In the end, you will be just what you want to be. Justin Hayward
Have you felt overwhelmed when it is time to start cleaning your home? If you do, follow these simple guidelines and things will work smoothly and simply. Future articles will delve into more specific techniques for certain housecleaning tasks.
Remove bed linens and place them in the washer, add laundry detergent, and start that load. This can be going on while other tasks are being completed.
Separate other laundry into individual loads. Check through your home and make sure you have all the dirty clothes. Don’t forget the bath rugs if they need washing.
*Remember to stop what you are doing (you may need a timer) when the washer is done and put them immediately in the dryer or hang them out, so you can keep lots of tasks going at the same time. If you do, you will get done sooner.
Start the next load in the washer.
When it is time for clothes to come out of the dryer, stop and put linens back on the bed(s), or hang and fold clothes or towels immediately. It makes it so much easier, makes your clothes look nicer, and avoids lots of wrinkles if you hang them or fold them right away.
Start with what I call the “wet dirt” first. This will take you to your kitchen and baths first. Wipe off all the counters, table, high chair, and vinyl placemats, and the inside of microwave with hot soapy water.
Put all your dishes & pots and pans in the dishwasher and start dishwasher or wash, dry them by hand and put them away.
Use vinegar and water solution or Windex/glass cleaner on surfaces of small appliances, microwave, refrigerator, stove and dishwasher. Using this method, you will only have to wipe once and you will not have water spots. If you have a glass top kitchen table, the Windex / glass cleaner works great with no streaks.
Use stove top cleaner (bought or homemade) to clean smooth top stove, otherwise you can use the Windex/glass cleaner. You may have to wash stove spill pans in the hot soapy water if you do not have a smooth top stove.
Wash kitchen and laundry room floors with disinfectant solution or according to manufacturer’s directions for certain floors, such as no-wax floors.
Leave the room and let the floors dry totally, so you do not have footprints when it dries.
Clean bath tubs, toilets, and sinks thoroughly using disinfecting products.
Spray and wipe mirrors with vinegar and water solution or Windex/glass cleaner. Wipe window sills and fixtures too.
Don’t forget to disinfect doorknobs and the lever that flushes the toilet.
Clean bath floors with disinfectant solution or according to manufacturer’s directions for certain floors such as no-wax floors.
Clean foyer floor and hearth tile (if applicable) with disinfecting solution or according to manufacturer’s directions for certain floors such as no-wax floors.
If you have hardwood floors, follow manufacturer’s suggestions for cleaning.
Remember using a broom only moves dirt around; it doesn’t really remove the dirt!
Now you can start with the “dry dirt.” Walk around your home and pick up all the toys, magazines, and stuff lying around from the floor. Find a place and put it in its place.
Vacuum all carpet and rugs thoroughly to collect as much dust and dirt as possible.
Dust starting from the top of the room and go to the bottom. An ostrich feather duster is great for high places because this type feather duster collects the dust and does not just move it around or stir it up. For easy to reach surfaces, a clean baby diaper does wonders.
If you have paintings or photos with glass frames, spray a cloth lightly with glass cleaner and wipe the glass. Never spray the glass cleaner directly on the glass because it may run into the painting or photo.
Don’t forget to bend your knees and dust lower shelves, under coffee and end tables. Louvers on closet doors can best be done with the ostrich feather duster. Don’t forget lamp shades and headboards.
Keep the laundry going until you have the last load folded and put away in its place.
Congratulations! You have accomplished a lot and your home looks and smells great.
These pointers outline general housecleaning. Of course, there will be other times you will have specific cleaning projects that you’ll want to do for deeper cleaning.
Remember, there is a difference between a clean home and a neat home. A clean home has been disinfected and surfaces cleaned to eliminate dirt and germs, but may still have toys and books lying around.
A neat home is one that is has everything in its place, but has soiled counters, sinks, doorknobs, and bathrooms with lots of germs that should be cleaned. If you have to make a choice, it is much better for your health and your children’s health if the home is cleaned and not neat. Of course, the best is to have your home both clean and neat!
Housecleaning is quite a simple task if you do a little each day to keep your home in reasonable order and follow proven methods from experts who have been doing housecleaning for many years.
Betty Gustin
http://www.ldsjunction.com
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