"No
time like the present, a thousand unforeseen circumstances may interrupt you at
a future time." - Proverbs Exemplified, 1790
As the
first quarter comes to a fast end, I find myself behind on my Q1 Goals. Spanning
the totality of my life categories, I find myself in a perpetual game of "catchup,"
of which I am over–tenfold.
It
is now time that I reclaim my time. In doing so, I also reclaim my environment.
As anyone close to me will tell you, I am the apex of messiness and the reigning
queen of organized chaos. It's not something I am proud of; frankly, it is a
habit I have been working hard to shed.
In
this blog post, I will be sharing with you some tips on how to cultivate a
weekly cleaning schedule, some cleaning schedule ideas, and some of my go-to
cleaning supplies. I will also share some age-appropriate ideas for encouraging
good cleaning habits in children.
Tips on How To Cultivate a Weekly Cleaning Schedule
Do a little each day.
Time
is precious, so we must delegate it wisely. Doing a little each day is critical
in mitigating the accumulation of large messes. One thing that I am doing my
best to get away from is the accumulation of mess in areas.
One
habit I am moving away from is allowing things to build up until I am "forced"
to deal with them. For example, I burn incense on my bookshelf. I have a terrible
habit of allowing the ashes to build up until it stains the items around them.
Nowadays, I make a note to dust my bookshelf every other day to combat the
buildup. My previous method was on an "as needed" basis. Unfortunately,
when it came to this task, "as needed" translated to "when the
things around it start to become affected," which is a terrible habit to
have, so I'm glad we are moving in a more proactive direction.
Create a List
"Squirrel!"
It is my default setting. I am easily distracted, and my mind is constantly
running. As a result, I often find myself needing help with tasks. Time
blocking, planners, and lists have proven valuable tools for navigating my
daily life. I have multiple calendars, planners, and checklists to help guide the
family and me through our days.
One of
the main reasons I enjoy lists is because they take the guesswork out of our
days and are so accessible and versatile! The children love knowing "what
comes next." The independence of being able to refer to a list/ schedule
instead of constantly asking "what's next" has given them more agency
over themselves because they know what comes next. They can start their routines
without prompting (which also helps them boost their self-confidence).
In a
nutshell, more is needed to create a list. It would behoove you to not only
make it, but check it twice, check it off, and make it a habit. The easiest way
to accomplish this is by incorporating the list into your routines. For instance,
my daughter has a morning and night routine; however, like her mother, she
struggles to remember everything that comes next. So, we sat down and created a
checklist for her morning and evening routine. Since it is a checklist, she can
mark off what she has done and see what she has left to complete. We also
use the lists as a part of her allowance. At the end of the week, she turns in
her checklists, and we go over them. From there, a portion of her allowance depends
on completing her tasks and having them signed daily by her father or me. We are teaching her to hold herself accountable to herself and to
us and that she can see the fruits of her labor reflected in her allowance.
Keep Cleaning Tools You Like
I have learned over the years that if I
need the right tools for the job, my morale plummets. For this reason, I
do my best not to "settle" when it comes to my cleaning supplies because
I will spend more money, time, and effort in the long run, and frankly put,
that ain't the move, fam.
During
the height of lockdowns, my favorite Dish Soap, "Dawn Cherry Blossom,"
pretty much fell off the face of the earth (to this day, I have yet to find it
at a reasonable price). So, like any other rational person, I went to the "next
best thing," which was any other dish soap on the shelf that wasn't an arm
and a leg. I tried so many scents and brands that it was sad to watch. I would
get a new fragrance, realize halfway through the bottle that I didn't like it, and
get another bottle because "no one wants to smell this". I took a liking
to Dawns – Dish Soap. However, I wasn't a fan of the price, so I tried to force
myself to use other brands. After repeating cycles of buying new bottles,
because I wasn't satisfied with the one I'd just bought, I realized that it was
more cost-effective to sit down and come up with a list of my top 3 products
that I am content with using and ranking them so that in the event I lack the
funds or if the store has my go-to products out of stock I have something I can
fall back on.
Below
I share some essential cleaning supplies that I keep on hand.
Clear the clutter and keep it that way.
A helpful
tip is to give everything a place. The floor may catch everything,
but that doesn't mean it should stay there. This and "don't put it down,
put it away". Has improved my decluttering and organization game by leaps
and bounds. Because I've begun to give things home, I am less inclined to make spontaneous
purchases because I ask myself, " Where am I going to put it"? More
often than not, the answer is "nowhere" because I am trying to limit
what I bring in so that we can maximize our space and its function. "Don't
put it down, put it away" is a saying we use in the home to remind one
another to put things where they go. It's a great way to hold each other
accountable.
Daily, Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly
When
considering what to clean, it is essential to consider how often what is
cleaned and how often you are cleaning your cleaning tools. There is nothing worse
than second guessing when something was last cleaned; the same can be applied
to when the last time your cleaning supplies were tended to.
Tips for Maintaining Cleaning Supplies
Wring
out sponges with each wash and cleaning them every other day. In a deep
cleaning schedule, this might look like the following.
Be
sure to allow yourself flexibility in your schedule. If you ate out and didn't use
your sponge, you may have room to hold off washing it if it
doesn't need cleaning. That said, avoid falling into the
trap of putting things off until the last minute. Remember, it is easier to
clean 5 minutes a day over seven days; than to clean seven days' work in 35
minutes.
Cleaning Schedule Ideas
01. Divide
work into Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and Seasonal Tasks.
02. Share
the work! Assign tasks/ chores amongst household members.
03. note
how long you would like to complete the task efficiently and how long it takes
you to complete it. This way, you can plan your time accordingly.
Age-appropriate ideas for encouraging good cleaning habits in children
We live in a Montessori home. A crucial part is to "never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed" – Maria Montessori. In our house, we try to honor this philosophy by assigning our children age-appropriate chores/tasks to do on their own.
2-3 Years Old
Put
Away Laundry
Pick
Up Toys
Feed
Pets
4-5 Years Old
Set
Table
Clear
the Table
Help
Prep Food for Cooking
6-9 Years Old
Vacuuming
Sweeping
Cleaning
Counters
10-15 Years Old
Do
Laundry
Wash
Dishes
Take
Out Trash
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