Life As Mom » Cleaning

Zone Defense: Cleaning the Kitchen & a Progress Report

Jessica Fisher — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 05:33:44 +0000

This year we’re on Zone Defense, tackling clutter and disorder. Each month we’re tackling a different zone of home and life. March’s zone was the kitchen.

I told my husband that I could just forget working out. If I simply cleaned our house, I could lose weight and have a cleaner house! You can guess what I did this past weekend. I gave our kitchen the complete overhaul.

My overall goal was a decluttered kitchen, especially with the counter tops. Stuff piled up just really grates on my nerves. And while I need to be practical about what we use on a regular basis and how limited we are on storage space, I really wanted clean surfaces. So, it was with great satisfaction that I took this picture.

Yeah! Mostly clean surfaces. I left out the things that we use almost daily: the toaster oven, the mixer, the knife block, my canister of utensils, salt and pepper, water carafe, hot water pot and our Keurig. Everything else found a home or left the premises.

I had already reorganized the food storage areas and some of my kitchen equipment, but there were still several cabinets to tackle. I didn’t take exhaustive photos of my messes, but imagine this:

and this:

pretty much EVERYWHERE.

My boys are on Kitchen Patrol three times a day. They are the ones who wash and put away dishes, clear and wipe the table, sweep the floor, and wipe the counter tops. I orchestrate their jobs as well as cook and wash the pots. When I feel like it, I mop or delegate that to someone.

Since things have been fairly busy around here and since children are apt to skip over things they don’t want to do, the kitchen needed a deep clean and organize. My dish-putter-awayer tends to just stuff the cupboards and hope the door will close. Despite our numerous conversations about “nesting” the mixing bowls, etc. it still was a hodge-podge.

I love the help and I want to set my kids up for success, so I did a fairly thorough dejunking of the cupboards and drawers. We needed a little more elbow room so that it wasn’t so crucial that everything be put away “just so.”

Much better. I retired the nonstick pans that were losing their coating and am sticking with the Kitchen Aid set that came with our refrigerator. I also moved out several items that I don’t use very often into a “kitchen overflow” box in the garage. Now, there’s lots of easy space to put things away. Baking dishes still need to nest in order to fit, but there’s a little more breathing room. (And there were a few pots in the sink when I took the pic, thus the sparse cupboard on one side.)

I also moved some items like my canning supplies and seldomly used items out to the garage so that they aren’t in the way.

I emptied every drawer, vacuumed it out, wiped it down and dejunked it. The last time I did that was during the Mouse Invasion, almost two years ago. So, it was definitely time. I also did some rearranging:

Dish towels are in a drawer next to the sink instead of across the room.
The BBQ tools are in a dresser drawer next to the back door instead of in the middle of the kitchen.
I took freezer wrapping out of the wraps drawer so I can stop getting upset when folks use a gallon size freezer bag for half a sandwich.
I put my cookbooks/recipe notes that I consult daily in a drawer instead of on the counter.

These are small but significant changes to help the flow of our kitchen work. There are more, but these are some that might be more universal than others.

FishPapa joined my efforts in moving the fridge. Yes, really. Ick! I vacuumed and scrubbed this little area while he took care of the coils, etc. Hopefully, it will run cooler now.

I love clean surfaces, especially on the fridge. But, I also need a place to hang notes and reminders. My trick?

I hide the mess on the side of the fridge that folks aren’t likely to see, at least not when they first enter the kitchen. It visually makes the room much more appealing.

Every drawer and cupboard has been emptied, cleaned, dejunked and organized. The fridge top and bottom has been scoured. The counters have been wiped clean as well as the appliances. It’s amazing how nice it feels!

However, I surely wouldn’t have done it if it weren’t for YOU. Thanks for joining me on Zone Defense!

How’s your kitchen cleaning going?

I Hate Cleaning

Jessica Fisher — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:05:42 +0000

Daily housekeeping can be a chore. But, with a few tricks, we can change-up our systems and put the joy back in having a clean house.

There, I admitted it. I hate cleaning. I love things to be clean, but it really takes effort to motivate me. Kind of like exercising. I love how it makes me feel. But the distance between my chair and the exercise is far.

However, I know I think better when things are clean. Thinking is always a good thing.

To inspire us both, I dug up some cleaning articles from the archives. Hopefully, they’ll help put a spring in your step (and mine) as we go about caring for home sweet home.

