’s a good one. In my former life as an organized person with an under-control household, I actually did hit all of the below bullet-points over the course of a week. (Except for vent-vaccuming. I mean, really: who does that?)
Bathrooms:
- Change and launder bath mats, towels, and washcloths
- Clean toilets, bathtubs, showers, and sinks (I also like to spray the shower area daily to prevent mold)
- Empty trash bins and wipe down outside and inside
- Wipe down mirrors
Bedrooms:
- Change and launder sheets and pillowcases
- Discard magazines that you’re done reading and reorganize bedside table area (this one is huge for keeping your room looking neat, and I am off to do this right now because really, who needs that many Stars and US Weeklys in their life?)
- Empty trash bins
Dining Room:
- Change and launder tablecloth and cloth napkins, if you use them
- Wipe down table and chairs
Home Office:
- Sort through in-box; pay bills and file paperwork (I keep a little letter organizer on my desk, stash everything in the world in it, and go through it weekly)
- Empty trash bin
Kitchen:
- Discard old food, beverages, and takeout containers
- Flush drain with boiling water
- Wipe down all surfaces, including refrigerator, sink, and cupboard doors
- Wipe inside of oven, microwave and toaster oven
- Wipe down inside and outside of trash bins
Living Room:
- Sort through magazines and catalogs; discard those you’re done with and store the rest
- Fluff and rotate sofa cushions
Throughout Home:
- Dust all surfaces, including light fixtures and tops of books (don’t forget to dust on top of and behind your wall hangings)
- Vacuum and mop floors (I have wooden floors and use no-rinse floor cleaner, which simplifies the process greatly)
- Vacuum vents
- Wipe down all glass surfaces
Do I do all this on a weekly basis? Oh goodness, no. Not these days.
But I aspire to!
