We have a wipe-off board hanging in our hallway that has been blank for months (To be precise, it's been blank since we discovered Cozi, a family organizational tool.). Today I put it to good use, planning the chores I think I need to do on a regular basis in order to keep my house in working condition:
Monday
Vacuum entire house
Sweep kitchen
Tuesday
Sweep and mop kitchen and foyer
Wednesday
Clean front and master baths (including floors)
Sweep kitchen
Thursday
Dust entire house (including picture frames)
Friday
Balance checkbook
Menu plan
Sweep kitchen
Saturday
Wash clothes, sheets, and towels
Sunday
Rest...really.
Maybe if it's posted for all to see (not only me, but My Love and all house guests) I'll be more committed to the schedule I've set than I was the first time I gave this thing a whirl. Even though, when I first made my list, it seemed like I lot, I honestly believe it's only 30 minutes to an hour's worth of work every day (except for the laundry, which is pretty much never-ending, and I can't get around that with three kids). That's much better than spending my days working for two to three hours each day and feeling depressed because I simply keep turning up new areas that need work!
I've also spent some time thinking about the areas of the house that got shockingly dirty; while they don't need cleaning all the time, they need tackling periodically. I've heard it suggested that I do things like clean under the stove and clean the windows' tracks twice a year, so that's what I'll do: a winter cleaning and a spring cleaning. Maybe if I keep it up consistently, those spots won't be as bad again.
And then there are some chores that should be done "as needed", but that I'm more likely to keep up with if I write them down. Among them: clean the refrigerator and stove and wipe down baseboards; clean fans and wipe down door frames and surfaces. I'm thinking that once every 2-3 months should be sufficient.
I'm tempted to say that I'll re-visit my blog in a year and give some sort of report on how I'm doing with those goals. but I'm not sure whether it'll happen. I think a better test of my cleaning prowess is going to be my house itself rather than my report on it. But I do need to add one more area to serve as proof: the peace and joy of the people living in the house. In the end, if I miss sweeping the kitchen one day and we need to deal with some stray Rice Krispies, we'll all survive...and maybe even thrive!
Friday, June 1, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
It's Finally Done!
There was an old commercial that I remember seeing when I was little; I'm pretty sure it was for Rice Krispies. It had a young girl showing her younger sister/brother how their mother made Rice Krispy Treats, and when the task was done, she wiped her brow in mock frustration and said, in the sweetest little high-pitched voice, "They're finally done!"
That's about how I felt today: a scant (?) two months after starting this great project, I've finally finished...and it's a really fantastic feeling. I think I've grown a great deal as a homemaker; I've learned a lot about how to clean, how often to clean, and when cleaning can wait. Yes, I ended up with a cleaner house, but I also feel like I ended up stronger, wiser, and more patient. I think that's a pretty good set of results, considering I was armed with cleaning supplies and a broom for the past eight weeks and I STILL managed to keep my family fed, clothed, and entertained.
I think my next step is to come up with some sort of schedule for consistent cleaning, so that I don't end up with this kind of overwhelming and drawn-out task before me again (or at least, not in the near future), so I guess that means one more post. Otherwise, friends, thanks for your attention and support for the past few weeks; it's been really fun!
That's about how I felt today: a scant (?) two months after starting this great project, I've finally finished...and it's a really fantastic feeling. I think I've grown a great deal as a homemaker; I've learned a lot about how to clean, how often to clean, and when cleaning can wait. Yes, I ended up with a cleaner house, but I also feel like I ended up stronger, wiser, and more patient. I think that's a pretty good set of results, considering I was armed with cleaning supplies and a broom for the past eight weeks and I STILL managed to keep my family fed, clothed, and entertained.
I think my next step is to come up with some sort of schedule for consistent cleaning, so that I don't end up with this kind of overwhelming and drawn-out task before me again (or at least, not in the near future), so I guess that means one more post. Otherwise, friends, thanks for your attention and support for the past few weeks; it's been really fun!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Baby Boy's Room
I put off cleaning Baby Boy's room until almost the very end of my great endeavor. I really did have a logical reason: it's easiest for me to clean while kids are sleeping, and he sleeps the most often, but I can't clean while he's asleep in his room. Basically, today I took advantage of a rare opportunity: he was awake, but content to play alone in his infant bouncer; the girls were both asleep. Also, it was pretty incredible to see that, once I finally got started, this may have been the lightest cleaning job I've had yet!
Action Plan:
1. Clean light fixture and fan
2. Clean windows and blinds
3. Clean door frames
4. Dust furniture
5. Clean baseboards
6. Vacuum floor
As I started at the top, I realized that Baby Boy's room was probably the cleanest in the house. Why? We painted it right before we moved him in there, which was a short six months ago (only I would call six months "short" in regards to cleaning). Before we painted, we cleaned the entire room, so it was in pretty good shape. I started, as I always do, by washing the light fixture globes and wiping down the fan blades (which I cleaned with ACV).
I moved from there to Windexing the only window in the room and cleaning out the window tracks. Again, it was reasonably clean, which surprised me; I'm not an expert here, but it seems to me that the east/west facing windows have been significantly less dirty than the north/south facing ones. Also, the windows that face the neighbors' house are cleaner, and this particular window fit both criteria. There were no dog nose-prints, no dead spiders or frogs in the tracks, and even minimal outside dirt. Another happy surprise was that the blinds didn't need cleaning at all; Mini-me used to be in that room, and had pulled down her blinds a few months before. We bought new ones (more specifically, she did), and they have been closed and hidden behind light-blocking curtains ever since then.
The dirtiest place in the room ended up being the outside lower surface of the bedroom door. Years' worth of grimy fingerprints had definitely taken their toll, and it took a cloth with ACV, followed by a Lysol wipe, followed by a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, to clean the door to my satisfaction. After that chore, the dust that I wiped off the surface of the frame seemed like nothing.
Again, the furniture was relatively dust-free, and I am seeing a pattern in Baby Boy's room and the girls' room: they have less surface area and less clutter ON the surface area, so there's less dust. It was really quick to clean all his furniture -- like, less than five minutes. Hmm...maybe I should reduce display items in other areas of the house as well, if it's this easy to clean. On second thought, that would mean doing yet another purge of my books, and I don't think I've got the stomach for it...
I finished up by quickly wiping down the baseboards, which, again, were much cleaner than other baseboards in the house have been. I moved all the furniture to do a thorough vacuuming, used the hose attachment to get a few stubborn bugs in a corner, and was done with the entire project in less than an hour (about the time, incidentally, that Baby Boy decided he was tired of being alone and was ready for dinner).
Action Plan:
1. Clean light fixture and fan
2. Clean windows and blinds
3. Clean door frames
4. Dust furniture
5. Clean baseboards
6. Vacuum floor
As I started at the top, I realized that Baby Boy's room was probably the cleanest in the house. Why? We painted it right before we moved him in there, which was a short six months ago (only I would call six months "short" in regards to cleaning). Before we painted, we cleaned the entire room, so it was in pretty good shape. I started, as I always do, by washing the light fixture globes and wiping down the fan blades (which I cleaned with ACV).
I moved from there to Windexing the only window in the room and cleaning out the window tracks. Again, it was reasonably clean, which surprised me; I'm not an expert here, but it seems to me that the east/west facing windows have been significantly less dirty than the north/south facing ones. Also, the windows that face the neighbors' house are cleaner, and this particular window fit both criteria. There were no dog nose-prints, no dead spiders or frogs in the tracks, and even minimal outside dirt. Another happy surprise was that the blinds didn't need cleaning at all; Mini-me used to be in that room, and had pulled down her blinds a few months before. We bought new ones (more specifically, she did), and they have been closed and hidden behind light-blocking curtains ever since then.
The dirtiest place in the room ended up being the outside lower surface of the bedroom door. Years' worth of grimy fingerprints had definitely taken their toll, and it took a cloth with ACV, followed by a Lysol wipe, followed by a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, to clean the door to my satisfaction. After that chore, the dust that I wiped off the surface of the frame seemed like nothing.
Again, the furniture was relatively dust-free, and I am seeing a pattern in Baby Boy's room and the girls' room: they have less surface area and less clutter ON the surface area, so there's less dust. It was really quick to clean all his furniture -- like, less than five minutes. Hmm...maybe I should reduce display items in other areas of the house as well, if it's this easy to clean. On second thought, that would mean doing yet another purge of my books, and I don't think I've got the stomach for it...
I finished up by quickly wiping down the baseboards, which, again, were much cleaner than other baseboards in the house have been. I moved all the furniture to do a thorough vacuuming, used the hose attachment to get a few stubborn bugs in a corner, and was done with the entire project in less than an hour (about the time, incidentally, that Baby Boy decided he was tired of being alone and was ready for dinner).
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Our Nest
Weeks after I cleaned out my closet and scoured our bathroom, I was finally ready to return to finished cleaning the master bedroom. I mentioned before that this would probably be the case; I was much more likely to make the rest of the house presentable. After all, no one sees our little nest but My Love and I.
Action Plan:
1. Clean light fixture and fan blades
2. Clean doors and door frames
3. Clean windows
4. Dust furniture
5. Wipe down baseboards
6. Vacuum floor
I had been a bit reluctant to clean the fan blades because our fan is directly over the bed; I assumed that when I cleaned the blades, showers of dust were going to fall on our comforter and be impossible to remove. When I finally started the job, however, I was again pleasantly surprised at how reasonable the accumulated dust was. I certainly hadn't cleaned it in the past month, but definitely within the past year. A quick wipe with ACV and a trip through some soapy water for the bulbs, and the fixture was done.
When I started to clean the high areas of the room, like the tops of the door frames, Mini-me wandered in and asked to help. Since I was cleaning with ACV, I let her get a washcloth and start wiping down the baseboards for me. It wasn't a very thorough job, but it was certainly a start, and I appreciated that she wanted to be involved!
The door frames were no more or less dusty than I expected, but I again encountered dirty door surfaces. At toddler-level I found crayon marks, fingerprints, scuffs, and discolored flecks. After scrubbing at the particularly stubborn spots for a while, I reached for my Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Apparently, though, part of the way it works is to actually remove a tiny layer of the paint...or something. Because I stopped scrubbing to discover several places where the stain was gone, but where I could also see the raw wood of the door peeking through the white paint. Oops. I put the scrubber away and hoped for the best when My Love came home; repainting is his department.
There was nothing more shocking in the windows than I found in any other part of the house; it's a little sad that it no longer surprises me to find a dead frog trapped between the panes of glass. The blinds were particularly dusty, but my current cleaning technique seems to be to buy a new set, so there was nothing to do about them at the moment.
Mini-me had done an admirable job with the baseboards, but her commitment to the job lasted about ten minutes (pretty good for a four-year-old), and I had to finish up for her.
Why is it that I vacuum the bedroom less than any other room in the house? Again, I suppose it's that no one knows except My Love and I. But every time I DO vacuum, I an so enamored of the results that I vow to do it more often. Maybe this time it will stick!
This room also had a special project, which has been in the works for over a week. I wanted to do a thorough cleaning of our queen-sized bed. I removed all the sheets, turned the mattress, sprayed it with a disinfectant (I still haven't tried the baking soda idea I found), washed all the sheets and the dust ruffle, and re-assembled. I was stumped on our down comforter, though. Apparently, they can be washed, but my washing machine was too small, and it seems like an all-day job that would take lots of quarters at a laundry mat. So I decided to splurge and have the thing professionally cleaned...until I discovered it would cost $40! At that point My Love assured me that the comforter was clean enough for his taste, so (after having no blanket on the bed for a week) I caved in and put it back on the bed. Today, my mother brought me a comforter that she and my dad no longer use, and I'm looking forward to updating our bedroom with it.
I'm really enjoying how pleasant it is to have a clean, sweet-smelling bedroom (not that it usually stinks; it just SMELLS clean now!); I wonder how I can make it a priority for the future?
Action Plan:
1. Clean light fixture and fan blades
2. Clean doors and door frames
3. Clean windows
4. Dust furniture
5. Wipe down baseboards
6. Vacuum floor
I had been a bit reluctant to clean the fan blades because our fan is directly over the bed; I assumed that when I cleaned the blades, showers of dust were going to fall on our comforter and be impossible to remove. When I finally started the job, however, I was again pleasantly surprised at how reasonable the accumulated dust was. I certainly hadn't cleaned it in the past month, but definitely within the past year. A quick wipe with ACV and a trip through some soapy water for the bulbs, and the fixture was done.
When I started to clean the high areas of the room, like the tops of the door frames, Mini-me wandered in and asked to help. Since I was cleaning with ACV, I let her get a washcloth and start wiping down the baseboards for me. It wasn't a very thorough job, but it was certainly a start, and I appreciated that she wanted to be involved!
The door frames were no more or less dusty than I expected, but I again encountered dirty door surfaces. At toddler-level I found crayon marks, fingerprints, scuffs, and discolored flecks. After scrubbing at the particularly stubborn spots for a while, I reached for my Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Apparently, though, part of the way it works is to actually remove a tiny layer of the paint...or something. Because I stopped scrubbing to discover several places where the stain was gone, but where I could also see the raw wood of the door peeking through the white paint. Oops. I put the scrubber away and hoped for the best when My Love came home; repainting is his department.
There was nothing more shocking in the windows than I found in any other part of the house; it's a little sad that it no longer surprises me to find a dead frog trapped between the panes of glass. The blinds were particularly dusty, but my current cleaning technique seems to be to buy a new set, so there was nothing to do about them at the moment.
Mini-me had done an admirable job with the baseboards, but her commitment to the job lasted about ten minutes (pretty good for a four-year-old), and I had to finish up for her.
Why is it that I vacuum the bedroom less than any other room in the house? Again, I suppose it's that no one knows except My Love and I. But every time I DO vacuum, I an so enamored of the results that I vow to do it more often. Maybe this time it will stick!
This room also had a special project, which has been in the works for over a week. I wanted to do a thorough cleaning of our queen-sized bed. I removed all the sheets, turned the mattress, sprayed it with a disinfectant (I still haven't tried the baking soda idea I found), washed all the sheets and the dust ruffle, and re-assembled. I was stumped on our down comforter, though. Apparently, they can be washed, but my washing machine was too small, and it seems like an all-day job that would take lots of quarters at a laundry mat. So I decided to splurge and have the thing professionally cleaned...until I discovered it would cost $40! At that point My Love assured me that the comforter was clean enough for his taste, so (after having no blanket on the bed for a week) I caved in and put it back on the bed. Today, my mother brought me a comforter that she and my dad no longer use, and I'm looking forward to updating our bedroom with it.
I'm really enjoying how pleasant it is to have a clean, sweet-smelling bedroom (not that it usually stinks; it just SMELLS clean now!); I wonder how I can make it a priority for the future?
Saturday, May 26, 2012
The Beast is Back!
After being gone for almost three weeks...the Beast just showed up in our yard last night! Everyone, especially the kids, is incredibly happy to have her home. So we again have short grey hair on the carpet, dog food crumbs in the living room floor, and trails of water around the kitchen...and it's completely worth it!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Counting my Blessings
I found myself "laboring" over a lengthy series of chores this past weekend. I'm still short of having the entire house cleaned through once, but I have a never-ending list of things that I need to take care of on a daily basis: laundry, cooking, dishes, vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, cleaning bathrooms...etc. Don't get me wrong; I'm taking a great deal of pride in the way the house looks now, and I am experiencing a greater level of confidence in my homemaking abilities. It's just that I felt a little overwhelmed by the fact that these tasks are never going to end.
