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Post by dtesposito on Jun 27, 2010 17:02:46 GMT -5
Do you have a written (or mental) schedule of specific times to clean things? (Like on MWF mop floor, once a week scour bathtub, every morning scrub kitchen sink.)
Or, do you just notice when something is getting dirty and then clean it?
Or, do you have certain days when you have time to clean and during those hours, schedule cleaning time and look around and see what needs doing?
Diane
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Post by _Linda_ on Jun 27, 2010 17:34:31 GMT -5
I don't schedule things at specific times, but I try to get most of it done on Sunday. Then I will do small things throughout the week. But, since I live alone with my zoo, I don't have the daily isssues that come with family life.
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Post by moggyfan on Jun 27, 2010 21:57:06 GMT -5
Not exactly, though I have some Rules That Must Not Be Broken ;-)
Everyday I do the dishes, sort and toss mail, hang up/fold clothes and/or toss in laundry basket, pick up ALL clutter & put away, scoop litter, clean cat food & water dishes, make bed (at least sort of).
As soon as laundry basket is full or near-full, I go to laundromat--usually that means once a week.
Garbage and recycling go out as soon as they are full or near-full--usually once or twice a week.
Other things that generally get done once every week or two:
Bed linens changed
Bathroom cleaned
Dust/vacuum living room, dining room, bedroom, hallway, entry way
My very worst things I don't do often enough: Wash kitchen & bathroom floors.
I'm only taking care of myself, so with spouse, kids, others living in the home, this would be exponentially more difficult.
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Post by dtesposito on Jun 27, 2010 22:14:51 GMT -5
Linnie, so it sounds like you have a certain cleaning time and spend that time doing whatever you feels is most important?
Moggy, I guess my question is--do you walk in the bathroom one day (which happens to be every week or two) and notice--oh, I see the bathroom is getting dirty, time to clean it today. Or do you say--it's Saturday, time to clean the bathroom.
I'm trying to figure out if people become more attuned to how the place looks after a while, or if you have to stick to a schedule to remind yourself that it's time to clean.
I'm finding that as time goes on I'm getting a LITTLE better at looking around and saying it's time to clean something (not that I didn't notice the dirt before, I just kind of noticed it and carried on with whatever I was doing rather than saying I'll have to clean that in the next...hour, day, whatever). In other words the dirt is starting to mean "time to clean it" rather than "yes, there it is, as always".
I can't imagine ever being able to do anything without a schedule though.
Diane
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Post by Meme on Jun 27, 2010 22:38:04 GMT -5
I think I have Moggyfans rules---if u can keep the dishes and laundry under control your whole house looks cleaner---and you will feel better and often do more in maintaining---think safety health wise for other cleaning---such as bathroom - kitchen-- bedding etc- when these things get out of control we are putting our health at risk-
certain maintaining is needed to be done more often when kidlets and pets live in the household-
hugs from Meme
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Post by moggyfan on Jun 27, 2010 22:44:57 GMT -5
Ah Diane, okay I get the question. It's definitely more that I look around and see random cat fur & ring-around-the-toilet bowl & a few splotchy places in the sink, and less that "It's Saturday and I must clean the bathroom."
But what's different in a BIG way from before, is that I actually have become accustomed to LOOKING and SEEING when things need cleaning--I pay attention. Also, when I see that it needs cleaning, I do it--that day or the next. I do not wait until it is a horrifying Stage 3 call-in-the-hazmat-team mess before I tackle it (which is what I used to do).
As long as I keep up religiously with the daily things, the rest kind of gets taken care of when I notice it needs it.
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Post by Rory on Jun 28, 2010 7:00:56 GMT -5
Some routine and some when I notice. I am not good at noticing. I see dirt easily but not mess. So:
Each day before bed put out kitchen rubbish, washup and put dishes away - but I wash up earlier if necessary as well.
Saturday afternoons clean all floors - or if someone is coming over on Friday - and the kitchen floor often needs cleaning during the week if I see it is dirty. I clean the working surfaces and the top of the cooker when I wash up.
Clothes washing when necessary. I have few clothes, put the whites in a white pillow case and the coloureds in a blue pillow case. When there is a load in either then into the machine they go.
Then the irregular things, washing bedsheets and towels, putting shopping away, sorting papers and books. Which I do when necessary.
Improvements such as finding new things to get rid of and improving my rooms - when the Spirit moves me.
I still have a lot to learn.
