Maintaining
a home is a very large task. With everyone’s busy schedules, it's difficult to
set aside a chunk of time to clean and unclutter your home. on a regular basis?
A house
that is steadily kept clean and tidy reduces unwarranted stress, feels like a
home, and also makes the entire drill of cleaning easy and less work.
When you tackle
one room in your house each month throughout the year, the only thing you’ll
have to think about come next spring is enjoying the weather. Take a monthly
room-by-room approach to deep-cleaning makes the tasks less intimidating.
You’ll have a clean house year-round and more free time to do all the things
you really want to do.
1.
January: January is an ideal month to clean out closets. Go through
your family’s clothes and donate anything your kids have outgrown, or you
haven’t worn in a year or more. Try using space-saving vacuum bags to keep seasonal clothes tucked safely out of the way until
they’re needed.
2.
February: February is all about floors. For a deep clean, you’ll
need to go for a more industrial machine. If you don’t already own a floor scrubber or carpet shampooer, it is easy to rent one. Scrub and wax hardwoods and
shampoo and deodorize carpets.
3.
March: Tackle the laundry room in March. Clean and deodorize
your washing machine. If you store cleaning supplies in the laundry room, check
the bottles for leaks and expiration dates. Then, toss out anything that is old
or damaged.
4.
April: April’s showers aren’t just about flowers. It’s time to
deep clean the bathrooms. Try vinegar to
clean grout and the rest of your bathroom. It may also be time to re-caulk
around the tub and sinks. If you’ve been ignoring that slow drip from the sink,
go ahead and tighten the plumbing, too.
5.
May: Now that the weather is better, get outside and clean up
around the house. Organize the garage, and make sure all your lawn equipment is
in working order. Clean out the flowerbeds and get the garden
ready for planting.
6.
June: June brings warmer weather, so let the sunshine in! While
you’re opening the windows, go ahead and give them a good cleaning. Toss the
towels and go for a squeegee
instead to get a beautiful streak-free finish.
7.
July: July
is the time to focus on the kitchen. This means cleaning the cabinets inside and out as well as
the refrigerator and stove. Grab a toothbrush and dig into the creases around
faucets. Check the food in the freezer and toss anything that looks bad.
8.
August: In August, it’s all about looking up. Look up at your
ceiling fans, lights and vents and get ready to dust and vacuum. Cleaning air vents is
especially important if anyone in your family has allergies. You don’t want to
be circulating dust and mites through the air in your home.
9.
September: The living and dining rooms are on the list for September.
Make sure to vacuum all the furniture, wash curtains and pillow covers and dust behind the
entertainment center. If you have a china cabinet, open it up and wash the
dishes and dust the shelves.
10.
October: O is for October and "office." Take some time to
sort through the piles of papers and receipts. File everything you need by
month to make tax season a breeze. Get on the computer
and clean off your virtual desktop as well. Save photos and documents to an
external hard drive to leave more room on the computer for new information.
11.
November: Before you settle in for a long winter’s nap, deep clean the bedrooms. Vacuum and deodorize mattresses. Clean your pillows
according the manufacturer’s instructions. Sweep under the bed and behind the
dressers. Break out your winter clothes and pack away the summer attire.
12.
December: It’s time to make room in the playroom. Sort through the toys and toss anything that is broken
beyond repair. Replace dead batteries. Gather all the pieces to play sets
together and place them in a bin or resealable baggies so when the kids go to
play; they will be able to find everything they need. Donate the toys your kids
no longer play with.
"I had to clean my house for 2
hours just to tell guests, “Sorry about the mess.” (Anonymous)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“12 Ways
to Keep Your Home Organized and Clutter-Free”
by Fairuz Maggio
·
“12 Ways to Keep Your House Sparkling Clean
Year-Round” by James White,
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