Tuesday, August 16, 2011

My Cleaning Box

Oh, how I squealed when I saw this box and matching index
card dividers. 
Too cute!
If you didn't know, I adore anything stationary,
organizing, office supplies and the kind.




Isn't she sweet ????

This is how I set up my "Cleaning Box."
It keeps me organized and motivated.
My hubby just rolls his eyes when I line up the next
day's cards on the kitchen counter.
It's like a challenge - and I'm going to win!!
Each item below has its own index card to put away
when completed or moved to the next month if needed.



Daily

(You end up doing all of these things enough - you may
not open this folder often)

  • make beds & tidy up bedrooms
  • wipe down bathroom counters
  • quick clean on the toilets
  • quick clean of kitchen after dinner
  • empty dishwasher in morning
  • take out trash and recycling after dinner(oldest son's chores)
  • quick dry mop of hardwood floors


Monday
  • Clean half bath
  • tidy up laundry room
  • strip and remake all beds
  • wash sheets and put them away
  • empty upstairs trash
  • go to local recycling / dump if needed

Tuesday
  •  Vacuum master bedroom and bath
  • dust master bedroom
  • clean master bath

Wednesday
  • Vacuum downstairs
  • dust living room
  • clean out fridge (wipe down shelves, throw out items)
  • Change all towels in bathrooms

Thursday
  • Vacuum upstairs
  • Clean boy's bathroom
  • Dust upstairs

Friday
  • Clean kitchen (wipe down all counters, appliances, cabinets, knobs, etc)
  • Dust office and dining room
  • Wet mop hardwoods

Saturday
  • Anything skipped this week or a "monthly item"

Sunday
  • Make out menu for week
  • clip coupons
  • tidy pantry / mentally review inventory
  • make grocery list for the week



Monthly Items
I move these along month to month as I finish them:

  • Empty out, wipe down, purge and reorganize pantry
  • Vacuum window blinds
  • Vacuum all mattresses and wash mattress pads


In addition, I have "special" cards for certain months:

January / June
Clean all ceiling fans.

February / July
Clean all light fixtures.

March / August
Clean, purge & reorganize all kitchen cabinets and drawers.

I also have an additional reminder here in March for me to start looking
into summer camps for the boys.

April / September
Clean outside of all kitchen  & bathroom cabinets with tea tree oil and polish.

May / October
Flip all mattresses when cleaning.

June / November
Clean under fridge, stove.
Vacuum coils.
Clean fan / filter / hood of stove.

Purchase all cards for occasions for next 6 months. 
(January - June)
(July - December)

July / December
Change smoke detector batteries.

Note:  I also change my air filters in the house every three months.
I usually purchase enough of these at the beginning of the year and store them
in my laundry room.
I also make note on my calendar which months to change them.



To some of you, this may seem a little extreme.
Some days I find it that way too,
but with us living on the farm, my house seems to get so dirty so quickly.
Or maybe it's having all boys....

Anyway, all of the dirt, dust and dander from the farm always
makes its way into the house
and for me to feel like I'm on top of it,
I resort to this cleaning method.

Keep in mind,
that I fall "off of the wagon" sometimes and the box
doesn't get opened for a few weeks,
but then I can't stand it and get going again.



26 comments:

  1. Hi there!
    I just found your blog via a comment you made at eighteen25 about your love of organizing. I love your cleaning box idea and your binders. Wish you lived in AZ, I would love to have you come organize my house.
    Thanks for the great ideas, I'm looking forward to reading your blog.
    Cheers,
    Amber

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amber,

      Thanks for following my blog. Let me know if you give the cleaning box a try - would love to hear how it works for you. I'll let you know if I'm ever in Arizona - :)

      Delete
  2. I like this idea. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a fabulous idea! I just today blogged about how I need to get more organized with my cleaning..... being the mom of a teenager is BUSY! I think this is just what i need to do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Susan,

      Let me know how it works for you - would love to hear.

      Delete
  4. Amazing! Can't wait to get started - can you tell us where you found your gorgeous card box?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cat - let me know how you did with the box. See below comment on the card box.....I bet any small index card box would work. Decorate it with some cute paper and there you go!

      Delete
  5. I found the box in a random discount bin in the front of a local craft store. Everytime I've been in since, I peeked for another with no luck :( I guess it wasn't something they normally stocked.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is wonderful!! I have a difficult time organizing what I need to do as well as sticking to it. This may be the thing for me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Leslie - I would love to hear how it works for you. I love hearing "before and after" stories :)

      Delete
  7. I think this is a wonderful idea! I need something to help me get organized with my cleaning. This really doesn't seem extreme. Especially if it works for you! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suzanne,

      Please share with me sometime how it works for you if you decide to give it a try. It really is very simple and also, really easy to get back on track if you decide to "slide" for a few days.......as we all do!!!

      Delete
  8. This is so creative, I have never heard of going about it this way, but I love it!

    Happy cleaning! :)

    xoxo,
    Jen

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love this idea! Just saw it on Momsbyheart! I'm a new follower!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chrissy - So happy to have a new follower! Welcome. Please let me know if you try this "cleaning box" idea and how it works for you. Would love to hear.....take care!

      Delete
  10. What a great idea! Very creative and easy-to-use!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Just bought the book that started this filing type cleaning system to start circulating on Pnterest from Amazon. It's called "Sidetracked Home Executives - From Pigpen to Paradise". It was originally printed in 1981 & they have revised it several times & you can find them online. I'm just starting to make my filing system while reading the book that I think each one of us can connect to one of the the sisters & it's funny. It looks like you've adapted your system to best meet your needs. I like having more specific cards for each day & when my dd & dr are helping me clean, it almost becomes like a game. You never know what card you will pull out next- it's pot luck on what detailed chore you might have to do. I will definitely refer back to your filing system, if mine becomes overwhelming.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Stopping by {again} from Women Living Well...

    This is amazing! I like how you said that it's a challenge. I could see this working well for kids, too.

    http://www.domesticblissdiaries.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I just came across your blog via Pinterest. I LOVE your idea for the Cleaning Box!!! I have used Motivated Mom's chore list in the past. I loved it, but did not want to pay for a new calendar each year. This Cleaning Box is perfect, and cute! Can't wait to make mine. I have the perfect box from Close To My Heart too! Thank you for sharing!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is an awesome idea! It's just what I need to do to stay on top of my cleaning. We moved into a two story home a little while ago and I struggle to find a routine for cleaning.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love this system but I'm wondering when you do laundry? That always seems to be my most daunting task!

    Thanks,

    Dana

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Dana,

      Good question. I generally make a "pass by" my three laundry baskets (master closet and two boys closets) and make up a load almost everyday. I do sheets on Sunday and towels Saturday / Wednesday. I find if I do a little each day and break it up, I don't feel so overwhelmed.

      Hope this helps!!

      Delete
  16. My mom had a box like this when I was a kid. I actually thought about doing this the other day. This is such a wonderful organizational tool. Extremely practical and very helpful!

    ReplyDelete

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