7 Tasks for a Cleaner Home: Week 2

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Welcome back to Week Two of our 7 tasks for a Cleaner Home series!  If you missed week 1, no worries! You are not behind and you do not have to play catch up. This series is about taking small steps to get a cleaner home, so celebrate your accomplishments and move forward. If you would like to check out week 1, you can find it HERE. Want a free printable for week 1 & 2? Follow the instructions at the bottom of the post!

Task #1-Organize your desk

Oh, the kitchen desk.  Whether it is a small area on the countertop or a dedicated desk space, this is probably an area that needs help on a daily basis.  I was so happy to have this lovely space in our kitchen when we built our house, but my husband swears that we will never have something like it again.  Good thing I don’t plan on moving again for a long time! 🙂

Truth be told, this area is the dumping spot for every paper that comes through the door of our home. I purchased the cabinet on the right with the hopes of more organization.  Unfortunately, it has been taken over as well.  The whole area usually gets a good straightening when I am expecting guests to come over.  Or when it reaches the point when I can’t find anything or stand it anymore.  Since most of my blogging happens in this space, it is becoming more important for me to have a clean space.  So task #1 this week is to spend time organizing the desk space in your home.

Task #2-Clean the microwave

Anyone else have kids that love popcorn? Seriously, the thought of banning microwave popcorn has crossed my mind more than once lately.  Doesn’t matter how much I remind the kids to wipe up fresh messes, somehow the microwave always gets dirty.  Take a few minutes to wipe down the inside and outside this week, or better yet, add this task to your kids’ chore list. 🙂

Task #3-Sweep the garage

Last week, the weather in our area changed from summer to late fall with rain and temps in the 40s.  So not ready for that yet!  Hopefully, the weather will return to average temps in the 60s this week since task #3 is in the garage.  This task can be as involved as you have time for this week.  Personally, I spent about 10 minutes sweeping up grass and dirt that had been hiding around the edges of the garage.   If you have more time and want to move everything, then go for it. It is one of those areas that gets overlooked a lot but will make you feel great to see it clean.

Task #4-Wash ALL your bedding

When was the last time you washed all your bedding including the mattress pad?  If you have little kids, all their bedding probably gets washed regularly (when they get sick).  I wash our sheets weekly but tend to overlook the blankets and mattress pad.  Take time this week to launder all of your bedding and then sleep well in fresh bedding.

Task #5-Wash rugs

Rugs are another item in our homes that get overlooked unless something gets spilled on them.  If you have small rugs in your kitchen and/or bathroom that can be washed, round them up this week and throw them in the washer. If you have bigger rugs, vacuum or flip them off outside.  It will make a big difference in your home.

  Task #6-Shoes

Task #6 is focused on organizing your shoe area.  Whether it is a coat closet, mudroom, or a basket by the door, go through it this week. With six people in our house, we have A LOT of shoes (this is just part of them).  Having a place for everyone to keep them is important to keeping them off the floor.  I purchased our shoe rack years ago, and it works great when everyone actually puts their shoes on it.  This shoe rack on Amazon is very similar and has good reviews.

Go through all the shoes, and get rid of everything that is too small or worn out.  If you have time, mop or vacuum the floor of the closet. You will be surprised how much dirt accumulates in the area.  And in case you were wondering about the 3 drawer container-I use it to organize gloves, hats, and water shoes.

Task #7-Schedule furnace tune-up

Last Fall, I made a note on my whiteboard to schedule a furnace tune-up.  I kept putting it off and putting it off until I finally erased the note in April without actually doing it. 😐 I am determined not to let that happen again because I know regular maintenance will help things last longer.  If I am putting it on this list, then I’d better get it done this week!

That’s it for this week. Would you like to receive a free printable with all of the tasks from Week 1 and 2?  Enter your email below to sign up for our weekly newsletters.  Already subscribed? The link will be in this week’s newsletter!