Spring Cleaning

 I will admit that I am not a very good housekeeper. It is just not at the top of my list of priorities. I work full time and when I’m not at work, there are literally hundreds of things I’d rather be doing than cleaning: spending time with Liam, crocheting, baking, watching TV, sleeping, anything really. Not that I never clean, I make sure things are relatively picked up, but don’t look under the furniture or in the closets. Then twice a year when I do my spring (or fall) deep cleaning I am reminded that we do in fact, live in filth (it is amazing how much cat hair one can accumulate under a bed) and I vow never to let it get this way ever again. And I fail and 6 months later I am disgusted all over again. 

So last weekend I started my spring cleaning by dusting everything, sweeping all the floors, even under and behind furniture, and vacuuming the couch and rugs. I’m not done, the front porch needs to be scrubbed, all the windows need to be washed, and I still need to actually clean the floors. And we won’t even mention what may or may not be growing in the back of the fridge. But at least I got started. 

So like always, I was disgusted by my lack of cleanliness and vowed not to let it get so dirty again. But this time, I’ve developed a plan. If I just spend a few minutes each evening maintaining the house, it won’t get so dirty. I’ll still need to do my spring and fall cleaning, but it won’t be as bad, and in if all goes according to plan, I’ll never be embarrassed when some stops by because of the dirty floors or dusty shelves. I can’t promise their won’t be dishes in the sink.

So here it is, my daily cleaning schedule. 

Monday – Dust furniture and bookcases.

Tuesday – Sweep floors. Alternating weeks, mop floors/vacuum couch.

Wednesday – Laundry. Wash, fold, put away.

Thursday – Kitchen/Bathroom. Switching rooms each week with Ryan.

Friday – Relax.

Saturday – Catch up on  what I didn’t get do during the week. Take on a project.

Sunday – Laundry. Wash, fold, put away.

Notes:

1. Before bed each night, things must be put away. Toys and books back on the shelves. Mail or whatever is piled on the kitchen table, thrown away or filed. This will keep the house picked up so it is easy to clean up.

2. It is okay to get behind schedule. Things come up, stuff doesn’t get done. Try to do it the next day, or on the weekend. If it doesn’t get done until the next week, it’s not a big deal. If you haven’t done it in a month, you are not succeeding. 

Now if you are a neat freak, this plan may be appalling to you. I’m only vacuuming every other week and this is my plan to keep my house cleaner?  Yes. But that is okay. I am not striving for perfection, A super clean house is not really my goal. If I wanted to have a clean house and nice things, I wouldn’t have kids or pets. And I have both. But this is definitely a step in the right direction. 

Okay, so now that I have made this proclamation to the world, or at least the 5 people who read this blog, hopefully I’ll have the support to keep it up. I’m not going to pretend I haven’t made similar plans before. I tend to stick with them for a couple weeks, maybe a month, then a busy week turns into 3 and I’ve given up. Don’t let me do that this time. I’m starting tomorrow with Dusting Monday. Let’s see how it goes.