Find your cleaning angel and control the dirt devil in your home

2017 is only 49 days away from today and like many, I’m making the remainder of 2016 count. Unfortunately, little trivial things do get in the way. Cleaning tops that list for me!

I was laughing so hard when I then watch Modern Family this weekend. Claire, one of the characters, was getting ready to start a new job and enlisted her entire family of 5 to clean their house. It was funny to watch them struggle like so many other families, mine included.

Some folks find cleaning relaxing. Not me, until I set up a cleaning routine. Here are some tips for setting up your own cleaning schedule:

Daily:

• Make the bed. It’s a great start into a new day!
• Put dirty laundry in its basket.
• Vacuum the floors.
• Wash the dishes or run the dishwasher. I run it at night and empty it in the morning.
• Wipe off the kitchen counters.
• Take out the trash.
• Clean the toilets used most often.
• Empty your purse and throw out any old tickets, wrappers, etc.
• Put all toys away before going to bed.
• Clear the coffee table and the dining table.

Weekly:

• Mop all floors.
• Toss out old and expired food. It’s amazing what can hide in a fridge!
• Clean the bathroom.
• Dust off furniture, shelves, picture frames and any skirting boards.
• Dust blinds and curtains.
• Dust off the smoke detectors and fire extinguisher.
• Wash your laundry. If you live in a larger family, you may want to run a load every day.
• Fold, hang, roll, put away freshly washed clothes.
• Put on new bedding. While you’re at it, rotate your mattress to make it last longer and to give you proper support while you sleep.
• Clean the garden furniture and any toys kept outside. If you use it more often, dust it off in between the weekly (wet) cleaning.
• Shred old mail, credit card and other receipts, any documents with your personal information.

Monthly:

• Clean the oven and the microwave. Vinegar does magic for your microwave.
• Deep clean the fridge and freezer.
• Clean the A/C covers.
• Dust off any ceiling fans.
• Clean windows and doors.
• Sweep the garage floor.
• Don’t forget to clean your kids’ toys.

Having established a routine, cleaning is no longer the daunting activity. Doing it bit by bit has personally helped me to take control of the cleaning devil in my house. If you have a cleaner, what activities do you give them? By knowing what needs to be done, you can instruct your cleaner accordingly. Whether you give them the tasks that take the longest to complete or the ones you do not want to carry out yourself, a cleaner can be a fantastic helper for you.

To me, the feeling of coming home to a clean house is great, especially after long and exhausting meetings. Having a clean house gives me more peace and more time to enjoy other activities, spend time with my loved ones and create memories.

How are you keeping your house clean? Do you enlist the help of your family or a cleaner? I’d love to hear what tips you have for us. Looking forward to reading your comments!

Until next time,
Agni