Cleaning with Kids

General Cleaning Tips

The Kitchen

The Laundry

Cleaning? Love it or Hate it?

Zone Defense: Organizing Kitchen Equipment

Jessica Fisher — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 08:51:44 +0000

This year we are on Zone Defense, tackling one area of home and life at a time, until we’ve beaten back clutter and disorder. We are going to regain our lost ground. This month? We’re in the kitchen.

And head’s up! If you make a purchase through any Amazon links, I do receive a small percentage of the sale.

This month we’re tackling the kitchen. Since I couldn’t very well post about food storage without sprucing up my own. While I had given it a pretty good overhaul back in January, it was due. Someone has gotten a little lazy about putting things in their proper places.

Someone.

I spent time last week rearranging the cupboards and checking out my inventory. It was a huge help to my grocery planning, too. I discovered that we’re pretty well stocked on most things, except brown and powdered sugars and canned vegetables. I seem to be moving away from canned veg with the produce box coming each week, so I guess that’s okay.

But, those sugars? Hmmm…. But, I digress.

Earlier this month, we talked about organizing your food. Next on the plan is to organize your kitchen equipment, the things you use to prepare said food. How you do this will depend on several factors:

how often you cook
how complicated your cooking gets
how much storage space you have
how much you own in terms of small appliances, gadgets, bakeware, and cookware

Get rid of extra kitchen stuff.

But, as you approach your kitchen cupboards, ask yourself these questions:

Do you use it?

If you haven’t used it in the past year, it may not be a necessary player in your life. As I recently went through my appliance cupboard I found a small food processor that I’ve had since we got married 18 years ago. It’s a mini chopper that I don’t really use anymore since I also have two larger food processors (yes, really) as well as a Magic Bullet and a blender. It wasn’t as difficult to say goodbye as I thought it would be, and I feel freed up. I know that it doesn’t make sense to keep things I don’t use.

Do you like it?

In her book, Organized Simplicity, Simple Mom Tsh Oxenreider expounds on the wise William Morris quote, “Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” It’s a wonderful saying to keep in mind. If you don’t like it, then why do you have it?

I had to come to grips with this when looking at the two hand mixers I had. One I love. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. And the funny thing is that I bought it in college 20 years ago — it was the cheapest model available at the local KMart. It is a champion, the motor still going strong after all these years. However, the beaters are rusted and metal is flaking off into the food. Ick!

I bought a cheapo replacement (< $10) at Target back at the holidays, but the two just don’t compare. The newer mixer will be going the way of Goodwill.

I would love to find replacement mixers, however, google could not tell me much about the Kitchen Creations brand. It may be completely obsolete. A new, quality mixer is around $40, so I’m going to wait and see if I can find replacement beaters anyway. Because I like. that. mixer.

Would this bless someone else?

This question helps me to part with a lot of “stuff.” If I know of a better home for something, I can focus on the blessing rather than the hoarding.

Is this a unitasker?

Alton Brown taught my husband that phrase. And he is not afraid to use it. I, obviously am a gadget and small appliance girl. You have no idea what else I’ve gotten rid of in years past! Anyway, if a gadget or appliance only serves one purpose, it may not belong in your home.

This is why I’ve said goodbye to fondue pots. We rarely have fondue and the frequency, or lack thereof, did not justify the space to store the pot and its equipment. When we do make fondue, we use the small slow cooker to keep the chocolate warm.

Dejunk the kitchen.

We’re using the same general method for dejunking the kitchen that we did in the previous zones.

Empty a cupboard or drawer.
Ditch the trash.
Vacuum out the space.
Remove items that do not belong in this zone.
Categorize like with like.
Organize new items in a way that makes them easy to use and even easier to put away.

Organize what’s left.

Consider storing the items that you keep near the place where you use them. Take a good look around your kitchen. This week, as you cook, think about how often you walk across the kitchen for something? Could you move that something closer to your work space? You may be surprised that you can!

Often we do things the way it was done in our childhood homes, but that might not fit how we actually live today. And who knows? Maybe your parents organized the kitchen the way that their moms did.

There is no fool-proof way to clean and organize your kitchen. You have to do what fits your family and your style of cooking. But, if you stick with it and move methodically through your kitchen, you should be able to purge the stuff that gets in your way. I’ve got four gadget drawers and a plethora of pots and pans calling my name, so you know what I’ll be doing this weekend.

