Friday Faves...Cleaning and Decluttering, Part Two

Welcome back for part two of my little blog series on cleaning and decluttering.  Last week was part one which you can access by clicking here.  That post was mainly about daily tidying and how to stay on top of excess and clutter.  This week I thought I'd write about my weekly cleaning routine.

Just a reminder of last week's disclaimer.  I am not a self-proclaimed expert on cleaning.  I have areas that I struggle to keep tidy-like the closet my husband and I share.  (We definitely need to invest in some sort of closet system-and we both might like clothes and shoes a wee bit too much.) I am not a minimalist.  I LOVE minimalist decor and blog stalk many people who decorate that way. But, while I declutter and get rid of junk on a regular basis and try not to bring anything new into our home that doesn't have an immediate place and purpose, I am far from a minimalist. In other words, minimalism inspires me, and I glean a lot from their decluttering tips. That's what I want these cleaning posts to do for you-inspire without bringing condemnation. Everyone has different standards for their home.  Everyone has different standards of what is too cluttered and what is clean enough.  My goal for my home is threefold-I want it to always feel calm and peaceful and quiet, (not necessarily meaning the noise level but the feeling), to feel welcoming and to feel cozy.

Because my husband is a pastor, he spends most Saturdays in his office at the church making sure everything is ready for Sunday. (Our day off is Friday.) For years, Saturdays have been my house cleaning day.  I suppose it stems from years of wanting our home to be ready in case I decided to extend any last minute invites for Sunday lunch. Now we mostly eat out on Sundays after church and rest on Sunday afternoons/evenings. We are more likely to have people over on other days of the week-but old habits die hard so I still clean house on Saturdays. You should do what works best for you.  Perhaps dividing cleaning chores up on different days would work best. I just like to get it all done on one day.

Here's what I do on my Saturday house cleaning day-

(I like to listen to something while I clean-music, podcasts, the news, or even a movie that I've watched before.) 

I start with the chore that I dislike the most.  That way when I'm done with that, I already feel I'm on the downhill stretch to being done.  For me that chore is... 

CLEAN THE BATHROOMS-

-scrub the tubs, shower, toilets and sinks  

-wipe down the countertops and the cabinet and drawer fronts 

-clean the mirrors and shower doors

-wash any dirty towels and rugs

-scrub the floors 

CLEAN THE KITCHEN-

-wash all dishes

-wipe down countertops taking time to move and to clean underneath anything on the counter 

-wipe down all appliances-clean stove top, clean out and wipe down refrigerator, (don't forget to clean the top of the refrigerator which is a place that collects dust and grease)

- clean microwave

-wipe down cabinets-I wipe down my white cabinets weekly using a vinegar water solution or other mild cleaner. (This is much easier than waiting until grease and dirt have made a grimy layer!)

-vacuum and damp mop wood floor 

(This is my favorite tool for vacuuming my wood floors. I have the older version which is not cordless. To damp mop I use a microfiber mop and a spray bottle of vinegar water or other mild cleaner.)

CLEAN THE MASTER BEDROOM-
Wash sheets
Dust all surfaces (I try to declutter the top of our nightstands when I dust-but it feels like a losing battle!)
Vacuum


CLEAN THE GUEST ROOM AND HOME OFFICE-
Dust all surfaces (My office desk top is another challenging spot to keep clutter free.)
Vacuum

CLEAN THE ENTRYWAY, DINING ROOM AND LIVING ROOM-
-Dust all surfaces
-Vacuum or wash all area rugs
-Damp mop wood floors 
-Wipe down leather furniture with leather wipes

That's about it for my weekly house cleaning routine. (I do make sure all of the laundry is done as well, which isn't a huge deal since I do laundry during the week.)  Next week I'll end this series by writing about deep cleaning, spring and pre-holiday cleaning, and decluttering excess.

Have a happy Friday

and

a safe and blessed weekend!