The How-To-Clean-Your-Home Guide
Do you struggle to keep your environment at home or at work tidy? Do you find it takes you longer than it seems to take others to clean your house or sort your office? Do you start tasks that you don't finish? Do you worry you won't be able to find something when you need it or that you will run out of clean clothes without noticing? If any of the above apply you may benefit from reading this blog.
I am dedicating this blog to the many people who suffer with the same inability to consistently keep their houses clean as I do. I have worked hard to keep my environment clean all of my life, yet I have always ended up with housework that required me to put in more hours than my full-time jobs did. As a result so long as I worked full-time I could not keep a clean home. I had no system and I let things get on top of me. As a result I rarely felt proud to take people into my home, as I felt it gave a poor reflection of me.
I know I am not the only one out there who wishes their homes gave a better reflection of who they are. So I dedicate this blog to them in the hope that they too can start to free up more time to relax, pursue other interests AND enjoy living and working in tidy environments.
* If you have ADHD or issues with maintaining focus on reading lots of text please feel free to skip straight to the 'How-To-Clean-My-House Guide'. If you like it you can always come back and read the rest later. ;-)
I am dedicating this blog to the many people who suffer with the same inability to consistently keep their houses clean as I do. I have worked hard to keep my environment clean all of my life, yet I have always ended up with housework that required me to put in more hours than my full-time jobs did. As a result so long as I worked full-time I could not keep a clean home. I had no system and I let things get on top of me. As a result I rarely felt proud to take people into my home, as I felt it gave a poor reflection of me.
I know I am not the only one out there who wishes their homes gave a better reflection of who they are. So I dedicate this blog to them in the hope that they too can start to free up more time to relax, pursue other interests AND enjoy living and working in tidy environments.
* If you have ADHD or issues with maintaining focus on reading lots of text please feel free to skip straight to the 'How-To-Clean-My-House Guide'. If you like it you can always come back and read the rest later. ;-)
Why Is It Such A Struggle To Clean My House?
I have been diagnosed with dyspraxia/DCD, dyslexia, Irlen syndrome and a few other differences that affect the way I perceive the world around me and the way I physically interact in the space around me. It also affects my ability to mentally organise and sequence my actions. I believe the underlying issue is that I have a particularly poor working memory which means I have never actually 'learned' how to clean a house properly or organise an office.
How Does That Affect My Ability To Clean?
Some Neuro-Typical (NT), people may look at this blog and think it probably took longer for me to write the list than it takes for them to actually clean their house, and they are probably right. The way I try to explain it to NT people is to think how they would cope if they suddenly found themselves in a strange house where they didn't know where anything was meant to be put or where any of the cleaning products were kept, then they might appreciate, that's what it's like for me every time I cook or clean.
My neurodiverse wiring causes me to have issues with learning processes like cleaning and doing it in the right order. I know that every time I have ever cleaned a house, it has always felt like I am out of my depth. I always seem to spend more time looking for things and concentrating on little tasks that I get distracted by. The result is more often than not - a messy house. So when I decide to clean the whole house it always used to really need it.
It used to take me about three days to actually clean the house, even then I never seemed to get around to cleaning the doors or windows! The end result was that my house always looked dirty, I could never keep up with it and I would often end up with no clean clothes.
Once I had children that started to change. I spent longer and longer cleaning but the house was hardly ever clean. The rooms my children played in were always safe but not always clean.
My neurodiverse wiring causes me to have issues with learning processes like cleaning and doing it in the right order. I know that every time I have ever cleaned a house, it has always felt like I am out of my depth. I always seem to spend more time looking for things and concentrating on little tasks that I get distracted by. The result is more often than not - a messy house. So when I decide to clean the whole house it always used to really need it.
It used to take me about three days to actually clean the house, even then I never seemed to get around to cleaning the doors or windows! The end result was that my house always looked dirty, I could never keep up with it and I would often end up with no clean clothes.
Once I had children that started to change. I spent longer and longer cleaning but the house was hardly ever clean. The rooms my children played in were always safe but not always clean.
