100% Stolen Post!!

Ok, everything in green on this post is STOLEN from Jessica's Blog
I just had to steal it and share it with you, because it was just that useful!!! All the red is me;)


How do you clean your house? I'm an erratic cleaner to say the least. Me too! And it really depends on our schedule. When we are on a routine, it's not so bad, but crazy routines like holiday time makes it really bad! Blah blah I am mostly a SAHM - WHATEVER! That just means I have more time at home with my kids making messes! It bothers me to do the same thing in the same way every time. I cannot stick with anything. Even if its a good thing. That's why I didn't make it as a postal employee. But keeping this house even semi-sanitary requires some organization, and here are a few methods I alternate.

1. Room by room-like Mama taught me. Only, then the work was split among the four of us and I only ended up with one or two rooms. I probably use this way the most, but it has definite drawbacks. For instance if you aren't able to complete the entire house, your left with some spic-and-span rooms and some pig-sty rooms. One pig-sty room ruins the entire house.I love times when I can super clean one room. I try to do "deep cleaning" twice a year. Summer and before Christmas. That is the time when I go crazy and get rid of everything I can spare and dust ceilings and clean base boards and all that stuff that to be honest doesn't get done the whole rest of the year!

2. Daycare clean--the daycare period was by far my shining star for housekeeping. People do not want to leave their children in a messy house, even if their's looks like a tornado went through. You have to keep everything tidy to please your parents and everything must be bleached to please your licensing agent. Following every meal, I swept, immediately cleared and washed dishes, put away food and disinfected tables, chairs and counter tops. Each day after naps, everyone--toddlers and up--put toys away, threw away trash, and followed me from room to room while I vacuumed and dusted. In the evening, I mopped and scrubbed toilets, my own children were not allowed to play inside the house, because they might mess it up before daycare. This method takes discipline and stamina. You must be satisfied with HAVING a clean house, not LIVING in it.

3. 10 Minutes To Clean--The kids and I love this method. We set the timer for 10 minutes and clean like crazy. When the timer stops, we're done with that room and reset the timer and attack the next room. I must resist the urge to continue with the few undone items left. Rules are rules, and if Mom is breaking them, chances are the children will clue in that they are actually working, not playing. The kids are all amazed at how clean the room is after "just 10 minutes." I really ham it up with comments like, "On your mark, get set, clean...." and "Two minutes and counting..." etc. If you use this method occasionally, you will have enthusiastic helpers like I did two Saturday's ago.Ok - this is what this blog inspired. I broke our house, car and yard into room by room sections. We have 10. Our family spent 10 minutes in each area today. That is only one hour and twenty minutes. It made such a huge difference. My whole house is between manageable and clean now! Woo HOo. I think even on crazy Saturdays we could do five minutes an area. I love using a timer. We will keep this one. I can't promise every week or anything like that - because one might call that a true routine. But this was vvvveeerrry nice. Go try it. Do 5 sections today and the other 5 tomorrow or something!

4. Lavern Clean-Named after the master's best friend's mother. Who, according to my sources, upon hearing that guests were expected, would pull out large hampers and begin filling them with clutter and mess. Dirty dishes, dirty clothes and all manner of household items were dumped in the hampers...fast. The full hampers went in a closet, and when the door was closed, PRESTO, clean house. I think the drawbacks to this method are obvious, but I've had to use it more times than I care to admit. So if you ever drop by the house on a few minutes notice...don't open any closets. Steer clear of the garage, too. You've been warned.Can anyone else confess to this? Ok, once I had about 20 minutes notice of company. WEEKS later my husband found a dirty pan under a cabinet in the laundry room. I had to use a razor blade on the thing! What can a girl do on such short notice? We have a BIG laundry hamper built in the back of the house. You could fit 3 adults in there - but it has hidden much else in a pinch. Do NOT go look in it next time you are at my house, deal?

I'd love to hear your tricks. Me too.

I don't have much to add here of my own. The thing that makes the biggest difference here is getting the kitchen clean after dinner. What else do I do?.....I put all the socks in a sock basket and then sort them all while I watch tv when people start complaining they need socks. I keep Cl*or*x wipes in the bathroom. Each of my kids have a "homework" basket for "supplies" to do homework/craft stuff and they are responsible for it. It stays in the kitchen. My kids have a "box of little things" where they keep rocks. marbles, little stuff they find or get at birthday parties that would have no other obvious place. I let my kids use a spray bottle with water and a mop on the kitchen floor (it makes a difference and makes them happy).

Ok and here's the one Charles told me that I may just take for granted and I should share....
EAT DINNER TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME IN THE SAME PLACE! Really - its that important.