There are many things I'd like to improve on as I approach a new year: my parenting, my marriage, my journey to healthified.
But I'm going to be honest with you all.
I need to improve my cleaning skills.
Note that I use "skills" not "skillz" here. Because skillz would imply I'm a rockstar cleaning machine. It would imply that I am the Nutella of cleaning.
But, friends?
I am anything but.
Maybe you haven't noticed the photos I share on Facebook of my never-ending laundry piles. Or full sink. Or Chat Days about how often we (don't) clean. Or general posts about my complete inability to have my entire house neat and tidy all at the same time. Or the confessions that I'm about to make right here in this very moment that I let inexcusable amounts of time go between bathtub cleanings and my floors don't get the attention they need (read: never).
It's time that Steph gets a Cleaning Intervention.
So here are a few ways I'll be looking to "up" my cleaning game this coming year:
Make a Schedule
I clean haphazardly, which means when it has become an emergency and needs to be cleaned, like, yesterday, I clean it. Getting on a Cleaning Schedule helps keep things neat and tidy on a regular basis. It can be as simple as "Clean bathrooms on Monday. Do laundry on Tuesday. Clean floors on Wednesday. Tidy the bedrooms on Thursday, etc."Clean as You Go
I'm getting better at this, especially last year when we put the house on the Market and knew people could randomly be coming in and out of our house at any given time for showings. Cleaning as you go ensures that things stay generally neater because you are cleaning up after yourself directly after making a mess. Dirty a dish? Rinse it and put it in the dishwasher instead of letting it sit in the sink. Kids play with a puzzle? Have them clean it up before getting out a new toy. Less mess!Make it a Family Affair
Part of the lie I tell myself is that it is my sole responsibility to keep my house clean. But that is so far from the truth. Why? Because I live with three other capable people. My girls are now 3 and 5. They are able to clean up their own messes and handle small chores. Having them set the table, put their dishes in the dishwasher or be responsible for sweeping the counters after lunch is a great way to get small cleaning tasks completed while teaching them cleaning responsibility. I believe we'll start a Family Chore Chart in 2014...Keep Cleaning Supplies On Hand
There is nothing worse than seeing the foulness that is your unclean toilet and being unable to clean it because you have no cleanser on hand. Far too many times I have found myself in this sad situation, on my knees upon the bathroom tile throwing my hands to the heavens crying out, "Whyyyyyyyyy?" How can you clean it if you don't have cleaning supplies? I want to get into the habit of doing an inventory of my cleaning supplies once a month. I will take note of what I am missing and stock up on what I am lacking. That way, whatever cleaning crisis may arise, I will be ready.Use Quality Products like Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle
Have you ever used a less-than-quality cleaning product? How was the outcome? Yeah, pretty shabby, right? I like saving money, but I find it is important to invest in quality cleaning products. Otherwise, you just don't get the kind of clean you are looking for. Mr. Clean has been a go-to brand for years. It's literally in their name. In 2014, they'll be coming out with Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle: a multi-purpose cleaner concentrated with 2.5x more power.  |
| Take that, dirty sink! |
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| You can't escape him, mucky floors! |
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| Surrender, foul toilet! |
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| 2.5x the power, 2.5x the fun |
And you can use it to clean just about anything.
Including that foul toilet.
CLEAN THAT THING ALREADY, WOULDJA?
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| We make a great team. |
This is a compensated post brought to you by Mr. Clean. Mr. Clean is kicking off the New Year with the launch of a new product called Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle, a new multi-purpose, multi-surface concentrated cleaning gel that delivers superior cleaning performance on and off the floor. Be sure to like Mr. Clean on Facebook and follow @RealMrClean on Twitter.