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Post by Script on Jun 28, 2010 7:18:43 GMT -5
--oh, I see the bathroom is getting dirty, time to clean it today. I would like to answer specifically around the issue of Bathrooms. I learned the FlyLady 'swish & swipe' technique in Oct'04. This is what I do: * while I am actually in the bath, I swipe around the water line with a wet facecloth [this is sort of fun].  *after the morning bath, I swipe around the edge of the tub with a dry cloth. *maybe once a week I 'properly' wash the tub with some product. *if I have a shower [which I hate], I swipe the walls with a squeeggee [which I love], then dry with a towel [absolutely keeps water spots and soap scum to a minimum, very little deep cleaning necessary] *after I brush my teeth, I swipe around the sink with a dry cloth. About once a week, I spray some product around the taps, and clean with water. *before I leave the room, I swish around the toilet with a toilet brush. I use product very sparingly. *I have a pkg of Mr Clean swipe cloths which I use very sparingly too. *I bought various matching but CHEAP cloth dishtowels, just for swiping in bathroom. *I swipe the mirror ONLY when it has toothpaste or soap stains: with paper towels and glass spray *then before I toss the paper towel, I swipe around something with it: maybe a window ledge *whenever I have the vacuum upstairs, maybe weekly, I vacuumed the throw rug in the bathroom. I wash this maybe every 6 weeks or so? *I empty the bathroom trash weekly. *I change my towels weekly, or more. I give DH his own bath sheets weekly; he uses the downstairs shower mostly. He cleans this himself. *I swish & swipe the downstairs sink and toilet a couple of times a week. I realize that my 'method' is not the approved one. I do not use special antiseptic or quaternary {Sp?} products, I am not a fanatic about germs. But...........my bathroom is a lot cleaner regularly than it used to be. |
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Post by dtesposito on Jun 28, 2010 10:32:57 GMT -5
Cleaning up as I go along. This is something I've been thinking about a lot lately, not just as you are saying Script--doing the actual CLEANING in bits and pieces so it never becomes a huge job. But, just picking up the messes I make. I'm having a very hard time with this--I don't realize what I'm doing as I'm doing it. I'll prepare something quick to eat, and it isn't until I eat the food and come back into the dining room later (I have no kitchen counters so have to prepare food on the dining room table) that it occurs to me that I left the food out, the wrappers on the table, etc. I literally don't even SEE it til later.
On the other hand, I DO see dirt--I'll notice if a sink or a baseboard is getting dirty. I just have become accustomed to thinking of myself as someone who lives with dirt up to a point when it becomes unacceptable to me (which is way further along the spectrum than the average person) and then I clean it. I'm getting a bit better at making myself clean it before it gets to that more advanced level. And it's true, it does take way less time to clean when you're doing it more often.
This brings me to another subject, how we define ourselves and how that has to change in order to make any kind of major, permanent change--but that's a whole 'nother post!
I finally read that post from Lion that was bumped up recently about not neglecting the messes you see. My first thought was that I needed to SEE the mess if there was a chance that I could not neglect it--but what I'm slowly realizing over time is that I DO see the very first mess on a clean surface. It's only if I ignore that first mess that the rest of them blend right in and I don't see what I'm doing. If I can completely clean something, so the surface is just about empty and spotless--then when I mess it up, I DO see it--so the not neglecting that first mess is very, very important. There are so few areas here that can have completely empty surfaces though--this means I have to get rid of more stuff than originally anticipated, which makes the job sound just about impossible.
Just when I think I'm getting close to where I want to be, the bar gets raised higher.
I must say this is a fascinating process, psychologically.
Diane
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Post by notsomessyshell on Jun 29, 2010 0:33:05 GMT -5
I now have certain days for certain things. Thursday is cleaning day because it is my day off. I change the sheets, clean the bathroom and do some general straightening in my room. I go through the house and clean as I find it needed. Kitchen is done nightly either by me or by Oldest. Laundry is done Thursday and Sunday. On Saturday the entire house gets vacuumed and dusted. Bird cage is done on Saturdays, too. I also dust throughout the week as needed. Daily stuff is just becoming habit. The bed is made every morning. Kitchen is swept every day, mopped once a week and touched up as needed. Counters and stove done nightly.
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Post by StuffNoMore on Jun 29, 2010 7:50:23 GMT -5
I have my schedule pretty much like moggy's. I spent my childhood days watching Mom with her strict cleaning schedule which was never veered from. I watched her for years be a slave to her home with all the consequences that went with it. I do have strict guidelines such as never going to bed without dishes being done. I pick up things and straighten as I go along but do keep my days off do to specific chores that are not considered my dailies. I think each person is different if they have children, pets etc. Having the fur kids especially with Sadie who can shed enough to knit a sweater on a daily basis, I find myself needed to sweep the entire downstairs sometimes twice a day, but at least once. I've been in Maintenance since Christmas Day and I found it just as difficult getting accustom to it as it was to declutter the entire home. Now I just do what needs to be done without thinking about it, It can be easy to back slide there for I still find myself on here to keep me in check. So for me, cleaning things on a regular basis before you see it dirty is easier and takes less time than waiting and having to scrub the dirt away.  SNM |
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MiSC
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Post by MiSC on Jun 29, 2010 8:22:03 GMT -5
This is a great thread. I'm learning a lot. Thanks for starting it, Diane!
