Quick clean up!

OK, so you have been out with the flu, or a bad cold. Or life has been hectic and you have let the house slide. Or you bought a new book and it has absorbed your every move. Or you have a new video game in the house and it has kept you up late into the night and it is all you can do to go to work, feed the family and sleep at night. OR you hadn't really noticed the mess until your slipper got stuck on the kitchen floor and it was like a light bulb went off. Regardless, as you look around your house you realize it has become disheveled, di·shev·eled,Variant(s):or di·shev·elled,Function:adjective,Etymology:Middle English discheveled bareheaded, with disordered hair, part translation of Anglo-French deschevelé, from des- dis- + chevoil hair, from Latin capillus;Date: 1583, : marked by disorder or disarray <disheveled hair>).

Here is an easy quick way to get your house back in shape. Keep in mind that this is a QUICK, clean up job. It is not the good house keeping seal of approval version. Quick is the operative word here.

Ingredients::
Laundry basket or two, or three...
trash bag
multi purpose spray, like spic n span, with paper towels or dust rag
vacuum cleaner
Pen and Paper
several helping children, ;o)
some good music
lastly, a servants heart, offer the task up for poor souls, and remember to thank God for the home you have to clean, and the family you have to clean for.

Incidentally, the following kitchen clean up is the routine that I have taught my children. It helps them to think in an organized way. It could be my computer programmer training coming into play, but it works.

~Start in the kitchen. Make a quick detour in the living, and sleeping areas and collect dishes. Place next to dishwasher or sink if you hand wash.

~Now making as few steps as possible. Place everything to go in the pantry, in a pile closest to the pantry. Do the same for the fridge.

~Clear the table, scraping plates, and throwing away trash. Pile up the dirty dishes next to the dishwasher, or if you hand wash stack next to the sink. Empty glasses and cereal bowls. Then start a sink of warm, soapy water and start soaking the dishes to hand wash.

~Now put away fridge and pantry items. Wipe the outside of appliances, as quickly as possible.

~Next, load or wash/dry dishes. Empty and wipe out sink.

~Finally empty trash, wipe counters, table, and sweep. If you can do a quick mop in less than 10 minutes, do it. Otherwise, just spray some of your multi purpose cleaner on the worst spots and wipe.

~Next move on to the living space of your house. Quickly run around and put the things that don't belong ... (remember Sesame street, some of these things don't belong here, etc. ... that game will come in handy here) ... and place the items in the laundry basket. If it is trash, then place in trash bag. Spray spots and wipe as you go.

~Give the laundry basket to your children and have them put the items away. If they are at school then give them that task when they come home. This applies if they are having lessons for home school. NOTE: If you do not have children, then borrow some or put the stuff away yourself.

~Next move to the sleeping area of the house. Assess the damage and make some choices.

~Make beds. Do not change sheets. This is the 'quick' day. Have the children make their beds. (TIP: Here is a tip, within a tip: for children, give them a fitted sheet, and a comforter, do not have a top sheet. This is completely unnecessary and the kids will have an easier time just pulling up a comforter.) Give them trash bag and laundry bag. Get trash and clothes off the floor, tables, chairs etc.

~If you have a sorter for laundry, have them sort it now. DO NOT START WASHING LAUNDRY ON THIS DAY.

REMEMBER: This quick clean up is to get you back on track, not to have a 'perfect' home.

At this point you can decide to be done. OR you can continue to clean the rooms more. My suggestion is that you stop.

~Next, sit down with a pen and paper and make a daily job list to help you keep on track. Let me give you an example.

Daily, clean kitchen, wash ONE load, fold, put away.

Monday: Thorough kitchen clean day. Clean inside/outside of appliances, trash can, door handles, windows, mop.

Tuesday: Thorough Bathroom clean up day.

Wednesday: Dust/vacuum day throughout the house.

Thursday: Make a menu for next week, cut coupons, make grocery list. Look over your daily routines and decide that you are going to make a menu based on your jobs. For example, on Monday it might be a good day to throw something in the crock pot, to free up your kitchen while you clean it.

Friday: Extra job day. Clean out a closet, put some photos in an album, back up computers, etc. Pick one job. This is also a good day to make appointments, or do something fun for yourself. Paint your nails, do a facial, comb your hair. ;)

Saturday: Bedroom day. Wash/change sheets, pickup, dust vacuum. Give the kids an incentive. Maybe allow the kids to rent a movie if they get their rooms done in a timely manner. My youngest two love to go to the park and will clean their rooms up very quickly if a trip to the park is the reward. Play some peppy music and get the family to do the task happily.

One last note. This is a routine that can work for the stay-at-home-mother, the homeschooling mother, and the working mother. Of course it must be adapted to your life style.

For example, you may decide that while your children are doing their math lesson you can start your task for the day. Then when they are having free time you can finish the task. You also may have to make a sacrifice and not have the house in tip top shape. Then you must make a different weekly schedule. Maybe on Wednesdays you have more time and can combine two of your tasks.

If you are a working mother, maybe you will have to combine several tasks off the weekly schedule to do on Saturday. And of course this goes for all mothers, enlist help. Help from your spouse, and help from the children.

No matter what your life style is, coming up with a plan is key so that you do not feel overwhelmed. You will simply say to yourself," OK, I know I planned to do this or that on Saturday. I can relax."

I hope this helps, and please share a clean up tip.