Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Quick and Easy Steps to Clean & Organize Your Child's Room



This week we are working in the children’s rooms.  I know it may seem easier to do this job when the kids are at school, but children benefit from helping out!   Break this job into small tasks. Each day, plan to spend between 15-30 minutes per bedroom. I find it very helpful to set a timer to stay on task.
If your schedule does not allow you to spend 15-30 minutes per bedroom, adjust the challenges accordingly.  The true purpose of this overhaul is to break up large overwhelming jobs into smaller attainable tasks.
It may come as a shock to you that I actually don’t enjoy cleaning, but I know that certain jobs need to be done, and cleaning children’s bedrooms is one of them.  Sit down and write yourself a list of everything that you need to do in order to clean your children’s bedrooms. Below is a sample of my list: (Please keep in mind to break up your job into tasks however it suits you best)

Purge toys- (toss broken, donate/sell unused, etc.)
Purge and clean storage areas (list each drawer, closet, cabinet etc., individually)
Dust furniture
Dust walls, ceilings, corners, ceiling fans
Thorough vacuum of the room including corners and under furniture
Take down curtains and wash according to directions
Clean windows & windowsills
Purge and clean knick knacks
Wash baseboards, radiators, doors, etc.
Wash all bedding and flip mattresses

Now break the large list into daily checklists (or whatever works best for you):

Day 1:
Purge and dust knick knacks, books, frames, etc.
Purge and clean 3 drawers

Day 2: Clean ceiling fan, walls, doors, ceilings, baseboards, etc.
Purge and clean 3 drawers

Day 3: Clean out closets (wipe down walls, sweep floors, purge and sort) - Do as much of this as you can. If this is a project that requires more than 1/2 hour, just write this down for a project to do when you have a chance. Don't let yourself get stuck!  Be very realistic with the amount of time that you have. If you truly only have 15 minutes, do not empty out the entire closet in order to clean it!  Give yourself a goal to simply purge 20 items.

Day 4: Take down curtains and wash
Clean the windowsills and trim
Windex windows and mirrors
Hang the window treatments back up
Purge and clean 3 drawers

Day 5: Dust all the furniture thoroughly
Purge and clean 3 drawers/cabinets

Day 6: Clean bed linens and flip mattress
Clean out underneath the bed
Purge and clean last of drawers
Thoroughly vacuum the floors (don't forget the corners)
Decorate for spring.. spring flowers, etc.

Day 7: Free Day (or catch up)

Before you start any of the above projects, make sure you start with a straightened room. Place clean laundry away and dirty laundry in the hamper. Make the bed and put away anything that does not belong in the room.

Some of the tasks may need more time than what you have this week. An example of this would be if you really need a thorough de-cluttering of the toys. For larger tasks, skip it for now (or do what you can without making a larger mess for yourself) and make a to-do list. At the end of our 8 weeks (or during, when you have the time) you can go back to the list to see what needs to still be addressed. I don't want you to get stuck and lose your momentum.


How to keep it clean:
Does it seem your child has a different vision of what a “clean room” looks like?  Once the children’s bedrooms are cleaned, take a picture.  Keep a picture of the cleaned room with a check-off list on how to get it that way (tailored to your child’s age and abilities):

make bed
put clean clothes away &dirty clothes in the hamper
clean off dresser, bookcase, desk, and nightstand of those things that don’t belong there
put toys away
check under bed and behind doors
straighten closet
etc. 

This will serve as a reminder to your child what a clean room looks like and the steps needed to achieve it!

Happy Cleaning!!
Betsy

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Autumn Overhaul 8 Week Challenge: Week #2 Master Bedroom

We are working on our first zone this week. For me that is my Master Bathroom and Bedroom. If you have decided to define zones differently in your home, just adjust these challenges to best suit your needs.



