Thou Shalt Clean

10 Minute Clean-up

Shannon — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:25:44 +0000

Because cleaning is a dreaded task and not something that anyone looks forward to, it seems to take forever. The fact is, cleaning up for just a few minutes a day, here and there, really can make a difference.

I set the timer for 10 minutes the other day and started cleaning my daughter’s bedroom. Here’s what it looked like before:

And this is what it looked like after my ten-minute clean-up:

I didn’t think that I had started the timer, because I was almost completely finished when the timer went off and I didn’t think that I would get half the room clean in ten minutes!

So, here’s your challenge for today: Choose a room in your house that needs some tidying-up and set the timer for ten minutes and clean, clean, clean until the timer goes off. You’ll be amazed at the results!

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Cleaning Myths

Shannon — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:15:25 +0000

If you’re a “wannabe neat freak”, chances are you are somewhat of a perfectionist. Although it may seem contradictory, the more of a perfectionist you are, the bigger chance there is that your house is in desperate need of cleaning. This “all or none” attitude can definitely be a hinderance to your goal of having a clean house because most of the time we don’t have time to do “all” of it, so “none” of it gets done.

For me it wasn’t a huge task to keep my house clean when I was first married, even though I worked out of the home because I didn’t have children-yet. When I had my first son, I was fortunate to be able to stay home with him and house cleaning was still somewhat simple. Fast forward 18 years and 5 more kids later and even though I still have the opportunity to be home with my children, it’s definitely more of a challenge keeping the house clean.

I’ve definitely had to change my cleaning habits since my first child was born. My perfectionistic, “all-or-none” cleaning attitude just wasn’t cutting it. So, I’m here to bust a few cleaning myths that will hopefully enlighten your cleaning attitude:

Cleaning Myth #1: When it comes to cleaning, it’s “all-or-nothing’.

I used to do my cleaning by rooms-the bathroom one day, the bedrooms the next day, and so on. Even if I noticed that my toilet was getting a bit icky, I wouldn’t take one minute to scrub it out and wash it clean because if I did that, I would have to clean the entire bathroom, right? And I just didn’t have the time to clean the entire bathroom at that moment. Because of that I dealt with an icky toilet for days longer than I needed to. What I’ve learned over the years is that I can just take a minute (or 39 seconds to be exact) to clean the toilet and leave the rest of the bathroom for later. Same with the kitchen; I can scrub the kitchen sink without having to mop the floor, clean the appliances and wipe down the cabinets.

Cleaning Myth #2 Commercial cleaners are best and the stronger, the better.

Lateley, I’ve come to realize that harsh chemical cleaners aren’t necessarily the best. In fact, they are probably creating toxins in our home that we don’t realize are there. There are tons of homemade, chemical free cleaners that will work in place of the commercial cleaners that you are using. Not only will they create a safer home environment, they’ll also be softer on your pocketbook.

Cleaning Myth #3: Cleaning takes a long time

I’ve asked my seven-year-old daugther several times this week to clean her room. Although she did attempt it once or twice, it always seemed to get messy again by the next day. I decide yesterday that I would just spend ten minutes tidying up in her room and she would complete the job when she got home from school. I set the timer and went to work. I was beginning to think the timer wasn’t working because her room was almost completely clean and I still hadn’t heard the buzzer. It did finally go off, however, and I was amazed at how much I had accomplished in only ten minutes.

So, if we spend just a little time here and there maintaining our homes, it will definitely be easier than waiting until you have time to get the entire job done. Please let me know if you have busted any other cleaning myths )

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Homemade Fabric Softener

Shannon — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:17:14 +0000

After doing a little bit of research, I have found a homemade fabric softener that can be used instead of the dryer sheets. The comment I received by Rebecca from my last post states that she uses vinegar in her rinse cycle. The homemade fabric softener recipe I found uses vinegar and baking soda. Here’s what it is:

1/4 Cup baking soda
1/2 Cup white vinegar

First, you fill your washing machine with water and add your baking soda, laundry detergent and then your clothes. During the final rinse cycle, add the vinegar (pour it into the softener dispenser of your washing machine has one). It’s a lot gentler on your clothes than the commercial brands and you will surely save money by using the homemade version. It will also eliminate the build-up on your lint screen that was mentioned in my previous post.

