31 days to {a better ordinary} :: day 7 ~ weekly housecleaning

I don't like cleaning house. Big shocker, right? Funny thing is, I love cleaning stuff out. Some wacky part of me likes getting rid of items we don't need and straightening up what's left.

Yet, while I genuinely enjoy sorting and organizing, I really dislike despise routine cleaning and scrubbing. Except vacuuming. I like to vacuum. But only downstairs. So, I'll often choose to clean out the coat closet (again!) instead of clean up the furniture or the bathrooms. It always seems like an even trade at the time.

Unfortunately, that kind of inconsistent cleaning takes its toll after a couple of weeks. Everything looks and feels dirty, at least to me. I stop enjoying my home and begin feeling burdened by the undone tasks. I don't like that felling. It holds me back from doing all the things I really want to do, such as relax and have fun with my kids. Definitely not the kind of ordinary I want for me or my family.

One of the major obstacles to doing my weekly cleaning is that it always seems like it will take a long time. Well, it doesn't have to. By limiting the chores I do every week and deciding that "good enough" is good enough, I'm able to do a routine housecleaning in about one hour a week. I can handle one hour.

If you struggle with housecleaning like I do, here are a few suggestions:

-Begin by listing the cleaning chores you want done every week. Beside each one, write down how much time you think it will take. If it totals much more than an hour, start eliminating things. For example, I eliminated vacuuming and dusting anything upstairs except for the piano. (Yes, our piano is on the second story.) I try to clean the floors and furniture up there occasionally, but it doesn't bother me if it's not company ready all the time.

-Choose to do a quick cleaning each week and save the detail cleaning for another time, like I do with my Monthly To Do tasks. On a weekly basis, I don't dust under everything on the tables, wipe down all the books on the shelves, or sweep the dirt out of every corner. I make an agreement with myself to be content with good enough.

-Set a timer and try to beat it. There's just something about a ticking timer that keeps me focused. Maybe it's because I don't like to lose. Whatever the reason, I work a little faster and am more motivated to stick with the job if I know I'm being timed.

-Do all of the routine cleaning in just one day. I find that spreading it out over a week leaves me feeling like there is always something that isn't done. I like knowing that, at least for one day, everything is clean.

-Pick a cleaning day that works for you. My mom always did the housecleaning, or had me do it (thanks, Mom), on Saturday. I don't like cleaning on Saturday, but Monday usually works for me. I like to get it out of the way early in the week and spend the weekends doing things that do not involve a spray bottle.

Want to see how I break it down?

Vacuum (downstairs only) ~ 10 min.
Dust (downstairs and the piano) ~ 10 min.
Mop all tile floors ~ 10 min.
Bathrooms ~ 25 min. (10 min. in each big bathroom, 5 min. in powder room)
Mirrors, appliances, windows (as needed) with spray cleaner ~ 5 min.

Click to learn more about 31 days to {a better} ordinary and to find links to all the posts in this series.

How do you manage your weekly cleaning tasks? Have any tips for us?

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Related posts:

1. 31 days to {a better} ordinary :: day 10 ~ weekly to do list
2. Morning To Do: Wipe Up Bathrooms
3. 31 days to {a better} ordinary :: day 31 ~ an ordinary purpose