Monday, January 5, 2015

A fresh and hopefully clean start..........

I was looking back on my 2014 blog posts and there were many things that I posted about and then promptly forgot about.  So, I am revisiting and hoping to follow through this time.  One of the first items I posted about was cleaning and de-cluttering which I did do some but didn't continue to follow though to the end.  This past weekend I read and picked up some really good tips.  One tip became glaringly evident to me.  Clutter and even too many decorative items make your cleaning routine take that much longer!  Well, that explains it!  So this will be the year of the "clean and lean" homestead!
I made a lot of excuses like too big of a house, 2 housefuls of stuff, not being able to get rid of stuff, illness, tired....enough!  The woman that wrote these articles has 4 bathrooms! So no more excuses....I'm off and running  now!
The plan/tips/methods I'm following is from www.cleanmama.net   This woman is a miracle worker and gets right to the heart of the matter.  No fluff just practical, sane advice.  She has all kinds of free printables , recipes for natural cleaning supplies, menus, specific organizing and cleaning processes and an Etsy shop for more downloadable checklists and aides.  She's even written several books.4 Free Seasonal Cleaning Checklists via Clean Mama  The above is just a small example of her free printable checklists.  Her graphics and designs for her work sheets are a delight to use....form and function! :)
Her basic Daily Tasks are 1) check floors, 2) wipe counters, 3) take care of clutter  and 4) laundry.  She feels if you keep up with these 4 things it will free you to do the other tasks that are involved with maintaining a home.  Her Weekly Tasks are 1) bathrooms, 2) dust house 3) vacuum floors 4) wash floors, 5) catch-all and 6) sheets/towels.
I have my own routine and some of those will remain the same but I am utilizing her specific methods for certain areas that I've had problems with.  She also has a FAQ section which I haven't looked at yet and and a way to contact her if you have questions.
Today I cleaned 1 of my 2 bathrooms, visited the neighbor and took her her Christmas gift, changed my sheets, did laundry and took down all the Christmas decorations and lights outside.  I didn't get it all done but I am not allowing a lot on my bathroom counter now which will make it much easier and quicker to clean next time.
 There is also a De-Clutter Challenge that she and several other gals have going which you can see here
with another free printable list. I know many of you are probably excellent housekeepers but I,  for one, can never seem to get it all done.  I know I don't have the energy I used to have but I am not using any excuses!  Wish me luck! :)
If you're more like me I hope this helps you in some way.  I've looked at lots of house cleaning and organizing websites and to me this gal has everything well in hand!
 Happy Trails and Happy Housekeeping!

 

12 comments:

  1. I'm going to head over there later and check out her information. I know I should get rid of lots of "stuff" but I get sentimentally attached to things.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  2. Thanks for the link, and sharing her ideas :)
    It's always nice to find new ways of doing things, that make our lives easier!!

    If I get to my organizing, I will have to stay home~~~*smile**.
    I guess I just need to let everyone know that I am on a self-imposed grounding, until I get stuff done!

    Have a lovely day.

    ~Kerin

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  3. I hate cleaning and don't think any amount of checklists will help me. I keep saying I will stick with a routine of cleaning certain things certain days of the week so I can keep up but I never ever do it. I am still going to check out her site though. Maybe I'll be inspired to do something. But don't think I can get rid of the clutter. I don't like a sterile or sparse environment so I've learned to embrace the dust. :) Best wishes, Tammy

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  4. I have been purging like crazy since Christmas. Life is still in a transition stage. Clearly, though, if it has sat in a box for the last two years how important is it really?? There are more boxes to go through, but little by little, what will be left in boxes will be things that have meaning and truly waiting for a bigger space to have a home. Thanks for stopping by the other day. I miss the blog world, but I feel blessed that I am at a point where blogging is the thing I push to the side. I enjoyed my days of consistent blogging and learned so much about myself and others, but I love the people I get to enjoy now. Hugs!!!!

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  5. I am working on my "stuff" slow but sure. Hope you are staying warm, we are real cold today. :(

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  6. I've got some organized cleaning lists pinned. I need to revisit them and pick one or cut and paste. It sure helps me though to have my daughters here and they help out so much more now that they're older.

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  7. I bet 2015 will realy be a start of a clean slate for you, in the most literal sense of the word, with your surroundings sanitized and rid of germs. However, I think I'm getting ahead of my words. Hahaha! At the very least, you should walk all over the tracks of the year that has passed with much less worries about dirt and messes, with the right cleaning equipment at your disposal, and all the other stuff you can further obtain. All the best to you!

    Nathan Riley @ Steemer Atlanta

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  8. Very true dear!! I have also decided to keep my home clean in this year. You know I love house cleaning and I have lots of time for this work. So I prepared a schedule and follow that for proper cleaning.

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  9. I have discovered how important it is to make a daily checklist and take 10 minutes to do some cleaning each day. Otherwise it seems to build up quickly and you wind up scrubbing for hours.

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  10. Your post is really helpful, since it contains efficient tips in order for us to make cleaning easier, in every season. I'm sure those checklists will be very effective tools for every household. I'll save and follow them, if that's alright with you. Thanks for sharing that! Kudos and all the best to you!

    Courtney Morris @ Onyx Cleaning

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  11. This is really the best way by far to run an organized and clean home. I myself have started to do lists to help keep up with all the tasks needed to keep my house in order. It is so true that you can't do it all at one time. Better to choose certain days for certain projects. Excellent!

    Alison Norman @ Power Boss

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