I would love to hear about any other alternatives for homemade fabric softeners if you’ve used them!

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Clean Your Dryer Lint Screen

Shannon — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:49:15 +0000

I received an email from a friend yesterday that shared a story about her dryer going out. The heating unit went out on her dryer and she had to call a repairman to come and fix it. The repairman showed her something very interesting. He pulled out her dryer lint screen which was clean-she cleans it after every load (I would like to be able to say the same!). The repairman took the lint screen and held it under the faucette. I’m sure you all know what the dryer lint screen looks like and that it is made of mesh. Well, the water just sat on top of the screen! It did not run through like she would have thought.

The repairman explained that the fabric softener sheets she had been using in her dryer created a film over her lint screen and that had a part in her dryer’s heating unit going out. If you’ve ever noticed when you pull a fabric softener sheet from the box, it does feel kind of “waxy”. This is the invisible build-up that ends up on your lint screen, and even your clothes.

To get rid of the build-up, take your dryer lint screen and wash it with hot, soapy water every six months. This will help lower your electric bill and, according to the repairman, double the life of your dryer!

I use dryer sheets all of the time so I had to try this. When I held my dryer lint screen under water, a little bit ran through, but most of it puddled up on top and stayed there. I quickly cleaned it with hot soapy water, and yes, that solved the problem!

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Lists-an important part of being organized

Shannon — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:42:48 +0000

I’m a list keeper. I have a shopping list attached to my refrigerator that me or any one of my family members can add to so I can remember all of the necessities on shopping day. I have a date book that I use to write my daily to-do list in. Lists are in important part of being organized, and for me, a great way to show accomplishment throughout the day.

If you are not a list keeper-I suggest you try it to help you organize your day a little bit better. I usually have more on my to-do list than I can accomplish in one day (is it wishful thinking or delusion?), but it’s nice to be able to cross things off as I get things done. Here are some things to remember about starting a to-do list:

Keep your list visible so you can refer to it often
Put things that have to be accomplished that day at the top. Things that you would like to get done, but can wait, can go at the bottom
Cross things off as you finish the task so you can get that great feeling of accomplishment

I like to use a dry erase board for certain lists (like my kids’ chore assignments for the day), but my personal to-do list stays right by my computer so that I can check it often. Keeping a list is a simple, yet effective way to stay organized!

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ThouShaltClean has a new owner!

Shannon — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:06:43 +0000

I would like to introduce myself to you as the new owner of ThouShaltClean! My name is Shannon and I am a work-at-home mother of six children. Just typing that makes me exhausted, but I’m here to tell you that even though you have kids, even though you have pets, even though you have a husband and even though you have a job-your house can still be clean! I’m living proof of that.

It’s all about baby steps, baby, and I’m here to inspire you, challenge you and inform you. Let’s face it, no matter how the cookie crumbles (and it crumbles often at my house!) cleaning is not fun. I’m not here to flower it up, make it seem easy, help you try to enjoy it, blah-blah-blah. I’m here to help you get your house cleaning done as quickly and effectively as possible so that you can have more time to enjoy the finer and “funner” things in life.

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Keep it Simple

Lara — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:00:47 +0000

Do not make things complicated when organizing. If you have to move 10 things out of place to get to the one you want, problems arise. Somehow the things you moved will not find their way back home…especially if you are in a hurry. Before you know it the messies have arrived.

Keep it Simple

No over stacking
put most used items up front
use drawer organizers
use space savers
clean and crisp is the goal
toss clutter makers

Make it easy to keep things clean! Keep it simple!

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Toss It!

Lara — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:00:38 +0000

If you can be honest with yourself, then this tip will help you keep the messies at bay in a major way! If you know you will not be using something within the next six months to a year. Toss it. Why let it take up space when there are plenty of things you do use on a daily basis that need a home?

If you notice that you have a lot of items that you know will never be used, have a yard sale. Your tash can be someone else’s treasure! Plus, you can make some extra cash to treat yourself with for all your hard work de-cluttering!

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Whew! This bathroom is UNorganized!

Lara — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:00:56 +0000

Well, my bathroom is a harder job than I expected it to be. I found more junk in my linen closet than should be allowed. LOL. I had things I did not even know I had…and more soap pars and pads then any woman should have under normal circumstances!

