How to Clean Everything

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I have been seeing tons of blog posts lately about how to clean, what to use, and how often to do it (otherwise known as a cleaning schedule). A good cleaning goes hand-in-hand with the decluttering mission I have set for myself for the next 40 days. But it's the attitude about cleaning that I think most often needs work. 

When I first realized I was going to be a mom of two--and how in the world was I ever going to get it all done then?!? ;)--a good friend recommended FlyLady. She has lots of folksy advice about how to get your house in order, starting with shining your kitchen sink. I followed her daily all through my pregnancy and long after little Bela was born. I still rely on several of her strategies. One of my favorites is the Weekly Home Blessing Hour. My interpretation of it is that 1) there is NO wrong way to clean. 2) if you do the same things every week you'll see improvement.

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Calling this chore a "home blessing" has charm, too. A clean house is a gift I give to my family. It's not about impressing the neighbors or winning some imaginary award. It has real purpose: Dusting means we won't all be sneezing. Vacuuming means we can play on the floor. Mopping means we won't stick to the floor. Heheh.

I am still working on getting my schedule under control so I can have a regular day & time for this routine. Here, though, is my rough list, broken down by frequency.

 
Ideally, the monthly chores would be broken down and done either weekly or bi-weekly. Most of what is on this list is what I do, although some of it is still just a goal. The empty spaces are for notes. If you would like me to send you my list as a PDF printable, just shoot me an email at marycarriepickett {at} gmail {dot} com.  Have fun cleaning!