Then I remembered something I read a few weeks ago, suggesting a technique that will help us homemakers avoid thinking about our daily work as drudgery. We should think of it, instead, as a blessing.
I had to clean TWO toilets. How incredibly blessed I am that I have TWO toilets in my house! There are millions of people in the world who have none. There are millions more who have one, but not two. And look at the products I have at my fingertips to keep the toilets sanitary and shining; I have no worries that my children are going to come into contact with some terrible disease because they used an unsanitary toilet.
I had to wash an entire sink full of dishes. Wow, we have dishes! How many people out there don't? How many people in the world only wish that they had enough food to cook and serve on dishes in the first place? How many more don't have the water to clean themselves or their plates with -- or, if they do have water, had to walk three miles to get it in a bucket?
I had to clean out two bathtubs and a stand-up shower. Suddenly, that seems like an extraordinary privilege more than it does a chore. I take a bath -- every single day -- in clean, hot, running water. I don't have to share my tub with anyone except my own family.
When I ran the vacuum, I thought about the comfort our rug brought the family and the convenience of electricity that allowed me to do so in the first place. When I folded my kids' clothes, I considered how fortunate they were to have beautiful, comfortable, serviceable clothes (more than they will ever need) provided by people who love them dearly. When I swept Cheerios off the kitchen floor, I thanked God that I had two arms and two legs and the strength and health to keep my house tidy. As I did each task, I earnestly considered the many ways in which I had been blessed.
Here's the thing: I have heard "count your blessings" all my life, and I have done it so many times when it comes to the people and things in my life (husband, kids, friends, home, job, etc.). But I don't think that I have ever once honestly considered how even that which I think of as hard work or an undesirable chore is still evidence of the many, many gifts in my life. It was the strangest thing to find myself grinning and close to tears as I scrubbed toilets and floors and folded burp cloths, but it was also the most joy I've ever gotten from housework.
Then I remembered something I read a few weeks ago, suggesting a technique that will help us homemakers avoid thinking about our daily work as drudgery. We should think of it, instead, as a blessing.
I had to clean TWO toilets. How incredibly blessed I am that I have TWO toilets in my house! There are millions of people in the world who have none. There are millions more who have one, but not two. And look at the products I have at my fingertips to keep the toilets sanitary and shining; I have no worries that my children are going to come into contact with some terrible disease because they used an unsanitary toilet.
I had to wash an entire sink full of dishes. Wow, we have dishes! How many people out there don't? How many people in the world only wish that they had enough food to cook and serve on dishes in the first place? How many more don't have the water to clean themselves or their plates with -- or, if they do have water, had to walk three miles to get it in a bucket?
I had to clean out two bathtubs and a stand-up shower. Suddenly, that seems like an extraordinary privilege more than it does a chore. I take a bath -- every single day -- in clean, hot, running water. I don't have to share my tub with anyone except my own family.
When I ran the vacuum, I thought about the comfort our rug brought the family and the convenience of electricity that allowed me to do so in the first place. When I folded my kids' clothes, I considered how fortunate they were to have beautiful, comfortable, serviceable clothes (more than they will ever need) provided by people who love them dearly. When I swept Cheerios off the kitchen floor, I thanked God that I had two arms and two legs and the strength and health to keep my house tidy. As I did each task, I earnestly considered the many ways in which I had been blessed.
Here's the thing: I have heard "count your blessings" all my life, and I have done it so many times when it comes to the people and things in my life (husband, kids, friends, home, job, etc.). But I don't think that I have ever once honestly considered how even that which I think of as hard work or an undesirable chore is still evidence of the many, many gifts in my life. It was the strangest thing to find myself grinning and close to tears as I scrubbed toilets and floors and folded burp cloths, but it was also the most joy I've ever gotten from housework.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice...right?
In the old nursery rhyme, little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice. Well, today I deep-cleaned the girls' room, and let me tell you...there was not a bit of any of that in sight. What DID I find? Spiders, snails, and puppy dog [hair]. I think the writer of the nursery rhyme was confused.
Action Plan:
1. Clean light fixture
2. Dust all surfaces
3. Clean window
4. Wipe down doors
5. Clean baseboards
6. Vacuum
First of all: the light fixture was done immediately, so I had no excuse to say later that I forgot about it.
I dusted the room, and it seemed like it was more dusty than other parts of the house. It also seems to be the warmest room in the house because of a large window, so I wonder whether that has something to do with the air conditioning unit's attempt to work in overdrive.
The window took more scrubbing than the ones in other rooms have. The Best likes (liked?) to sit with her head propped on the window sill and her nose pressed to the glass, which meant a lot of dirt and smudges to deal with. It was when I opened the window to clean the tracks, though, that I got my biggest surprise. The girls' window sits just over our "garden" -- a small patch of mulched dirt with a few sago palms and flowers growing in it. My theory is that the bugs, frogs, and grime I found in the window originated in the garden. The window track was coated with some sort of green slime that probably came from the sprinkler. I know that we have lots of little frogs around, especially in the summer; several met their ends stuck between the window glass and the screen of the girls' bedroom. And, yes, there were dead spiders and a snail. (I have no idea how the snail got there; however, I have seen one in the garden before, so my theory is that s/he somehow climbed the brick and entered in at a crevice.)
I pulled out a new tool when wiping down the doors today: my Up & Up "magic eraser" from Target. Those things are fantastic for removing fingerprints, pencil and crayon marks, and muddy streaks from both doors and walls.
Cleaning the baseboards was uneventful, but things got interesting again when it was time to vacuum. Cuddles and Mini-me entered the room, and they both wanted to help me vacuum the floor. There was almost a fight over it. This is the documentation: when they are teenagers and try to shirk their chores, I will remind them that there once was a day when they fought for the privilege of doing them!
Action Plan:
1. Clean light fixture
2. Dust all surfaces
3. Clean window
4. Wipe down doors
5. Clean baseboards
6. Vacuum
First of all: the light fixture was done immediately, so I had no excuse to say later that I forgot about it.
I dusted the room, and it seemed like it was more dusty than other parts of the house. It also seems to be the warmest room in the house because of a large window, so I wonder whether that has something to do with the air conditioning unit's attempt to work in overdrive.
The window took more scrubbing than the ones in other rooms have. The Best likes (liked?) to sit with her head propped on the window sill and her nose pressed to the glass, which meant a lot of dirt and smudges to deal with. It was when I opened the window to clean the tracks, though, that I got my biggest surprise. The girls' window sits just over our "garden" -- a small patch of mulched dirt with a few sago palms and flowers growing in it. My theory is that the bugs, frogs, and grime I found in the window originated in the garden. The window track was coated with some sort of green slime that probably came from the sprinkler. I know that we have lots of little frogs around, especially in the summer; several met their ends stuck between the window glass and the screen of the girls' bedroom. And, yes, there were dead spiders and a snail. (I have no idea how the snail got there; however, I have seen one in the garden before, so my theory is that s/he somehow climbed the brick and entered in at a crevice.)
I pulled out a new tool when wiping down the doors today: my Up & Up "magic eraser" from Target. Those things are fantastic for removing fingerprints, pencil and crayon marks, and muddy streaks from both doors and walls.
Cleaning the baseboards was uneventful, but things got interesting again when it was time to vacuum. Cuddles and Mini-me entered the room, and they both wanted to help me vacuum the floor. There was almost a fight over it. This is the documentation: when they are teenagers and try to shirk their chores, I will remind them that there once was a day when they fought for the privilege of doing them!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Kamikaze Bugs
This morning I made a to-do list, and on it was the following item: clean all light fixtures in the house.
I started out so well with my cleaning spree, but it's been easy to skip over the things that no one will notice, and light fixtures have been a challenge for me. I don't know why; it's like I forget they are even there until I'm done cleaning and have put away my supplies and am tired. Theoretically, I should tackle them first, but that just hasn't been happening. So I had ended up with multiple rooms that were clean but contained light fixtures that were not (laundry room, hallway, dining room, office, master bath part b, kitchen, and master closet).
At first, if you remember, I had worried about climbing up to reach the lights. As it turns out, the only one I had any trouble with ended up being the one in the vaulted ceiling in the office, which My Love will have to take care of. The rest were pretty straightforward and involved standing on a dining chair. The girls wandered over to see what I was doing at one point, but didn't seem to have any desire to replicate my actions.
I cleaned all the fixtures with apple cider vinegar, and the entire process was quick, painless, and entirely uneventful. Except...
I was appalled at the number of bugs I found cooked to the bottom surfaces of the enclosed bulbs I cleaned today! Everything from flies to spiders to moths had found their ways inside the glass covers, and every one of them met a dramatic end. I understand that moths aren't examples of the most intelligent of God's creatures, but is it really worth it to them to actively struggle to get inside a burning glass ball that's going to roast them alive? (I literally had to scrub some of the insects and spiders from the glass with a textured sponge; they had been seared on by the lights' heat.)
My Love used to tease me about my loathing of spiders. "Oh, but they're good, Honey. They kill all the bugs that come inside!" I retort that I don't WANT bugs inside -- which is why we pay for pest control -- and that spiders relinquish all right to life when they come inside my home. With that knowledge, these bugs literally seem suicidal. Life is grand in the great outdoors, but they risk their lives just to chase a bright spot of light that ultimately leads to their demise.
I started out so well with my cleaning spree, but it's been easy to skip over the things that no one will notice, and light fixtures have been a challenge for me. I don't know why; it's like I forget they are even there until I'm done cleaning and have put away my supplies and am tired. Theoretically, I should tackle them first, but that just hasn't been happening. So I had ended up with multiple rooms that were clean but contained light fixtures that were not (laundry room, hallway, dining room, office, master bath part b, kitchen, and master closet).
At first, if you remember, I had worried about climbing up to reach the lights. As it turns out, the only one I had any trouble with ended up being the one in the vaulted ceiling in the office, which My Love will have to take care of. The rest were pretty straightforward and involved standing on a dining chair. The girls wandered over to see what I was doing at one point, but didn't seem to have any desire to replicate my actions.
I cleaned all the fixtures with apple cider vinegar, and the entire process was quick, painless, and entirely uneventful. Except...
I was appalled at the number of bugs I found cooked to the bottom surfaces of the enclosed bulbs I cleaned today! Everything from flies to spiders to moths had found their ways inside the glass covers, and every one of them met a dramatic end. I understand that moths aren't examples of the most intelligent of God's creatures, but is it really worth it to them to actively struggle to get inside a burning glass ball that's going to roast them alive? (I literally had to scrub some of the insects and spiders from the glass with a textured sponge; they had been seared on by the lights' heat.)
My Love used to tease me about my loathing of spiders. "Oh, but they're good, Honey. They kill all the bugs that come inside!" I retort that I don't WANT bugs inside -- which is why we pay for pest control -- and that spiders relinquish all right to life when they come inside my home. With that knowledge, these bugs literally seem suicidal. Life is grand in the great outdoors, but they risk their lives just to chase a bright spot of light that ultimately leads to their demise.
Monday, May 14, 2012
It works!
I said earlier that I would experiment with alternative uses for dryer sheets, among them cleaning soap scum from a shower door. The results are in: it works beautifully! It took two dryer sheets to clean our shower door. It does take a bit of elbow grease, but no more than it would take to scrub it with a bathroom cleaner and sponge. Also, the technique only works if the door is dry; otherwise, the dryer sheets just get soggy. Supposedly, dryer sheets also sort of coat the door's surface with something that keeps them clean a bit longer, so my next task is to see whether that one's true as well.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Preventative Maintenance
Cuddles turned two on Monday. It's been difficult for me to adjust; I've been identifying her age in months for...well...24 months now. I can't believe I have a two-year-old!
On Monday, we celebrated ourselves; Mini-me and I sang her "Happy Birthday" in the morning, and I made brownie cupcakes for a special treat after dinner. Her party, though, is today. All grandparents, aunts, and uncles are invited, and that means I'll have about ten people in the house. Time to clean!
Saturday morning, My Love took the girls to the park so that I could get some work done. I started the washing machine, then got busy. I assumed I had several hours' work ahead of me; that's been the description of most of my cleaning sprees thus far. However (I timed it), I had the house shining in an hour and eight minutes. Pretty impressive! And I can identify exactly why the job was so quick and easy: the house wasn't dirty...at least not dirty enough that I normally would have said it "needed" cleaning. There was no visible dust and no debris on the carpet. Still, I dusted all surfaces in all the common areas, swept the hallway and kitchen (I DID turn up a pretty respectable pile of crumbs there), and ran the vacuum. By the time my family swept back into the house at 10:38, I was emptying the dust pan into the garbage can and looking with pride at a clean house!
All members of our family have seen the home at its worst (specifically, when there was a newborn in the house), so there's no real need to impress them. However, it does make me feel good to hone my hostessing abilities and set a nice backdrop for Cuddles's party. She won't remember it, of course, and I hope that our guests will care more about the event itself than the clean carpets. I guess, in the end, today' activities were mostly for my own satisfaction, and I'm proud to report that housekeeping is fast becoming a habit!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
One Down
I mentioned all the conspirators who contribute to the constant mess in the house...but I want to be clear that I love each of them, and cleaning up after each of them is more than worth their company.
This week, we lost our dog. The Beast wandered out of the yard, and has last been seen several miles from our house. We've looked for her for several days now, and it's like she's vanished. Despite ads online, phone calls to local vets and animal control, and the combined strength of Facebook friends, we have yet to find her.
It's pretty sad; Mini-me, especially, is asking where she is and is saying that she misses her. Yesterday she started coloring a picture and said it was for The Beast when she came home. I had to stop myself from sniffling.
The house IS cleaner without her. There are no trails of water drops across the linoleum in the kitchen; there are no dog food crumbs in the middle of the kitchen carpet; there is no dog hair on the base of the couch. But you know what? I wish there was. The house feels eerily quiet and sterile without her in it. Sometimes I glance around and find myself wondering, "Where's the dog?" I wonder how long it will take me to get used to the idea that she's not here? I wonder if I'll even need to? I am still holding out hope that she'll show back up, but I don't know how long to do so; I also don't know at what point I should start gently telling the kids that she might not be coming back.
This week, we lost our dog. The Beast wandered out of the yard, and has last been seen several miles from our house. We've looked for her for several days now, and it's like she's vanished. Despite ads online, phone calls to local vets and animal control, and the combined strength of Facebook friends, we have yet to find her.
It's pretty sad; Mini-me, especially, is asking where she is and is saying that she misses her. Yesterday she started coloring a picture and said it was for The Beast when she came home. I had to stop myself from sniffling.
The house IS cleaner without her. There are no trails of water drops across the linoleum in the kitchen; there are no dog food crumbs in the middle of the kitchen carpet; there is no dog hair on the base of the couch. But you know what? I wish there was. The house feels eerily quiet and sterile without her in it. Sometimes I glance around and find myself wondering, "Where's the dog?" I wonder how long it will take me to get used to the idea that she's not here? I wonder if I'll even need to? I am still holding out hope that she'll show back up, but I don't know how long to do so; I also don't know at what point I should start gently telling the kids that she might not be coming back.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Sterile sheets?
I think I have a dim memory that we washed sheets about once a week as I was growing up...I think I recall that my mother would ask us to take the sheets off our beds periodically and bring them to the laundry room. These days, a visit to my parents' house on a Saturday often finds the sheets washing and my mother making beds before nap time. In our house, though, sheets get washed when they are visibly dirty or when I can't recall the last time they were washed. I think I can justify this to an extent; I literally wash at least one load of clothes every day, and more like five on the weekends. For the first few months of Baby Boy's life we used cloth diapers, and I'm shocked that anyone ever had clean clothes to wear! But, again, that season of life has passed, and I am adding "frequent and consistent sheet-washing" to my cleaning list.