Why I Decided To Take Action
After I had my dyspraxia assessment in 2012, it was explained to me that I should start putting new strategies in place to help me adapt to my differences. I was also encouraged to learn to prepare better as that would help me overcome some of my difficulties. For example, on Sundays I could make sure I had all my clothes ironed, paired and hung in the wardrobe so that I would have them ready for each day of the coming week, I could benefit from preparing all the utensils I'd need for the meal I'm cooking and have everything I'm going to need on a tray beside me so I don't have to walk around lots. I was given lots of helpful advice, the advice was from experts I respected and I knew what they were saying made sense.
To be honest though, at first I didn't do any of them. I didn't have the time to write a list of how to clean my house or to find the time to do all my ironing by Sunday. I was used to doing things the way I had done them for over 30 years. I honestly couldn't find the time to write lists because I was too busy cleaning the house and not managing my day-to-day chores!
But over the years I slowly implemented more and more strategies, one at a time. I realised that they were actually helping me free up time and achieve better results for myself. I finally got around to making a list and schedule, or as I like to call it, the 'How-to-clean-my-house guide' and I've never looked back since!
To be honest though, at first I didn't do any of them. I didn't have the time to write a list of how to clean my house or to find the time to do all my ironing by Sunday. I was used to doing things the way I had done them for over 30 years. I honestly couldn't find the time to write lists because I was too busy cleaning the house and not managing my day-to-day chores!
But over the years I slowly implemented more and more strategies, one at a time. I realised that they were actually helping me free up time and achieve better results for myself. I finally got around to making a list and schedule, or as I like to call it, the 'How-to-clean-my-house guide' and I've never looked back since!
Realise Your Shortcomings
I can't begin to explain how many times I've stopped what I'm doing and just sighed at my own stupidity. I have a real habit of noticing dirt on the floor, sweeping it up and then clearing the sides and inevitably spilling all the dirt back on the floor. Cleaning any room seems to take me a really long time, often probably because I am doing things in the wrong order and end up doing them twice.
I eventually realised that if I haven't managed to consistently keep a clean house in over 30 years of doing it the same way, then I would have to change the way I did it. So I took a morning out to identify an efficient way of cleaning my house.
What I did first however, was to try to identify my own shortcomings, I'm always doing things in the wrong order, I spend more time looking for things and wondering around not remembering what I'm doing than I do cleaning and I start jobs that I forget and leave unfinished.
So I came up with the following principles. You might want to try these but you may also want to identify your own shortcomings so that you can put priorities in place that are personal to you.
I eventually realised that if I haven't managed to consistently keep a clean house in over 30 years of doing it the same way, then I would have to change the way I did it. So I took a morning out to identify an efficient way of cleaning my house.
What I did first however, was to try to identify my own shortcomings, I'm always doing things in the wrong order, I spend more time looking for things and wondering around not remembering what I'm doing than I do cleaning and I start jobs that I forget and leave unfinished.
So I came up with the following principles. You might want to try these but you may also want to identify your own shortcomings so that you can put priorities in place that are personal to you.
My Basic Principles For Effective Cleaning
1. Always start each room by concentrating on the highest points you need to clean first, bookcases, shelves, window sills, mantle pieces etc should all be done in a top down approach so that you are not chucking dirt on areas you have already cleaned.
2. Minimise the amount of times you need to leave a room by piling things separately or putting them in specific baskets to take to the other areas in the house later.
3. Make sure you have everything you need before you start to minimise how many times you need to leave the room.
4. If you start it - Finish it! It's horrible going into the kitchen and seeing the sink full of greasy cold water because you've forgotten that you left a tray in to soak.
2. Minimise the amount of times you need to leave a room by piling things separately or putting them in specific baskets to take to the other areas in the house later.
3. Make sure you have everything you need before you start to minimise how many times you need to leave the room.
4. If you start it - Finish it! It's horrible going into the kitchen and seeing the sink full of greasy cold water because you've forgotten that you left a tray in to soak.
How I Created My 'How-To' Guide
I eventually realised that in order to do this I either need a brain that provided me with a natural ability to remember these principles, or I need to work to lists! Once I gave up thinking that option one would ever happen, I chose to try the latter. I had no idea how easy it would be to clean the house by following list and schedules. Had I known I would have certainly spent the time to write the list years ago!