Break this job into small tasks

Below is a sample of my list:

Purge and clean storage areas-Bedroom and Master Bath (list each drawer, closet, cabinet etc., individually)
Dust furniture
Dust walls, ceilings, corners, ceiling fans
Thorough vacuum of the room including corners and under furniture
Take down curtains and wash according to directions
Clean windows & windowsills
Purge and clean knick knacks
Wash baseboards, radiators, doors, etc.
Wash all bedding and flip mattress

Now break the large list into daily checklists:

Monday:
Purge and dust knick knacks, books, frames, etc.
Purge and clean 3 drawers/cabinet

Tuesday:
Clean ceiling fan, walls, doors, ceilings, baseboards, etc.
Purge and clean 3 drawers/cabinet

Wednesday:
Clean out closets (wipe down walls, sweep floors, purge and sort) - Do as much of this as you can. If this is a project that requires more than 1 hour, just write this down for a project to do when you have a chance. Don't let yourself get stuck!

Thursday:
Take down curtains and wash (I am actually going to use a dry cleaning bag and do this myself in the dryer). Don’t have time for this?  Take the panels off the rod and take them outside and give a good shake!!
Clean the windowsills and trim
Clean windows and mirrors
Hang the window treatments back up
Purge and clean 3 drawers/cabinet :

Friday:
Dust all the furniture thoroughly
Clean the master bathroom tub, shower, and sink
Purge and clean 3 drawers/cabinets

Saturday:
Clean bed linens and flip mattress
Clean out underneath the bed
Purge and clean last of drawers/cabinets
Thoroughly vacuum the floors (don't forget the corners)


Before you start any of the above projects, make sure you start with a straightened room. Place clean laundry away and dirty laundry in the hamper. Make your bed and put away anything that does not belong in your room.

Some of the tasks may need more time than what you have this week. An example of this would be if you really need a thorough de-cluttering of your closet. For larger tasks, skip it for now (or do what you can without making a larger mess for yourself) and make a to-do list. At the end of our 8 weeks (or during, when you have the time) you can go back to the list to see what needs to still be addressed. I don't want you to get stuck and lose your momentum.


Time to treat yourself!!  Purchase a bottle of lavender essential oil.  In a small spray bottle add a touch of the lavender oil to water. Sprits throughout the room and enjoy the relaxing aroma!  Next, unscrew the light bulbs from the lights in your bedroom.  Dab some lavender oil on a cotton ball and rub gently on the bulb (not the screw-in metal part).  Make sure it is dried completely and screw back into the light.  Turn on the light and as the bulb heats up, the lavender scent will be released.  It makes the most wonderful and natural air freshener! 

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Autumn Overhaul 8 Week Challenge



Want to get your home clean and organized before the holidays this year? Follow the steps to purge and purify your home just in time with the 8 week challenge. 



Step :1 Plan and purge…

For this week, I first want you to make a plan of action. Break up your home into 7 zones (whatever works best for you). This is an example of what I have done for my home (but please do whatever works best for you). 

Zone #1- Master Bedroom/Master Bath
Zone #2- Kids Bedrooms, Laundry Room
Zone #3- Bathrooms, Foyer
Zone #4- Living Room, Family Room and Dining Room
Zone #5- Kitchen
Zone #6- Garage and basement
Zone #7- Deck, front porch

The above zones will be the timeline. Each week we will focus on a zone. The steps actually will be quite similar for each week, so please don't feel that you need to do the same zones as I am doing.

Now, you know that I could never do a project like this without making organization a main focal point!! In addition, to cleaning our homes we are going to do a massive purge! Designate one day a week to run to your local thrift store so your donations don’t pile up and make sure that you keep a good list and get a receipt!!  Do your best to recycle your trash and keep your clutter out of the landfills.

Your goal for this week is to do a quick purge on all the rooms. Clutter is simply put-off decisions! Try to tackle as much clutter as you can this week! Set the timer, grab a bag, and go to town!  Set the timer for 10 minutes for each room and start tossing. If needed, do this 10 minute routine a second time for whichever zone is still in need. 

Jump start for next week:  Spend a little extra time purging your master bedroom this week; it will make next week’s missions a little less challenging!

Betsy