FlyLady Tips: Why Finding the Exact Right Spot for Everything In Your House is So Fun!~Zone Cleaning: Bathrooms and Kid’s Rooms

The Happiness Project  

Ladies…it’s that time again…Cleaning! And to make it way more fun, I’m sharing a video from a fantastic blog! Gretchen Rubin is challenging us this year with various new habits regarding order. I love how she talks..what she shares and the results I get from doing what she suggests.  

It’s time for true confessions…I just didn’t want to clean this week. Tim’s been gone for almost a month with only a short break in the middle..and I was suffering from a severe case of the ‘blahs’. This was very bad timing as the grandkids are coming in the morning..and I really needed to have things clean and in order-especially all the ‘little’ stuff that is so enticing to little hands. But I just couldn’t get motivated!

So I went to my favorite place to hang out… Maria Killam’s blog Colour Me Happy and after reading her great post about how to work with the color of stone in your house I saw The Happiness Project’s recent post title on her sidebar. I was intrigued!  So I dropped by to visit..watched the video and ‘Voila’ I was suddenly consumed with the desire to put away everything within reach!  I cleaned like crazy and only stopped to pay the bills about half way through the day. It was actually fun!!!

The sewing/computer room was in the worst shape and now it looks perfect! Finding exact places for everything was such a fun challenge that I just couldn’t stop. So that’s my challenge for you for a new habit to establish this week. Make a promise for this week that every time you use something this week, put it back in the exact right spot. See if you don’t find your house staying a lot cleaner and you may actually enjoy the process too!

Read great decorating article here: Tile or Porcelain in the Bathroom by Maria Killam

Speaking of bathrooms…that’s the zone we are supposed to be working in this week at www.Flylady.net.  Here are your assignments and be sure to declutter 15 minutes a day in these rooms too. And if you are considering any re-decorating, be sure to read Maria’s posts about bathrooms. It’s very helpful!

Week 3 - Main Bathroom and Child's Room (or Office)  
O Launder: Wash area rugs, curtains, (shower curtain if necessary), Bedspread, mattress pad, and dust ruffle (turn mattress)
O Floors: Vacuum, sweep, scrub and/ or wax floors
O Scrub toilet, shower door, tub (use Bathroom cleaner for water deposits and scum)
O Dust high and low, (ceiling fans, floorboards,) cobwebs, polish furniture and wood
O Clean windows, mirrors, switchplates, walls and doors, medicine cabinet, dresser tops (409/ Windex)

photo credit

Are your children having trouble keeping their rooms clean?  We had to get Christian’s extra clean for Amanda and the kids and when I went to check on it, I was so surprised at how messy it was! I haven’t been checking very much lately I guess. So he went in and got it spruced up real quick.  If you are having that trouble with your kids, then maybe I can help. Let me tell you one way to make it a lot easier and less daunting for them. 

Maintenance is the KEY! First, help them get it clean top to bottom. (And do it with a smile moms!!)  Then, instead of having them clean it once a week like so many people I know do, have them set the timer for 15 minutes  a day…and straighten it up every single day! No computer or tv until they’ve spent 15 minutes cleaning their room. This will teach them to ‘Do it Daily’ or maintain order and they won’t dread the job nearly as much. If we have trouble knowing where to start when a mess gets too big, how much more so will a child or even a teen.  Teaching them to MAINTAIN order is a gift they will appreciate all the rest of their lives!  And be sure to apply that Exact Right Spot principle here. Kids love it!

Happy Homemaking!