Washing sheets is pretty simple, but I very seldom do anything with pillows or the mattress. On a tip from my mother, I sprayed Lysol disinfectant spray on the pillows and bare mattresses while the sheets were washing. That created a nice, fresh smell that hope also contributed to their cleanliness. I found this page a few weeks ago that suggests cleaning the mattress with baking soda and lavender essential oil. I never made it that far today, but it's on the to-do list.
We use a down comforter on the master bed all year long, and we keep it covered with a duvet cover. (The comforter itself is purple -- I think it was on sale! -- but looks beautiful inside our blue and brown cover.) We've had it since we got married, which is six years this month, and it's never been washed. I did a little research on washing a down comforter, and found a lot of sources, all of which pretty much say the same thing: wash it infrequently, in a front-loading washing machine, in cold water. Then dry it with tennis balls/tennis shoes (clean) to fluff it, which will take several hours. I don't have a front-loading washing machine, so our comforter has been sitting on the cedar chest waiting for a trip to my parents' house to take advantage of theirs.
My sources also say that I can wash my down pillows the same way, which is great news...I was pretty shocked at how dirty the pillows themselves looked once I removed the covers! (And I'm religious about removing my makeup every night, so that means the yellowish stains on the pillows are just body residue...yuck!)
Even though cleaning the pillows, comforter, and mattress is still on my to-do list (which I will probably post later so that I don't forget it) I was really pleased with the way the clean sheets looked, smelled, and felt. I'm going to try -- really, really try -- to do this once a week!
On that note, as soon as I get the rest of the house at least touched (all that's left is the kids' rooms!), I think I may go back to some sort of schedule. I have a few ideas, and I may try them out and let you know which one(s) work most effectively for my busy-yet-hyper-organized personality.
Washing sheets is pretty simple, but I very seldom do anything with pillows or the mattress. On a tip from my mother, I sprayed Lysol disinfectant spray on the pillows and bare mattresses while the sheets were washing. That created a nice, fresh smell that hope also contributed to their cleanliness. I found this page a few weeks ago that suggests cleaning the mattress with baking soda and lavender essential oil. I never made it that far today, but it's on the to-do list.
We use a down comforter on the master bed all year long, and we keep it covered with a duvet cover. (The comforter itself is purple -- I think it was on sale! -- but looks beautiful inside our blue and brown cover.) We've had it since we got married, which is six years this month, and it's never been washed. I did a little research on washing a down comforter, and found a lot of sources, all of which pretty much say the same thing: wash it infrequently, in a front-loading washing machine, in cold water. Then dry it with tennis balls/tennis shoes (clean) to fluff it, which will take several hours. I don't have a front-loading washing machine, so our comforter has been sitting on the cedar chest waiting for a trip to my parents' house to take advantage of theirs.
My sources also say that I can wash my down pillows the same way, which is great news...I was pretty shocked at how dirty the pillows themselves looked once I removed the covers! (And I'm religious about removing my makeup every night, so that means the yellowish stains on the pillows are just body residue...yuck!)
Even though cleaning the pillows, comforter, and mattress is still on my to-do list (which I will probably post later so that I don't forget it) I was really pleased with the way the clean sheets looked, smelled, and felt. I'm going to try -- really, really try -- to do this once a week!
On that note, as soon as I get the rest of the house at least touched (all that's left is the kids' rooms!), I think I may go back to some sort of schedule. I have a few ideas, and I may try them out and let you know which one(s) work most effectively for my busy-yet-hyper-organized personality.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
My apologies
If anyone other than immediate family has used our "guest" (front) bathroom within the past month...I owe you a sincere apology.
I had no idea there was a spider living behind the door, subsisting quite comfortably on the fat crop of bugs in his web. (We're working on getting Mini-me to close the door when she uses the bathroom, so he'd had complete privacy for a while.)
It's news to me that, if you don't wash the storage bag for the bath toys, it will leave a soap scum silhouette on the bathtub wall. (Duly noted; this is a new monthly chore!)
Who'd have guessed that Cuddles enjoys chewing on toothbrushes, and that there were three half-digested toothbrushes stored under the sink on top of the stack of fresh towels? (In the future, they will be stored in a secure location.)
In short...this bathroom needed a lot of attention, and it finally got it tonight after the kiddos went to sleep.
Action Plan:
1. Clean light fixture
2. Clean mirror
3. Clean sink
4. Clean toilet
5. Clean tub
6. Wash all bath toys, rugs, and towels
7. Wipe down baseboards and mop floor
The light fixture was the same kind as the one in the master bath, but smaller, so I made short work of that. After cleaning and re-installing the bulbs and shining the mirror behind them, the light in the bathroom was almost blinding. The bathroom is painted bright orange -- the kids love it! -- and it was sort of like working in a giant highlighter.
Cleaning the sink was no special chore, but I did take a moment to marvel at the amount of pink toothpaste two small girls can manage to affix to a bathroom sink.
It was when I started tackling the toilet that I noticed the full extent of the bathroom's need for attention. The toilet itself wasn't bad; I take pride in cleaning out the bowl and the surface about once a week. However, the floor around it was in rough shape. Here's the thing: the wasted space in the master bath seems to have appeared at the cost of space in the front bath, and it's a tight little room. There's not really room to mop or sweep, so...I just let it go. I'll be brutally honest when I say I can't remember the last time I mopped this bathroom. On the floor and in the corners around the toilet were dust, dog hair, toothpaste drops, dead bugs, tiny rubber bands, toddler hair, sand...the list goes on. Honestly, I was so appalled at my lack of effort in keeping the floor at least moderately clean that I scrubbed it with renewed vigor on my hands and knees. I made three passes: once with ammonia while cleaning the toilet, once with apple cider vinegar, and once with a Lysol wipe for good measure. By golly, that floor sparkled when I was done with it!
I took a break from the floor to address the bathtub. It wasn't horrendously dirty, but it's easy to skip cleaning the tub: if company's coming, I just pull the curtain and save it for later. That said, the scrubbing bubbles did their job well, and after a quick wipe-down (and removal of all toys for a run through the dishwasher) I felt content with my results.
On that note, though, I have a verdict on the scrubbing bubbles: they work, and I'll finish using the can, but I doubt I'll buy any more. After yet another evening enduring a headache caused by the fumes from cleaning, I don't think it's worth it, and I do feel a bit "safer" breathing in vinegar rather than unidentified chemical fumes.
My last task was to wipe out the crevices above and on the door, just as I have in the rest of the house. It was while I was doing that, though, that I happened to glance down and notice the fingerprints and smudges at the three-foot mark. Thinking back to yesterday's experience in the laundry room, I guess I've learned yet another lesson: to get the house really, really clean I need to examine it from the level of a four-year-old. When I knelt down to clean the smudges, I noticed a pretty consistent ring of them around the hallway, which also happens to be one of very few unpainted areas in the house. Another item to add to My Love's to-do list? Or maybe a "vacation" while the kids stay with their grandparents and we spent the weekend painting. It sounds romantic...
I had no idea there was a spider living behind the door, subsisting quite comfortably on the fat crop of bugs in his web. (We're working on getting Mini-me to close the door when she uses the bathroom, so he'd had complete privacy for a while.)
It's news to me that, if you don't wash the storage bag for the bath toys, it will leave a soap scum silhouette on the bathtub wall. (Duly noted; this is a new monthly chore!)
Who'd have guessed that Cuddles enjoys chewing on toothbrushes, and that there were three half-digested toothbrushes stored under the sink on top of the stack of fresh towels? (In the future, they will be stored in a secure location.)
In short...this bathroom needed a lot of attention, and it finally got it tonight after the kiddos went to sleep.
Action Plan:
1. Clean light fixture
2. Clean mirror
3. Clean sink
4. Clean toilet
5. Clean tub
6. Wash all bath toys, rugs, and towels
7. Wipe down baseboards and mop floor
The light fixture was the same kind as the one in the master bath, but smaller, so I made short work of that. After cleaning and re-installing the bulbs and shining the mirror behind them, the light in the bathroom was almost blinding. The bathroom is painted bright orange -- the kids love it! -- and it was sort of like working in a giant highlighter.
Cleaning the sink was no special chore, but I did take a moment to marvel at the amount of pink toothpaste two small girls can manage to affix to a bathroom sink.
It was when I started tackling the toilet that I noticed the full extent of the bathroom's need for attention. The toilet itself wasn't bad; I take pride in cleaning out the bowl and the surface about once a week. However, the floor around it was in rough shape. Here's the thing: the wasted space in the master bath seems to have appeared at the cost of space in the front bath, and it's a tight little room. There's not really room to mop or sweep, so...I just let it go. I'll be brutally honest when I say I can't remember the last time I mopped this bathroom. On the floor and in the corners around the toilet were dust, dog hair, toothpaste drops, dead bugs, tiny rubber bands, toddler hair, sand...the list goes on. Honestly, I was so appalled at my lack of effort in keeping the floor at least moderately clean that I scrubbed it with renewed vigor on my hands and knees. I made three passes: once with ammonia while cleaning the toilet, once with apple cider vinegar, and once with a Lysol wipe for good measure. By golly, that floor sparkled when I was done with it!
I took a break from the floor to address the bathtub. It wasn't horrendously dirty, but it's easy to skip cleaning the tub: if company's coming, I just pull the curtain and save it for later. That said, the scrubbing bubbles did their job well, and after a quick wipe-down (and removal of all toys for a run through the dishwasher) I felt content with my results.
On that note, though, I have a verdict on the scrubbing bubbles: they work, and I'll finish using the can, but I doubt I'll buy any more. After yet another evening enduring a headache caused by the fumes from cleaning, I don't think it's worth it, and I do feel a bit "safer" breathing in vinegar rather than unidentified chemical fumes.
My last task was to wipe out the crevices above and on the door, just as I have in the rest of the house. It was while I was doing that, though, that I happened to glance down and notice the fingerprints and smudges at the three-foot mark. Thinking back to yesterday's experience in the laundry room, I guess I've learned yet another lesson: to get the house really, really clean I need to examine it from the level of a four-year-old. When I knelt down to clean the smudges, I noticed a pretty consistent ring of them around the hallway, which also happens to be one of very few unpainted areas in the house. Another item to add to My Love's to-do list? Or maybe a "vacation" while the kids stay with their grandparents and we spent the weekend painting. It sounds romantic...
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Dust in the laundry room
At first I was a bit reluctant to call the laundry room a "room" in the house. It's tiny, and so I was positive that it couldn't be too dirty or take too long to clean. I fully intended to lump my cleaning of it in with something else, like the hall closet. If I'm learning anything about myself during this cleaning frenzy, it's that I'm wrong...a whole lot. (Isn't it healthy to admit that every now and then?)
Our laundry room is small and doubles as a mud room; we have our access to the garage through it. We have a side-by-side washer and dryer (not the fancy front-loading kind) with a wire shelf above it. There's a laundry hamper against the wall, we store our mop and broom behind the door, and there's also a high door opening to our A/C unit.
Action Plan:
1. Clean light fixture
2. Rearrange/purge cleaning supplies
3. Wipe down washer and dryer
4. Wipe down all doors
5. Clean baseboards and floor
It's becoming a trend, but...I did not, in fact, clean the light fixture. I actually had a talk with My Love about this one. Basically, I'm uncomfortable scaling a ladder when he's not home, especially with the kids running around at the base of it. I'm all for cleaning the light fixtures that I can easily reach, but I petitioned him to take down all the high ones for me, and...he said yes (because he's fantastic like that). So at some point in the near future he's going to get all the lights I've missed -- the office, hallway, and laundry room -- and I'm going to give them a good scrub.
I honestly think that rearranging and ordering household items is my single favorite household chore. Some people like vacuum lines in their carpet; I like seeing neat, orderly rows of "whatever", be it books toys, clothes, or household chemicals. I removed everything from the shelves and placed it in a logical order; the supplies needed to clean similar rooms went together (i.e., the ammonia, toilet bowl cleaner, and Lysol spray); the things we don't use very often (carpet cleaning solution) went toward the back. Nearly-empty bottles were used and tossed. Voila, we magically have space on the "cluttered, too-small" shelving!
Wiping down the washer and dryer proved to be the most difficult and tedious task of the day. For appliances whose entire job is to clean things, they certainly were a mess. They were mostly coated with an admirable layer of dust, but there was also a significant amount of lint and dog hair in the mix, as well as some drops of laundry detergent from all those times Mini-me has "helped" me do the laundry. True to form, I started at the top, with a Lysol wipe, and started cleaning. It's amazing how many nooks and crannies there are in those things, and it's also shocking how many Lysol wipes it took to get them clean. After cleaning the lint screen (which I do, regularly) and wiping down the outer area, it also occurred to me that I should ask My Love to clean the dryer vent outside. His to-do list is growing...
When I turned to the garage door, I made good progress until I came to the spot about three feet from the floor where small hands and big, wet noses (from the children and The Beast, respectively) regularly come into contact with it. There, I encountered smudges, colored spots of all varieties -- likely made by an assortment of unidentifiable food items -- and a few streaks made by eager fingers attempting to open the door to great Daddy as he returns from work. Again, it was much more trouble than I anticipated, and I ended up scrubbing the door quite vigorously; in fact, I had broken a sweat when I was done with that small area and I needed to take a water break.
My "dirtiest spot in the room" moment happened when I addressed the door leading to the A/C unit. As I wiped down the surface, I noticed some dust clinging to the top seams; when I opened the door, I found what looked like caterpillars made of dust lining the door and the door frame. Now, I DO change my air filter, and I wipe down the opening in front of it periodically; I know it's one area of the house that is frequently getting dirty. However, I obviously don't know much about how an air conditioning system works, and I therefore had no idea that, for some reason, the unit itself sucks in dust and cakes it around all nearby surfaces. In hindsight, I probably would have done well to clean the door and frame with apple cider vinegar, but the kids were all asleep and I just wanted to have the laundry room DONE, so I made do with my Lysol wipes.
Finally, I swept and was rewarded with a pile of dust, lint, and dog hair. Next on the agenda should have been to mop and wipe down the base boards, but Baby Boy started to cry about the time I put the broom away. As I finished changing his diaper, Cuddles started knocking on her door (she can't turn the knob yet) and calling for a "nack" (snack). While I was holding Baby Boy with one hand and pouring animal crackers with another, Mini-me appeared and asked if it was time to get up. Sigh. Yes, everyone can get up. I'm glad you had a good nap. I'll finish cleaning the floor after you go to bed...and then I can sleep, too!
Our laundry room is small and doubles as a mud room; we have our access to the garage through it. We have a side-by-side washer and dryer (not the fancy front-loading kind) with a wire shelf above it. There's a laundry hamper against the wall, we store our mop and broom behind the door, and there's also a high door opening to our A/C unit.
Action Plan:
1. Clean light fixture
2. Rearrange/purge cleaning supplies
3. Wipe down washer and dryer
4. Wipe down all doors
5. Clean baseboards and floor
It's becoming a trend, but...I did not, in fact, clean the light fixture. I actually had a talk with My Love about this one. Basically, I'm uncomfortable scaling a ladder when he's not home, especially with the kids running around at the base of it. I'm all for cleaning the light fixtures that I can easily reach, but I petitioned him to take down all the high ones for me, and...he said yes (because he's fantastic like that). So at some point in the near future he's going to get all the lights I've missed -- the office, hallway, and laundry room -- and I'm going to give them a good scrub.
