CHAOS: Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome.
That is a term coined by The Fly Lady who has a fabulous site about cleaning.
Are you just getting off the phone with some unexpected guest who are less than a half an hour away?
Here is a super short and sweet way to pick up quickly in a pinch. Or at least until the cleaning lady arrives. :)
On Your Mark...Get Set...
1) Grab a shopping bag (if you are from Seattle I know you have tons of those big handled Nordstrom bags stashed somewhere) or two garbage bags and go around the living room and put trash and obvious carpet content in one bag (eliminates vacuuming) and clutter that does not belong in the living area in the other. Stash the clutter in a back bedroom or closet for later and empty all the dust bins, especially the one in the bathroom, and take out the trash.
Estimated time: 5 minutes.
2) Grab your duster of choice, and cleaning cloth or paper towels and a bottle of glass cleaner. Windex Multi-Purpose is handy for this step. Personally I like the orange stuff.
Dust as you go, and only wipe the portion of the surface area that is dirty. NOT THE ENTIRE SURFACE. Hit the fingerprints on the mirrors, the back splash on the bathroom or kitchen sink and any smudges on the windows or on any glass table tops. In the bathroom, give the toilet a quick wipe. Don't worry about streaks. We want presentable, not perfection.
Estimated time: 5 mins.
3) Too many dirty dishes? If the dishwasher is full, quickly empty it and throw as many of the dirty dishes that you can in the dishwasher in this very important order: silverware, glassware, bowls, plates, storage containers, pots and pans.
If you run out of room for storage containers, do the old stash and dash trick. Put them in a plastic bag and put them under the sink or in the pantry. Same thing goes for pots and pans, stuff them in the oven. Unless your going to cook, no one will ever know they are there!
Estimated time: 8 minutes.
4) Sweep the floors in bathroom and the kitchen and the front areas where guests will enter. Spot clean with your glass cleaner.
Estimated time: 4 minutes.
Happy Entertaining!
Friday, December 3, 2004
Monday, November 1, 2004
Simple Steps to a Cleaner Home
The Holidays are here!
Here are some simple tips on keeping things tidy that you might find you commit to year round.
BARE YOUR SOLES
Taking off your shoes and having your guests do the same keeps dirt and allergens out of the home. The carpets will seem as though you vacuum everyday. During the rainy season (ok wait, this is Seattle!) the dirt brought in by wet shoes will be kept in a designated area that you can clean every now and then. You will be amazed by less grit on hardwood and tile floors. This is a good way to keep dirt at bay in between cleanings. Less dusting too.
CLEAN AS YOU GO
My grandmothers house is spotless. Come to think of it, I have never seen her slave one day ever to maintain order around the house, especially in the most used room in the house; the kitchen.
Always clean up after yourself as you make a mess. This includes, rinsing or soaking dishes immediately and then cleaning up the rest as soon as you clear the table. Use a small bag on a kitchen counter to collect food refuse until it hits the garbage can. Wipe up spills as they happen so they don't have time to set or require heavy duty cleaners.
A CLEAN SWEEP
This is trick the guys will love, I learned from a friend who kept a meticulous workshop. Well, ok, the floor looked good. Wipe whatever dry particles from flat surfaces onto the floor, and you guessed it, sweep the minute you are done with your projects.
Keeping a rag under the sink to use for spot cleaning the floor will maintain your floor until you do a deep clean.
MIRROR MIRROR
In the bathroom, keep an old towel or roll of paper towels that you will reuse close by, and every now and then wipe down the bathroom mirror. When your towel is on its last leg, wipe down the faucets, counter and toilet seat, then wash or toss.
SHOWER POWER
The easiest way to keep the shower clean is to spray and rinse it after each use.
Also, keep your bottles and tubes around the tub to a minimum. It's time consuming to take down three bottles of shampoo, four bars of soap, razors, bubble bath, two bottles of hair conditioners and a rubber ducky, from where they once were, and then put them all back again.
Invest in a shower caddy that hangs off of the shower head, or shelving that is very close by the tub for the luxuries that you cannot live without.
There will be nothing more than a quick wipe down or rinse with some cleaning solution and your tub or shower will look tidy all the time.
