Now that you have remodeled and/or organized your space, here are some ways to keep it neat and tidy. You don’t need to spend all day being bogged down with cleaning chores. All it takes is about 20 minutes a day!
Kitchen (4 ½ minutes daily)
Always start with the sink. “Keep it empty and shining,” says Marla Cilley, author of Sink Reflections (Bantam, $15) and creator of www.FlyLady.net, a housekeeping Web site. A sparkling sink becomes your Kitchen’s benchmark for hygiene and tidiness, inspiring you to load the dishwasher immediately and keep counters, refrigerator doors, and the stovetop spick-and-span, too.
• Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher (30 seconds).
• Wipe down the stove top (1 minute).
• Wipe down the counters (1 minute).
• Sweep, Swiffer®, or mop the floor (2 minutes).
Bathroom (2 minutes daily)
Make cleaning the sink as routine as washing your hands. But don’t stop there. Get the most out of your pre-moistened wipe by using it to clean around the edges of the tub and then the toilet before tossing it.
• Wipe out the sink (30 seconds).
• Wipe the toilet seat and rim (15 seconds).
• Swoosh the toilet bowl with a brush (15 seconds).
• Wipe the mirror and faucet (15 seconds).
• Squeegee the shower door (30 seconds).
• Spray the entire shower and the curtain liner with shower mist after every use (15 seconds).
Bedroom (6 ½ minutes daily)
Make your bed right before or after your morning shower. A neat bed will inspire you to deal with other messes immediately. Although smoothing sheets and plumping pillows might not seen like a high priority as you’re rushing to work, the payoff comes at the end of the day, when you slip back under the unruffled covers.
• Make the bed (2 minutes).
• Fold or hang clothing and put away jewelry (4 minutes).
• Straighten out the night-table surface (30 seconds).
Family Room, Living Room, Foyer (6 minutes daily)
Start with the sofa – as long as it’s in disarray, your living room will never look tidy. Once you’ve fluffed the pillows and folded the throws, you’re halfway home. If you pop in a CD while you dust, you should be able cover the whole room by the end of the third track.
• Pick up crumbs and dust bunnies with a handheld vacuum (2 minutes).
• Fluff the cushions and fold throws after use (1 minute).
• Wipe tabletops and spot-clean cabinets when you see fingerprints (1 minute).
• Straighten coffee-table books and magazines, recycle unwanted issues, put away CDs and videos (2 minutes).
Walla! Taking these 20 minutes daily will make your regular cleaning day go so much quicker, you might even have time for that afternoon tea, walk or even finish that book you started in 2006.
Next Time…Practice What You Preach
Q&A&C – Questions and Answers and Comments are expected and welcomed.
YOUR STORY – Tell us about your remodeling experiences, good or bad. We all have had them and perhaps you can help someone else have a great remodeling experience or avoid the issues that you encountered. Remember…keep it clean and civil or we can’t publish it.