I’ve been pretty much worthless when it comes to keeping the house clean lately.
I could blame it on being pregnant and still tired. (Will that ever go away?) I could blame it on de-holiday-izing. I could blame it on the fireplace tile project, which means tools and supplies everywhere. I could even blame it on the the snow that’s recently graced the Midwest with its presence, which brings wet boots and paws.
But these are just all excuses. And as you know, if you don’t keep up with cleaning the house, it just becomes a monster. And our house, it was a monster.
Last weekend, I realized that the best option was to set off a bleach bomb. So, after getting the downstairs back in-check, I decided to attempt a little cleaning schedule to get me back on track.
This is not a major revelation, but I hope it will help me stay on top of the basic cleaning in the house. When I feel more ambitious, maybe I’ll even be up to more deep cleaning. (But let’s not get crazy.)
Since we’re already pretty good (usually) about daily pick-up, this is what we’re continue to do daily:
- Make bed.
- Wipe down bathroom sink after use.
- Spray showers in the morning.
- Toss junk mail and keep kitchen countertops relatively clear.
- Dishes done or in dishwasher (Ryan).
- Take out garbage, as needed.
- Pick up books/dog toys/pillows in the living room.
- Wipe down table and counters after use.
I stick them all in a tote from 31 Gifts under my sink and pull them out with ease when I’m cleaning. From left to right:
- The scrub is probably my favorite thing for cleaning the stovetop, sinks and tub. It smells really awesome.
- Sparkle works like a dream on glass and on my black appliances. No streaks. (It’s also great on stainless.)
- Soapy is a dillutable cleaner that I haven’t used yet.
- Clean is the all-purpose cleaner that I use on pretty much anything, including my kitchen cabinets and backsplash…
- Shine is a wood and leather conditioner for my furniture and wood countertops.
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yeoldesandwichshoppeva says
Cleaning is not my best thing, but my house was driving me crazy so I just created a cleaning schedule right after Thanksgiving. Maybe I’m nesting or something. So far, it seems to be working reasonably well and I don’t sweat it if I miss a day here or there.
It’s great that you are into the nontoxic cleaners! As I run out of my old cleaners and detergents, I’ve started replacing them with homemade stuff. Not only is it better for everyone in the house, it’s cheaper!
Leigh says
Maybe once the nest phase hits you’ll be more into cleaning. My friend has been in major nesting mode and clean out her whole attic. Everything is in labeled (itemized even) bins and she had many many bags of trash/goodwill. We do daily cleaning too, but I found we need Thur- Sun off (well we do wash/ironing on Sun though). If we get off schedule (like rare weeknights we have plans out) then it’s fine till next week, other than dog hair.
Amanda @ Little House on the Corner says
Wow, that’s a very organized plan! I have no cleaning schedule whatsoever… just when I have the time and motivation. Which is kind of unfortunate!
Katy @ OurSimpleLoveStory says
I have a schedule that I go by most of the time. I group rooms together that I can clean quickly.
Plus, making your bed every day really does help the house seem put together for me.
ashley @ design build love says
Girl… you are preaching to the choir! I have NO excuse and just need to get my cleaning butt in gear! I’ve been busy with other things and while I’ve kept my house picked up… it hasn’t been “cleaned” as much as I’d like. Thanks for one more push to finish the cleaning schedule that I began to ponder… 🙂
Mandi @ Southern Gnome says
I may adopt this. Or a version of it. I’ve tried in the past but usually end up doing it all at once and it makes me CRAZY.
Chelsea @ {twotwentyone} says
Put “cleaning lady” on your baby registry.
I’m terrible about doing maintenance cleaning. Instead, I spend an entire day power cleaning our house from top to bottom.
Arizona Lainey says
I am so VERY proud of you. It actually makes it so much easier if you have a plan like you have done. Me and Aunt Moochie all clean our bathrooms on Thursdays too! It’ll kind of be FQT together, right? LOL It’ll be so worth it to stay on schedule. Good luck sweetie!
Erin says
You inspired me, Kim. I’m not even pregnant, and you’re doing more cleaning than I am!
I also have 2 Pugs, and just cleaning up after them (mostly their hair) is a serious job!
Katie Newcomb says
I’m not great at cleaning. We usually do the basics you described (dishwasher, counters, bed, etc.) everyday and then have a cleaning session for everything else on the weekend. Luckily, our house isn’t too big!
Also (and most importantly) CONGRATS on Baby W! So excited for you guys 🙂
lyndsay @ Mr and Mrs says
you are a much better housekeeper than i, and i don’t even have a pregnant excuse!
Also– those cleaning supplied are adorable! i don’t think i have seen them in stores up here…
Kelly says
Somewhere around weeks 14 to 16 you will feel like a new woman…then you get a little reprieve until the end.
Mara says
I am not an efficient cleaner, but I’ve been telling myself that the house would be cleaner if I could just clean more efficiently. I thought this post was great: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/01/how-to-clean-your-bathroom-like-pro.html
I’ve only cleaned the bathroom twice since reading it, but this method does seem to be better and faster.
Jordan@the2seasons says
This is a great way to tackle the house. I need to try something like it. I try to clean it all in one session and my the time I get upstairs I have lost motivation. Breaking it up sounds like so much sense. Now if someone could do my laundry since that is a chore I am not a fan of.
Jenny @ Words on Wendhurst says
I found it helpful while pregnant to do basic, simple cleaning every week, and then throughout my pregnancy I set myself the goal of accomplishing my usual fall/spring cleaning once. That way once the baby came I knew everything had been deep cleaned once. For me the tiredness never went away, so this helped me stay somewhat on top of things.
Amanda @ Serenity Now says
I am awful about cleaning too! My sis just recommended the MoMo Lite app for my iPhone. It has checklists and looks pretty cool. I let things get out of control and then I have to spend an entire day frantically cleaning…not cool at all. :s
daisy says
Yeah, this tiredness is easy compared to the first few months of night feedings. But, it gets better and let’s face it, it’s all worth it!
I have a regular cleaning routine and have for years.
Maybe I’ll do a post on it. Thanks for the inspiration.
Hope you find yours works well for you!
Mrs. Chic says
I’m an ok cleaner, I really need to be better at it, but I think once I get organized cleaning will be a breeze ( I hope )
Lindsay says
Just picking up the junk mail would make a big difference in our house. I feel like there are little piles of it everywhere!
Freckles Chick says
My trick: I holler for my butler Giles & tell him to holler for our maid Prudence to clean the house. I’m thinking we need to get a new maid b/c what’s the point of having to TELL your maid to clean?! I hate my problems….
Seriously (like you didn’t think I was), I’m a clean freak! It was all I could do to live w/ the chaos that was our house in the weeks following bringing a newborn home. I,like, can’t sleep well if I know the house is dirty (like I sleep at all now, so it’s a circular argument really).
The key is to maintain, I think. My cleaning schedule was very similar to what you broke down day-by-day. You can do it! Oh & like I told Sara @ RSR, your energy (like your bowel movements, heh) will return, promise!!!!
Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says
I have that bag! We recently had a talk about all natural cleaning supplies, so we may give those a try. Good luck with your new cleaning schedule! You can do it!
Leigh @ Kesler Expressler says
Ohhh the tiredness. Mine finally went away for awhile but has recently come back. I still haven’t been hit with anything I’d consider “nesting”, but I have a mental list of things to deep clean when that time comes.
Late 1st/early 2nd trimester my husband actually convinced me to hire cleaning ladies since my house cleaning was so non-existant. Worth every penny.
Good luck with the schedule!