How do you decide what kitchen tools stay and what can go?

Cleaning & Decluttering the Master Bathroom (Zone Defense)

Jessica Fisher — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:46:08 +0000

We’re going on Zone Defense this year, tackling clutter and reorganizing our homes to suit us and the way we live. This week we’re facing the bathroom.

This month on Zone Defense, we’re tackling personal space. And what area of the home could be more personal than the bathroom?! But not only the place where we return Nature’s calls, the bathroom is where we moms typically get our start on the day.

While clothes make the woman, she still needs to do her hair and make-up in order to make the package complete. So this week, we’re going to tackle the drawers and cabinets in the MASTER bathroom as well as clean said bathroom.

(It’s okay if you have other bathrooms in the house, we’ll deal with them later. Let’s take care of you, first. If yours is a one-bathroom household, that’s cool, too. It will help you either way.)

If you completed task #1, The Home Inventory Questionnaire, you will have an idea of whether you love or hate your bathroom. Keep the answers in mind as you purge and reorganize so that you can be mindful of the things that will help you love this room again if you don’t already.

Start with one drawer and work your way around the room.

Empty a drawer. Discard any trash. Do you see a theme amongst the items you’ve been storing here? If so, replace the items in such a way that you can easily locate each one. Add drawer dividers to your spruce up list if you need them.

If you don’t see a theme, decide on how you can best use this drawer. Is this a good place for make-up? Dental items? Toiletries? Determine the use of this drawer and replace only those items in this drawer. Anything else can sit on the counter until you find a home for it.

Continue to the next drawer and repeat the process.

Did you find something that belongs in Drawer 1? Put it there. As you go through the bathroom drawers, toss things that are broken, out of use, empty, or no longer useable.

If you have small toiletries that are almost gone, make a point to use them right away or consider packing them in your suitcase. It’s easier to pack small toiletries or those that are going to run out during your trip. That way you don’t have to cart them home or go out and buy travel size toiletries.

And above all, don’t keep any toiletries that you don’t use. They’re just taking up space and cluttering up your vision.

Life is simpler and more pleasant when there isn’t “stuff” blocking your view.

Move on to the bathroom cupboards and cabinets.

Use the same, empty, purge, replace method. As you do so, place items closest to their place of use. Extra toilet paper rolls should go in the cabinet closest to the toilet, while extra towels should go closest to the shower or bathtub.

Don’t forget to purge and reorganize your medicine cabinets. Any medicines that are out of date should be discarded safely. Make sure that what you keep are really those that you will use.

Consider what you leave on your counters.

Often we arrange items in this space that could very easily go in a basket under the sink to be pulled out as needed. With clear counters, the room will appear tidier and less cluttered, and just prettier to look at as a whole.

While you’re admiring your newly dejunked drawers and cupboards, think about how you could spruce up this storage area to make things easier to find. Would containers, drawer dividers or baskets help you corral bathroom items and make them easier to find? Are your bathroom linens starting to wear? What could you replace or repair to make this room more usable as well as more beautiful?

Make a list of “this-would-really-help-me-out” items and make plans to go shopping and price these items out to purchase as the budget allows. (Download the Room Organizer Chart here.)

Scrub it down.

Now that things are decluttered. Give your bathroom a really deep clean. You know that “til it shines like the top of the Chrystler Building” kind of shine. Then make a plan for upkeep. Don’t let clutter and dirt accumulate. Instead, stay on top of it. The bathroom will look better — and funny thing is, so will you!

Take out the trash and the discards.

Deal with them appropriately. Consider Kate’s advice about the big “dump or donate” question.

Managing your time.

Since this task (your bathroom storage) involves a complete emptying of the drawers and cupboards, you’ll need to start and complete each area in a set amount of time. If you have to stop before completing the entire bathroom, corral those items that don’t yet have a home in a basket and continue the process at your next available moment.

If you can’t find one block of time to complete the whole project, break it into chunks that can be spread throughout the week:

- purge and reorganize/rearrange a few drawers or cabinets at a time
- plan renovations and improvements
- deal with discards

Related Reading:

How will you tackle your bathroom this week?

Get Cleaning with Norwex (A Giveaway)

Jessica Fisher — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 19:40:26 +0000

Antibacterial cleaning cloths can make cleaning more fun and chemical free. Win some this weekend from Norwex.