When I made my initial list I literally sat in each room and just noted all the jobs that needed doing, working from top to bottom. I worked out what I would need to bring into the room to clean it fully and I worked out roughly how much I would need to take out to make sure I brought in a basket or two if I needed them. I did this for every room in the house and I've got to say I found it really easy to identify what needed doing. When I'm cleaning I guess I'm not really seeing anything past what I am currently doing, I am so focused on each task to make sure I don't break anything or hurt myself that I forget about all the other things that need to be done. I don't know if others experience this too but it was totally different walking from room to room with a pad and paper just identifying all the things that needed to be cleaned.
Once I had my list of chores, I was able to sit down with a cup of tea and work out what cleaning products I would need for each room and was able to add that to the how-to guide.
When I made my initial list I literally sat in each room and just noted all the jobs that needed doing, working from top to bottom. I worked out what I would need to bring into the room to clean it fully and I worked out roughly how much I would need to take out to make sure I brought in a basket or two if I needed them. I did this for every room in the house and I've got to say I found it really easy to identify what needed doing. When I'm cleaning I guess I'm not really seeing anything past what I am currently doing, I am so focused on each task to make sure I don't break anything or hurt myself that I forget about all the other things that need to be done. I don't know if others experience this too but it was totally different walking from room to room with a pad and paper just identifying all the things that needed to be cleaned.
Once I had my list of chores, I was able to sit down with a cup of tea and work out what cleaning products I would need for each room and was able to add that to the how-to guide.
The How-To-Clean-My-House Guide
You may want to try using my 'How-to' template but remember to personalise it for your particular needs. Ticking off each task once it's done should soon show you what is not necessary and what you will need to add to create your own personalised list. The cool thing about this guide is that every time someone offers to help me, instead of looking blankly at them, I say ‘yes please’. Normally if someone offers help I don’t take it because I don’t know where to start to explain what jobs need doing. Now I can just say ‘sure could you just do this item on the list’.
* Remember To Always Finish Each Task Before You Move Onto The Next One!
* Remember To Always Finish Each Task Before You Move Onto The Next One!
Cleaning The Lounge
Items needed: extending hand grabber (mobility aid), furniture & wood polish/wipes, glass cleaner, glass cleaning cloths, rubbish bag & basket to remove items that belong in other rooms.
Order of cleaning:
* Clean mantle piece, window sills, cabinet tops, book shelves, TV stand, DVD cases and/or any other similar items.
* Clean windows (when dirty)
* Wipe doors down, especially around the handles (when dirty)
* Clear all floors - put clothing, toys, books, games etc that don't live in that room in baskets so that you can take them out later.
* Pick up all small furnishings off the floor, rugs, baby seats, toy boxes etc and place on sofas and other larger furniture so that all the floor can be easily accessed.
* Leave lounge taking basket of miscellaneous items from the lounge, the rubbish you've placed in your rubbish bag and the cleaning products you took in with you.
* Bring the vacuum, steamer, broom, mop or whatever gadget you use to clean your floors back with you!
* Give floors a good clean then put all the small furnishings back where they belong
* Take your vacuum or other floor cleaning gadget to the next room you intend to clean.
Order of cleaning:
* Clean mantle piece, window sills, cabinet tops, book shelves, TV stand, DVD cases and/or any other similar items.
* Clean windows (when dirty)
* Wipe doors down, especially around the handles (when dirty)
* Clear all floors - put clothing, toys, books, games etc that don't live in that room in baskets so that you can take them out later.
* Pick up all small furnishings off the floor, rugs, baby seats, toy boxes etc and place on sofas and other larger furniture so that all the floor can be easily accessed.
* Leave lounge taking basket of miscellaneous items from the lounge, the rubbish you've placed in your rubbish bag and the cleaning products you took in with you.
* Bring the vacuum, steamer, broom, mop or whatever gadget you use to clean your floors back with you!
* Give floors a good clean then put all the small furnishings back where they belong
* Take your vacuum or other floor cleaning gadget to the next room you intend to clean.
Cleaning The Kitchen
Items needed: extending hand grabber (mobility aid), perching stool, antibacterial wipes, glass cleaner, glass cleaning cloths, rubbish bag & basket to remove items that belong in other rooms.
