My mother is a professional cleaner. She owned her own business cleaning homes back in the day and it continues today with high end condos. Whenever I scrub my house I hear her chanting in my ear those tips I once found so annoying, but came especially helpful in high school when I cleaned hotel rooms (and now as I manage my own home). I abandoned these cleaning tips in college and a few years following graduation; probably because I was over it. My poor husband suffered through disaster after disaster in our first few years of marriage and every college roommate probably grew tired of me as well. Sorry! Eventually I became fed up with living like a slob and the hours I had to spend cleaning when I did grow tired of it; and finally embraced my mom's cleaning concepts. (Still, not at her level. Like I said, she's a pro.)
Rule #1: Clean from top to bottom. This is common sense because that's how gravity works. Whatever you wipe at the top will come crashing down to the bottom. If you wipe the bottom first, you'll end up cleaning it twice. And when I say "top" I mean ceiling. The ceiling in my kitchen hasn't been touched in years and you can tell. Grease splatters in amazingly high places. A duster with an extension is especially handy for those cob webs in corners. Also, do not forget your ceiling fan.
2. If you can touch it, you need to clean it. This may seem like a duh, but you will be absolutely amazed how many finger prints I wipe off our walls every week. Walls are gross places when you have a toddler. This list could be extensive, but it seriously does not take long. Light switches, door knobs, handles, arm rests, buttons, book covers, etc. etc. Whatever you touch, needs a wipe down.
3. Clean the hidden places. Just because you can close the door on something (or it is above your eye level) does not mean it should be ignored. I remember my mom telling me that you can judge cleanliness by the hidden places: microwave, drawers, linen closet, under the couch, refrigerator shelves, the tops of the frames on your wall, etc. "Don't forget to dust under the decor!" (And yes, if this was a chore she gave, she would always check.) Please, for heavens sake, do not look too closely inside my kitchen cabinets. They haven't been touched for... well... a while... and we'll leave it at that.
4. If you think it's clean, it's probably not. "Don't be satisfied with a once-over!" If I had to complete a list for mom I always had to ask myself, will this pass mom's inspection? Now my question has changed slightly, would this pass a mom inspection?
5. If you're not huffing and puffing you're not scrubbing hard enough. I often thought of my mom during basketball practice when my coach would remind us, "If you're not exhausted after playing defense, you're not defending well enough! Defense is not a time to rest!" Cleaning is not a time to rest! On the days I scrub, I don't worry about a work out. I know I'll get a couple hours in and my arms will be on fire.... On the days I do scrub next to my mom, I have a hard time keeping up with her. She's super woman who fuels on coffee.
6. If you can do nothing else, clean your floors. You would be amazed at how a general pick-up and a quick sweep or vacuum will do wonders for your home's overall appearance.
7. Make your bed. I don't always follow this one. But I've heard it said that the first thing most successful people do when they get out of bed in the morning is make it.
8. Go to bed with a clean kitchen. This rule makes sense because this room is the center of every home. But here's a bout of honesty: this one I don't always follow, but my mom does. She cannot sleep if there's a dirty dish in the sink! I like this rule in the morning when I wake up to a clean kitchen, but when I'm tired and ready to relax... grrrrr... I want that inner-mom-voice to shut up.
Thanks to my mom's super-human-cleaning-powers I've learned a lot, but I have learned the last two all on my own (I hope mom is proud):
9. Magic Erasers are actually magic. If I encounter something that can't even be scrubbed off with one of these suckers and a bit of elbow grease, well, it's there forever. And that's a rare occasion. I buy these things in bulk.
10. Overstuffed = Overwhelmed. If there's too much stuff and items are falling out of whatever bin/drawer/basket/etc. you've put it in - it's time to go through it and trash, sell, or donate the extras. It's not worth having a mess that you can't even properly pick up. Less stuff = less mess = less stress.
Do not mistake my sharing this list with expecting or having perfection. My home doesn't always sparkle. I have two children who love making messes and hate cleaning them up. Ele loves to throw dirt on her legs as she sits in it and I had "Don't wipe your boogers on ______!" repeated to my Briella Bean for many years of her little life. (The blank space held places such as curtains, walls, furniture, pillows, etc.)
While I truly believe in loving and enjoying life, I do not believe in living like a slob. For five or six years of my life others had to endure, with great patience, my sin in allowing life to get too messy. I sincerely apologize to those who had to live with my hoarding, disgusting self. With that in mind, I try to balance life with cleanliness, and I do not always do it perfectly. I do believe in hard work and serving your family. Sometimes making messes fits perfectly into both categories. I encourage you not to live for perfection, because that is impossible. Instead, I encourage you to work hard, serve your family, teach lessons, make memories, point them to Christ, and then clean up afterwards.
Some of the best advice I soaked up from Deb who disciples me is this: serve your family so well that you hit your pillow at night from pure exhaustion and satisfaction of a job well done. Laziness is never rewarded, hard work, however, brings profit. Consider the ant, Proverbs 6:6-11 and observe those around you, for you will learn much:
My mom taught me the value of hard work. What will you teach your children?