The cleaning part is complete. The emptying is complete….albeit all the stuff I am keeping is lingering on my dining room table and in two boxes.

Next step. Organize it all!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

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One Step at a Time Leads to an Organized Life

Lara — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:00:27 +0000

Getting organized for those who are organizationally challenged is like trying to eat a soft serve ice cream cone in a furnace…messy and impossible! ROFLMBO! No worries though, there is a solution…

One Step at a Time Cleaning

Do not let the messies overwhelm you. Set small organizing goals. Make a list of everything you would like to accomplish as far as cleaning. Then set out to accomplish them. Do ONE task each day. Just one.

Before you know it, your list will become4 smaller and smaller until you are an organizing guru…(well at least fairly neat, lol)… Then it’s all maintenance baby!

Example of One Step at a Time Organizing

Let’s look at one example from “to do” list.

Clean Kitchen

Break it down in to one cleaning task at a time like this:

Day One: counters
Day Two: fridge
Day Three: stove
Day Four: pantry
Day Five: appliances
Day Six: floors

Success Tip: Remember, once you complete one task, you must maintain it if you want to keep the messies at bay. So, if you clean the counters on day one, make sure you wipe them down on days 2-6. Then when the whole kitchen is done, at the end of each day, your load will be much lighter. You will only be dealing with normal everyday messes…not major overhaul type cleaning.

As you may have already guessed, I am by no means an expert in the ways of organizing. I am an average Mother who is organizationally challenged trying to make life cleaner and less stressful. I am simply sharing what I am learning as I go and hope that there are people out there like me who need simple solutions for the average messy life!

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Bedroom is done. :) Bathroom is next!

Lara — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:30:21 +0000

I am happy to announce that I have completed my bedroom challenge…finally. LOL. The pics are about the same as last time. LOL. You can see them here.

It is so nice to have a clean room again!

Next challenge…

BATHROOM!

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Let the Cleaning Begin…or so I thought!

Lara — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:09:55 +0000

OK, so I have enlisted DH to help me get this house in order. I literally had a melt down last night …tears… crazy laughter… MELT DOWN! And, unfortunately for my beloved family, there was no chocolate in the house for them to save themselves with…LOL. The wrath of Mom was in full force!

He was like sure baby. Whatever you need.

Fast forward to this moment…

He calls me to tell me he has to take the car to the shop. The battery died. And, while he’s there he may as well get the oil changes…blah blah blah!

Soooooooo…..

My supposed first day of “2 hours a day will get the messies away” program is not going to begin today!

Why don’t I just get into the trenches without him?

Well…

I am out numbered by children…messie…whiny children who will do like they do everyday…LOL…break me down. Demolish my defenses and nothing will get done except more messies and giggles!

AHHH!

I need chocolate…NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

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I am beginning to think I am never going…

Lara — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:49:07 +0000

To get my bedroom clean. It is SO depressing. LOL. It is also very overwhelming. How do I … no WHY do I let it get so bad. There must be some flaw in my personality…It must be that creative part of me. LOL. Ya know, artists are complicated creatures. At least that’s what they tell me.

I want to be rich and hire a maid!

Ah, but, who knows if that will ever happen. Guess I better put the chocolate away and get cleaning!

Hmmm….

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Another Day of NO bedroom cleaning went by

Lara — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:07:42 +0000

LOL. OK, so, I still have not even started my dreaded bedroom. DH is so sweet. However, I can tell it is not his favorite thing about me! My dresser messies have begun to merge into his area of the room. LOL! I am migrating my mess!

The poor organized man. How did he wound up with a messie like me. I have taken over his neat areas. He only has his drawers now. LOL!

Speaking of drawers, I HAVE found a way into his bathroom drawer already! ROFLMBO! Hopefully I can be strong and keep my panties out if his drawers!

OK, off to clean…yeah right…you know I am going to go look for that chocolate bar!

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So, I looked at the dreaded bedroom this morning…

Lara — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:38:54 +0000

And I became overwhelmed. I am not sure where the messies come from. Maybe, there is a name for it like everything else. Maybe it’s a syndrome. LOL. Maybe a little green pill can help me be organized! Of course that would mean a gazillion other side affects that may not be worth it! Ah, well, I guess I will have to overcome this horrid phenomenon the old fashioned way…sweat, perseverance and hard work! Blech!

Where did I put that chocolate bar?

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