Well, we are only 2 weeks into February, so I am doing a little better about posting this month’s cleaning challenge. 🙂 This post was supposed to go out last week, and well….. life happened. As a mom, life is just busy trying to juggle everything-taking care of kids, cooking, cleaning, laundry, running kids to activities, church or community responsibilities, work, etc. The list goes on and on and on, and sometimes you just need a nap. 🙂
Of course, this is why I started this series in the first place. All these things take over our to-do list, and areas of our home get forgotten. We might notice these things and say, “I really need to do that sometime”. Add some guilt in there that things are not getting done, and we really start to feel overwhelmed. So take a deep breath and print out this monthly list (and January’s too if you want). Then pick ONE item that you can take care of this week and make time to get it done. Maybe it is just me, but there is a feeling of satisfaction that comes from taking care of something you have been procrastinating. My whole goal of this series is to help you feel good about accomplishing tasks around your home and making it a little cleaner each week. Let’s get started with February!
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Task #1: The Stove
In January, we tackled the fridge and this month we are working on the stove. Hopefully, this is one of your most used appliances and it probably gets pretty grimy. Scrub down the cooktop and wipe off the front of the oven. I personally like to use Bar Keeper’s Friend for my cooktop. Then tackle the inside. Depending on how much it needs to be cleaned, you might have to break out some oven cleaner or use the self-cleaning feature. Make sure you use an exhaust fan or wait until the weather warms up so you can open a window for ventilation.
Pull out the drawer underneath and clean the floor. I don’t know how we get so many crumbs under there, but it was pretty gross. If you are feeling really ambitious, have someone help pull out the stove and clean the sides. I have never moved ours since we moved into our home, so I can just imagine how bad it probably is. Wipe down the inside of the drawer and then put it back in.
Task #2: Detail one kid’s room
When my kids were small, I used to regularly go in and declutter their rooms. As they have gotten older, I have turned the task over to them. My older three do okay with their rooms, but my youngest still needs some help sometimes. She likes to keep EVERYTHING and cleaning can feel overwhelming to her. If there is a big mess, it is hard for a kid to know where to start. We recently spent some time going through her room, throwing away trash, getting rid/donating clothes that she had outgrown, organizing toys and books, etc. While you are focused on their room, wash all of the bedding, wash down walls and baseboards, dust shelves, and vacuum well.
Task #3: Detail one bathroom
Last month, we detailed one bathroom and this month we are going to detail another. If you have more than 2 bathrooms in your home, then make a plan to detail the others either this month or next. Give everything a good cleaning. Wipe down the cabinets, walls, baseboards, windowsill, and the door. Don’t forget to look up high and dust the fan and light fixtures. Change shower curtain liner if it has been a while. If you want to get your toilet and surroundings REALLY clean, my friends with young boys say steam cleaning with a steamer like THIS is an absolute must!
Task #4: Clean under your couch
This was one of the first tasks that I covered last fall when I started this series, so I didn’t think it was too bad under my couches. After a few months and the holidays, it definitely needed to be cleaned again. Apparently, I need to remind my kids AGAIN that they are supposed to keep food in the kitchen. 🙂
Task #5: Wash your rugs
Rugs in the kitchen and bathrooms collect all kinds of nastiness. If you have washable rugs, throw them in the washing machine and give them a good cleaning this week.
Task #6: Organize the backpack/shoes area
Whether you have a closet, bench, or mudroom, spend time this month organizing the area (for some reason we have 3 different areas in our home for these things). Get rid of shoes that are too small or are worn out, and organize what is left. We have used a shoe tree similar to THIS ONE for years. Organize hats and gloves into containers if you have room. Have your kids go through their backpacks and clean out the trash.
Task #7: Wash your winter clothing
I recently helped at a school activity where they had a police officer come talk to the kids about winter survival. One thing that he mentioned was that it is important to wash your winter clothes (coats, hats, gloves, etc) often. We tend to sweat when we are outside shoveling or playing/sledding/skiing. Our sweat can then affect the fabric of our winter items so they don’t keep us warm. They can also harbor germs and bacteria that can spread illness. Most of us only wash our winter clothes once a season, and it is not enough. So, make it a priority to have everything cleaned this month before you put it away for spring.
There you have it! To access the printables for the 7 Tasks Series, sign up for my email list below (sent every couple weeks). Print out February (and January) and then pick 1-2 tasks that you can get done this week. If you are already on my email list, then the link to the printables will be in your newsletter this week!
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