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As a Professional Organizer and Type-A personality to the extreme, I’m a big fan of using Sundays to prepare myself and my family for the week ahead. Catching up on laundry, meal planning, a peek at the calendar, and some built in time to simply relax. In our house, however, it’s Saturday when we do the majority of the cleaning. I try to stay on top of laundry and general upkeep during the week, but having a block of time on a Saturday morning lets me feel like the entire house is pulled together for a very brief moment before my kids do their thing.
Growing up, my mom and dad’s home was a dream. It was modest but had a literal white picket fence, was so cozy, and my mom had a true gift for decorating. I partly blame my title “Homebody” on them. When I’m home, I instantly feel lighter and calm. Even though we all dream of home differently, they all have the main elements in common. Kitchen countertops, tabletops, shelves, furniture, and bathrooms.
There’s something to be said about keeping and maintaining the home you want to have. But the reality is that we all have busy lives. Home isn’t about a place, it’s a feeling. I think, more importantly, a home where you feel like you can care for yourself is huge. But I also think this can get lost - especially for women. Logistically, there are times where you won’t be able to keep up your home the way you’d like. For instance, when you have new babies and small children or when you need to devote your time and attention to something else. Like a big project at work, caring for a sick loved one, or simply trying to tread water. Cleaning will sometimes take a backseat, and that’s normal.
When I want to keep some semblance of order, it’s nice to have a plan to make it happen. So set aside any feelings you have of home cleaning as frivolous or like a chore. Let’s set ourselves up for feeling cared for and welcome in our homes.
Have you ever walked into a room where everything is a mess, you don’t know where to even begin, and you get a pit in your stomach? Please tell me I’m not alone. In this moment, here’s what helps me: a game plan that takes away the guesswork and choices, to automate it so I can rinse and repeat - easy to recreate time after time.
Here’s my process to automate the way I clean every room to quickly redirect to the things that require my time and attention. If you already have a plan, you go girl! This is just another option that I find helpful.
How to clean any room:
Have the essential tools on hand. I keep these items stocked so I don’t have to constantly run to the store. You don’t need anything fancy, but I keep all of my products in a small cleaning caddy so I can carry them from room to room. Here are my go-to products:
Blue Dawn dish soap (degreasing superpower!)
Cleaning Rags: these can be old shirts, socks, or microfiber rags
Powdered Tide: if you don’t follow @gocleanco on Instagram, run - do not walk! She is a wealth of knowledge on all things cleaning and using Powdered Tide changed the game for me.
Bleach - mix a cap in a gallon of water to disinfect trash cans, kitchen counters, and doorknobs. Do not mix it with anything other than water (plus Powdered Tide if needed), so as not to create toxic fumes.
Windex - There's nothing like it to polish chrome fixtures, windows, etc.
Swiffer sweepers - I love that I don’t have to put a bunch of brainpower into this. Throw on a Swiffer wipe and dust/dry mop to your heart’s content.
Spin mop - this is the one I love. Worth the small investment and you can wash the mop head and replace it affordably when it’s time.
A vacuum. A really good vacuum. I’m such a snob when it comes to these and the Miele brand is my absolute favorite. You’ll never convince me there’s a better vacuum out there. Here is the link to ours.
Now to the good part. Here’s my easy method to clean just about any room.
Step 1: Do a ruthless declutter. Look at your room, throw out any trash that has accumulated, and see if there is clutter that doesn’t belong. Does your living room have a stack of old magazines? Are there old, unused products on your bathroom countertop? Toss or recycle them!
Step 2: Straighten up and rearrange the room. Pillows back to the couch. Toys back into baskets. Cereal box left out on the countertop. Put everything away in its place.
Step 3: Clean and polish the room. If you don’t follow @gocleanco on Instagram, run - do not walk. I’m obsessed with their process. In a nutshell, mix a Tablespoon of Powdered Tide with a bowl of hot water. Start at the top left of a room and work your way down to the right. Wipe down all surfaces. Dust off surfaces, Windex windows, be sure to disinfect doorknobs and light switches.
Step 4: Vacuum the floors first then follow with hot water + Tide using a spin mop if you have hardwoods. If you’re crazy like me, hit the room once more with the vacuum to make sure you got everything.
Step 5: When you’re finished cleaning that space in your home, close the door to indicate it’s finished.
If you hate cleaning, pump up the jams and listen to your favorite music or turn on a podcast.
I promise that decluttering your space prior to cleaning makes the actual cleaning process so much smoother. Did you know that you save nearly 60% time cleaning if you declutter first? You can focus on cleaning the dirt and dust away immediately instead of spending all of your time putting things away. Decluttering and organizing gives you a specific home for each item. Give it a shot and tell me it doesn’t change your cleaning game!
I hope that your home will be a place where you feel safe, loved, and cared for.
Emily Wimer is a Professional Organizer based in Kansas City. She works with clients locally in Overland Park, KS, and virtually all over the country. Email Emily at hello@simplifiedkansascity.com or visit our Website to schedule a free consultation. We are excited to hear from you and wish you happy organizing!
Please note: I do use affiliate links on my blog and make a small commission each time you purchase something through one of my links. I appreciate your support! As always, all opinions are my own.
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