Get a cleaning schedule!!

Part of my new life is my new cleaning schedule. I’m going to start with the kitchen on Mondays because it seems like after the weekend the kitchen is always the biggest mess. Then the living room on Tuesday, bathrooms on Wednesday, the bedrooms on Thursday, and laundry/dining rooms on Friday because those tend to need the least amount of care. Use this schedule with me or create one that is better suited for your family. However, each day I will be discussing the things that that need to be done in The Room of the Day based on my schedule. It is easier to designate a day for each room because you will not feel nearly as overwhelmed. Of course, basic upkeep will be required daily for all the rooms, but for the most part these rooms only need to be cleaned well once a week. Here is a list of things that needs to be done daily per Martha Stewarts Homekeeping Handbook. (Which is now my essential guide to all things home related… check out Amazon.com to score a great deal on your own.)

Daily:
· Make the bed- it makes the room feel more orderly and makes it less likely that you will let messes pile up around it
· Manage clutter – when leaving a room, do a quick scan to check for things that should not be there.
· Sort the mail- in my home the mail piles up quickly. Sort the mail as soon as you bring it in.
My tip: Make a mail sorter out of empty cereal boxes or any box of its kind. Cut off the tops where the flaps are cover them in a pretty paper and then glue 4 on top of each other and write on each side what their purpose is: Outgoing, needs attention/bills, personal, and other such as magazines, catalogs or weekly newsletters. You can also cut them to size from small to x-large. Place them on a table by the door, a kitchen counter, or wherever you drop your mail at.
· Clean as you cook
· Wipe up spills while they are fresh
· Sweep the kitchen floor- do this every evening after you finish cleaning up after dinner.
After a few times of making a conscience effort to do these things, you will fall into habit and do them automatically.

Since today is Bathroom Wednesday let’s talk about what needs to be done weekly also from Martha Stewarts Homekeeping Handbook.

· Clean toilets, bathtubs, showers, and sinks
· Wipe Mirrors
· Change and launder bath mats, towels, and washcloths
· Dust light fixtures
· Empty trash bins and wipe the insides and outsides
· Vacuum and mop floors

Now Super Moms… Get to it!!!!