I honestly think that rearranging and ordering household items is my single favorite household chore. Some people like vacuum lines in their carpet; I like seeing neat, orderly rows of "whatever", be it books toys, clothes, or household chemicals. I removed everything from the shelves and placed it in a logical order; the supplies needed to clean similar rooms went together (i.e., the ammonia, toilet bowl cleaner, and Lysol spray); the things we don't use very often (carpet cleaning solution) went toward the back. Nearly-empty bottles were used and tossed. Voila, we magically have space on the "cluttered, too-small" shelving!
Wiping down the washer and dryer proved to be the most difficult and tedious task of the day. For appliances whose entire job is to clean things, they certainly were a mess. They were mostly coated with an admirable layer of dust, but there was also a significant amount of lint and dog hair in the mix, as well as some drops of laundry detergent from all those times Mini-me has "helped" me do the laundry. True to form, I started at the top, with a Lysol wipe, and started cleaning. It's amazing how many nooks and crannies there are in those things, and it's also shocking how many Lysol wipes it took to get them clean. After cleaning the lint screen (which I do, regularly) and wiping down the outer area, it also occurred to me that I should ask My Love to clean the dryer vent outside. His to-do list is growing...
When I turned to the garage door, I made good progress until I came to the spot about three feet from the floor where small hands and big, wet noses (from the children and The Beast, respectively) regularly come into contact with it. There, I encountered smudges, colored spots of all varieties -- likely made by an assortment of unidentifiable food items -- and a few streaks made by eager fingers attempting to open the door to great Daddy as he returns from work. Again, it was much more trouble than I anticipated, and I ended up scrubbing the door quite vigorously; in fact, I had broken a sweat when I was done with that small area and I needed to take a water break.
My "dirtiest spot in the room" moment happened when I addressed the door leading to the A/C unit. As I wiped down the surface, I noticed some dust clinging to the top seams; when I opened the door, I found what looked like caterpillars made of dust lining the door and the door frame. Now, I DO change my air filter, and I wipe down the opening in front of it periodically; I know it's one area of the house that is frequently getting dirty. However, I obviously don't know much about how an air conditioning system works, and I therefore had no idea that, for some reason, the unit itself sucks in dust and cakes it around all nearby surfaces. In hindsight, I probably would have done well to clean the door and frame with apple cider vinegar, but the kids were all asleep and I just wanted to have the laundry room DONE, so I made do with my Lysol wipes.
Finally, I swept and was rewarded with a pile of dust, lint, and dog hair. Next on the agenda should have been to mop and wipe down the base boards, but Baby Boy started to cry about the time I put the broom away. As I finished changing his diaper, Cuddles started knocking on her door (she can't turn the knob yet) and calling for a "nack" (snack). While I was holding Baby Boy with one hand and pouring animal crackers with another, Mini-me appeared and asked if it was time to get up. Sigh. Yes, everyone can get up. I'm glad you had a good nap. I'll finish cleaning the floor after you go to bed...and then I can sleep, too!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Master Bath: Part B
In addition to having a particularly large bathroom and being exposed to heavy chemical smells, I recognized another reason cleaning this room is taking so long: since it's in a far-removed part of the house, I can't clean and watch/entertain my kids at the same time. Yesterday (and today) I spent lots of time cleaning part of something, then checking on the kids, then running back to finish. I also did the bulk of my cleaning while Baby Boy was sleeping, since I don't like to leave him in a room alone with his well-meaning but rough-loving sisters for more than a moment at a time.
Day 2 Action Plan:
1. Clean shower
2. Clean garden tub
3. Clean door
4. File loose papers
5. Sweep and mop and clean baseboards
Our shower has been a source of frustration for me ever since we moved into this house. Seriously...when we first looked at it a few years ago, I told My Love that I hated the back yard (which has a steep incline and is therefore nearly unusable as a back yard) and that I hated the stand-up shower. The price was right, though, so we figured that the two areas I disliked could be amended later. As it turns out, those fixes are costly and time-consuming, and it's been much easier to simply live with things the way they are. But I digress.
This shower...it's small. It's not a luxury stand-up shower, with a seat. It barely leaves room for me to shave my legs. It's just the right size for ONE person. There is no shelf space for shampoos, shaving creams, soaps, gels, and all the other things women store in their shower. And on top of that, it's very difficult to clean. You basically have to assume that you WILL get wet while leaning across the water stream to reach the far wall, so I've found that a sound technique is to clean the shower immediately before I plan to get in it. Today, this meant cleaning it at 6:00 in the morning after returning from my a.m. run. I doused it with the scrubbing bubble spray and left to have a glass of water. When I returned ten minutes later, I was able to simply wipe down the majority of the unsightly gunk that had accumulated. Really, I am consistently amazed by how dirty a shower can get when its entire purpose is to clean someone. Between the dirt that washes off after My Love mows the lawn (which sticks to the floor), my hair clogging the drain (it's coming out in wads postpartum), soap scum (which is strange in and of itself), and dust along the top edges, our shower always seems dirty. After I scrub it, I always want to scrub myself! Today, though, the scrubbing bubbles did the job quickly, except that I had to go over some particularly tough soap scum a second time. I also heard that you can use a dryer sheet to get soap scum off of shower doors, but I forgot to try it this time until after the cleaning was done. Next time I'll give it a shot.
Next came the huge garden tub. It's nice for a bubble bath, but I don't have the time for that very often. I cleaned this with my scrubbing bubble cleaner too, and I learned a hard lesson: it has bleach in it. In order to reach the back side of the tub, I had to sit on the front side...and, apparently, the scrubbing bubbles hadn't been completely removed when I did. I ended up with a few little white polka dots on my lavender (yep, you read that right) shorts. (I think I can salvage them; apparently you can paint with bleach and make it look like you meant for that to happen. I may try it in all my spare time.) The biggest issue I had with cleaning the tub, though, is that when My Love painted the bathroom a few years ago, he left lots of tiny (pin-head-sized) flecks of paint on the tub. It always looks dirty now, but I can't figure out a way to get them off. Then again, I haven't tried mineral spirits...that is sort of out of my league, and we don't have any in the house.
We store our file cabinet in this random corner of our oversized bathroom that's not good for anything else. It's a closet-sized nook in the bathroom behind the door, and it's got a small window in it. Basically, that means that it's always either ten degrees hotter or colder than the rest of the room. Because it's out of the way, it has been a convenient place to store my Sam's Club purchases (36-roll package of toilet paper, anyone?) and the file cabinet. But...since no one sees the file cabinet, it's been easy to just pile papers on top of it until I feel like filing. And the last time I felt like it was back before David was born. So I took a break from the heady fragrance of the bathroom and sorted all my papers to file on the bed, then found them a permanent home. Again, the visible lack of clutter and sense of order gave me a big boost that allowed me to keep on with my cleaning.
And finally...the floor. One more set of baseboards gone over with a Lysol wipe; one more application of my fantastic Libman broom and mop, paired with ACV. (I've got this down to an art.) After two days of effort, the master bathroom smelled, looked, and felt cleaner than it has in months!
Our shower has been a source of frustration for me ever since we moved into this house. Seriously...when we first looked at it a few years ago, I told My Love that I hated the back yard (which has a steep incline and is therefore nearly unusable as a back yard) and that I hated the stand-up shower. The price was right, though, so we figured that the two areas I disliked could be amended later. As it turns out, those fixes are costly and time-consuming, and it's been much easier to simply live with things the way they are. But I digress.
This shower...it's small. It's not a luxury stand-up shower, with a seat. It barely leaves room for me to shave my legs. It's just the right size for ONE person. There is no shelf space for shampoos, shaving creams, soaps, gels, and all the other things women store in their shower. And on top of that, it's very difficult to clean. You basically have to assume that you WILL get wet while leaning across the water stream to reach the far wall, so I've found that a sound technique is to clean the shower immediately before I plan to get in it. Today, this meant cleaning it at 6:00 in the morning after returning from my a.m. run. I doused it with the scrubbing bubble spray and left to have a glass of water. When I returned ten minutes later, I was able to simply wipe down the majority of the unsightly gunk that had accumulated. Really, I am consistently amazed by how dirty a shower can get when its entire purpose is to clean someone. Between the dirt that washes off after My Love mows the lawn (which sticks to the floor), my hair clogging the drain (it's coming out in wads postpartum), soap scum (which is strange in and of itself), and dust along the top edges, our shower always seems dirty. After I scrub it, I always want to scrub myself! Today, though, the scrubbing bubbles did the job quickly, except that I had to go over some particularly tough soap scum a second time. I also heard that you can use a dryer sheet to get soap scum off of shower doors, but I forgot to try it this time until after the cleaning was done. Next time I'll give it a shot.
Next came the huge garden tub. It's nice for a bubble bath, but I don't have the time for that very often. I cleaned this with my scrubbing bubble cleaner too, and I learned a hard lesson: it has bleach in it. In order to reach the back side of the tub, I had to sit on the front side...and, apparently, the scrubbing bubbles hadn't been completely removed when I did. I ended up with a few little white polka dots on my lavender (yep, you read that right) shorts. (I think I can salvage them; apparently you can paint with bleach and make it look like you meant for that to happen. I may try it in all my spare time.) The biggest issue I had with cleaning the tub, though, is that when My Love painted the bathroom a few years ago, he left lots of tiny (pin-head-sized) flecks of paint on the tub. It always looks dirty now, but I can't figure out a way to get them off. Then again, I haven't tried mineral spirits...that is sort of out of my league, and we don't have any in the house.
We store our file cabinet in this random corner of our oversized bathroom that's not good for anything else. It's a closet-sized nook in the bathroom behind the door, and it's got a small window in it. Basically, that means that it's always either ten degrees hotter or colder than the rest of the room. Because it's out of the way, it has been a convenient place to store my Sam's Club purchases (36-roll package of toilet paper, anyone?) and the file cabinet. But...since no one sees the file cabinet, it's been easy to just pile papers on top of it until I feel like filing. And the last time I felt like it was back before David was born. So I took a break from the heady fragrance of the bathroom and sorted all my papers to file on the bed, then found them a permanent home. Again, the visible lack of clutter and sense of order gave me a big boost that allowed me to keep on with my cleaning.
And finally...the floor. One more set of baseboards gone over with a Lysol wipe; one more application of my fantastic Libman broom and mop, paired with ACV. (I've got this down to an art.) After two days of effort, the master bathroom smelled, looked, and felt cleaner than it has in months!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Master Bath: Part A
Our master bathroom is much bigger than is really necessary. Don't take that as a complaint; it just seems to sort of spread in all directions, meaning both that there is plenty of elbow room when My Love and I are both trying to get ready in the morning AND that it took me two days of work to clean it.
We have a double sink, a stand-up shower and large garden tub, a small area that we use like a closet (with no door), and, of course, the toilet. Basically, I divided the bathroom in half and cleaned the east-facing wall on day one and the west-facing wall on day two.
Day 1 Action Plan:
1. Clean light fixture
2. Clean sinks, mirror, and counter tops
3. Clean out under sinks and in drawers and wipe down cabinet and drawer fronts
4. Clean toilet
5. Wipe down all exposed surfaces (toilet paper holder, towel rack)
I don't think I ever noticed the wide assortment of light fixtures in our house until I started on my cleaning spree. Really, it's kind of entertaining to examine each one and figure out how to remove each piece of it. The one in the master bath was particularly engaging. It was a long, think mirror with eight exposed light bulbs on it. Each had to be removed, wiped with ACV, and then replaced. The mirror itself needed cleaning with Windex, but it was difficult to clean around the light sockets. The process took a while, because I had to wait until the bulbs were cool to start; then, I had to wait until they were dry again to re-install them. (I had visions of electrocuting myself with a damp lightbulb...yet another occupational hazard that might pop up during housekeeping.) Also, the edges of the mirror were sharp; My Love had cut his finger once while installing a light bulb a few years ago. Despite the trouble, I got the instant gratification I needed to feel like it was a job well done. The bulbs seemed to have black, burnt spots on them; as it turned out, it was just flambeed dust. Once the dust was removed and the mirror was shined, the bathroom was noticeably brighter.
Cleaning the mirror over our sink is nothing exceptional, except that it's huge. I remember an old Windex commercial; the woman in it said something like, "The more you need to clean, the faster you have to clean." I think she was trying to demonstrate how runny the off-brand was as opposed to the Windex brand, which actually coated the glass surface and didn't run. Well, I AM using generic Windex, and it DOES run all over the mirror as soon as I spray it on. The top of the mirror ends up dry, while liquid puddles along the bottom edge. It eventually gets cleaned, though, and I'm not using any techniques that are different than what my mama taught me, so it's not much to complain about.
Funny story: My Love and I have been married six years this month. For a (very creative) wedding gift, some friends of ours gave us a little plastic tote full of cleaning products. In hindsight, it was inexpensive and useful; I also think it's interesting that I remember exactly who gave it to us, while I have no idea who gave us our toaster or bath towels. Anyway, in that plastic box was an aerosol can of scrubbing-bubbles-type cleaning product. I've never used this type of thing before; I've always been a Comet girl, followed by the spray version after it came out, so this scrubbing bubble can has sat in our laundry room (and the laundry room of our previous home) for years. When I inventoried my cleaning supplies before beginning this endeavor, I found it again, and I figured it really needed to be put to use. The bathroom sinks and countertop were the first thing I used it on, and I was really impressed. This stuff is POWERFUL. I sprayed it on, and literally just had to wipe away the bubbles after a few minutes to reveal a sparkling clean surface. Spoiler: I also used it on our shower, and it worked like a charm there as well. The only drawback I discovered is that it also had a nearly overwhelming smell. Our bathroom is a closed-in space, and the countertops take up a large part of it. I found that I had to spray, then leave the room for a few minutes, then come back to wipe down the surfaces, then leave again while the smell dissipated. I also ended up with a headache, so I had to take another break at the halfway point of Day 1.
I got a great deal of satisfaction out of organizing and purging the drawers and cabinets under the sink. As I mentioned when I cleaned my closet, I'm a very structured, order-loving person, and it was edifying to see neat rows of makeup, hair products, and eyeglass cases. I also threw away a lot of things that were expired. The two biggest culprits for hanging around indefinitely were makeup and sunscreen, both of which, I learned, should technically be replaced every 12 months or so.
About the time I moved to clean the toilet, Mini-me showed up and asked to help. She really has perfect timing; I gave her a Lysol wipe and let her wipe off the fronts of the drawers and cabinets for me.
The last step in today's process was to clean our toilet. Cleaning toilets is one of those tasks that doesn't really bother me. Truth be told, I'd rather clean a toilet than fold laundry any day. Also, when a toilet starts to look visibly dirty, I feel like it's a decent thermometer to indicate that the rest of the bathroom is likely dirty too, so I clean the toilet more often than the rest of the house. I'm a pretty faithful user of Clorox cling or Lysol toilet bowl cleaner, whichever happens to be cheaper; they both do the job.
A quick dusting of the toilet paper roller, the toilet paper holder, and the towel rack, and 50% of my bathroom sparkled; it also smelled clean enough to make up for the other half!
We have a double sink, a stand-up shower and large garden tub, a small area that we use like a closet (with no door), and, of course, the toilet. Basically, I divided the bathroom in half and cleaned the east-facing wall on day one and the west-facing wall on day two.
