Thursday, March 22

The Keep it Clean Plan...

I've seen tons of these little "clean your house in ten minutes" routines, but I found this article a bit more clear then all the rest. I plan to put this into action, especially since I really love a clean and tidy home... just not the hours of cleaning that can go into it!

These room-by-room to-do lists will help you get the work done quickly so you can put your feet up sooner rather than later.

Kitchen, 4 1/2 minutes daily
Always start with the sink. "Keep it empty and shining," says Marla Cilley, author of Sink Reflections (Bantam, $15) and creator of www.FlyLady.net, a housekeeping website. A sparkling sink becomes your kitchen's benchmark for hygiene and tidiness, inspiring you to load the dishwasher immediately and keep counters, refrigerator doors, and the stove top spick-and-span, too.
  • Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher (30 seconds).
  • Wipe down the stove top (one minute).
  • Wipe down the counters (one minute).
  • Sweep, Swiffer, or vacuum the floor (two minutes).

    Bathroom, 2 minutes daily
    Make cleaning the basin as routine as washing your hands. But don't stop there. Get the most out of your premoistened wipe by using it to clean around the edges of the tub and then the toilet before tossing it.
  • Wipe out the sink (30 seconds). Wipe the toilet seat and rim (15 seconds).
  • Swoosh the toilet bowl with a brush (15 seconds).
  • Wipe the mirror and faucet (15 seconds).
  • Squeegee the shower door (30 seconds).
  • Spray the entire shower and the curtain liner with shower mist after every use (15 seconds).

    Bedroom, 6 1/2 minutes daily
    Make your bed right before or after your morning shower. A neat bed with inspire you to deal with other messes immediately. Although smoothing sheets and plumping pillows might not seen like a high priority as you're rushing to work, the payoff comes at the end of the day, when you slip back under the unruffled covers.
  • Make the bed (two minutes).
  • Fold or hang clothing and put away jewelry (four minutes).
  • Straighten out the night-table surface (30 seconds).

    Family Room, Living Room, Foyer, 6 minutes daily
    Start with the sofa — as long as it's in disarray, your living room will never look tidy. Once you've fluffed the pillows and folded the throws, you're halfway home. If you pop in a CD while you dust, you should be able cover the whole room by the end of the third track.
  • Pick up crumbs and dust bunnies with a handheld vacuum (one minute).
  • Fluff the cushions and fold throws after use (two minutes).
  • Wipe tabletops and spot-clean cabinets when you see fingerprints (one minute).
  • Straighten coffee-table books and magazines. Throw out newspapers. Put away CDs and videos. (Two minutes.)



  • 10 comments:

    Mimi said...

    I printed this out to keep. Thanks for sharing it.

    Alana said...

    The law of toothpaste related gravitational anomalies is directly linked to the warbles created in fabric of the space-time continuum that comes from activities such as cleaning the bathroom sink.

    In plain English: as soon as that sink is cleaned, some kids comes along and drips sticky red toothpaste on it. But only right after the sink got cleaned.....

    Similar phenomenon have been observed pertaining to couch cushions, fingerprints and mud being tracked in from outside. If we can figure out the algorithms, I'm sure we can control the weather.

    willfulmina said...

    I read this sitting next to my unmade bed. I'm off to get started!

    Mimi said...

    I think this is a great routine.

    Julie said...

    I just want to start by saying... I LOVE YOUR BLOG. It always inspires me to do something. As a matter of fact the other day I was feeling very, very lazy. I decided not to click on your blog in my favorites because I knew if I did I would have to let go of my lazy self and get busy. :)
    I love this list. Thanks for sharing.

    Oh yeah, I clicked on your blog, that lazy day, and read for a minute or two before I HAD to get up and do something. LOL

    Anonymous said...

    I have a schedule that I follow, but I think I will tweak it a little bit now. Thanks!!

    MamaBirdEmma said...

    Real Simple has some great articles, doesn't it?

    MamaBirdEmma said...

    Thanks, Julie! You made my day!

    Lauren said...

    This is great, the advice to make the bed straight out of the shower is really quite helpful. Since I've started this I've been a much merrier housewife. :)

    I've found the trick is to take a shower first thing in the morning NO MATTER WHAT and to get dressed and slap on an apron. Something about feeling fresh and ready to go makes any household chore less of a pain.

    MamaBirdEmma said...

    I need to get into the habit of an apron! I loved your comment, Lauren!

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