Housecleaning - Two Ways

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source:  top tv stuff

Housecleaning - Two ways

Because the holiday season is basically upon us, I thought I might share some housecleaning strategies that will put some ease into the chores.  Neither of these strategies include homemade cleaning products.  Use whatever strikes your fancy.  Cleaning while cutting costs always makes me smile - even if my back is sore.

The first method is "Clean Your House in 19 Minutes".  This does not mean you have a team of 5 zipping through your house at breakneck speed.  This means just you.

Here you go:

Kitchen:

• Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher (30 seconds). • Wipe down the stove top (one minute). • Wipe down the counters (one minute). • Sweep, Swiffer, or vacuum the floor (two minutes).

Bathroom, 2 minutes daily.

 Make cleaning the basin as routine as washing your hands. But don't stop there. Get the most out of your premoistened 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 (two minutes). • Fold or hang clothing and put away jewelry (four 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 (one minute). • Fluff the cushions and fold throws after use (two minutes). • Wipe tabletops and spot-clean cabinets when you see fingerprints (one minute). • Straighten coffee-table books and magazines, throw out newspapers, put away CDs and videos (two minutes.)

　
Sit down and have a cup of coffee....  whew!

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The next method should involve a team of 5, but again, it is just you.

　

　

How to Clean Your Entire House in One Day
Cleaning your entire home can feel like a very overwhelming and disheartening challenge to face, but with the right planning, you will see how it is possible. Start by making a checklist of the tasks that definitely need to be completed. You might even consider prioritizing the list and putting the most important tasks at the top of the list.

Your first chores should be to get a load of laundry or linens into your washing machine, and a load of dirty dishes into the dishwasher, if applicable. This is important to do first because the machines can be washing your items while you are working on cleaning other areas.

Next, instead of picking a room to clean first, choose a type of cleaning to do. If you have a lot of clutter all over the house, go from room to room focusing on picking up these loose items. If you pick a bedroom and clean it from top to bottom before moving on to the next room, you will find yourself taking ages to get to other areas of the house.

Once you have cleared the room of clutter, and put all items in their rightful places, go from room to room quickly using your favorite dusting products. Dust all surfaces including picture frames, bookshelves, and any other furniture. Be sure to dust all of the window blinds as this can have a surprising effect on the entire home. Your home will immediately feel lighter and the air fresher.

With the dust cleared, it’s on to the most used places in the house: your kitchen and bathroom. As soon as you enter a room with a sink, pour a good disinfecting cleaner into the sink, pull the stopper and fill it with hot water. Armed with a spray bottle and your favorite cleaning cloth, wipe down all surfaces in the room that get wet and do a quick swipe around the toilet with a bowl cleaner. Before you leave the room, let the water out of the sink, rinse it and wipe it clean.

Next, go through the home and empty all trash and recycling containers, and clean out any litter boxes or other pet habitats or aquariums. You can certainly expedite your cleaning process by taking all of your trips out to your trash and recycling bins at one time.

During all of your dusting and your trash removal, there is a good chance that your floors are not looking great. This is why cleaning your floors should be your final step in the cleaning process. You should have already cleared the room of lose items, so the floors are clear and ready for you to run through each room with either the vacuum or mop.

Now that you have completed all of these steps, it is time to walk through the entire house and assess your work. This is when you might organize a bookshelf quickly, make a bed, or wipe off a mirror. By the end of the day you will have a home that is clean and ready for company.
  References:    toptvstuff
                       articles.cnn

The one piece of advice I wish to give is do not knock yourselves out cleaning and cooking for Thanksgiving to the point that you are tooooo tired to enjoy yourself.

Keep it simple, please.