I am not a clean freak. I really wish I were. But, I’m not. I like to call what I have, creativity. But, others might call it distracted or even flaky. While I love things to be clean and while I don’t mind doing it once I get going, finding the motivation to get myself in gear is harder.

So, over time I’ve found ways to make cleaning a little more, dare I say it, enjoyable. Good music, a glass of my favorite beverage, and a bribe to myself to do something fun when I’m done are always helpful. Companionship helps, too, whether it’s my kids to work alongside me or a friend to talk to while I scrub.

Find Cool Tools

Another thing that helps is having the right tools for the job. Since FishPapa was a general contractor for so many years and needed the complete line of every construction tool imaginable, he’s never been stingy with my buying whatever tools I needed. In fact, when I was teaching, he said clothes were my tools, and he made me go spend money on clothes!

(Yes, I did marry Mr. Right For Me.)

Having the right tools for cleaning tasks is not only expected around here, but they make the job easier and more fun to do. I have found cleaners that work for me. Aside from a little bleach for disinfecting, I almost exclusively use vinegar and baking soda for my everyday cleaning tasks. But, last year in our discussion about bleach, Laura mentioned that bleach was still bad. She mentioned something about using a silver cloth, information which I filed away. But, the post slipped into the archives and I forgot what brand cloth she mentioned.

Recently I had a chance to try out Norwex cleaning products. I had actually never heard of the brand before, or at least I didn’t think so. But, rereading the comments on the bleach post clued me in that Norwex was the brand Laura was talking about! Crazy.

In researching Norwex, I was pleased to see that they are a company dedicated to cleaning without chemicals. I love that! And they sell those silver-laden clothes that Laura mentioned.

Mom-preneur Marilyn Kjellman sent me a number of Norwex cleaning cloths that are fabulous for all the messes this family of 8 can make. I was especially smitten with the Blue Dusting Mitt.

And the Olive Green Tea Towel Set is super soft, a great feature for when you are washing and drying often.
According to Norwex,

“Norwex microfiber goes beyond “surface clean” with the innovative use of silver particles integrated into synthetic microfiber cloth ensure:

Single-celled micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi, yeast, and viruses cannot survive or adapt in silver exposure
Surface-to-surface cross-contamination is eliminated
Rapidly drying cloths prevent bacteria growth in the cloth itself”

I think that is very cool. I am really impressed with the entire line and am thankful to add some new tools to my bag of tricks. Especially if cleaning is more fun — and chemical free.

You can check out all that Norwex has to offer at their main site or browse the specials page for occasional discounts.

This weekend Marilyn is offering a great giveaway. Three Life as MOM readers will each win one of the following:

Basic Package
Kitchen Tea Towel Set
Dusting Mitt

~~To Enter:~~

~~Leave a comment telling us, what tools YOU use to get your house spanking clean?~~

This promotion is open until Sunday, December 11th, at 8 pm PST and is limited to US residents, 18 years or older. The winner will be chosen randomly and notified via email. Please respond within 48 hours to claim your prize. This post will be updated with the beginning of the winner’s email addresses. The prize for this promotion is provided by and shipped by Marilyn Kjellman. Life as MOM will not be held responsible for unclaimed or undelivered prizes.

This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to the winners: jlmwnk@, Couponrn@, bluehydrangea@

Disclosure: I received review product and been compensated for my time administering this giveaway. All opinions are my own.

Laundry Tips for the Potty Training Family

Jessica Fisher — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:27:25 +0000

The following is written by LifeasMOM contributing writer, Prerna:

We are in full potty-training mode at our household. Our daughter has moved to toddler underwear and while we are thrilled about her ditching the diapers, the switch has meant an additional load of laundry to deal with accidental messes and smells.

In true mama spirit, I’d love to share some laundry tips and tricks to help you deal with laundry during toilet-training time.

1. Get the Stains and Smells Out

One of the biggest challenges that we faced were dealing with the poop and pee stains and smells. During the initial days of potty training, accidents were common and getting the stains and smell out were of highest priority. So, here’s what worked for me:

For Stain Removal

First of all, get rid of the solid waste by flushing it into the toilet. Next, swish the soiled underwear in a half-filled bucket of water, rinse, repeat if necessary. Throw away the dirty water. Apply a paste of detergent, oxygen-based stain remover and water, let it sit for ten to fifteen minutes. Use a scrubbing brush to scrub away stains. Toss into washing machine or wash by hand.

