What Is Your Cleaning Style?

We all have a cleaning style.  That is, we all prefer to clean and organize our house in a certain way.  And, when we start to plan a big cleaning job, our cleaning style becomes very important.

So, what method do you prefer when you clean your house?  There are two basic cleaning styles to consider:

• Small tasks.
• Big project.

For instance, are you more apt to break cleaning up into small tasks each day to get your house clean, or are you more likely to clean your house in several big projects?

Do you get the whole family involved, or do you prefer to do it yourself while everyone is out of the house?

Are you more likely to vacuum all the floors in the house at one time and wash all the windows at another time, or do you prefer to clean one entire room, floors and windows, at one time?

I know spring cleaning for many people is a big “haul everything out and clean it” production. But, have you given any thought to your own preferred cleaning style?

This may be an important issue because it could make the difference between getting your house cleaned and enjoying it, or getting exhausted and frustrated.

It’s easy to imagine that if you are the type of person who really dislikes turning your house upside-down, living in chaos even for a moment, then perhaps a big spring cleaning day or week is not for you. If you were to haul everything out of its resting place for a good cleaning, the disruption may not sit well with you or your family at all. You may want to consider smaller projects spread over a period of time so as not to wreck havoc on your peaceful domicile.

If, however, you are the type of person who likes the challenge of a huge production, then by all means, rip your house apart and start cleaning! Once you get the cooperation of your family (because this method does produce chaos) your spring cleaning should go pretty fast. Yes, you may have to do some tricky maneuvering around dinnertime, but it will be worth it to get the job done in the style you prefer.

Whether you prefer cleaning jobs broken up into small tasks or cleaning jobs tackled in large projects, there are tips for cleaning your house that will make all your jobs go easier.

1) Use multi-purpose cleaners and tools. The fewer bottles and brushes you have to carry around, the better. You’ll basically need something to scrub with and something to shine with. Look at your cleaning products and see if you can narrow down your number of supplies.

2) Gather your products. Use a plastic caddy or similar item to move your cleaning stuff around with you. How you sort your products will depend on your cleaning style, again. If you’re going after a room at a time, then you’ll need everything for that room. If you’re cleaning all the bathtubs first, then you’ll only need your bathtub scrubbing things.

3) Set a timer. Big projects and small projects both need a time limit. Just because you’re tearing apart the refrigerator, for instance, doesn’t mean you should make it a never-ending task. With a timer running, human nature will take over and you’ll try to beat the clock. Dragging a cleaning task out beyond what’s necessary to get the job done is counterproductive; you’ll be less productive and you’ll waste a lot of time. It’s amazing how much you can accomplish in less time when you know the timer’s running.

4) Get help when you need it. This used to be one of my worst time-wasters. Rather than ask for help, I’d struggle moving the sofa, beds, dressers, and other furniture around to vacuum around the baseboards. The time it took me to wiggle those big pieces of furniture around could have been cut in half with just one request for help. The same goes for hauling out a step stool, cleaning something above your reach, then putting the step stool back. If someone else can reach what needs cleaning, ask them to clean it. This is a great time-saver that makes sense to me, now. If the kids are at an age to help, you may want to give them the opportunity with their very own kid-friendly cleaning tools. This may or may not be helpful, but at least it will keep the little ones busy.

They may seem simple, but sometimes when we are in a habit of cleaning a certain way, we never spend any time to re-think our methods.

Give your own “cleaning style” some thought before you tackle any spring cleaning you may have planned. If your plans don’t match your style, consider rearranging those plans so you, and your family, emerge with a clean house and smiling faces!

P.S. You’ve got your house cleaned now, but how about organized? Are you as organized as you want to be? If not (and who is?!) we can help you with that, too!

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