I’m sure you have herd the term, “a cluttered house is a cluttered mind?” Do you feel overwhelmed and exhausted? Do you feel like you have too much to do around the house and can’t seem to get anything done? Can you see the floor in your vehicle? What does your yard look like?
Fall is here and its time to finish our summer cleaning projects before winter. It’s a great time to finish outside work because it has finally cooled off a bit. It’s also a good idea to prepare your home for relatives and parties just before the holidays. All of those things you don’t use anymore could be donated to shelters and thrift stores. There will be many families looking for gifts from churches and thrift stores because they don’t have enough money for retail. Your junk could be someone else’s treasure!
What were your “cleaning” goals and plans to accomplish this summer? How much did you get done? It’s not too late to start or finish. The following is an action plan to have your home clean and clear by winter. This is not meant to be done overnight, give yourself about two months to complete this project.
Make a list of everything you want to do.
Organize your list by outside work, vehicle, and home.
Sub-categorize by sections. Example: front yard, back yard, shed, garage. And for the home: Kitchen, dining room, pantry, bathroom 1, 2, living room, laundry room, bedroom1, 2 and 3. Clean and organize one section per week. This should give you plenty of time to rest in between each section. Schedule dates and times you can commit to, and be specific. Ask for help and delegate when possible. Stick to it! Visualize the end result. You will feel so much better, calmer, and clearer when you are done.
Below is an example of the schedule I came up with. Keep in mind to start with the outside work first. I also have kids, so I have included their room into the schedule. Another thing you could do is turn this into a check list, it helps to measure your progress, and you will begin to feel like you have accomplished a lot.
Vehicle
Wash outside; clean inside, clean carpet, floors, and seats.
Outside and Yard Work
Front yard-cut weeds and haul to dump, trim all old leaves from plants and put in compost.
Back yard- weeds and haul to dump, trim all old leaves from plants and put in compost
Shed- prepare unused and unwanted items to take to thrift store. Organize and create extra storage space.
House and Garage
Living room- I do this first because this is what your company will see first
Guest Bathroom-company will need to use this next. Clean under sink, and scrub bathtub, walls, and the door.
Kitchen- Get rid of all unused Tupperware, and mismatched lids and containers. Clean under sink, microwave, and refrigerator.
Dining Room- Clean glass door, wipe down table and chairs.
Pantry-Give unused canned and boxed foods to food bank.
Kids Bedroom 1-Toys/Clothes, walls and door.
Kids Bedroom 2- Toys/Clothes, walls and door.
Master Bedroom- Clean under bed, closet storage,
Master Bathroom- Clean under sink, and scrub bathtub, walls, and the door.
Laundry Room- Clean off shelves, washer and drier, walls and door.
Garage-Organize, clean floors.
Tips:
Helpful questions to ask your self when sorting through your things. Do I want this? Do I need this? Will I wear or use this? Does it fit? Can someone else use this?
One of the things I like to do when cleaning an area is, remove everything, clean it, then start putting things back one by one. This may take longer, but it allows you to look at the things you don’t need and get rid of them, and you will love the clear, un-cluttered space. Also this can allow you to re-arrange things to give it a new energy.
Posts