Getting Rid of Smells

Soaking the underwear in a vinegar-water solution before washing them by hand worked to not only get rid of the stains but also the smells.

You can also try soaking the stained and soiled underwear in a solution of soda bicarbonate and water and then, washing as usual. I’ve also found sprinkling soda bicarb in shoes that have gotten wet during an accident works well to get rid of pee smell.

2. Laundry Hygiene and Toddler Toilet Training Clothes and Underwear

I wanted to keep her underwear separate from our loads of laundry for two big reasons: One the thought of washing poop and pee-stained underwear with our regular clothes was too icky. Two, washing her toddler underwear with our delicates and undergarments was also, too icky. So, I may be paranoid but I do a separate load of laundry with just her underwear and maybe a mattress cover or two.

3. Have a Toilet Training Laundry Plan

Since moving your toddler to cotton underwear will translate into extra loads of laundry, especially if you haven’t been using cloth diapers before, you want to have a laundry plan in place. You’ll also have to hand wash the clothes that have been soiled due to “accidents” so that they don’t sit around smelling and stain-setting for long. So, hand wash clothes like shorts, socks or skirts that get wet right away and reserve a day for doing your toddler’s underwear.

Since I do several different types of laundry loads, it meant doing her load of underwear on the day I did our delicates and undergarments as well. So, find out what works for you and create a plan. Else, you’ll end up with a stash of dirty toddler underwear before you know it.

Are you a potty training mom?

How do you keep on top of the laundry pile when potty training?

– Prerna Malik is a mom, a wife, a writer and woman who believes in parenting with love, being postively productive, and creating a home that invites you to put your feet up and relax. Find her sharing her simple tips and easy-to-do ideas at The Mom Writes or follow her on Twitter.

For Further Reading:

Potty Training in 10 Days or Less
One Clever Potty Seat
A Travel Potty Seat – Don’t Leave Home without It

Be Prepared for Carsickness

Jessica Fisher — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 08:46:06 +0000

Summer vacations are just around the corner. And with them come the summer road trip. And while your destination and your luggage are important things to plan for, so is the inevitable bout of carsickness.

Yes, you hate to think about it. But, when your child hollers, “Mom, I feel sick!” from the backseat as you tool along I-35 with no place to stop, you’re going to have to think about it. So, plan ahead.

Both my girls tend toward car sickness. And recent experience, like both of them throwing up in the car two days in a row, has taught me to be better prepared. Trying to clean up the Rapunzel doll’s hair in the aftermath is no fun. Trust me.

You never know when your child might feel queasy on the road, so pack a box like this one:

Car Sick Kit

paper towels – for wiping up
disinfecting wipes – for sanitizing
plastic cups – for a stand in “barf bucket”
mini can of Lysol – for fumigating
squirt bottle – for cleaning off car seats, seat belts, and Rapunzel’s tangled doll hair (don’t ask)
plastic bags – to contain all the trash and mucked up clothes
and a first aid kit just ‘cuz

It is now standard operating procedure to hand the boys plastic cups so that they can hand them to their sisters should they get sick en route. And if they miss the cup, well, we’re prepared for clean up duty, too.

What do YOU do to be prepared on the road?

Why Dishwashing by Hand Can be a Fun Choice

Jessica Fisher — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 08:00:00 +0000

The following is a post from LifeasMOM contributor, Prerna:

Washing the dishes by hand has been my favorite part of housekeeping. When I got married, my mother-in-law thought I was crazy sicne each night I would happily and enthusiastically jump at the chance of doing the dishes. Yes, that’s how much I love playing with soapy water!

Here are five of my favorite reasons to savor the experience that is…dishwashing.

Dishwashing Gives You Time to Reflect

You know, there is something deeply meditative about the whole process. The quiet, the peace and the fact that you’re cleaning something gives you a chance to reflect, think and introspect. Even if you’re washing dishes in the middle of a real racket, you can easily shut yourself off and just focus on scrubbing, soaping and rinsing.

Saving the Planet.. One Plate at a Time

Most importantly, washing dishes by hand is green and eco-friendly. It allows you to save tons of energy and water without much effort. It is an easy way to go green while saving yourself some money as well.