I like Method Daily Shower because it disolves soap scum over a short period of time, is environmentally friendly and is Ylang-Ylang scented, my favorite!
Here are some simple tips on keeping things tidy that you might find you commit to year round.
BARE YOUR SOLES
Taking off your shoes and having your guests do the same keeps dirt and allergens out of the home. The carpets will seem as though you vacuum everyday. During the rainy season (ok wait, this is Seattle!) the dirt brought in by wet shoes will be kept in a designated area that you can clean every now and then. You will be amazed by less grit on hardwood and tile floors. This is a good way to keep dirt at bay in between cleanings. Less dusting too.
CLEAN AS YOU GO
My grandmothers house is spotless. Come to think of it, I have never seen her slave one day ever to maintain order around the house, especially in the most used room in the house; the kitchen.
Always clean up after yourself as you make a mess. This includes, rinsing or soaking dishes immediately and then cleaning up the rest as soon as you clear the table. Use a small bag on a kitchen counter to collect food refuse until it hits the garbage can. Wipe up spills as they happen so they don't have time to set or require heavy duty cleaners.
A CLEAN SWEEP
This is trick the guys will love, I learned from a friend who kept a meticulous workshop. Well, ok, the floor looked good. Wipe whatever dry particles from flat surfaces onto the floor, and you guessed it, sweep the minute you are done with your projects.
Keeping a rag under the sink to use for spot cleaning the floor will maintain your floor until you do a deep clean.
MIRROR MIRROR
In the bathroom, keep an old towel or roll of paper towels that you will reuse close by, and every now and then wipe down the bathroom mirror. When your towel is on its last leg, wipe down the faucets, counter and toilet seat, then wash or toss.
SHOWER POWER
The easiest way to keep the shower clean is to spray and rinse it after each use.
Also, keep your bottles and tubes around the tub to a minimum. It's time consuming to take down three bottles of shampoo, four bars of soap, razors, bubble bath, two bottles of hair conditioners and a rubber ducky, from where they once were, and then put them all back again.
Invest in a shower caddy that hangs off of the shower head, or shelving that is very close by the tub for the luxuries that you cannot live without.
There will be nothing more than a quick wipe down or rinse with some cleaning solution and your tub or shower will look tidy all the time.
I like Method Daily Shower because it disolves soap scum over a short period of time, is environmentally friendly and is Ylang-Ylang scented, my favorite!
Friday, October 1, 2004
Spring Clean No More
October is the perfect month for a yearly cleaning.
The kids have already started school, and you will find all sorts of items that you need to get rid of when you dig out last years Halloween costumes. You will also have your home clutter free in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas and not have to worry about having spare moments to enjoy the holidays. You also have a head start on your New Years resolutions, and all that's left is to hire a housecleaner!
Cleaning in the fall is also best because it is usually an indoor activity. Save those rainy days for improving your home and treat Spring as an extended summer of fun and relaxation. Your cleaning when the sun does start to shine most cleaning will already be taken care of and you can enjoy the weather instead of cleaning.
Are you having a Halloween party this year? Are you in the kids trick-or-treating and have other parties to attend?
Begin or end your Halloween with a clean home!
When you start to go through the Christmas and Thanksgiving decorations decide what is not your favorite items anymore and sell them on eBay and accumulate more dollars for your Christmas budget!
The kids have already started school, and you will find all sorts of items that you need to get rid of when you dig out last years Halloween costumes. You will also have your home clutter free in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas and not have to worry about having spare moments to enjoy the holidays. You also have a head start on your New Years resolutions, and all that's left is to hire a housecleaner!
Cleaning in the fall is also best because it is usually an indoor activity. Save those rainy days for improving your home and treat Spring as an extended summer of fun and relaxation. Your cleaning when the sun does start to shine most cleaning will already be taken care of and you can enjoy the weather instead of cleaning.
Are you having a Halloween party this year? Are you in the kids trick-or-treating and have other parties to attend?
Begin or end your Halloween with a clean home!
When you start to go through the Christmas and Thanksgiving decorations decide what is not your favorite items anymore and sell them on eBay and accumulate more dollars for your Christmas budget!
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