I’ve dropped the mop!

Ok. I knew this day would come. I’ve dropped the mop! Literally. I have done virtually nothing to clean my house for about 10 days, except I did change the bed and clean my bathroom because company was coming. LOL  Now I have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing and I can hear my cleaning calendar laughing hysterically in the background.  

Eventually, this will happen to you too, if it hasn’t already. Life has swept me into other details that are much more fun than cleaning house, like making jewelry, helping a few friends in need (i.e., cleaning THEIR house), cooking, and entertaining as my super clean house wanes back into unacceptable dirtiness.  I could continue on this vein but just realized today that I’ve lost control of my cleaning schedule. I actually forgot that I even had one! That is pretty cool for me--the disciplined housekeeper. But I will have to get back to it soon. I have childhood friends coming for an as-yet unscheduled dinner and I know my house has to be cleaned, if not for myself then CLEAN FOR COMPANY!  LOL

Here I go again.  My first step is to actually find the schedule (I know it’s printed somewhere) and then bring it up to date. That involves assessing what I've forgotten to do for all this time, integrating current stuff scheduled on the calendar, deleting any duplicate items, and then assigning new dates to get it done within a minor, self-imposed whirlwind. That’s when the panic and regret will set in and I’ll kick myself in the butt for actually FORGETTING about the schedule. On the other hand, I will be CONGRATULATING myself for having a life and enjoying it. That’s a good sign that my retirement has moved me into a playful state that is well deserved. WOOT WOOT, good job!  

So how is your cleaning calendar working out?

• Why do we clean?
• Retirement — What’s the Most Awesome Lifestyle?

Cleaning tools - Beat those germs with simple protection

Thankfully, my cleaning calendar has helped me to relax and not feel rushed. With the right tools, cleaning is more of an enjoyment than something to be endured. I also listen to music which is a wonderful “tool” to accompany the physical workout I get from cleaning. Beyond the physical demands, I do struggle with using disposable cleaning tools while prolific growth of landfills besieges our country. We are still not recycling our waste adequately. But I continue to work on natural solutions for my cleaning routine.  I don’t use paper towels to clean glass or wash counter tops so I help to save the environment. Then I do laundry to clean my work towels, using up precious water as a resource. It’s an environmental dilemma, for sure. If you know of a cost effective biodegradable tool I can use, I am open to suggestions. But I digress. Here are a few of my cleaning tools, beginning with those that protect me from germs.

Gloves are important and necessary to avoid contact with any products you are using, keep your hands dry, and protect you from germs that you could absorb or spread. I sometimes use rubber gloves at home instead of disposables. I try to work quickly before my hands start to sweat; otherwise, I feel compelled to rinse them out and go through the drying process, inside and out. It’s a time sucker but necessary to prevent mold. I live in Florida, headquarters for mold and mildew. When I have no choice but to clean and reverse the gloves, I use a ¼ inch dowel that can reach into the glove fingers and push. When I clean for others, I use disposable, non-latex food prep gloves as they are time savers, less expensive than other disposables, and they fit nicely. I change gloves between bathrooms and, of course, for the kitchen.

Where Does All the Dust Come From?

Today one of my clients mentioned have recurring dust issues in her home.  I have had those issues too and it takes some detective work to get it under control. It's a constant battle that I am beginning to conquer.  

Before I replaced my leaky vacuum cleaner, the day after I dusted the dust had returned.  Even now I find that whenever I've been moving things around, bringing in new items (like Christmas decorations from the garage), or doing laundry (using the dryer and folding clothes), that more dust shows up on my glass tables, etc. We don't open our windows very often because we do live near a high traffic area but

Creating YOUR cleaning calendar

A list of “tasks” with dates assigned to each turns into a calendar. When I finally tired of carrying the ex-Catholic guilt associated with living like wild dogs (I can be dramatic), I set up a Google calendar just for house cleaning. Since Nathan would be “somewhat” involved, he and I sat down and figured out how often things needed to be done and who was going to do what. As we savored the vision of making our house into a nice clean gem we listed everything needed to make that happen, from cleaning bathrooms, to changing the bed, to checking the lampshades for dust, to cleaning the ovens, maintaining the AC, to washing the windows in/out.

With a completed list that took a few days to finish, we decided how often to do them, from weekly, to twice a month, quarterly, and yes, annually(!)  All the details were put into a Google calendar which, by the way, will send handy email reminders that keep you on track. The calendar was ready and Nathan and I were motivated! All the calendar reminders began pouring into my inbox, at which point I promptly IGNORED them all.

Well… a calendar seemed like a good idea at the time, but I was already tired of it after all the “negotiations”. Nevertheless, the nagging emails

“But Nobody Goes In There!” ...with a font that's visible

Is that your teenager or your partner?  To be fair, they are impacted by your need to have a clean house. Before we look for their cooperation, let's ask ourselves: "So why do we clean?" One of the most obvious reasons relates to living in a healthy environment but the onset of guests become a primary motivator for many of us.  I often like to quote Queen Aurora, aka my Mom, who taught me all I know about cleaning, especially the deep cleaning which she detested doing herself. "What will the neighbors think?"  We were trained at a young age. Every Saturday we were on our knees dusting baseboards. Yuck… 

But the rebel in me gave that up as soon as I moved out on my own. Fast forward to adulthood: whenever Nathan and I have entertained in the past 20 years there has been a feverish rush to be sure that no one knows we live like "everyone else" does. That is-- just like most everyone else-- we clean for company. But this is stressful! I am a fanatic about clutter and my husband is the exact opposite.  We've managed to make that work between us over the past twenty years. (That advice comes only one-to-one. Call me.) But, as much as not-cluttered looks clean--it isn't necessarily. There is still