Day 1 Action Plan:
1. Clean light fixture
2. Clean sinks, mirror, and counter tops
3. Clean out under sinks and in drawers and wipe down cabinet and drawer fronts
4. Clean toilet
5. Wipe down all exposed surfaces (toilet paper holder, towel rack)
I don't think I ever noticed the wide assortment of light fixtures in our house until I started on my cleaning spree. Really, it's kind of entertaining to examine each one and figure out how to remove each piece of it. The one in the master bath was particularly engaging. It was a long, think mirror with eight exposed light bulbs on it. Each had to be removed, wiped with ACV, and then replaced. The mirror itself needed cleaning with Windex, but it was difficult to clean around the light sockets. The process took a while, because I had to wait until the bulbs were cool to start; then, I had to wait until they were dry again to re-install them. (I had visions of electrocuting myself with a damp lightbulb...yet another occupational hazard that might pop up during housekeeping.) Also, the edges of the mirror were sharp; My Love had cut his finger once while installing a light bulb a few years ago. Despite the trouble, I got the instant gratification I needed to feel like it was a job well done. The bulbs seemed to have black, burnt spots on them; as it turned out, it was just flambeed dust. Once the dust was removed and the mirror was shined, the bathroom was noticeably brighter.
Cleaning the mirror over our sink is nothing exceptional, except that it's huge. I remember an old Windex commercial; the woman in it said something like, "The more you need to clean, the faster you have to clean." I think she was trying to demonstrate how runny the off-brand was as opposed to the Windex brand, which actually coated the glass surface and didn't run. Well, I AM using generic Windex, and it DOES run all over the mirror as soon as I spray it on. The top of the mirror ends up dry, while liquid puddles along the bottom edge. It eventually gets cleaned, though, and I'm not using any techniques that are different than what my mama taught me, so it's not much to complain about.
Funny story: My Love and I have been married six years this month. For a (very creative) wedding gift, some friends of ours gave us a little plastic tote full of cleaning products. In hindsight, it was inexpensive and useful; I also think it's interesting that I remember exactly who gave it to us, while I have no idea who gave us our toaster or bath towels. Anyway, in that plastic box was an aerosol can of scrubbing-bubbles-type cleaning product. I've never used this type of thing before; I've always been a Comet girl, followed by the spray version after it came out, so this scrubbing bubble can has sat in our laundry room (and the laundry room of our previous home) for years. When I inventoried my cleaning supplies before beginning this endeavor, I found it again, and I figured it really needed to be put to use. The bathroom sinks and countertop were the first thing I used it on, and I was really impressed. This stuff is POWERFUL. I sprayed it on, and literally just had to wipe away the bubbles after a few minutes to reveal a sparkling clean surface. Spoiler: I also used it on our shower, and it worked like a charm there as well. The only drawback I discovered is that it also had a nearly overwhelming smell. Our bathroom is a closed-in space, and the countertops take up a large part of it. I found that I had to spray, then leave the room for a few minutes, then come back to wipe down the surfaces, then leave again while the smell dissipated. I also ended up with a headache, so I had to take another break at the halfway point of Day 1.
I got a great deal of satisfaction out of organizing and purging the drawers and cabinets under the sink. As I mentioned when I cleaned my closet, I'm a very structured, order-loving person, and it was edifying to see neat rows of makeup, hair products, and eyeglass cases. I also threw away a lot of things that were expired. The two biggest culprits for hanging around indefinitely were makeup and sunscreen, both of which, I learned, should technically be replaced every 12 months or so.
About the time I moved to clean the toilet, Mini-me showed up and asked to help. She really has perfect timing; I gave her a Lysol wipe and let her wipe off the fronts of the drawers and cabinets for me.
The last step in today's process was to clean our toilet. Cleaning toilets is one of those tasks that doesn't really bother me. Truth be told, I'd rather clean a toilet than fold laundry any day. Also, when a toilet starts to look visibly dirty, I feel like it's a decent thermometer to indicate that the rest of the bathroom is likely dirty too, so I clean the toilet more often than the rest of the house. I'm a pretty faithful user of Clorox cling or Lysol toilet bowl cleaner, whichever happens to be cheaper; they both do the job.
A quick dusting of the toilet paper roller, the toilet paper holder, and the towel rack, and 50% of my bathroom sparkled; it also smelled clean enough to make up for the other half!
Monday, April 30, 2012
My Favorite Things
Remember when I said I was excited to go and buy a new broom? I'm definitely one of those people who eagerly anticipates a change or upgrade to my daily routine, and a better broom fits into that category. When I first started cleaning, I surveyed my cache of cleaning products with a bit of dissatisfaction. I had a mop and broom that I had bought as cheaply as possible when we moved into the house, as well as a shelf full of mostly-empty bottles of cleaning products. After a quick trip through Target, I am armed with an assortment of goodies that have helped me in my project these past few weeks. Some of them are particularly great and warrant my valuable endorsement.
Libman Wonder Mop: For years, I've used one of those large sponges on the end of a stick. It didn't really fit into my mop bucket, was messy to wring, and always seemed to just smear the dirt around the floor. My new version is fantastic; it has a handle that allows me to wring it without getting wet hands (and it was simple enough for Mini-me to use, actually). It looks like an orange octopus that spreads out when it hits the floor, rather than simply rubbing in a single spot. Also, the head is detachable and washable...genuis! Cost: about $10
Libman Large Precision Angle Broom: My old broom was in sad shape and sported a family of dust bunnies living in its bent and stretched bristles. The handle had also broken, and left me bending to reach the floor as I swept because I was too cheap to buy a new one. Since I was buying a Libman mop, I figured I'd go all out and buy a Libman broom too. I love it (as much as one can love a broom). The bristles are stiff enough to sweep even tiny dirt particles off the floor, and the dust pan is angled so that they actually sweep into it, rather than getting trapped in a line as I sweep. One side is angled, so I've been able to sweep easily under my cabinets and between the cabinets and refrigerator. Cost: about $10
Pledge: I know that there are other dusting products, but this was a mainstay in my house when I was growing up, and I love the lemony scent and the way it makes my furniture shine. Also, Pledge actually traps dust that I wipe, rather than simply allowing it to float around in the air. Cost: about $3
Lysol Wipes: Is there anything that these wipes can't do? I like that they are simple, portable, and not messy. Since they are smaller than a cleaning cloth, they can also easily get into small nooks and crannies, like the corner of my vanity or the tiny ledges of cabinet doors. Pair with a toothpick, and there's nowhere for dirt to hide! Cost: about $4
Apple cider vinegar: I was iffy about using vinegar as a cleaning product, because I wasn't sure if it did any more than make surfaces look clean. After some research, it appears that a 5% vinegar solution does, in fact, kill bacteria and mold. That said, I prefer the smell of apple cider vinegar to basic white vinegar. I have diluted it with water, then used it to clean anything that Pledge, Windex, or a Lysol wipe won't work for: floors, door frames, window sills. Cost: about $3
Scott kitchen sponges: My favorite sponges for washing dishes and cleaning countertops are the kind that are yellow and absorbent on one side and green and abrasive on the other. They work well for caked-on food, and the same can be said for sticky spots on the floor or grime atop a kitchen cabinet. Cost: about $3 for 2
Paper Towels: I think I've used an entire roll since I started my endeavor on cleaning alone (not including standard kitchen messes). Though I prefer to use a washable cloth when I can, these seem to work well for cleaning glass and windows. That said, I have absolutely zero brand loyalty to paper towels. Do some brands work better than other? Absolutely; I especially like Bounty Select-a-Size. However, paper towels are one of those items that can break a week's grocery budget, so I have set the rule that I will not pay more than $1 per roll for them. There are times I can get Bounty for that much, with a sale and a coupon; if not, the Wal-Mart store brand is good enough for me. Cost: $1
Gerber flat cloth diapers: I had several of these laying around from when Mini-me was an infant and I was experimenting with using them as burp cloths. As it turns out, they are soft and absorbent and perfect for cleaning. I've used them for even delicate surfaces, including our TV screen and the exposed light bulbs over our bathroom counter. I have some old washcloths and towels too, but the diapers are hands-down my favorite cleaning rag. Cost: about $8 for a dozen
I definitely have used an assortment of other products as well; however, they aren't as consistently used and don't exactly wow me. I'd say that this is the list I can't live without!
Libman Wonder Mop: For years, I've used one of those large sponges on the end of a stick. It didn't really fit into my mop bucket, was messy to wring, and always seemed to just smear the dirt around the floor. My new version is fantastic; it has a handle that allows me to wring it without getting wet hands (and it was simple enough for Mini-me to use, actually). It looks like an orange octopus that spreads out when it hits the floor, rather than simply rubbing in a single spot. Also, the head is detachable and washable...genuis! Cost: about $10
Libman Large Precision Angle Broom: My old broom was in sad shape and sported a family of dust bunnies living in its bent and stretched bristles. The handle had also broken, and left me bending to reach the floor as I swept because I was too cheap to buy a new one. Since I was buying a Libman mop, I figured I'd go all out and buy a Libman broom too. I love it (as much as one can love a broom). The bristles are stiff enough to sweep even tiny dirt particles off the floor, and the dust pan is angled so that they actually sweep into it, rather than getting trapped in a line as I sweep. One side is angled, so I've been able to sweep easily under my cabinets and between the cabinets and refrigerator. Cost: about $10
Pledge: I know that there are other dusting products, but this was a mainstay in my house when I was growing up, and I love the lemony scent and the way it makes my furniture shine. Also, Pledge actually traps dust that I wipe, rather than simply allowing it to float around in the air. Cost: about $3
Lysol Wipes: Is there anything that these wipes can't do? I like that they are simple, portable, and not messy. Since they are smaller than a cleaning cloth, they can also easily get into small nooks and crannies, like the corner of my vanity or the tiny ledges of cabinet doors. Pair with a toothpick, and there's nowhere for dirt to hide! Cost: about $4
Apple cider vinegar: I was iffy about using vinegar as a cleaning product, because I wasn't sure if it did any more than make surfaces look clean. After some research, it appears that a 5% vinegar solution does, in fact, kill bacteria and mold. That said, I prefer the smell of apple cider vinegar to basic white vinegar. I have diluted it with water, then used it to clean anything that Pledge, Windex, or a Lysol wipe won't work for: floors, door frames, window sills. Cost: about $3
Scott kitchen sponges: My favorite sponges for washing dishes and cleaning countertops are the kind that are yellow and absorbent on one side and green and abrasive on the other. They work well for caked-on food, and the same can be said for sticky spots on the floor or grime atop a kitchen cabinet. Cost: about $3 for 2
Paper Towels: I think I've used an entire roll since I started my endeavor on cleaning alone (not including standard kitchen messes). Though I prefer to use a washable cloth when I can, these seem to work well for cleaning glass and windows. That said, I have absolutely zero brand loyalty to paper towels. Do some brands work better than other? Absolutely; I especially like Bounty Select-a-Size. However, paper towels are one of those items that can break a week's grocery budget, so I have set the rule that I will not pay more than $1 per roll for them. There are times I can get Bounty for that much, with a sale and a coupon; if not, the Wal-Mart store brand is good enough for me. Cost: $1
Gerber flat cloth diapers: I had several of these laying around from when Mini-me was an infant and I was experimenting with using them as burp cloths. As it turns out, they are soft and absorbent and perfect for cleaning. I've used them for even delicate surfaces, including our TV screen and the exposed light bulbs over our bathroom counter. I have some old washcloths and towels too, but the diapers are hands-down my favorite cleaning rag. Cost: about $8 for a dozen
I definitely have used an assortment of other products as well; however, they aren't as consistently used and don't exactly wow me. I'd say that this is the list I can't live without!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Busy...busy...shockingly busy
It's now been 17 days -- over two weeks -- since I decided I'd start spring cleaning my home. Just that statement alone really discourages me. More than two weeks to clean a house? What kind of person can't manage to clean a house in less than two weeks? When I began, I envisioned one "quadrant" per day, resting on Sundays, which would mean that the entire house should take, tops, 14 days to complete. I thought that was completely doable.
But it's obviously not. I feel like I simply forgot a great many considerations. Among them, that three kids aren't going to sit placidly around while I clean the house; I've been busy taking them to the park and to doctor and dentist appointments, fixing meals, grocery shopping, and changing diapers. Add to that the fact that housekeeping isn't my only job; I work part-time in the evenings, and that means I'm gone after the kids are asleep (prime cleaning time).
And finally...I forgot household maintenance. It was nice to clean my kitchen, step back, and smile happily at the pristine order I had created. That cleanliness, though, lasted just over 24 hours, and that rule applies to every other room as well. I find myself doing repetitive chores, like sweeping the floor, vacuuming, doing laundry, and wiping the table, on an almost daily basis. The more of the house I GET clean, the more of the house I have to KEEP clean. I have a choice; I can either maintain, or I can allow it to sink back into disarray and then start all over again. I haven't yet decided which is the better option. What I have realized is that it's completely impractical to assume that I can deep-clean one room in my house every day. When I add maintenance to the mix, I think I can realistically plan on two to three rooms a week (and this week I didn't even get that).
The good news: all you faithful readers (I think there are two of you) get to enjoy the exciting saga of my housekeeping failures and victories for at least two more weeks. (Still to come: the girls' room, Baby Boy's room, the front bathroom, the laundry room, the master bath, and the master bedroom.)
The bad news: I don't think there's any point in getting a manicure anytime in the foreseeable future.
But it's obviously not. I feel like I simply forgot a great many considerations. Among them, that three kids aren't going to sit placidly around while I clean the house; I've been busy taking them to the park and to doctor and dentist appointments, fixing meals, grocery shopping, and changing diapers. Add to that the fact that housekeeping isn't my only job; I work part-time in the evenings, and that means I'm gone after the kids are asleep (prime cleaning time).
And finally...I forgot household maintenance. It was nice to clean my kitchen, step back, and smile happily at the pristine order I had created. That cleanliness, though, lasted just over 24 hours, and that rule applies to every other room as well. I find myself doing repetitive chores, like sweeping the floor, vacuuming, doing laundry, and wiping the table, on an almost daily basis. The more of the house I GET clean, the more of the house I have to KEEP clean. I have a choice; I can either maintain, or I can allow it to sink back into disarray and then start all over again. I haven't yet decided which is the better option. What I have realized is that it's completely impractical to assume that I can deep-clean one room in my house every day. When I add maintenance to the mix, I think I can realistically plan on two to three rooms a week (and this week I didn't even get that).
The good news: all you faithful readers (I think there are two of you) get to enjoy the exciting saga of my housekeeping failures and victories for at least two more weeks. (Still to come: the girls' room, Baby Boy's room, the front bathroom, the laundry room, the master bath, and the master bedroom.)
The bad news: I don't think there's any point in getting a manicure anytime in the foreseeable future.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
(Not so Grand) Foyer
It's literally been almost an entire week since I began cleaning a new area of the house, for myriad reasons. In short, though, I felt an itch to clean something, and I settled on the entryway of our house. It's small, and it's the last of the areas that a guest might pass through on a visit that I haven't already cleaned.
Action plan:
1. Clean light fixture
2. Dust picture frames and entry table
3. Wipe down doors and door frames
4. Wipe base boards and mop
How can I put this? I completely forgot about the light fixture. As in, I didn't even recognize that it was part of the project until I sat down to write this post, looked over my shoulder, and noticed that it had not been touched. I'm losing my organizational prowess! Three light fixtures missed in the last three rooms cleaned! I need to finish this post and then get on the ball.
