Spring Cleaning Challenge Week 2

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Courtesy The Graphics Fairy
Courtesy The Graphics Fairy

OK, first up, I have to say that in retrospect, the week 1 challenge was a little weak. I mean, 5 minutes? Really?

The point was to keep you from being overwhelmed but really 5 minutes isn’t enough to see real results. 15 would have been better.

The other point I was trying to make is that you need to get rid of clutter once and for all. You will never have a clean and organized home if you have clutter in it. And by the way, neatly stacked clutter is still clutter.

OK enough about last week. This week I’m going to give you a few tips to help you clean more effectively.

    Get in the habit of doing a daily swipe. That means that as you use the bathroom throughout the day, take an extra second or two to either wipe out the sink or swish the toilet. In the kitchen, get in the habit of wiping down the appliances, countertops and table after dinner. Maybe you could even swipe a random piece of furniture as you walk by to dust it.

    Let the cleaners do the work for you. Spray your cleaner on and wait a good 5 minutes before you wipe it off. Most of us tend to spray and wipe immediately which doesn’t give the cleaner time to do it’s work.

    Work from top to bottom. One day I’ll remember this and stop cleaning my stove top before I clean the microwave.

    Aim for a little bit at a time each day. Work towards “days” like laundry day or floor day.

    Stop aiming for perfection. Any effort is better than no effort at all. 20 days of half heartedly wiping down the stove will make a bigger difference than 20 days of not wiping it at all.

    Put some pleasure into your work. Sure, seeing a shiny clean kitchen is a nice reward, but we ADD Moms need a little more incentive. For me, the ideal is a sunny day, an empty house, some good music and pleasant smelling cleaners.

    If all else fails, consider hiring someone to do the job for you, either on a weekly basis or just the one time so that all you have to do is maintain.

    Oh, and be sure the family does their part. Picking up after themselves, putting their dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and doing their own laundry is a good start. (Naturally that depends on how old your kids are.)

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Lacy Estelle

Lacy Estelle is the writer of Lacyestelle.com and the Podcast host for An ADD Woman.

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