Using Time Wisely

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Scheduling: Deep Cleaning

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Photograph Credit: MorgueFile (Jane M. Sawyer)

Is a picked-up house, a clean house? Some would disagree with me, but I say, “NO.” Most of the time, I maintain a picked-up house: toys put away; floors vacuumed; laundry cleaned, folded and put away; etc. However, just because my house is organized, it is not necessarily clean.

Before I had children, my house was cleaned every 2-3 weeks. Now that I have 3 children with one in school during most of the year, my house gets a good cleaning every 3-4 months. These cleanings are my deep cleanings. As I write this post, I just finished a 3-day cleaning of my downstairs. Lest you think I live in a huge house, let me say my house is a modest 2-story home with approximately 2,000 square feet.

Why does it take 3 days to clean the downstairs? Glad you asked. I have a method to my madness. I clean everything. Here is my system:

  1. Begin on left and work around to the right. I work with the left wall first. I dust, wipe, and clean items in front of the wall. I put toys together and organize each section (like an end table, couch, toy station, etc.)
  2. Move items away from walls once cleaned and organized. As I complete a section, I move those items completely away from the wall.
  3. Work from top to bottom. Once the area in front of the wall is empty, I begin dusting the ceiling (especially corners, lights, and ceiling fans), walls (using Windex on mirrors and picture frames), and baseboards.
  4. Clean the floor. I will vacuum the floors with carpet or sweep and mop hardwood, tiled, or linoleum floors.
  5. Return clean items to their designated areas. When the area is clean, then I move the clean, organized items back and proceed to the next wall.

This system takes quite a bit of work and, in some cases, help from my husband in moving large pieces of furniture. Though the process is tedious and I get interrupted with requests from my children, meals to make, and errands to run, I enjoy the end result. I am able to find missing pieces, remove dust and grime from items, and organize messy stations. My time is valuable, and using my time wisely 3-4 times a year to get a good, deep cleaning for my house is worth every precious moment.

What about you? Do you have a time for deep cleaning (e.g., spring, fall), or do you have a schedule for cleaning each week or month? I would love to hear how you schedule the cleaning of your house.

Organizing: Dining Room Bookshelf #1

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Though unconventional, I have 2 bookcases in my dining room. These bookcases hold cookbooks, arts and crafts, puzzles, projects, and toys. Since we work on our crafts at the dining room table, the best place to house our craft supplies is in the dining room. The farther away the supplies are to the work area, the more time I have to spend carting the supplies from one area to another. To use my time wisely, I have bookshelves to hold these items in my dining room.

During my recent deep cleaning project, the first bookshelf was in need of organization. From getting used, some items had made it to the wrong shelf, were not needed, and took up too much space in the current arrangement.

BEFORE:

The 6 shelves held the following items on the corresponding shelf:

  1. Handmade gifts collection and cookbooks,
  2. Science encyclopedia, cake decorating books, and recipe box,
  3. Crayons, paper, paint, Model Magic, and a puzzle,
  4. Play-Doh and Moon-Doh,
  5. Puzzles, and
  6. Bags, lunch boxes, and toys.

In following the 10 steps to organizing a bookshelf, I was able to donate some of the unused books, place similar items together, and open up more space.

AFTER:

Now the 6 shelves hold similar items on their corresponding shelf:

  1. Handmade gifts collection and cake decorating books,
  2. Coloring books, paper, science encyclopedia, and practice books,
  3. Craft supplies: paint, crayons, stamps, and Model Magic,
  4. Play-Doh and Play-Doh supplies,
  5. All puzzles, and
  6. Bags, lunch boxes, and toys.

Taking the bookshelf one shelf at a time breaks down the big project into small manageable sections. Start small (one shelf) and continue until your project (entire bookshelf) is complete. I was thrilled with the results: a clean bookshelf with similar items together and some empty space.

How about you? Do you spend 10-15 minutes a week organizing? Try it. Start small, and come back to report your progress in the comments.

Scheduling: Day at Home

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Michael Surtees)

Over the weekend, I participated in a conversation among friends regarding our homes. Two of the participants work to keep a clean home throughout the weekend. On Monday morning disaster may strike (within reason). 🙂

I, on the other hand, allow items to pile up on the weekends since we are out and about attending activities. When Monday arrives, I get back on track. I schedule Mondays to be a day at home to clean up the kitchen, finish the laundry, sort through the projects and items obtained over the weekend, run the vacuum cleaner, and play with my kids. For me, my house is usually picked up through the week. The weekends are filled with too many activities to deal with my house.

What about you? In which scenario do you fit?