I used Pledge and a cloth to clean the picture frames and table in the foyer. Again, whether it's an area that we see consistently or there were few decorations to collect dust in the first place, it wasn't too dusty. As I brushed off the surfaces, however, Mini-me came wandering over and asked to help. She was too short to reach the picture frames, of course, so I gave her a damp rag and sent her to wipe down the base boards. She happily obliged and was engaged for the next ten minutes or so.
The door faces reminded me of the cabinet doors in our kitchen; they aren't flat, but have indentions of about an eighth of an inch that collect dust. I found that the easiest way to clean these tiny lips was with a Lysol wipe and a toothpick.
I actively looked for a "surprisingly dirty place" in this room, and was initially (proudly) convinced that there was nothing there that merited consideration. Then I wiped my apple-cider-vinegar-dipped rag across the top of the door frame and was rewarded with a layer of thick dust. I was shocked, but at least the area was small and easy to clean. Again...if it's out of sight, it's almost certainly more dirty than you'd believe.
Finally, I mopped. Not on my hands and knees this time; I didn't have the energy. At this point it was 11:30, all three kids were whining for lunch, and I was tired. I just used my standard mop and assumed that, if nothing else, the foyer had achieved a higher level of cleanliness than it had when I started.
Action plan:
1. Clean light fixture
2. Dust picture frames and entry table
3. Wipe down doors and door frames
4. Wipe base boards and mop
How can I put this? I completely forgot about the light fixture. As in, I didn't even recognize that it was part of the project until I sat down to write this post, looked over my shoulder, and noticed that it had not been touched. I'm losing my organizational prowess! Three light fixtures missed in the last three rooms cleaned! I need to finish this post and then get on the ball.
I used Pledge and a cloth to clean the picture frames and table in the foyer. Again, whether it's an area that we see consistently or there were few decorations to collect dust in the first place, it wasn't too dusty. As I brushed off the surfaces, however, Mini-me came wandering over and asked to help. She was too short to reach the picture frames, of course, so I gave her a damp rag and sent her to wipe down the base boards. She happily obliged and was engaged for the next ten minutes or so.
The door faces reminded me of the cabinet doors in our kitchen; they aren't flat, but have indentions of about an eighth of an inch that collect dust. I found that the easiest way to clean these tiny lips was with a Lysol wipe and a toothpick.
I actively looked for a "surprisingly dirty place" in this room, and was initially (proudly) convinced that there was nothing there that merited consideration. Then I wiped my apple-cider-vinegar-dipped rag across the top of the door frame and was rewarded with a layer of thick dust. I was shocked, but at least the area was small and easy to clean. Again...if it's out of sight, it's almost certainly more dirty than you'd believe.
Finally, I mopped. Not on my hands and knees this time; I didn't have the energy. At this point it was 11:30, all three kids were whining for lunch, and I was tired. I just used my standard mop and assumed that, if nothing else, the foyer had achieved a higher level of cleanliness than it had when I started.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Mount Vernon
I would estimate that I have cleaned somewhere between 40 and 50 percent of the house in the past two weeks. I had thought that the methods and schedules I was implementing were designed especially by me, for me, but I discovered today that I'm not nearly as creative as I thought I was.
Basically, I started cleaning at the back of the house; specifically, next to our back door. I have worked in a circle since then, tackling one "section" of the house each day. The sections have always been adjacent, with the exception of the detour to my closet, and they have me working consistently farther from the back door and closer to the front door. Today, though, I found out that this particular style of cleaning has a name: the Mount Vernon method.
In Lynn Bowen Walker's book, which I wrote about in my last post, she says that the Mount Vernon style of cleaning was so named because it is the way that George Washington's staff kept that enormous house clean. To "Mount Vernon-ize" a house, you start cleaning on one side of the front door and you work around the perimeter of the house, cleaning and de-cluttering as you go, until you have been through every room and you arrive back at the front door. (Then, you do it all over again...but more on that later.)
I'm going to assume that I'm doing a "reverse Mount Vernon". I started by the back door, not the front, because the back of the house -- the kitchen, breakfast area, and living room -- seemed the dirtiest and were the most often used. Otherwise, the practice is working well, and I can understand why it worked for a large house a long time ago (although I am a bit miffed that I'm not quite as creative in my methods as I thought I was).
The thing that most caught my attention, though, was the fact that the Mount Vernon method is repetitive. In other words, the trip throughout the house along the perimeter isn't going to be accomplished in one day, and, even if it was, it's never ending. I think I got so caught up in the excitement of a sparkling-clean house that I viewed it as a project with a beginning and ending date. As I work, I recognize that I should consider this more of a permanent change and ongoing effort.
Basically, I started cleaning at the back of the house; specifically, next to our back door. I have worked in a circle since then, tackling one "section" of the house each day. The sections have always been adjacent, with the exception of the detour to my closet, and they have me working consistently farther from the back door and closer to the front door. Today, though, I found out that this particular style of cleaning has a name: the Mount Vernon method.
In Lynn Bowen Walker's book, which I wrote about in my last post, she says that the Mount Vernon style of cleaning was so named because it is the way that George Washington's staff kept that enormous house clean. To "Mount Vernon-ize" a house, you start cleaning on one side of the front door and you work around the perimeter of the house, cleaning and de-cluttering as you go, until you have been through every room and you arrive back at the front door. (Then, you do it all over again...but more on that later.)
I'm going to assume that I'm doing a "reverse Mount Vernon". I started by the back door, not the front, because the back of the house -- the kitchen, breakfast area, and living room -- seemed the dirtiest and were the most often used. Otherwise, the practice is working well, and I can understand why it worked for a large house a long time ago (although I am a bit miffed that I'm not quite as creative in my methods as I thought I was).
The thing that most caught my attention, though, was the fact that the Mount Vernon method is repetitive. In other words, the trip throughout the house along the perimeter isn't going to be accomplished in one day, and, even if it was, it's never ending. I think I got so caught up in the excitement of a sparkling-clean house that I viewed it as a project with a beginning and ending date. As I work, I recognize that I should consider this more of a permanent change and ongoing effort.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Queen of the Castle
A few posts ago, I mentioned a book that I'm currently reading; it's called Queen of the Castle: 52 Weeks of Encouragement for the Uninspired, Domestically Challenged, or Just Plain Tired Homemaker by Lynn Bowen Walker. A dear friend of mine mentioned it to me a year or so ago, and another friend gave it to me as a gift before the military moved her family to the other side of the country a few months ago. Anyway, Lynn approaches homemaking with an annually-organized eye: she makes suggestions for Easter projects, for example, two weeks before you actually need them so that there's time to put the ideas together. Right now, I'm working through some chapters on cleaning, and it's been very inspiring and encouraging to read her thoughts and suggestions. I'm so, so glad that I'm not the only mother with young kids that has struggled to keep a tidy, organized home; that knowledge alone has helped me tremendously. And, even though I'm on this "quest" to scrub my house until it sparkles, one chapter I read recently really stuck with me. Lynn mentions that our role as homemakers is to create a peaceful home...one where our children feel love and support, where our husbands look forward to coming home, and where utter chaos is kept in check. But a peaceful home is not necessarily a home out of a magazine or a display window; it's more important to bake cookies, read a picture book, or take a walk together than to mop the kitchen, at least in most cases.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Cleaning out my closet
Officially, our master bedroom will probably be the last room I begin deep cleaning. I've heard that it's always like that: people very often will decorate and clean the areas of their homes that guests are likely to see and leave the master bedroom bare or dirty. That certainly applies to us. If I have a spare moment or extra money, I'm much more likely to devote it to "the rest of the house" than my own room.
But I have had a tub of pre-pregnancy clothes sitting in a large Rubbermaid tub next to my desk since the week after Baby Boy was born. Every now and then I'd pull out a shirt or pair of pants and try them on, but mostly I hadn't had the heart or the time to empty the entire thing and address each individual piece. Besides, my closet was already crammed full of clothes that I was currently wearing, or had been wearing and were now too big, or wore once a long time ago and hope to fit into again. It was time for a change.
While all three kids slept, I started pulling items out of the closet. The rule was that if it had a spot, stain, or hole that couldn't be easily fixed, it was removed. If I hadn't worn it in the last two months, it was removed. If it was too big, it was removed, and if it was too small, and I really wanted to keep it, I put it on a shelf to re-examine in June. If it was completely unstylish, it was removed, and if I couldn't find anything to wear with it, it was removed. I also pulled out items that I can't imagine why I still had...for example, a pair of ski bibs that I last wore in 2006. I tried on shoes, shirts, dresses, skirts, and pants, and I purged my scarves (of the winter variety; I had far too many for this southern climate!). In the end, I had five trash bags full of items to donate. One bag of clothes went to a bigger friend, one to a smaller friend; the shoes were donated to Soles for Souls, and the remainder went to the Goodwill.
I'm left with a logical, clean, and pleasant closet. Rather than bursting at the seams with items that I never wear (which hid the items that I DID), it's organized and airy. I can find anything, and every item inside is actually used and usable.
I've never really been one that had problems with organization. I have a detailed home and computer filing system; I plan our menu every week; I attempt to schedule my chores. But My Love says that the crux of my organizational "obsession" (his word, not mine) is my closet: it is color-coordinated (ROYGBIV fashion) and also organized by item type and season. Organization gives me a great deal of pleasure and makes me feel in control, but I want it all: organization AND cleanliness. In this particular case, taking a break from my cleaning sweep to de-clutter seemed like the best choice for me, especially since I mentioned that I was a bit dissatisfied with the results of my last day's work. A neat closet was the visual motivation I needed to keep going with another week's work.
But I have had a tub of pre-pregnancy clothes sitting in a large Rubbermaid tub next to my desk since the week after Baby Boy was born. Every now and then I'd pull out a shirt or pair of pants and try them on, but mostly I hadn't had the heart or the time to empty the entire thing and address each individual piece. Besides, my closet was already crammed full of clothes that I was currently wearing, or had been wearing and were now too big, or wore once a long time ago and hope to fit into again. It was time for a change.
While all three kids slept, I started pulling items out of the closet. The rule was that if it had a spot, stain, or hole that couldn't be easily fixed, it was removed. If I hadn't worn it in the last two months, it was removed. If it was too big, it was removed, and if it was too small, and I really wanted to keep it, I put it on a shelf to re-examine in June. If it was completely unstylish, it was removed, and if I couldn't find anything to wear with it, it was removed. I also pulled out items that I can't imagine why I still had...for example, a pair of ski bibs that I last wore in 2006. I tried on shoes, shirts, dresses, skirts, and pants, and I purged my scarves (of the winter variety; I had far too many for this southern climate!). In the end, I had five trash bags full of items to donate. One bag of clothes went to a bigger friend, one to a smaller friend; the shoes were donated to Soles for Souls, and the remainder went to the Goodwill.
I'm left with a logical, clean, and pleasant closet. Rather than bursting at the seams with items that I never wear (which hid the items that I DID), it's organized and airy. I can find anything, and every item inside is actually used and usable.
I've never really been one that had problems with organization. I have a detailed home and computer filing system; I plan our menu every week; I attempt to schedule my chores. But My Love says that the crux of my organizational "obsession" (his word, not mine) is my closet: it is color-coordinated (ROYGBIV fashion) and also organized by item type and season. Organization gives me a great deal of pleasure and makes me feel in control, but I want it all: organization AND cleanliness. In this particular case, taking a break from my cleaning sweep to de-clutter seemed like the best choice for me, especially since I mentioned that I was a bit dissatisfied with the results of my last day's work. A neat closet was the visual motivation I needed to keep going with another week's work.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Less clutter=less dust
Today I tackled the second half of our large, open "living room", the part which officially is the office/play room/dining room area. I had a few things going for me: first, since this part of the house is used consistently, it's also consistently cleaned. Second, the girls are largely responsible for keeping their portion clean, so I had very little clutter to deal with. Going into it, I assumed that this part of the house would be much cleaner than the rest has been so far. At the very least, I assumed I wouldn't have any significantly dirty parts to deal with.
Action Plan:
1. Clean light fixture
2. Remove items from each shelf of eight-foot bookcase and dust
3. Clean window, valance, and blinds
4. Dust computer desk and office shelves
5. Dust china cabinet and buffet server
6. Wipe down floor boards and vacuum
Right away, I ran into a pretty major road block. In every room I've approached so far, I've moved from the highest point down. In this case, the highest point was a light fixture in our vaulted ceiling that I estimate to be about 12 feet off the ground. We have a step ladder, but it's only eight feet tall, and I was (understandably) afraid to climb that high without another adult to spot me or call 911 if I fell and fractured something. So I skipped the light fixture outright and moved on to the book case.
Our book shelf is one of my favorite pieces of furniture, largely because My Love built it himself. It's eight feet tall and eight feet wide, and it's been crammed with books, Bibles, office supplies, and toys in alternating proportions for the duration of our residence in the house. When I considered removing everything from it to dust, it was a daunting task, but I began it with my trusty can of Pledge and a cleaning rag. The lower shelves, as it turned out, were the cleanest. I suppose I'm more aware of dust and debris in the areas which the children can reach, though I did have to scrub away a few dingy fingerprints along the floor. My surprise came as I dusted the top of the bookcase, which has not been cleaned or seen since I first arranged a row of knick-knacks up there the day the book case was finished. Though nowhere as disgusting as the grime atop the kitchen cabinets, I was shocked at the amount of dust that could accumulate on a surface over time. It took -- wait for it -- FOUR cleaning rags to remove all the dust; each of them turned grey with use before I pulled another from the closet. Essentially, I notice that surfaces that no one sees on a daily basis are consistently the dirtiest. Also, I revisited a lesson from my kitchen cleaning experience: the fewer things there are to collect dust, the easier they are to clean. However, the book case doesn't boast dusty wine bottles that I can nonchalantly toss into the garbage. Instead, every whatchamacallit on the shelves has some sort of sentimental value: the alpaca will teddy bear from Ecuador; the samurai swords my father bought on a trip to Japan; the Winnie the Pooh figurine hand-painted by an old friend. I simply resigned myself to wipe down every surface more often and accept that it will repeatedly get dirty (kind of like my kitchen floor).
Cleaning the single window seemed like a breeze; I've done five now, and this one was small. However, I still haven't figured out how to clean the blinds or remove the screens from outside. I think I'm going to need to devote a Saturday afternoon to scrubbing windows and screens from the outside. (Right now, the windows don't look clean because of the outdoor smudges.)
I have heard that you're supposed to use a particular kind of cleaning product and cleaning wipe for electronics, but I don't have one around the house, and I assumed that a tiny amount of water on a slightly-damp soft cloth couldn't hurt anything. I wiped off our computer tower, monitor, and keyboard. The dust between individual keys was giving me fits; I think I've seen some kind of telemarketing commercial for a product that blows dust off a keyboard, and it must be the only thing that works, because a cloth just didn't cut it. I hated to do it, but I left the computer and computer desk only about 99% clean and added "computer keyboard" to my mental list of failed projects that I'll need to re-evaluate at a later date.
All the furniture in our dining room is wood, though it doesn't match; this is also the least-decorated room in the house. There's one photo of the girls in a large frame, and we also have an antique plate from my grandfather on a stand atop the china cabinet. That's literally it. Any guesses on how long it took to clean this quadrant of the room? Only about 15 minutes, but I do need to go back and clean the light fixture. It's a hanging one, so I can reach it, but it had been on all morning and was too hot to touch. I turned it off after dusting the rest of the room, assuming I'd let it cool and then come back to it, but it completely slipped my mind until I sat down to write this post.