Rule #1: Clean from top to bottom. This is common sense because that's how gravity works. Whatever you wipe at the top will come crashing down to the bottom. If you wipe the bottom first, you'll end up cleaning it twice. And when I say "top" I mean ceiling. The ceiling in my kitchen hasn't been touched in years and you can tell. Grease splatters in amazingly high places. A duster with an extension is especially handy for those cob webs in corners. Also, do not forget your ceiling fan.
2. If you can touch it, you need to clean it. This may seem like a duh, but you will be absolutely amazed how many finger prints I wipe off our walls every week. Walls are gross places when you have a toddler. This list could be extensive, but it seriously does not take long. Light switches, door knobs, handles, arm rests, buttons, book covers, etc. etc. Whatever you touch, needs a wipe down.
3. Clean the hidden places. Just because you can close the door on something (or it is above your eye level) does not mean it should be ignored. I remember my mom telling me that you can judge cleanliness by the hidden places: microwave, drawers, linen closet, under the couch, refrigerator shelves, the tops of the frames on your wall, etc. "Don't forget to dust under the decor!" (And yes, if this was a chore she gave, she would always check.) Please, for heavens sake, do not look too closely inside my kitchen cabinets. They haven't been touched for... well... a while... and we'll leave it at that.
4. If you think it's clean, it's probably not. "Don't be satisfied with a once-over!" If I had to complete a list for mom I always had to ask myself, will this pass mom's inspection? Now my question has changed slightly, would this pass a mom inspection?
5. If you're not huffing and puffing you're not scrubbing hard enough. I often thought of my mom during basketball practice when my coach would remind us, "If you're not exhausted after playing defense, you're not defending well enough! Defense is not a time to rest!" Cleaning is not a time to rest! On the days I scrub, I don't worry about a work out. I know I'll get a couple hours in and my arms will be on fire.... On the days I do scrub next to my mom, I have a hard time keeping up with her. She's super woman who fuels on coffee.
6. If you can do nothing else, clean your floors. You would be amazed at how a general pick-up and a quick sweep or vacuum will do wonders for your home's overall appearance.
7. Make your bed. I don't always follow this one. But I've heard it said that the first thing most successful people do when they get out of bed in the morning is make it.
8. Go to bed with a clean kitchen. This rule makes sense because this room is the center of every home. But here's a bout of honesty: this one I don't always follow, but my mom does. She cannot sleep if there's a dirty dish in the sink! I like this rule in the morning when I wake up to a clean kitchen, but when I'm tired and ready to relax... grrrrr... I want that inner-mom-voice to shut up.
Thanks to my mom's super-human-cleaning-powers I've learned a lot, but I have learned the last two all on my own (I hope mom is proud):
9. Magic Erasers are actually magic. If I encounter something that can't even be scrubbed off with one of these suckers and a bit of elbow grease, well, it's there forever. And that's a rare occasion. I buy these things in bulk.
10. Overstuffed = Overwhelmed. If there's too much stuff and items are falling out of whatever bin/drawer/basket/etc. you've put it in - it's time to go through it and trash, sell, or donate the extras. It's not worth having a mess that you can't even properly pick up. Less stuff = less mess = less stress.
Do not mistake my sharing this list with expecting or having perfection. My home doesn't always sparkle. I have two children who love making messes and hate cleaning them up. Ele loves to throw dirt on her legs as she sits in it and I had "Don't wipe your boogers on ______!" repeated to my Briella Bean for many years of her little life. (The blank space held places such as curtains, walls, furniture, pillows, etc.)
While I truly believe in loving and enjoying life, I do not believe in living like a slob. For five or six years of my life others had to endure, with great patience, my sin in allowing life to get too messy. I sincerely apologize to those who had to live with my hoarding, disgusting self. With that in mind, I try to balance life with cleanliness, and I do not always do it perfectly. I do believe in hard work and serving your family. Sometimes making messes fits perfectly into both categories. I encourage you not to live for perfection, because that is impossible. Instead, I encourage you to work hard, serve your family, teach lessons, make memories, point them to Christ, and then clean up afterwards.
Some of the best advice I soaked up from Deb who disciples me is this: serve your family so well that you hit your pillow at night from pure exhaustion and satisfaction of a job well done. Laziness is never rewarded, hard work, however, brings profit. Consider the ant, Proverbs 6:6-11 and observe those around you, for you will learn much:
"I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man." Proverbs 24:30-34In other words, look at the home of a sluggard, of a woman lacking sense and see that it's overgrown with germs, the floor covered in dirty clothes, scattered toys, and dirty dishes. Note that a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and you will reap the consequences. Work hard and the fruit of your labor will be noticed without you having to draw any attention to it. People will take note and will learn from you. What will they learn?
My mom taught me the value of hard work. What will you teach your children?
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