Many years ago, I checked a book out of my local library called "Do I Dust or Vacuum First". It was all about home organization and cleaning. A certain big man thought it was both hilarious and sad that I had to read a book on something that came naturally to most women.
Apparently when they were handing out cleaning skills, I must have been off reading a book or hiking a trail or doing basically anything else but waiting in line. Cleaning doesn't come naturally to me apparently.
After all, I had to read a book to learn.
I do know that I don't particularly enjoy having people watch me clean. Its as if they are scoring me, because that's what my Grama used to do. I could have done a bang up job & shed be like the Russian ice skating judge, finding flaws.
I also like listening to my music. Loud. It helps motivate me and keep me positive. I like using my choice of cleaning products. I don't like chemically smelling products, they turn my stomach and actually make me light headed.
My system of cleaning has also been the subject of ridicule over the years. I subscribe to the fly lady system, which I discovered on the Martha Stewart boards when I was planning my wedding. My favorite part is setting the timer for 15 minutes, because you can do anything for that length of time. It's helped me overcome that overwhelmed feeling when approaching a big task. I know that when that timer goes off, I can walk away for 15 minutes and regroup or keep going.
Then there is the matter of perception. I guess there are times that I think things are clean and organized, but others don't. There is nothing like spending an hour busting your butt to do something to be greeted with a "really? You call that clean?" nothing like popping your balloon.
Working full time, plus working more than part time at church as well as teaching eats into my time. When I was at home, up to five years ago, I was able to do a lot more. Detailed cleaning-like the grout-was done more frequently, just because I had both the time and energy. Now, sometimes it's a struggle to keep up with the maintenance stuff, like cleaning up after dinner or sweeping my kitchen floor. I do my best, but there are times when I'd rather take a nap or read a book than scrubbing the bath tub. Don't get me wrong, the cleaning still gets done, it's just on my schedule than anyone else's.
Currently in my cleaning toolbox I have:
Swifter wet & dry for the tile floors
Swifter duster
Just a note on the swifter stuff: the cleaning people in my building at work use them.
Wood for good furniture polish (I love this smell!)
Method bathroom cleaner
Mrs. Meyers lemon verbena counter top spray
Bon ami scrubbing powder
Mr Clean magic eraser
If you are like me, you probably need some help to learn how to clean. My original manual is no longer in print, but there are other options out there. One is the Fly Lady's book, Sink Reflections. I love her system, but everything in her book is on her website, for free.
There are a lot of blogs that feature great tips and ideas. One is I Heart Organizing (http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/?m=1). Another is Organized Mom (http://www.organizedmom.net/category/blog/). I also read
House of Smiths http://www.thehouseofsmiths.com/?m=1
Simple Mom http://simplemom.net/
Blue Eyed Bride http://blueeyedbride.com/
And Life as A Mom
http://lifeasmom.com/
These blogs are all inspiring for me to keep at the cleaning and organizing to have a happy home.
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