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Post by gini on Jun 30, 2010 18:52:38 GMT -5
On Sunday heed the church bells
On Monday wash the clothes
On Tuesday get the ironing done
On Wednesday Mother sews
On Thursday go to market
On Friday clean and sweep
And Saturday is baking day
And thus we close the week.
For some reason, I have this memorized from a childhood book of nursery rhymes.
gini
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Post by eagle on Jun 30, 2010 19:39:38 GMT -5
Diane, I do have a schedule when it comes to laundry: One load per day.
Mopping happens whether I can see dirt or not. I don't have to see it, to know it's there. I probably mop 4 times per week; sometimes more often. Vacuuming, I am not as diligent about that. No schedule for that and I know more often would be better.
Clean up in the kitchen is as I go. I don't even eat until I have dealt with the majority of the food prep dishes. The only food prep dishes not dealt with prior to eating are the ones that are still hot. I clear the table immediately after eating & deal with the dishes, silver and drinkware before relaxing after a meal.
Dusting, I have never been all that good at, although I started adding 'dust something' to my daily Listzilla sometime last year. But I often don't dust anything because I am not in my own home (traveling) or because I forgot to put it on the list.
My mom used to do major spring cleaning, which is something I suppose I do, too, but I don't call it that and it is not as extensive as my mom did.
Sinks that I use are always wiped dry after each use. I keep vinegar in a spray bottle in each room with a sink. I do clean the kitchen sink with vinegar usually daily or as needed. For me it may be more important than for others because I am vegearian and Hubby is not, and I do a lot of food prep in my sinks. Soaking veggies to clean them, thaw things in the sink, etc. Meat contamination of my food is not acceptable to me, therefore the cleaning with vinegar.
I tend to wipe down my kitchen counters at least 2 or 3 times per day in the food prep areas. I wipe down the stove at least once a day, and clean the removable parts periodically as needed. This depends on how messy I am when cooking. Being careful not to let things spatter or boil over helps keep this to a minimum.
I set the dining room table with cloth & dishes after every meal so it is meal ready at all times.
Mostly I put things away after use, so I don't have a ton of stuff to put away at the end of the day and things don't get lost. Saves a lot of wasted time.
Periodically, I tidy inside drawers as I notice they are getting a little messy. A couple of kitchen drawers tend to get messy looking a lot more than others, so they need more re-organizing than others. Periodically, I go through my food plastic storage containers turntable cupboard & sort & toss. This is usually the result of noticing there aren't enough lids for the bottoms, although I keep it very well organized. The tops tend to become more brittle and crack in the freezer, so I guess that's why.
I wash my husband's pillowcase more often than the rest of the sheets, and about every 2nd time his pillow case needs washing, the sheets get a wash, too. I am not sure how often that is, but suspect it's about every couple of weeks. I wash the rest of the bed linens about every 4th times, so perhaps every 2nd or 3rd month. I wash the bed linens for guests after every guest.
Bathrooms get mini scrubs at my house pretty frequently, with the disposable brush-type thing in each of them. I keep the required cleaning tools in each bathroom so I don't have to carry anything from spot to spot. Deeper cleaning in bathrooms is something I do probably every couple of months. I clean the shower curtain liner when I begin to notice the gravity-induced discoloration near the bottom, probably every 2 or 3 months. Mirrors I clean when I notice smudges. I use vinegar for cleaning mirrors and windows. I clean the insides of windows about twice a year. I clean windowsills more often as they get noticeably dirty pretty quickly with the wind, dust and dead bugs and so forth. Maybe 4 - 6 times per year.
Waxing waxable floors is something I like to do every couple of months, sometimes more often, depending on how they look.
None of this is written down on a calendar or anything like that. It's just more or less what I do and how I do it. Some things I could be better at, and maybe do more often. For example, I don't wash the outsides of windows very often. Usually Hubby does that, but sometimes I will get the bottom half of the outside window. However, our upstairs window are almost never washed on the outside upper half.
Yardwork I do as often as possible because I love gardening. So sweeping the deck and the front step and that sort of thing has to be done frequently to avoid tracking in too much dirt.
Now, just to be clear, I am not 100% in maintenance. One room is not done. I keep cleaning it up and messing it up and cleaning it up and messing it up. Also our garage and basement are not in the best of shape, either. But we have made progress in those areas, too.
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Post by eatingbonbons on Jun 30, 2010 22:39:37 GMT -5
On Sunday heed the church bells On Monday wash the clothes On Tuesday get the ironing done On Wednesday Mother sews On Thursday go to market On Friday clean and sweep And Saturday is baking day And thus we close the week. For some reason, I have this memorized from a childhood book of nursery rhymes. gini |
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