Cleaning Day
Well, today is Monday so it's cleaning day. Several other friends have designated Monday as their cleaning day and it really make sense to me.
It's silly for me to clean on Friday (unless we are having guests for the weekend) as everyone's home on the weekend and really contribute to the mess that I would I have just spent my morning cleaning up. So by Monday a.m., I send everyone off and I spend the morning putting the house back together. This has made me less stressed on the weekend as well because I know I am not going to be cleaning during the weekend. I see a dirty floor and I say to myself, "It's okay. It will be clean on Monday."
So, by Monday afternoon, I can look around and say this place looks pretty good. Bathroom and kitchen have been cleaned a little deeper than just a daily wipe of the counters. I mopped. I may have done a +1 job. (like wiped down the stools or something "extra".) The carpets have been vacuumed, wood floors mopped, a little dusting might have occured.
Today to make it fun, I raced myself against the clock. I tried to see how much I could accomplish before 9 a.m. It did make the time pass. I also invested ($8 at target) in a set of 4 colorful microfiber cloths. These have been very helpful. They are cheery and bright and I can wash them and they make cleaning slightly more enjoyable. I really like microfiber.
I should say even though I take my position as CEO of our household very seriously, nothing is ever done really thoroughly. My mom's nickname for me is "quick and dirty."
I should also clarify that Monday morning is really the designated cleaning time, because if it doesn't get done before we leave for our morning activities, it doesn't get done until the next morning, or when I feel like doing more cleaning. I also never spend naptime cleaning. And I have also abandoned the hope of a spotless house until Samuel is on a mission. Any thoughts out there on cleaning?
posted by Kathryn @ 10:59 AM
8 Comments:
i do one big chore a day such as "bathrooms," "floors," or "ironing" in the morning of course. this way i don't feel overwhelmed by a whole house to clean and the little ones are content to play for about as long as the chore takes me.
I love you, Kathryn! This is such a perfect post for a Monday. I was thinking along the same lines this morning--remembering my friends who have designated Monday as cleaning day. I've been looking for those cloths everywhere! I'm so glad to know where to get them now.
I like to set my kitchen timer for 20 minutes and see how much I can get done. It's fun to race the clock.
I have been buying an all-purpose cleaner that works on counters, stoves, floors, pretty much everywhere. I spray down the kitchen and get out the papertowels. It makes me feel a little better until I do the deep clean--and that only happens every couple of weeks.
If I don't clean on Monday, then it's really hard for me to get motivated. Like, today I had to go feed the missionaries, so no cleaning was done. Now what will I do? I guess I'll have to wait until next Monday.
I love the "quick and dirty" nickname. I start out really thorough and the more I do, the less thorough I become. So I usually start with the bathroom and kitchen and end with the dusting and vacuuming. But not always. And the kids room rarely gets cleaned. Someone's always sleeping in there.
I used to do it like Lizzy, and that way has it's advantages. But I really don't mind having a Monday pajama work day and then I don't have to think about it for a week. (Other than daily pick-up stuff, of course.)
My kitchen floor is terrible. Having a wood floor where I can't see all the crumbs and spills means that it gets pretty dirty before I get out a mop. And pre-Abigail I would do it on hands and knees, but now I just pay the money for the swiffer wipes and stick them on and go. Good enough. The floor's just going to get sticky and dirty again, right?
Whoa! That was a long comment!
i never really designated the day, but it just makes sense to clean on Monday doesn't it? i remember growing up, saturday was the big cleaning day, that doesn't work for me at all. martha's new home keeping tips from her book are inspiring. i don't know if i want the book because then I will see all that I DON'T do, or maybe it will help me want to do a better job??!! i also find that it helps to love the smell of the products you use, that makes it more pleasant..i've been using mrs. meyers lavender all purpose cleaner, and this grapefruit and rosemary window cleaner from Williams Sonoma, delicious!
Yes, Monday is our cleaning day too - only Irene comes on Tuesday to do the bathroom, floors and kitchen. So really Monday is my tidy up, put-all-the-weekend-mess away and laundry day. How do you ever get it all done on one day? Even just my laundry takes me about 12 - 14 hours.
Rick told me recently "You never cut corners, it's a good thing, but also a bad thing." It's true. I should try and be a bit more "quick & dirty" (love that!) I think in a few years when my kids are bigger, it will be a great thing to not "cut corners", but for now it makes keeping things clean a challenge!
Hey Kathryn,
I guess I'm the only one crazy enough to clean on Saturday, but right now it works for Craig and me. Mondays I have a playgroup that I would hate to miss, and it seems like all my other mornings get swamped with errands and baby swapping. And, I also don't clean during naps. I did that when Jack was a baby, and didn't like it.
So, I do most of the cleaning at some point on Saturday, and after the kids go to bed, Craig does the floors. So, when we wake up on Sunday, the whole house is clean and since we're gone for 3 hours on Sundays, it stays pretty clean. And, this way I don't feel like I'm doing the whole thing and Craig is helping. Because I'm a wuss. :-)
music. loud and fun and fast
oh and as for days I choose to do it, I feel too restricted with too much set routine, so I decide when to do it as the week unfolds. Laundry one day if I know we don't have to go anywhere.
I try to get it all done during the week so it's all fun and play on the weekends.
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