Keep Calm and Clean On

Maybe it’s the Spring Cleaning hangover talking, but I have GOT to get this housework under control. Now, it’s summer. School’s out, vacations are coming up, guests are visiting. There are many reasons why I could convince myself to wait until fall to start a new cleaning regimen. But when school was winding down, weren’t we all telling each other that the end-of-school is crazy, we’ll have more time this summer, it’s time to get the kids involved in chores too… You’re with me, I know you are. From one hot-mess mom to another, let’s get a new plan in place. 

I realized something about myself during my last cleaning spree. I have been dividing my cleaning by task, such as say, “floors,” “laundry”, or “dusting.” What ends up happening, however, is that I make up my mind to complete one task, spend all day doing it amidst the other distractions and obligations I have and look around dissatisfied at the end of it. I notice the linens that still need washing, the dusty bookshelf, the spotted window, the cobweb I didn’t notice before (and wouldn’t have stopped to clear anyway) and suddenly I’m overwhelmed. Not only am I frustrated that it doesn’t feel clean, but now I am trying to figure out when I can fit in a whole other day of cleaning to do these tasks. I beat myself up for not being disciplined enough, tidy enough, strict enough, ENOUGH, to have my mess together. There’s no room in my life for entire days spent cleaning. Nor is there room for entire days spent angry that my cleaning efforts are wasted or subpar. 

I am going to pass along my new strategy to you, but know that it is not new or originally mine. I read about this strategy in the autobiography of Mary Kay Ash (of Mary Kay Cosmetics) and I recommend it as great reading for any working mom. She suggests taking a few minutes each day to clean one area thoroughly so that you spend short bursts of focused time that end with a “clean” and satisfying result. For instance, instead of spreading throughout the entire house vacuuming, and pausing to straighten a myriad of distracting messes, you pick a living space and clean it floor to ceiling. If I could commit to 20-30 minutes a day, several days a week, I might plan to clean the living room on Monday, the bathrooms on Tuesday, the Kitchen on Thursday, and so on. Now, it’s not a perfect system, but let me explain a few benefits. And below I will outline a modified sample schedule that you can use if, like me, you have Every Day Musts.

There are tasks that need to be daily or near-daily routine, but most cleaning can be cyclical. We have a German Shepherd Dog, so in my house, I need to vacuum every 1-2 days. Additionally, I simply can’t sleep easy unless the kitchen is suitable for cooking breakfast in the morning. Most things, however, can be wrapped into the cleaning cycle, since I clean the space top-to-bottom when I get to it. The interval and frequency are up to you! The most important thing to remember is to keep short intervals, relatively often. We busy moms rarely have the luxury to clean, and strictly clean, for blocks of hours or days, and when we DO, we use that time for big projects (closet clean-out, garage straightening, etc.).

Yesterday, I timed myself in 2 parts working this system to present a realistic impression, (times also include a series of interruptions from my 3-year-old for good measure). It took me twelve minutes to vacuum all the main living spaces and mop the main floor. According to my cleaning cycle schedule, my assigned room was the living room. In this house, it also doubles as my dining room.

The first thing I did is throw all the linens in the washer and quickly put away any clutter or trash. In this room, linens consist of blankets and sometimes placemats, but it could be sheets, towels, or rugs. Then I dusted all picture frames, surfaces, light fixtures, curtain rods, and cobwebs. Next, I wiped down all the windows, and disinfected the dining table. Last, I vacuumed/mopped the floors. Since I was not worried about getting to anything else in the house, I was able to fix a few rings on the curtains, change up the placement of some decor, and replace the scent in my wax warmer. Including these couple of extra mini-tasks, it took me approximately 30 minutes, but I believe I could have been quicker.

A few tips:

• Add typical “deep clean” tasks like baseboards and dusting fixtures every time.
• Use a cleaner that is all-purpose. I use Thieves for windows, surfaces, floors.
• Keep everything all together in a basket and move it to the next room on the cycle schedule, ready for tomorrow’s cleaning burst.
• Make a checklist. Mine is:
  • declutter (quick tidy)
  • wash linens, dust
  • wipe/disinfect
  • vacuum/mop

Here’s my own sketch of the current and next week. I only planned out the next 2 weeks because I want to be able to adjust for missed days, etc. It could easily be spread out if I could only clean a few days a week. 

Even as a working mom, I found that I could spare a few minutes a day. Doing it this way would keep me from feeling as though I was simply spinning my wheels. Keep calm and clean, Momma!