A: My house is picked up through the weekend and a bit messy during the week.

B: My house is picked up through the week and a bit messy during the weekend.

C. My house is clean all the time.

D. Yeah, I’m lucky if my house gets picked up at all. (Hang in there!)

Cleaning: Use Both Hands

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (atf300)

Have you ever considered how you clean? If someone asked me this question, my response would be: “Yes, I clean top to bottom and right to left.” But after watching someone else clean, I will now add to my previous answer, “with both hands.”

My Observation

Recently, I had the opportunity to observe someone clean a store’s glass windows. These windows were rather tall, and the washer was concentrating on the lower half. She kept her right hand busy with all these tasks:

  • picking up the glass cleaner bottle from her cart,
  • spraying the glass,
  • placing the glass cleaner bottle back in the cart,
  • picking up the squeegee, and
  • working the squeegee in a zigzag motion from the middle of the pane to the floor.

Though her right hand was busy, she kept her left hand on her hip without utilizing it. I kept waiting to see if she would switch hands, but she did not. She was not in any rush, for she would stop to watch customers and to rest her right arm. (That right arm must have been quite tired.)

My Response

While watching her, I was thinking how this process could be improved to use her time wisely with the least amount of effort. These are my tips:

1. Use both hands. Hold the cleaner in one hand and the squeegee in the other. When one shoulder, arm, or hand gets tired, switch those products to the other hand.

2. Stay focused. Look at the window and keep working. As you complete a section, begin the next.

3. Continue to work from top to bottom. If you start at the bottom, you will likely need to re-do some or the entire lower portion when you clean the top.

Though I do not anticipate cleaning tall windows anytime soon, I will be emptying out my dishwasher, putting away folded laundry, and stacking grocery items in my pantry. So, as I accomplish these household tasks, I plan to use both hands, stay focused, and continue to work from top to bottom.

Question: What tips or tricks have you discovered from watching someone clean well or poorly? Please share your answer by clicking the Leave a Comment link below.

Don’t Like It; Shape It Up!

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At the end of the day, I enjoy getting my journal to record my thoughts, the things my children say and do, and the events of the day. This evening ritual gives me an outlet to release my day’s adventures, and then I can get a great night’s sleep. On nights I do not journal, I can lay in bed thinking of the day’s events or mauling over a problem, which is less restful for me.

Recently, I noticed that I was not writing often. Being in the habit of writing for the past 6 years, I wondered if had lost my desire to write. As I considered my change of heart, I reached for my journal. Immediately, I became discouraged. As I looked at the journal, I began to understand why I had not continued to write.

My journal was no longer inviting to me.

When I completed my last journal, I went to my cabinet to find that I had used my last pretty book. So, I went to the school supplies cabinet and chose this black and white composition book.
Though very practical, this book did not fit my preferences. With an uncomfortable and uninviting journal, I had distanced myself from recording my daily events. Once I realized that my lack of writing was not because I had lost interest, I quickly found this journal (inexpensively) that works for me.
I love my new journal, let me tell you why:

1. Small size. Unlike the composition book, I can put this journal in my purse. When I am waiting or resting, I can whip out my journal and write for a few minutes. I love having my journal with me.

2. Spiral bound. Where I had to crease the composition book to keep it open, I can flip the pages in my small journal to the page I need.

3. Colorful. The cheerful coral color makes me smile, unlike the black and white print on the composition book.

4. College-ruled paper. My little journal has the college-ruled sheets. Since I have very small handwriting, I prefer the college ruled paper. The smaller lines give me enough room to write without lots of empty space. The composition book had wide-ruled sheets, and my handwriting became very messy as I filled the white space.

5. Holds my pen. With the spiral bound rings, I can slip my pen on the end to keep with my journal. With the composition book, I had to keep a pen handy. But with a 17-month-old running around who is curious about everything, I did not keep a pen with that book. To write, I had to go to my desk and get a pen when I wanted to journal.

Now that I have replaced the black and white composition book with my little, spiral bound, colorful, college-ruled journal that holds my pen, I am back to recording all these great memories. I only wish I had discovered my preferences a few months ago. 🙂

By identifying my dislike and shaping up my journal, I have been using my time wisely getting caught up with little bits of spare time. Though you may not have an issue with your journal, you might discover a dislike to a household task like laundry. If so, try shaping up with a new laundry basket. If you struggle with menu planning, find pretty paper on which to plan. Whatever your struggle, identify what it is you do not like, and shape it up. The results are worth it!

Question: What item have you disliked and shaped up (or will be shaping up)? Add your answer by clicking on the Leave your Comment link.