I approached the base boards with Lysol wipes (I had to buy a new can over the weekend!), which seems to be the most effective way. Unlike in the kitchen, I didn't go back over them with a dryer sheet. I'm going to assume that there is less dust and dog hair blowing around the carpeted area than on the tile. And...a quick run with the vacuum cleaner, and I was done!
This portion of the house seemed to go by really quickly. Honestly, it was simple, to, but I didn't "feel" like it was clean when I was done. I'm not sure whether it was because I skipped a few areas, such as the light fixtures, or because it wasn't as dirty in the first place (which means there wasn't a huge change to notice). Regardless, I can now say that the common areas in the house are acceptably clean, and that makes me feel like I've accomplished a great deal.
Action Plan:
1. Clean light fixture
2. Remove items from each shelf of eight-foot bookcase and dust
3. Clean window, valance, and blinds
4. Dust computer desk and office shelves
5. Dust china cabinet and buffet server
6. Wipe down floor boards and vacuum
Right away, I ran into a pretty major road block. In every room I've approached so far, I've moved from the highest point down. In this case, the highest point was a light fixture in our vaulted ceiling that I estimate to be about 12 feet off the ground. We have a step ladder, but it's only eight feet tall, and I was (understandably) afraid to climb that high without another adult to spot me or call 911 if I fell and fractured something. So I skipped the light fixture outright and moved on to the book case.
Our book shelf is one of my favorite pieces of furniture, largely because My Love built it himself. It's eight feet tall and eight feet wide, and it's been crammed with books, Bibles, office supplies, and toys in alternating proportions for the duration of our residence in the house. When I considered removing everything from it to dust, it was a daunting task, but I began it with my trusty can of Pledge and a cleaning rag. The lower shelves, as it turned out, were the cleanest. I suppose I'm more aware of dust and debris in the areas which the children can reach, though I did have to scrub away a few dingy fingerprints along the floor. My surprise came as I dusted the top of the bookcase, which has not been cleaned or seen since I first arranged a row of knick-knacks up there the day the book case was finished. Though nowhere as disgusting as the grime atop the kitchen cabinets, I was shocked at the amount of dust that could accumulate on a surface over time. It took -- wait for it -- FOUR cleaning rags to remove all the dust; each of them turned grey with use before I pulled another from the closet. Essentially, I notice that surfaces that no one sees on a daily basis are consistently the dirtiest. Also, I revisited a lesson from my kitchen cleaning experience: the fewer things there are to collect dust, the easier they are to clean. However, the book case doesn't boast dusty wine bottles that I can nonchalantly toss into the garbage. Instead, every whatchamacallit on the shelves has some sort of sentimental value: the alpaca will teddy bear from Ecuador; the samurai swords my father bought on a trip to Japan; the Winnie the Pooh figurine hand-painted by an old friend. I simply resigned myself to wipe down every surface more often and accept that it will repeatedly get dirty (kind of like my kitchen floor).
Cleaning the single window seemed like a breeze; I've done five now, and this one was small. However, I still haven't figured out how to clean the blinds or remove the screens from outside. I think I'm going to need to devote a Saturday afternoon to scrubbing windows and screens from the outside. (Right now, the windows don't look clean because of the outdoor smudges.)
I have heard that you're supposed to use a particular kind of cleaning product and cleaning wipe for electronics, but I don't have one around the house, and I assumed that a tiny amount of water on a slightly-damp soft cloth couldn't hurt anything. I wiped off our computer tower, monitor, and keyboard. The dust between individual keys was giving me fits; I think I've seen some kind of telemarketing commercial for a product that blows dust off a keyboard, and it must be the only thing that works, because a cloth just didn't cut it. I hated to do it, but I left the computer and computer desk only about 99% clean and added "computer keyboard" to my mental list of failed projects that I'll need to re-evaluate at a later date.
All the furniture in our dining room is wood, though it doesn't match; this is also the least-decorated room in the house. There's one photo of the girls in a large frame, and we also have an antique plate from my grandfather on a stand atop the china cabinet. That's literally it. Any guesses on how long it took to clean this quadrant of the room? Only about 15 minutes, but I do need to go back and clean the light fixture. It's a hanging one, so I can reach it, but it had been on all morning and was too hot to touch. I turned it off after dusting the rest of the room, assuming I'd let it cool and then come back to it, but it completely slipped my mind until I sat down to write this post.
I approached the base boards with Lysol wipes (I had to buy a new can over the weekend!), which seems to be the most effective way. Unlike in the kitchen, I didn't go back over them with a dryer sheet. I'm going to assume that there is less dust and dog hair blowing around the carpeted area than on the tile. And...a quick run with the vacuum cleaner, and I was done!
This portion of the house seemed to go by really quickly. Honestly, it was simple, to, but I didn't "feel" like it was clean when I was done. I'm not sure whether it was because I skipped a few areas, such as the light fixtures, or because it wasn't as dirty in the first place (which means there wasn't a huge change to notice). Regardless, I can now say that the common areas in the house are acceptably clean, and that makes me feel like I've accomplished a great deal.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Company's coming!
When I became a stay-at-home mom, I learned quickly that it can be a lonely and boring job. Yes, I'm around my children all day, every day, but I was lacking adult conversation and encouragement that I was doing anything right. Over the last few months, it's been a pleasure for me to build up acquaintances with my fellow local mothers, and these wonderful ladies have helped me fill the gaps in my sanity.
Today, our local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group had scheduled an outdoor play date at a local park. The weather, however, was being completely uncooperative. We had storms all night and morning, leaving the playground saturated and the equipment too slick for play. On a whim, I offered to have all the moms and kids over to my house so that we wouldn't have to cancel the play date.
There was a flurry of text messages, and it suddenly occurred to me that I had a scant 30 minutes to make my house appear clean and inviting. I felt a familiar panicked sensation, recognizing quickly that I wouldn't have time to clean everything before our company arrived, and I regretted having made the offer in the first place.
But then...I actually made a pass through my house. And, wonder of wonders, it actually looked moderately clean! The past week's work had paid off. I quickly swept the kitchen and had the girls put away a few toys. I put a new roll of toilet paper in the front bathroom and took out the garbage. I turned on some music. Suddenly, the house looked appealing and fresh, rather than dingy and cluttered.
I read somewhere, probably in this book, which I'm currently reading, that it's easier to keep the house moderately clean all the time so that you can be hospitable whenever the time comes than it is to have a cleaning frenzy before a big event. I had initially scoffed at the idea; the author had obviously never had three children under the age of five and a large dog all at the same time. I think, though, that today was proof of how well that advice really works. When the house doesn't feel like a disaster, I'm much more likely to invite over company. At the moment, that company might be for me just as easily as for my kids, but I want the kids to feel comfortable inviting their friends from school or soccer team over to the house for snacks or a study group when that time comes. I want them to be proud of their home, not ashamed of it. In that regard, I think a little vigorous spring cleaning once a year followed by consistent daily upkeep will be completely worth it.
Today, our local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group had scheduled an outdoor play date at a local park. The weather, however, was being completely uncooperative. We had storms all night and morning, leaving the playground saturated and the equipment too slick for play. On a whim, I offered to have all the moms and kids over to my house so that we wouldn't have to cancel the play date.
There was a flurry of text messages, and it suddenly occurred to me that I had a scant 30 minutes to make my house appear clean and inviting. I felt a familiar panicked sensation, recognizing quickly that I wouldn't have time to clean everything before our company arrived, and I regretted having made the offer in the first place.
But then...I actually made a pass through my house. And, wonder of wonders, it actually looked moderately clean! The past week's work had paid off. I quickly swept the kitchen and had the girls put away a few toys. I put a new roll of toilet paper in the front bathroom and took out the garbage. I turned on some music. Suddenly, the house looked appealing and fresh, rather than dingy and cluttered.
I read somewhere, probably in this book, which I'm currently reading, that it's easier to keep the house moderately clean all the time so that you can be hospitable whenever the time comes than it is to have a cleaning frenzy before a big event. I had initially scoffed at the idea; the author had obviously never had three children under the age of five and a large dog all at the same time. I think, though, that today was proof of how well that advice really works. When the house doesn't feel like a disaster, I'm much more likely to invite over company. At the moment, that company might be for me just as easily as for my kids, but I want the kids to feel comfortable inviting their friends from school or soccer team over to the house for snacks or a study group when that time comes. I want them to be proud of their home, not ashamed of it. In that regard, I think a little vigorous spring cleaning once a year followed by consistent daily upkeep will be completely worth it.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Living room
Day 3: The Living Room
The living room is longer than it is wide, so we have partitioned it off with a couch and a book case. One side is considered the actual living room, and the other side is our office/play area. Today, I tackled the living room itself.
Here's the action plan:
1. Take down and wash curtains
2. Attempt to clean the blinds AGAIN
3. Wash insides of windows and window tracks
4. Clean fan and light fixture
5. Clean fireplace
6. Dust all furniture
7. Vacuum floor
8. Steam clean carpet
After cleaning the breakfast nook on my first day of work, I knew what to expect with the windows. When I removed the curtains, I encountered dust and cobwebs. That didn't particularly please me, but I also wasn't surprised. A quick trip through the washing machine ended up taking care of the curtains, but I still have yet to find a successful way to clean the blinds. I earnestly tried to wipe each individual blind piece down with a cloth, but they still didn't come clean. My Love says that this size blinds cost $5.95 at Lowe's; there may be a few new sets in our future.
Cleaning the fan and lights was an uneventful task except that I was unable to hide the fact that I was climbing something from the kids. Mini-me stood at the base of the chair and kept up a running dialogue: "Mama, what are you doing?"
"I'm cleaning, sweetie."
"What are you cleaning?"
"I'm cleaning the lights and the fan."
"Oh...how did they get dirty?"
"They just did. They got dusty, and I need to get the dust off."
"Oh...can I help?"
"No, honey, you're too short."
"But I can climb up on a chair like you and reach them."
"Sweetie, you'd need a bigger chair than this one to be able to reach the lights."
"Well, you could go buy me one."
Eventually, I set she and Cuddles down at the dining room table with some play dough that they had found in an Easter egg hunt at their grandparents' house over the weekend. They were content to make "crackers", "pancakes", and "pretzels" for the next half hour (at which point, obviously, it was time for lunch).
The "most dirty place in the room" award goes to our fireplace. I found that incredibly interesting, since it hasn't been used since we moved into the house over four years ago. It doesn't really get cold enough to need fires around here, and we also don't want to worry with cleaning up ashes or keeping little fingers out of the grate. I figured I might find some dust in the fireplace, but no real dirt. Oh, was I wrong! To begin, I removed a decorative candle stand that we keep in there to keep it from looking stark. The top few coils were laced with spider webs covered in dust. As a side note, I abhor spiders. They make me scream and run the other direction. I almost stopped cleaning right then, but the fact that the webs were dusty led me to believe that the spider had likely already met his or her demise. I was correct; I later discovered his/her body underneath a candle that had been lit at Valentine's Day. As to the task at hand: I wiped down the candle stand with ACV, which was equally effective at removing dust, spider webs, and ash. I then wiped down the inside of the fireplace itself. To my surprise, our flue was open (and I have no idea how it got that way). I closed the flue, and when I did, a shower of ash fell into the fireplace. It was actually quite a chore to wipe it all out; when ash gets wet, it simply makes gray and black streaks, so I went through multiple cleaning rags and bowls of ACV in order to get it clean. My last fireplace task was to dust our screen. This proved to be the most difficult thing I've done yet other than cleaning the blinds. Dust particles clung to the mesh screen when I wiped them with the ACV. I ended up brushing the screen vigorously ("Mama, why are you hitting that?") to dislodge the dust. That just made the dust float in the air, but I was hoping that whatever surface it landed on would be easier to clean.
A quick pass over the furniture with Pledge and a rag, and I was ready to vacuum. Yes, again...the Beast had left a trail of dog food crumbs from her bowl to the couch, and the floor looked just as dirty as it had before I vacuumed yesterday. There was no help from the kids today, as they were busy with peanut-butter-and-local-honey sandwiches (which they would rather than than just about anything else I could make). And then I paused; in a strange twist of events, steam cleaning the carpets has become My Love's job. (The one time I tried I left puddles in the carpet.)
It was really pleasant for me to discover that most of the house isn't going to be as dirty as the kitchen was; dusting and vacuuming are chores I actually keep up with pretty consistently, and I'm hopping it will pay off as I work toward having the entire house cleaned at one time.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
"Ah hep yoo"
I already mentioned that Mini-me is learning to help with housework, but I am pleased to announce that Cuddles is getting in on the action too. The girls are responsible for cleaning their own room, which they share; there are also sometimes fights over who gets to feed The Beast, and Cuddles, especially, loves to help unload the dishwasher (which means I rush to unload everything breakable while she spends twenty minutes emptying the silverware basket).
This morning I needed to run the vacuum in the living room area. When I got it out, Cuddles came running over to me, saying, "Ah hep you." She's almost two years old, and our pediatrician says that a stranger should be able to understand about half of what she says. Mama, however, gets closer to 80%, and in this case I figured it out after about three repetitions: "I want to help you." The "ah" sound universally means "I want" when it comes from her, as in "Ah Daddy" or "Ah cookie." And, like most two-year-olds, she seems to only say the first part of most words (the important part, right?). So "Daddy" is actually "Dahyee", for example, and "help" is, apparently, "hep".
I was in the process of vacuuming when she squeezed herself between me and the vacuum cleaner. She reached up as high as she could and could almost touch the handle with her fingertips. After a few passes, she gave up on that. Her next technique is the same that she uses to push a big yellow toy dump truck around the house: she placed both hands on the base of the vacuum cleaner, leaned forward, and pushed with all her might. It was cute, but it meant that I couldn't propel or steer the vacuum at all, and she was almost stepped on twice. I re-directed her to hold onto the hose attachment, and that seemed to make everyone happy.
Cuddles stayed with me for a full five minutes or so, which is more than twice as long as I should expect her to do anything, according to a recent article I read in Parenting magazine (or maybe it was Parents; I can't remember!) that specifies that young kids usually have an attention span of one minute per year of age. Those five minutes would normally have allowed me to finish my chore, but I moved at such a slow pace to accommodate her that I was only about halfway done. When she left, I finished vacuuming quickly, then she came running back: "Ah hep you." Now she wanted to help me coil the cord around the clip that holds it in place (a favorite task of Mini-me's too, incidentally). Again, I let her "help", but the task took at least twice as long as it should have.
For some reason, I wasn't frustrated by all of that. Granted, it had taken me the better part of 20 minutes to do something that should have taken five, but I was really proud of my little girl.
First, it excited me that she wanted to help at all. How many adults don't assist when they see something around them that needs doing? That's a life skill I want to develop in my kids, and it looks like starting them out as toddlers isn't too early at all.
Second, it's a big deal to me that she (and her brother and sister) learns at a young age how to do her chores so that she can take care of herself, her home, and her family when the time comes. I'm afraid that it will seem like my house is dirty because I didn't know any better, but it's not true; my mother is an incredibly wise and talented woman, and she made sure that I knew the essentials of housekeeping before I left her house. (Imagine the state I'd be in without that education!)
And finally, I enjoyed that little moment of giving Cuddles my undivided attention, even if it was while doing a chore. We have three kids, and it's easy to feel like they don't each get the individual attention they deserve. I hope vacuuming the living room floor isn't the best memory she'll have of me when she grows up, but I do hope she will remember that our family had fun together and loved one another enough to help out when it was needed.
