Best Tips For Cleaning Methods - Quick and Efficient

Why routine is better than 'as and when' my thoughts for you to consider, read on....

When it comes to cleaning or housework it is so easy to say to yourself I'll do that later, or , that can be left until tommorrow, do you agree?

You can guarantee that if you decide to leave to 'as and when suits you better' or 'tommorrow' something out of the blue will rise it's ugly head!

Such as, you forgot you had an appointment at the dentist or the dog becomes unwell and you have to go to the vet, that all important job now seems in your mind to become the most important thing that you have to do because it just will not leave your mind until it is done!

An example that has happened to me recently is when I had added to my list for the day to clean out some cupboards, my day had been particularly good and I was pleased with my achievements, the added job of cleaning out the cupboards was added as next on my to do list.

Everything was going smoothly until my hubby turned round and asked me where I had put a letter he had received that morning. I thought about his question briefly and responded that I hadn't touched the letter and that he must have put it away somewhere. That was the end of the chat and I continued to start clearing out the cupboards.

At this point for your information I am a person who when decides to do something, I will do everything in my power to do it.

On this occasion however I could not concentrate on the cupboards because all I could think about was the letter that my hubby had mislaid.

I stopped cleaning out the cupboards, putting back what I had already taken out, remembering that this was added to my list for the day and if I didn't get back to the job it wouldn't matter because I hadn't really planned to do it that day it was an addition, therefore if I didn't complete the task to hand, well it wouldn't mean that I hadn't done my jobs for the day, would it?

Getting back to the letter, I started to look for the letter, cupboards, drawers, you know, all of the places that I could have put the letter, like we all do when we are busy we sometimes just put things away without thinking about it.

It was absolutely no good, I had no idea where the letter had gone, so I spoke to my hubby once again knowing for some strange reason that I had put the letter somewhere.

"Have you found your letter" I asked, "No, but don't worry about it now, we will look for it tommorrow morning" he responded.

Nothing annoys me more than putting off today too tommorrow what can be done today, I thought!

Getting rather annoyed at this point, and thinking to myself I know I have not put it anywhere, he must have put it away, I started to look in all the places that hubby could have put it, to no avail I hasten to add.

Exasperated and annoyed with myself and my hubby, because neither of us could remember I thought it best to go back to what I was originally doing, remember, cleaning the cupboards.

The moral to this tale is that if I had stuck to my to do list and not added cleaning my cupboards I would not have spent let's say in the region of one hour of my time looking for the letter, why I hear you say, because I would have been relaxed, unstressed because I had achieved everything on my to do list and that would have meant that I would have remembered where I had put the letter, yes, me I had put the letter away!

As I said earlier I normally achieve what ever I set out to do. In this instance after ten minutes of trying to concentrate on the job in hand, I could not, I had to find the blasted letter!

And find it I did!

I remembered that when my husband had finished reading his post, which consisted of more than one letter, he had said they can go in the bin, what he hadn't said was but not the letter that I was looking for!

So, all of the letters were put in the bin! Luckily, as we recycle paper, they had been put in the recycable bin, so I retrieved the letter from the recycable bin!

By this time it was too late to start more cleaning!

Achieving the achievable for any given day can be so rewarding I think, don't you?

My belief is that if you stick to a routine it becomes boring, I become boring and nothing changes.

However, that said if you achieve what you want to achieve you then become content and at peace with yourself and the job gets done.

Cleaning on the other hand is something that we all have to do, whether it becomes boring and repetitive, it just has to be done, doesn't it!?

I have found over the past twenty eight years (yes, that's right twenty eight years!) of cleaning my lovely home, the only way too achieve the impossible and get all of my cleaning done is to have a routine in place.

Boring, boring, boring, I know it is boring but.... you do get the jobs done.... you do end up with the cleaning done.... and you do end up achieving the result that you set out to achieve in the first place!

This cleaning routine would suit a couple (married, living together, sharing etc), one at home (wifey or hubby, partner, friend etc) and one working for a company, oh and lets add a dog (preferably golden retriever with long hair and reaching 14, smelly and who makes all the mess!)

Its boring but it achieves the result that you are looking for in the first place - to get the job done!

Lets pressume you have already had your first cup of coffee, showered, got dressed etc and the day is just starting to unfold.

1. Prepare breakfast

2. Prepare sarnies for the one going out to work

3. Wash up

4. Pressuming you have a house - tidy downstairs, pack things away, plump cushions.

5. Tidy three bedrooms

6. Make three beds

7. Clean bathroom, don't forget to clean the tiles and polish the taps!

8. Walk the dog (best part of the day in my eyes! other than writing on my hub!)

9. Shower and dry the dog, have a coffee and commence with the hoovering

10. Hoover downstairs and before going upstairs wash the kitchen, dining room and conservatory floor, (that's if you have that type of floor that needs washing!)

11. Continue hoovering the stairs.

12. Hoover three bedrooms and the hallway and bathroom

13. Pack hoover away (you don't want to leave it out because that looks messy!)

14. Pick up the duster and the polish and polish the whole house!

At this point you should be able to look around (that's if your windows are clean, will save that for another day!) and reap the rewards of all your hard work!

Ok its boring, but take my word for it, it works, I am writing this hub knowing that my cleaning is done, my house is tidy, the dog is happy and I am having a break!

Routine works!

As and when jobs to me are those jobs that you know you have to do but take too long to be part of your day to day routine. The reason for this I hasten to add is if you add them to your routine then you might as well accept that the friend that said to you "get a life" is right!

Cleaning needs to be fun! Is that the right word? I'm not quite sure if it is, no, maybe done is the word i'm looking for. Cleaning has to be done!

The as and when list could consist of the following:-

Windows

Clearing out cupboards

Cleaning the fridge

Cleaning the oven

Cleaning the patio

The list is overwhelming! You could add things like washing down the paintwork, cleaning the conservatory.

All of these jobs have to be done at some time or other, so why not make an 'as and when list' and add them to your routine list on those day's when you've managed to complete your routine list?

You'll be amazed at how easy it is to keep everything up together and gain yourself valuable me time, something everyone needs!

Give it one week and I guarantee you that you would have achieved everything on your to do list with a routine in place, and will be adding those dreaded 'as and when' jobs and achieving the achievable.

You tell me!

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