Sunday, August 21, 2016

How Do You Eat an Elephant?

The first day of school is on the horizon and I'm prepared to get my house back in order.  This summer has been a good break from the crazy, scattered schedule of the school year, but it's time to get back to business.

The first thing on the list is cleaning and reorganizing.  I don't think our home will ever be clean enough, to my standards; but, I'm trying to set attainable goals.  I'm looking forward to participating in our neighborhood's huge semi-annual garage sale this fall.  Due to weekend sports commitments, we've been unable to host a sale in several years, and it shows!  So far, sentimentality hasn't gotten in the way.  I'm not having trouble sorting into "keep", "sell" and "donate" piles.

Clearing the clutter is also helping me focus on cleaning.  I would love to be one of those people who has a weekly schedule of Mondays-floors, Tuesday-bathrooms, etc..  I've tried that system and it was too rigid for me.  My days require much more flexibility.  One way I try to maximize the effectiveness is by breaking tasks into manageable chunks of time. When I look at tasks to be completed and the amount of time I have on hand, I feel much more productive.  It reminds me of the quote "How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.".

Here's a snippet of my chore schedule:

5 min jobs

  • Wipe down countertops
  • Sweep or mop floor (1 room)
  • Clean mirrors
  • Sweep front and back patio
  • Sort Laundry or start a load in washer/dryer


15 min jobs

  • Vacuum a room
  • Load or unload the dishwasher
  • Dust a room
  • Wipe down cabinets
  • Fold a load of laundry
  • Clean out the car
  • Clean toilets


30 min job

  • Clean the bathroom
  • Dust air ducts
  • Sanitize doorknobs and switch plates
  • Clean out the refrigerator
This method certainly isn't perfect.  It requires a bit of consistency, so chores aren't' overlooked.  But it works for me during this crazy, in and out phase of life.  What are some of your cleaning hacks?







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