In this site...
Simplify
If you don't need or like something in your home, give it away,
recycle it, or dispose of it so that you won't have to clean
around it.
About Hiring
Help
There is no shame in hiring domestic help if circumstances and
finances allow for it. If you choose to hire a cleaning person, make sure both of you understand what the cleaning priorities are, how long it will take,
and how much it will cost. Demonstrate kindness to the cleaning person by
keeping your home free of excess clutter. This will make her job easier.
Cleaning: Getting Started
by Brenda King
Implementing
a new cleaning
routine can be
tremendously
rewarding. To
keep from feeling
overwhelmed, take it
one concept or task
at a time. These
suggestions will
help you get
started.
Establish
PrioritiesCleaning is a highly personal endeavor. Decide what "clean" means for you and your family and keep house accordingly. Don't worry if other people's standards aren't the same as your own.
Determine
what housekeeping tasks
you feel must be done on
a regular basis, which
ones should be done, and
which ones would be nice
to have done. Then, work
on them in that order.
Schedule
Establish a cleaning routine that reflects your priorities. Visit our Housekeeping Schedule page for more information on scheduling.
When
implementing a cleaning
schedule, you may wish
to focus on a specific
methodology. Two of the
most popular are
-
Zone Oriented
Cleaning -
Completely cleaning
one room or group of
rooms at a time.
Example: Completely
cleaning the living
room before
continuing to the
dining room; or
completely cleaning
the first floor of a
house on Tuesday,
then cleaning the
second floor on
Wednesday. This is a
good option for
ladies who like the
idea of working in a
room once, then
being completely
finished with it
until its next
scheduled cleaning
day.
- Task Oriented Cleaning - Focusing on specific cleaning tasks throughout the house (within multiple rooms or zones) at one time. Example: Dusting all the wood furniture throughout the house at one time, then the next day cleaning all the floors. This method is best for the homemaker whose house is small or medium sized, and who values completing a specific task over being completely finished with an individual room.
Choose a
method that feels most
comfortable with your
schedule and
personality. The two
methods can also be
combined and customized
to suit your needs.
Set Time Limits
If you are pressed for time, clean within 15 or 30 minute intervals each day. Do what you can, when you can.
If you are pressed for time, clean within 15 or 30 minute intervals each day. Do what you can, when you can.
Delegate
If your children are old enough, assign to them age appropriate cleaning tasks. Make cleaning fun by occasionally hiding small pieces of candy underneath toys that they will be picking up, or by setting the timer for 5 minutes and helping them clean a room as fast as possible.
About the Author:
Brenda
King is the director of
PositivelyFeminine.org. She and
her husband Mike live in Ohio
and have one son. In her
spare time she enjoys reading,
writing, hiking, and working on
the computer.
If your children are old enough, assign to them age appropriate cleaning tasks. Make cleaning fun by occasionally hiding small pieces of candy underneath toys that they will be picking up, or by setting the timer for 5 minutes and helping them clean a room as fast as possible.
About the Author:
Brenda
King is the director of
PositivelyFeminine.org. She and
her husband Mike live in Ohio
and have one son. In her
spare time she enjoys reading,
writing, hiking, and working on
the computer.