My New Blogs and My Cleaning List

A few months ago I told you about loosing two of my favorite blogs. Since then I have been on a quest for new blogs to replace those. I have come across some very interesting blogs and great writers but just couldn't seem to find the kindred spirits I once had. That is until last month I happened across Clean Mama and I instantly liked her style. She updates regular and I have her love of organizing. I also love to clean ( I know those of you that have been to my house are questioning this last statement) I do love it I just don't do it religiously. I also have an odd obsession with throwing things out. I know it's weird but I love to toss things as does Clean Mama. I suppose it's the simplifying of , or increasing the amount of space, that is addictive and not the actual act of filling up a landfill. There is probably a deep seated reason but unfortunately Dr. Phil isn't my neighbor so I guess we'll never know.


Just like FlyLady, Clean Mama has a cleaning schedule that just doesn't work for me. FlyLady cleans one zone a week. Which in theory is great because you do spring cleaning all year long but if my bathroom needs extra work this week and it's living room week then I'm in trouble until bathroom zone rolls around, or I have to double up my cleaning schedule.


Clean Mama dusts one day, vacuums the next, and mops the third day. We have quite a bit of carpet and if I dust one day and don't vacuum on that day, then we track through and recirculate the dust back in the air and on the furniture it lands once again.


My schedule is sort of a combination between the two of them. Monday is home blessing here. I go through with my cleaning bucket and a garbage bag. I start in the front of the house and work my way to the back. I have everything in my bucket to clean in each room so I don't have to track down special cleaners, i.e. leather conditioner for the couch. This excludes the bathroom cleaners because they aren't used in any other rooms and I don't want to tote toilet bowl cleaner around with my window cleaner. Germs.....ick! The garbage bag is to empty all trash cans in, and last count was eight in this house.


After I have made my way to the back and finished the last room. I grab the vacuum cleaner that's stored in the back of the house and vacuum my way to the front of the house. After I mop I'm finished.


Now on to laundry. I'm telling you this because my cleaning schedule revolves around laundry.
I do a load or two of laundry everyday. Some people prefer to spend one day and do it all at once. The "little bit everyday" works for me. On Monday I wash the weekend clothes. On Tuesday I change sheets, this being said since I'm in the bedroom changing sheets, I clean the bedroom. Now remember yesterday I dusted it and vacuumed so today it gets extra work, I clean the windows and straighten the closet. Anything that doesn't get down today can be done on Tuesday of next week.


Wednesday is bathroom day. I take down the towels and launder. So it makes sense to deep clean the bathroom. Again dusting and mopping has already been done, so I do the windows, clean the tub, and sweep. I may take down the curtains and wash them with the towels. You get the idea.


Thursday is errand day. I have to take my mom to the beauty shop on Thursdays, so we go the grocery store afterwards. Bringing in groceries you need somewhere to put them, so on Thursdays I clean out the refrigerator before we go to town. With that going on, it seems logical to make Thursday kitchen cleaning day. Fronts of appliances get shined, the coffee pot gets a cleaning cycle run through it, and so on.


Friday is laundry room day. I make sure all of the dirty laundry is done up. Then I sweep and tidy up in here. I run a cleaning cycle in the washing machine. As a rule I don't do any laundry over the weekend unless an emergency comes up or someone is sick, but normally the laundry room is closed on weekends and I start back up on Monday.


Friday is also "whole house tidy" day.I go through and straighten up every room, making sure everything is in its place. Then spot clean, sweep or vacuum.
The idea is to be ready for the weekend. Weekends are for being with my family and not cleaning. So I want the house ready on Fridays and the cleaning ready to start back up on Mondays with the exception of maintenance cleaning over the weekend.


That's my schedule. I think I accomplish the same as the two wonderful ladies above, just under a different set of rules.


Having said all this, I absolutely love the Clean Mama blog. She has great organizing ideas and I love her binder system. I added her to my blog roll so you can jump right on over and check out her blog. I also added The Idea Room, another great blog. I added both of these to facebook as well and get updates as they post.


Have a great day! Until next time.... Kristi.