This morning I needed to run the vacuum in the living room area. When I got it out, Cuddles came running over to me, saying, "Ah hep you." She's almost two years old, and our pediatrician says that a stranger should be able to understand about half of what she says. Mama, however, gets closer to 80%, and in this case I figured it out after about three repetitions: "I want to help you." The "ah" sound universally means "I want" when it comes from her, as in "Ah Daddy" or "Ah cookie." And, like most two-year-olds, she seems to only say the first part of most words (the important part, right?). So "Daddy" is actually "Dahyee", for example, and "help" is, apparently, "hep".
I was in the process of vacuuming when she squeezed herself between me and the vacuum cleaner. She reached up as high as she could and could almost touch the handle with her fingertips. After a few passes, she gave up on that. Her next technique is the same that she uses to push a big yellow toy dump truck around the house: she placed both hands on the base of the vacuum cleaner, leaned forward, and pushed with all her might. It was cute, but it meant that I couldn't propel or steer the vacuum at all, and she was almost stepped on twice. I re-directed her to hold onto the hose attachment, and that seemed to make everyone happy.
Cuddles stayed with me for a full five minutes or so, which is more than twice as long as I should expect her to do anything, according to a recent article I read in Parenting magazine (or maybe it was Parents; I can't remember!) that specifies that young kids usually have an attention span of one minute per year of age. Those five minutes would normally have allowed me to finish my chore, but I moved at such a slow pace to accommodate her that I was only about halfway done. When she left, I finished vacuuming quickly, then she came running back: "Ah hep you." Now she wanted to help me coil the cord around the clip that holds it in place (a favorite task of Mini-me's too, incidentally). Again, I let her "help", but the task took at least twice as long as it should have.
For some reason, I wasn't frustrated by all of that. Granted, it had taken me the better part of 20 minutes to do something that should have taken five, but I was really proud of my little girl.
First, it excited me that she wanted to help at all. How many adults don't assist when they see something around them that needs doing? That's a life skill I want to develop in my kids, and it looks like starting them out as toddlers isn't too early at all.
Second, it's a big deal to me that she (and her brother and sister) learns at a young age how to do her chores so that she can take care of herself, her home, and her family when the time comes. I'm afraid that it will seem like my house is dirty because I didn't know any better, but it's not true; my mother is an incredibly wise and talented woman, and she made sure that I knew the essentials of housekeeping before I left her house. (Imagine the state I'd be in without that education!)
And finally, I enjoyed that little moment of giving Cuddles my undivided attention, even if it was while doing a chore. We have three kids, and it's easy to feel like they don't each get the individual attention they deserve. I hope vacuuming the living room floor isn't the best memory she'll have of me when she grows up, but I do hope she will remember that our family had fun together and loved one another enough to help out when it was needed.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Epic Fail
I mentioned a few days ago that I was trying to clean my breakfast nook blinds and failed pretty badly. Actually, since then I've tried to clean five different sets of blinds, and I have yet to find an effective method. However, to paraphrase Thomas Edison, I haven't failed; I just discovered several different ways that are NOT useful for cleaning blinds.
Method A: The Cheater
My first attempt involved as little work on my part as possible. I was dusting every other surface in the house with a rag and some Pledge; why not the blinds? This didn't work, though. The dust clung stubbornly to the blinds, rather than wiping easily away like it does on a tabletop. I couldn't effectively scrub, because the blinds moved back and forth. I called it quits on this one after about five minutes of work.
Method B: The Sock Puppet
The next thing I tried came from here. It recommended using an old, large sock to cover my hand, then dunking the sock into a water and vinegar mixture. Theoretically, I could run my hand over each individual blind and the dust would stick to it. Apparently I have some particularly stubborn dust at my house, though, because all this effort did was create a muddy look on the blinds themselves. When I tried to rinse the sock in the ACV, the dust just stuck to it, and I felt like I was simply putting dust back on the blinds. I cleaned most of the blinds this way, but they looked so visibly dirty that I had to assume that this method was a failure.
Method C: The Splish Splash
Further searching revealed a series of websites like this one that recommended placing the blinds in a bathtub with warm water and dish soap. I tried the breakfast nook blinds in the tub, but they were too long to fit, so I can't, in good conscience, count that as an attempt. However, I DID put our living room blinds in the tub to give the method an honest effort. I let the blinds sit in the bathtub for about then minutes, then started separating the pieces and swishing them through the water with my hands. The site above recommended wearing gloves, but I didn't have any, so I skipped it. I now understand why they are essential. The mini blinds' edges are just barely sharp enough to cut fingers. It's only about as bad as a paper cut, but I do have about ten tiny cuts on both my hands. Now, this technique did get more dust and dirt off the blinds than any of the others have so far; the tub had noticeable dirt in the bottom when I was done. However, when I re-hung the blinds, they actually looked far worse than before. The dirt that remained had just rearranged itself and caked together, making muddy-looking streaks.
Method D: The Old School
At this point, I was starting to assume that it would be easier to throw the blinds away and buy new ones than to actually keep trying to clean them, but I wanted to at least try to finish the job I'd started. I got a roll of paper towels and set about wiping away all the excess water from the still-damp blinds, hoping to get off the dirt as I went. (And I got a lot of dirt.) However, when I stepped away and looked at the big picture, the blinds were STILL dirty. I then grabbed my handy-dandy Lysol wipes and started wiping each individual piece off with it. This method might have been effective, if I hadn't spent 15 minutes cleaning one set and gotten discouraged at the lack of pay-off for the amount of labor. (It would also be expensive; Lysol wipes are probably the most expensive cleaning item I'm using.)
Method E: The Big Guns
By now I was really frustrated, to the point that I was seriously considering tearing down each set of mini blinds in the house and throwing them away. Then I remembered that I had stumbled across another site that recommended what I thought at the time was an overly-involved and time-consuming method. Basically, it suggests hanging a set of blinds outside between two ladders and cleaning them, by hand, a little at a time with a spray bottle of cleaning solution (or ACV?) and a hose. We don't have two ladders, and I certainly don't have the time or space to take the blinds out in the driveway and clean them while corralling my kids, but it's starting to appear that this may be the only remaining option. (Except that I have read on another website that there are professional blind-cleaning companies. I wonder if they're worth it?)
Method A: The Cheater
My first attempt involved as little work on my part as possible. I was dusting every other surface in the house with a rag and some Pledge; why not the blinds? This didn't work, though. The dust clung stubbornly to the blinds, rather than wiping easily away like it does on a tabletop. I couldn't effectively scrub, because the blinds moved back and forth. I called it quits on this one after about five minutes of work.
Method B: The Sock Puppet
The next thing I tried came from here. It recommended using an old, large sock to cover my hand, then dunking the sock into a water and vinegar mixture. Theoretically, I could run my hand over each individual blind and the dust would stick to it. Apparently I have some particularly stubborn dust at my house, though, because all this effort did was create a muddy look on the blinds themselves. When I tried to rinse the sock in the ACV, the dust just stuck to it, and I felt like I was simply putting dust back on the blinds. I cleaned most of the blinds this way, but they looked so visibly dirty that I had to assume that this method was a failure.
Method C: The Splish Splash
Further searching revealed a series of websites like this one that recommended placing the blinds in a bathtub with warm water and dish soap. I tried the breakfast nook blinds in the tub, but they were too long to fit, so I can't, in good conscience, count that as an attempt. However, I DID put our living room blinds in the tub to give the method an honest effort. I let the blinds sit in the bathtub for about then minutes, then started separating the pieces and swishing them through the water with my hands. The site above recommended wearing gloves, but I didn't have any, so I skipped it. I now understand why they are essential. The mini blinds' edges are just barely sharp enough to cut fingers. It's only about as bad as a paper cut, but I do have about ten tiny cuts on both my hands. Now, this technique did get more dust and dirt off the blinds than any of the others have so far; the tub had noticeable dirt in the bottom when I was done. However, when I re-hung the blinds, they actually looked far worse than before. The dirt that remained had just rearranged itself and caked together, making muddy-looking streaks.
Method D: The Old School
At this point, I was starting to assume that it would be easier to throw the blinds away and buy new ones than to actually keep trying to clean them, but I wanted to at least try to finish the job I'd started. I got a roll of paper towels and set about wiping away all the excess water from the still-damp blinds, hoping to get off the dirt as I went. (And I got a lot of dirt.) However, when I stepped away and looked at the big picture, the blinds were STILL dirty. I then grabbed my handy-dandy Lysol wipes and started wiping each individual piece off with it. This method might have been effective, if I hadn't spent 15 minutes cleaning one set and gotten discouraged at the lack of pay-off for the amount of labor. (It would also be expensive; Lysol wipes are probably the most expensive cleaning item I'm using.)
Method E: The Big Guns
By now I was really frustrated, to the point that I was seriously considering tearing down each set of mini blinds in the house and throwing them away. Then I remembered that I had stumbled across another site that recommended what I thought at the time was an overly-involved and time-consuming method. Basically, it suggests hanging a set of blinds outside between two ladders and cleaning them, by hand, a little at a time with a spray bottle of cleaning solution (or ACV?) and a hose. We don't have two ladders, and I certainly don't have the time or space to take the blinds out in the driveway and clean them while corralling my kids, but it's starting to appear that this may be the only remaining option. (Except that I have read on another website that there are professional blind-cleaning companies. I wonder if they're worth it?)
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Lessons Learned: Kitchen
After I stepped back from the kitchen and sank onto the couch with a cold glass of sweet tea, I thought about the things that will be needed to simply maintain a clean-ish kitchen on a daily basis. Obviously, for example, I'm not going to scrub the tops of my cabinets every day, or even every week. If I can manage to do it every few months, though, the grime might not be as bad. I think it also helps that I pared down the dust-catching items in an area that has the potential to be one of the grimiest in the house.
Again, I simply must sweep every day. But now that I'm on Day 2, I think the best time to sweep might be just before dinner (so that My Love comes home to a clean house). Sweeping after breakfast was a cause that was lost by snack time.
In general, though, I feel like keeping my kitchen counters wiped down daily and wiping the cabinets down when they are visibly dirty will keep the kitchen in shape. It also makes me feel better to get dirty dishes out of the sink as soon as possible.
Friday, April 13, 2012
The Meaning of "Grime"
Day 2: The Kitchen
I was really inspired by how much better the house looked and I felt after Day 1, so I actually got up early this morning eager to clean. (How long will THAT last?) I attacked the kitchen with gusto. Here was the kitchen action plan:
1. Remove decor from above cabinets, purge as necessary, clean as needed, and wipe cabinet tops
2. Wipe down all cabinet doors
3. Go through cabinets for dishes that can be given to Goodwill
4. Clean microwave
5. Clean oven
6. Clean kitchen counter and all appliances on it
7. Clean refrigerator
8. Scrub sink
9. Clean garbage can
10. Wipe down floorboards and mop
Some of the best advice I found on house cleaning during my "spring cleaning" run on Pinterest was to start from the top and work my way down. That way, any dirt I remove from a high location doesn't muss an already-clean low location. The highest point in our kitchen is the 12-inch gap between our top cabinets and the ceiling, so I started there.
The majority of the "decor" (another of those words that sounds much too glamorous for what we actually have) was empty wine bottles from years and years ago. I thought they were sophisticated. As it turns out, they were just dusty, as was everything else up there (a giraffe-shaped cookie jar, some bright red candles, and a decorative olive oil bottle). I don't mean just "dust" either. If you're imagining something that you could brush away with a feather duster, you're in the wrong time zone. This stuff is now officially what I will think of when I hear the word "grime". It's basically dust that was glued down to all available surfaces with the residue of everything I've cooked on the stovetop for the last four years. I had to scrub so vigorously to get it off that I quickly decided that the effort was only worthwhile for the decorative items I really wanted to keep. That means that all the old, empty wine bottles went into the garbage can, and we now have a much more streamlined look in our kitchen.
The grime was also caked on top of the cabinets themselves. In theory, a little elbow grease would have been enough to remove the stuff, but in practice, it turns out that I'm a very awkward height. Our stepladder put me too far away from the countertop to reach the cabinets. I then tried a chair, but could barely see past the lip at the cabinets' edge. Finally -- since the kids were entertained with "Jake and the Neverland Pirates", I just stood on top of the counter itself. I could now reach, but I'm so tall that I couldn't stand upright. I spent about thirty minutes with my head inclined about twenty degrees to the left and my arm lifted up just over shoulder level, scrubbing at this caked-on dust with all my might. (On a side note, Lose It! says that an hour of housework burns 154 calories!) I used a bowl of my trusty apple cider vinegar (ACV) mixed with water, then finished up with a Lysol wipe. When I was done, I was sore and sweaty, but, by golly, my cabinet tops (which no one ever sees) were clean.
The rest of the morning was uneventful. I used ACV to wipe off every surface in the kitchen. At one point, Mini-me announced that she wanted to help, and I discovered another advantage of the vinegar: I could give her a rag dipped in the stuff and not worry about its toxicity. I had her wipe down the lower cabinets and the dishwasher, and she did a good job, for a four-year-old. I went behind her with a Lysol wipe on the end of a toothpick to get into the crevices where the cabinets jut out a bit to be decorative. I think anybody would be surprised at how much dust collects on that tiny surface!
Cleaning the oven is likely going to be a future source of experimentation for me. I have a self-cleaning oven, so last night I turned it on while we slept. Apparently (after the fact), you're supposed to open windows and make sure children and small animals aren't around the oven while it's cleaning. Oops. Also, though the self-cleaning part cleaned the majority of the oven, there were caked-on bits on the oven door that didn't come off even after a vigorous scrubbing. So I checked out this website, which recommended sprinkling the inside of the oven with baking soda and vinegar. I tried that and found that the mixture made a satisfying sizzling noise and bubbled as though it was doing something; however, it didn't touch the gunk. I got frustrated, closed the oven, and decided to come back to it later. The next day, though, when I opened the oven to cook dinner, the gunk was completely gone, as if it had eroded away. (Further examination of the website revealed that I was supposed to let the baking soda and vinegar sit overnight.) I just wiped out a few little white streaks and was done.
In part two of my "nastiest place in the room" series, I'd like to call your attention to the area underneath the pull-out drawer beneath your oven. I assumed that since it was under the oven, it couldn't be TOO dirty, but in that I was about as correct as assuming that the area under a booster seat couldn't get dirty. This place was filthy. My one consolation was that it was an isolated area that no one sees or touches. There was more of the grime down there, plus some dust bunnies, crumbs, dead bugs, and a few lost Goldfish and Cheerios (we eat a lot of those around here). Again, I wiped and then scrubbed it with ACV, followed by a Lysol wipe.
The refrigerator took a surprisingly long time to clean because I removed every jar and bottle and wiped each of them down as well. I also cleaned the shelves and drawers in the sink. However, it was also one of the most satisfying things I've cleaned yet, because I saw immediate results. It also seems to be lasting a bit longer than the other, more high-kid-traffic areas I've targeted. My nice, clean floor, for example, is dirty already, and I'm about to head off to do my daily sweeping.
So far, I'm pretty happy with my apple cider vinegar, which is also cheaper than most cleaning products and seems safe to use on just about any surface; however, in really icky places, I've been chasing it with a Lysol wipe (which I need to buy more of). The baking soda also worked so well on the oven that I may experiment with using household products to clean other areas of the house.
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