Bonding Over the Kitchen Sink

I love washing dishes especially when my toddler and husband give my company. They stand around talking and playing while I join in sometimes with songs and rhymes. I’m happy I’m passing this love for dishwashing to my daughter in a way that’s fun and enjoyable.

Catch Up on Reading or Music

I admit, I got this idea from Kat of Inspired to Action. Earlier my dishwashing time was more of reflection or fun time. Now I like listening to an audiobook or some good music while doing my favorite chore. So, if you have an audiobook you want to read, get out your iPhone or MP3 player and head to the kitchen sink.

A Chance to Indulge and Exercise

While dishwashing on regular days is fun as it is, washing a sink full of dishes during the holidays or after a big party can seem well, exhausting. In this case, I motivate myself with a reward. Anything. Even, an extra large serving of that gooey chocolate cake left over from the dinner last night.

And if it’s the calories you’re looking to burn, well, my friend, dishwashing will make you very happy. According to Fitday, half an hour of washing dishes by hand can help you burn 160 calories as compared to the 105 calories that loading the dishwasher will burn. So, get washing!

Do you do your dishes by hand?

How do your make it more of fun and less of a chore?

Get in on the Spring Cleaning Action

Jessica Fisher — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 09:30:00 +0000

Last Spring, we walked through Spring Cleaning together. If you missed that series, you can catch up — and see the insides of my linen cupboard, too.

There’s all sorts of other Spring Cleaning ideas and inspiration to be had.

Check out this good clean fun:

Simple Mom is hosting a 5-week cleaning program. It starts Monday, so plan accordingly.

Other good ideas:

5 Easy Steps to Clean a Kitchen :: from The Mom Writes

Spring Cleaning :: from Organizing Your Way

Chore Planning and Homemade Household Cleaners :: from Vanderbilt Wife

Housecleaning Schedules :: from the Happy Housewife

Removing Soap Scum :: from Getting Freedom

Washing Windows :: from The Finer Things in Life

Intentional Cleaning :: from Steady Mom

Do YOU spring clean?

A Busy Mom Cleaning Kit for the Home and the Soul

Jessica Fisher — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:00:00 +0000

A post from LifeasMOM Contributor, Prerna Malik

photo source: D Sharon Pruitt

I love to clean. Really. Okay, maybe I’m not a big fan of dusting but boy, we do get a lot of dust in this part of the world. But, do you know why I enjoy cleaning so much?

I try to make it easy and fun for me and for everyone around me with a simple cleaning kit. Here’s how you, too, can put together a basic cleaning kit to keep your home clean and your heart happy:

A Cleaning Kit Checklist for the Home

A no-fuss, high-impact cleaning kit works best for a home with plenty of action through the day. Here’s what my basic cleaning kit has:

Microfiber cloths
Scrubbing brush
Spray bottle filled with my homemade vinegar-water cleaning solution
A small bottle filled with dishwashing liquid
A small jar of baking soda
Cloth dusters
Squeegee
Dustpan
Broom
Mop

I have a caddy that I tote from room-to-room for my everyday cleaning, stocked with these essentials. Since outsourcing my sweeping and mopping to a cleaning lady, I no longer need to tote the last three items, but before that, it helped to have these stored along with my cleaning caddy.

A Cleaning Kit Checklist for the Soul

What’s that? It’s a simple way to make cleaning fun and interesting. Here’s what you need:

Good music.

I find foot-tapping music an instant mood booster but you may want to drown yourself in Mozart. Choose anything that lifts your spirits and cheers you up as you go about scrubbing and wiping.

Conversation.

Since my husband is unwell and can’t really help me out with the physical part of cleaning, I use cleaning time to talk and converse. Being a talker, I enjoy sharing tidbits of my day or reminiscing over the past while cleaning the windows or washing the doors.

Games and Activities.

Every now and then, the act of cleaning does become mundane and boring. When I find this happening, I either challenge myself and set a timer to see how fast can I clean a room or I rope in my toddler and we try and out-clean each other.

We got her a toy cleaning kit for Christmas, quite like my own, complete with a broom, mop and small bucket. I’ve since added a small spray bottle with plain water, a small cloth duster and a clean sponge to the toy kit. ***smiling*** She has a ball trying to clean faster than me and I enjoy her company. Win-win!

There you are. A cleaning checklist that wouldn’t just leave your house looking nice but also, energize and refresh you.