Don't let the title of this post fool you; I do not have a pristine apartment. I would not be embarrassed, however, if any of you dropped by unexpectedly. I mean, the place is covered with Legos and Cheerios, but I can only spend so much of my time every day cleaning up Legos and Cheerios. Here is Lauren's Crash Course on How to Be Slightly Better at Cleaning Than You Used to Be:
- Have a humiliating moment! My son was born 3 weeks early, on the morning of the first day of what was to be my week's vacation to clean up before the baby arrived. My parents and my in-laws came in and cleaned our apartment for us before we came home from the hospital. Let's just say that being 9 months pregnant, working 55 hours/week, and cleaning the apartment are not three great things that go great together.
- Get a nice vacuum cleaner! Really, this has made a huge difference for me. It is a treat to vacuum with something that actually works! We bought a refurbished vac. from Amazon.
- Do just one thing every day! If I can dust OR vacuum OR clean the bathrooms, etc. once/day, it seems pretty manageable. Start small. Remember, once something is clean, it's easier to keep it that way.
- Don't go to bed with a messy kitchen! There is nothing more irritating to me than having to move dirty dishes around at 5AM in order to make the very necessary pot of coffee. It makes me crabby. I try my VERY best to make sure the dishes are washed and the counters are clean before I go to bed. I also make it a point to give the kitchen a once-over while I'm hanging out with Hal at breakfast time. Basically, keep your kitchen clean, for crying out loud!
- Live in a small apartment! Not as much square footage=not as much cleaning.
- Get a cute apron! I bought a super-cute apron from my BFF Heather, and I love wearing it around the apt. to clean and cook. It makes it just a bit more inviting.
3 comments:
Sweet,
You are so right, sister. I recently implemented a "chore-a-day" list to keep me on track. Dishes and laundry get done all the time, as does general tidying up and spot sweeping or mopping if needed. But here are the other things:
Mon - clean appliances (microwave, stove, sink scrubbing, fridge)
Tue - change and wash all sheets
Wed - all floors (vac, mop, hardwoods) in house
Thur - dust everything; clean all windows, mirrors and glass
Fri - clean all bathrooms
Sat - change and wash all sheets
As for leaving a dirty kitchen, I couldn't agree more. Take the time. You'll be glad. Good post!
Thanks! I really used to be a total slob. Well, when I lived alone, I was actually really clean (don't laugh, Mom!). It's just when I had roommates, or a family, that I was so slovenly.
Well, onward and upward!
LOVE this - and I totally AM laughing because it is all so true! I've been trying the "one thing per day" approach, as well as the "no etsy until that thing gets done" approach. And amen to cleaning the kitchen before bed - completely worth it. I'm glad my apron is helping - I need to make one for myself!!!
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