Some people say that the chore of “Cleaning the House” seems to be one of those “two-camp” things. There’s that one camp that LOVES cleaning and does it all the time, and then there’s that second camp that hates it and cleans only when absolutely necessary for safety. Which camp do you fall into? I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong but I feel like it’s possible to be in both camps, depending on the day and my mood. Do you agree? Tell me I’m not alone here, mamas. I mean, there are days I wake up with 5,082 cleaning things on my list and I am ready to tackle all of them. I call that “being bitten by the cleaning bug.” Then, there are other days that I can’t even look at another bathroom sink, and I certainly don’t feel like cleaning one! HA!
Whichever category of “cleaners” you are in, today or permanently, I have some tips to make your chores easier and less daunting. If we chip away little by little at the cleaning tasks in our home, they are so much less likely to pile up on us in to on big mess that seems impossible to conquer. Now, I know none of us has a ton of time to spare when cleaning is on our minds, so I’ll get right to it!
Melissa’s Top 15 Items You Clean in Less Than 10 Minutes Each
- 2 shelves (or a drawer) in the refrigerator {do two per day and by the end of the week you’ll have a clean fridge!}
- 1 toilet
- the top of the washing machine and dryer
- the kitchen sink
- 1 glass sliding door (both sides)
- all door handles in your house
- 1 bath tub
- the silverware drawer
- the front sides of all kitchen appliances (refrigerator, oven, dishwasher, microwave)
- the kitchen table (tidy/declutter and sanitize)
- the stovetop {my lemon-vinegar cleaner recipe works great for glass-top stoves!}
- replace the sheets on one bed
- gather all towels in the house and throw them into the washing machine
- your purse
- 1 shelf of the pantry {do one per day and you’ll be done within the week, just like the fridge!}
I’m sure you might be able to think of items to add to this list, so I’ve included a printable PDF with extra lines so that you can customize it to your needs. It’s all about doing what can be done in the time you have. Not everyone has a dedicated day to clean…I mean, between running here, there, and everywhere for kids’ activities, shopping trips, play dates and the like, not many busy mamas I know do! So, why not start small? Before you know it, it’ll be Friday and you’ll look up to see that your workload has melted into a very manageable size! You will feel both accomplished and proud knowing that you’ve been able to do just one task at a time, but make a big impact.
Set that coffee maker to brew, or put the tea kettle on, and get ready to rock this day. As you approach each task, whether it’s cleaning-related or not, endeavor to find the joy in it.
MAMA TIP: Here’s how I reframe my mind to find joy where I hadn’t seen any before…
- instead of …”I hate cleaning the toilet,” I tell myself, “My family is going to have a sanitary place to keep them healthy.”
- instead of…”Ugh. The fridge is gross and I do NOT want to touch it,” I say to myself, “Well, it looks like we have really been eating well! Thank goodness! Now it’s time to make sure we can have an organized and clean place to store this wonderful bounty we have been blessed with!”
- instead of...”The are wet towels on the floor AGAIN,” I think to myself, “My family is learning how to stay clean. One step at a time they will each learn how to keep the bathroom clean too. Until then, I am so happy I can provide them with soft, fuzzy towels!”
- instead of…”Can’t anyone in this house manage to put anything back where it goes in the pantry??” I say, “Gosh this pantry sure gets used a lot! Let me use this time to take a quick inventory of what we already have, so I am equipped to buy only what we need on my next trip to the market. I’ll organize and wipe down as I go.”
See? With a little shift of mindset, and 10 minutes or less, your whole day can begin to look much rosier. And fining the joy is what it’s all about. Look for the opportunities to choose the joy. Show your kids how to do this, too. You will be so happy you did! Now it seems to me that I have about 10 minutes right now, and a kitchen sink that is calling my name…and a blessed heart the I get to take part in my family’s health by cleaning it. I call that a great honor. I’ll be back soon with more joyful tips for you!