What I Like to Call 'Clean Order'
Ever feel as a Mom like you've cleaned something five times that day? I have. From kids to projects around the house, I literally go in circles some days!
Need help?! Sorry, this post, and no other post in the world will give you an answer on how to stop cleaning with so much on the go! But I can give you advice on how I do believe that my cleaning checklist progresses quite nicely if I follow a certain order. For example, dusting before vacuuming so that it eliminates all dust.
Just like when I do a whole body workout, I start with the largest muscle groups first, I tackle a 'whole house' clean by starting with the rooms that require the most scrubbing or elbow-grease. Here is what I like to call a 'clean order' for moving through the house quickly & efficiently:
1. Bathrooms
Start with the largest bathroom in the house (such as the master), and work your way down to the powder room. By the time you get to the powder room that toilet & sink will feel like a breeze compared to all the scrubbing you did upstairs!
In each full bathroom, start by letting the toilet boil soak with toilet cleaner (come back to clean this later). This allows the product to start working on dissolving that grime, and is ultimately easier to clean later. Then move onto cleaning the shower, tub, toilet, sink & mirror (in that order). Cleaning the mirror last will save you from wiping it twice if you splash it while cleaning other surfaces around it.
Leave the bathroom floors 'til later in this list and do them all at once. You'll be thankful to not drag your vacuum up & down the stairs more than you have to.
2. Kitchen
If the inside of the appliances need cleaning, do that first. Although this is a big job (e.g. the fridge, oven, microwave) so you may want to consider doing this on another day than your regular 'whole house' clean.
Scrub the oven top (this may be more work to disassemble if you have a gas stove), then the outside of all other appliances. Finally, remove any clutter from the countertops and wipe down the countertops (get rid of germs naturally with a mixture of vinegar & water - and you can add an essential oil like Citrus Fresh for a fresh scent too!).
3. Dust / Clean Surfaces & Windows
Dust or clean all surfaces & windows in your home. For most surfaces, there are many natural surface cleaners, or you can just use a mixture of vinegar & water too. Natural glass cleaners work well on windows to leave a streak-free shine (without the ammonia that can be found in other products like Windex).
For more toxic ingredients to watch for in regular household cleaners, see my blog post called, 'Why Natural Cleaning Products are a Must for our Homes & our Health'.
Just be careful not to spray too much water on the surfaces like wood - the real work here is in the scrubbing. You can spray a cloth or paper towel and then wipe clean & dry. Don't ruin wood surfaces or leave them streaky by leaving excess water behind.
4. Vacuum & Scrub Floors
First, make sure that the air in your vacuum is flowing well & you have good suction. If not, the tank may be too full or there may be other build-up blocking the suction.
Go to the farthest corner of the room and work your way out with the vacuum. This will give it that nice, 'freshly vacuumed look'. Complete the whole house, then go back and mop/scrub the tile & hardwood surfaces. Vinegar & water is a safe & affordable solution for almost all surfaces. I never use anything more than that in our home, unless I'm cleaning our grout (in which case baking soda works well).
5. Kick back & relax
Most Moms are like, what? Relax? Ha! Well, that is, if you're not busy getting back to work, errands, kids' sports practices, making meals for the family, etc..
Either way, I know you won't be sorry if you follow this recommended 'clean order' as you work through your regular checklist.
Oh, and if laundry is on that list too, I'd sort it and put a load in before starting anything so that you can check on it & add more as you work your way through the rest of the house. Or if you have to change the sheets on the beds, I'd do that after dusting, but prior to vacuuming.
Also, if you are looking for a great way to organize your cleaning activities into a daily/monthly routine, Clean Mama offers an awesome free calendar download. Check it out!
Happy cleaning!
