Housecleaning Methods

Clean Your House the Right Way

Also see:  [Stay-At-Home Housecleaning Plan] 

[Working Person's Housecleaning Plan]

There is a better way to clean your house.  It is easy to explain, a bit harder to implement, and even harder to wonder why you didn't do it this way a long time ago.  Are you ready?  Let's go.

    First, there are three basic kinds of cleaning:  neating (which is usually done every day), cleaning (which is usually done between once a day and once a week) and scrubbing (which is done less often, usually monthly, semi-annually, or annually).

    Neating is NOT really cleaning at all, but it sure gives the illusion of cleanliness.  Neating is making the house look clean by picking up.  The best way to accomplish this daily task is to acquire a cobbler's apron with two large pockets.  The left pocket is for "keeps", smaller items which are misplaced and need to be put in their "home".  The right pocket is for "garbage", items which can be deposited in a wastebasket.  First thing every morning, after you have your husband and kids ready for work and school, breakfast done, and everyone out the door, put that apron on and go to work.  You begin at the front door, as that is the most important place to have neat and work around the house from there.  Pick up the "keeps" and put them in the left pocket, deposit "trash" in the right pocket.  Large objects which are out of place, will have to be carried to their rightful home, but small items can just be put in your apron.  Straighten pillows, open curtains, put magazines away, collect empty soda cans, and make each room look as best as you can with this first "sweep".  

    When you get to the bedrooms, make the beds (if you haven't already taught your children to do that before they go to school - see Teaching Children to Work), pick up stray items and deposit them in their homes, open the curtains, and shut the closet doors.

    When you get to the bathroom, straighten the items on the counter, close and flush the toilet, straighten the towels on their racks, pick up stray items, and straighten the rug.  Leave the room looking as neat as you can.

    In your own bedroom, do the same maintenance routine:  make bed, open curtains, pick up and hang stray clothes, and straighten the top of your dresser.  Do the same kind of chores with your bathroom.  There is no deep cleaning done, just neating.

    Last, tackle the kitchen.  Get the table cleared off and the dishes done or in the dishwasher, close all the cupboard doors, wipe off the cabinets (this is a cleaning chore which must be done to make the kitchen look neat), and push the chairs in around the table.

    Now, walk around the house one more time to make sure that your "neating" is done.  Most spouses, children or company do not see dirt and grim readily.  They are more aware of the neatness of your home.  In the same way, you will find that a neat home will be nicer to live in and easier to clean when you tackle those "cleaning" jobs.  The most important part of housework is picking up.  In a matter of minutes you can have that done each morning and have a "castle" to live in the rest of the day.

    Next time we will tackle "cleaning" jobs and then after that "scrubbing" jobs.  Soon your house will always be neat and clean and there will still be time for other projects.

    Find more helpful ideas in the "House of Order" Handbook, Chapter 16 "Housecleaning Methods".

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