Housecleaning Checklist
Get Organized...Get Conscious

First get organized with a housecleaning checklist. Then, use your meditation techniques to quiet your mind and tune in to your intuition. Now go ahead and clean to your heart’s content.

The following tips are based on the lessons I learned from making many mistakes during my housecleaning career. Hopefully they will make your experience easier.

First, prioritize your housecleaning checklist. List the chores and break them down into reasonable sized chunks. What is reasonable? Whatever you can do well within a specified time frame, and not overtax or stress yourself out.

How to reduce stress, avoid breakage and enjoy housecleaning…

I learned that using my meditation techniques during cleaning, with my eyes open, of course, is the key to happy housecleaning.

If my mind wandered off, out of the present moment, to thoughts about what to feed my family for dinner, or planning my outfit for an upcoming party, I missed important chores on my list and often had to backtrack which wastes time and energy. It is important to stay present.

Keep your housecleaning checklist handy at all times and check off each completed item.

Important Tip: Your intuition may guide you away from the next task on your housecleaning checklist. Be sure to get back on track so you don't leave any task undone.

Establish a logical order of chores on your housecleaning checklist…

Laundry and beds

If laundry and making beds are on your list of chores, begin them first because they are ongoing while you are cleaning.

Gather up all the bedding and towels and start the washing first thing.

Pull out fresh bedding and make up all the beds.

Be alert for the end of each wash and dry cycle so you can put more loads in as you notice.

Fold the laundry right out of the dryer.

If ironing is on your housecleaning checklist, do it after you have cleaned the entire house, but before you wash and wax floors.

Tidy up for easier housecleaning

Empty all trash containers.

Tidy only designated work areas, making sure that all floors, table tops and counters are clear and ready for cleaning.

Tidy up only areas designated on your customer's housecleaning checklist. Doing more than that is a waste of time, and remember your customer is paying for what they want cleaned, not what you want to do.

Being consciously aware makes life so much easier than running unconsciously on auto pilot. Be alert, pay attention and consider your customer’s needs and desires.

Over-deliver yes, but do it to please, not to annoy, your customer.

Kitchen

Clear the table and counters, stack dishes in the dishwasher. If the dishwasher and the washing machine can run at the same time, start the dishwasher.

If cleaning inside the refrigerator is on the list do that before cleaning counters. Remember to clean all containers before returning them to your clean refrigerator.

Next, clean all surfaces in the kitchen, except the floor. Don’t forget range hood and top of fridge (make sure they are on your list).

Empty kitchen garbage container and take all the household garbage outside to the trash can. Or if this is not convenient and efficient, at least put it all near the door where you exit the house.

Dusting

Dry dust before you vacuum because some dust and other particles land on the carpet and floors.

If you have a Blue Wonder micro mop with the telescopic pole, you could use this for ceilings and high corners cobweb dusting.

Vacuuming

Complete all of the vacuuming. With a canister style vacuum cleaner you can clean ledges, ceiling vents and door frames, and even venetian blinds.

Move small pieces of furniture to ensure a good clean. Once a month move large pieces if you can manage them. Don't be afraid to ask for help or recommend a service for special projects.

Another time saver is to vacuum up hair that hangs out on ledges around bathtubs, sinks, decorative crevices on the outside of toilet bowls.

Bathrooms

Clean everything in the bathrooms but the mirrors and washing the floor. Avoid retracing your steps to wipe up the spray from cleaning sinks that are close to the mirrors.

Mirrors, windows and other glass

Clean all the mirrors in one trip around the house. You could also clean the glass on hanging pictures while you move quickly through the house.

Note: If there is still residue from commercial housecleaning products remaining on mirrors and windows, rinse your Blue Wonder cloth and change the water frequently to avoid spots drying on surfaces.

Next wash all the inside windows that need your attention. Give special attention to windows near sinks and inside doors with inset beveled glass.

Spot clean inside windows, walls, doors, baseboards, etc.

Now,check the entire house for finger prints and smudges on walls and doors, and door frames. Lower your eyes to catch the odd shoe smudge on doors and baseboards.

Once the entire house is clean and sparkling, those little smudges become magnified in the eyes of your customer, or your family and friends.

Oversight control

Before you begin washing floors, take a quick, eyes-wide-open search throughout the house for areas that may have been forgotten – they will jump out at you if you are consciously aware in the present moment.

Watch for cleaning tools, energy bar wrappers, you may have left behind. Review your housecleaning checklist and attend to the oversights.

The finish line is fast approaching...

Move all of your housecleaning tools and equipment to the exit door.

At this point, you may notice a strong tendency think about where you are going next. Resist the urge. Stay present.

Keep bringing your conscious awareness into the present moment and give your task at hand 100% of your attention. You will then enjoy the wonderful results of your fine efforts.

Floors – wash/wax

Begin washing floors farthest away from the exit door and back your way out to the exit.

If there is a special treatment of floor wax necessary and if it makes sense to do it before washing floors, then do that. But it may be that the bathroom floors will need to be washed before you attend to the waxed floor. Do whatever works most efficiently for you.

Don’t forget to set the security system alarm as you are leaving.

There you have it – the art of conscious housecleaning.

I hope these simple, basic household cleaning tips are of value to you and make your life easier. Happy cleaning!

I would love to hear about your experience with these ideas. If you have other basic and simple recommendations that support our environmentally friendly cleaning style, please keep in touch at Contact Brenda.

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