Order of cleaning
* Remove all items from countertops, window cills, etc, to have completely clear surfaces.
* Place items that don't belong in the kitchen into basket to deal with later
* Check all cupboards are clean & properly organised - reorganise & wipe down (when needed)
* Clean all dishes
* Wipe down/clean all surfaces
* Dry and put all clean dishes away
* Clean sink & drying area
* Clean Windows (when needed)
* Put all items back in their homes on countertops, etc.
* Clear floor space so that you can give floors a thorough clean
* Place basket with miscellaneous stuff in corridor
* Sweep floor
* Wipe down cupboard doors
* Mop floor ( when needed)
Order of cleaning
* Remove all items from countertops, window cills, etc, to have completely clear surfaces.
* Place items that don't belong in the kitchen into basket to deal with later
* Check all cupboards are clean & properly organised - reorganise & wipe down (when needed)
* Clean all dishes
* Wipe down/clean all surfaces
* Dry and put all clean dishes away
* Clean sink & drying area
* Clean Windows (when needed)
* Put all items back in their homes on countertops, etc.
* Clear floor space so that you can give floors a thorough clean
* Place basket with miscellaneous stuff in corridor
* Sweep floor
* Wipe down cupboard doors
* Mop floor ( when needed)
Cleaning The Downstairs Toilet
Items needed: empty clothes basket or box, antibacterial wipes, toilet cleaner wipes, glass cleaner, glass cleaning cloths, rubbish bag, toilet bleach and cleaning cloths.
Order of cleaning
* Put toilet bleach in toilet put seat down
* Move all small items into basket so all sides can be cleaned
* Clean window sill, shelves & cabinet
* Clean mirrors & window
* Clean sink, inside, outside, clean wall tiles & taps
* Clean outside of toilet
* Clear floors of rubbish
* Flush away bleach and use toilet brush to give it a thorough clean
* Empty bin
* Sweep floor
* Wipe down cupboard doors (when needed)
* Mop floor ( when needed)
Order of cleaning
* Put toilet bleach in toilet put seat down
* Move all small items into basket so all sides can be cleaned
* Clean window sill, shelves & cabinet
* Clean mirrors & window
* Clean sink, inside, outside, clean wall tiles & taps
* Clean outside of toilet
* Clear floors of rubbish
* Flush away bleach and use toilet brush to give it a thorough clean
* Empty bin
* Sweep floor
* Wipe down cupboard doors (when needed)
* Mop floor ( when needed)
Cleaning The Corridor
(I usually have a few baskets of miscellaneous stuff I've collected downstairs that need to be sorted so at this point I just stack them in my office to keep them out of the way)
Items needed: extending hand grabber (mobility aid), wood polish/wipes, glass cleaner, rubbish bag & basket to remove items that belong in other rooms.
Order of cleaning
* Put all shoes, bags and coats away
* Clear all floors of items that don't belong there
* Get basket with upstairs cleaning products in and put all the things that shouldn't be on the stairs in it as you go up them!
* Clear all upstairs corridor floors of miscellaneous stuff into basket. To clear floor space put basket into bathroom.
* Search all rooms upstairs for dirty laundry, dirty towels, etc & place in laundry basket
* Bring Laundry basket back downstairs & put by washing machine!
* Vacuum downstairs corridor, stairs & upstairs corridor
Items needed: extending hand grabber (mobility aid), wood polish/wipes, glass cleaner, rubbish bag & basket to remove items that belong in other rooms.
Order of cleaning
* Put all shoes, bags and coats away
* Clear all floors of items that don't belong there
* Get basket with upstairs cleaning products in and put all the things that shouldn't be on the stairs in it as you go up them!
* Clear all upstairs corridor floors of miscellaneous stuff into basket. To clear floor space put basket into bathroom.
* Search all rooms upstairs for dirty laundry, dirty towels, etc & place in laundry basket
* Bring Laundry basket back downstairs & put by washing machine!
* Vacuum downstairs corridor, stairs & upstairs corridor
Cleaning The Main
Bath/Shower Room
Items needed: extending hand grabber (mobility aid), bathroom cleaning wipes, glass cleaner, rubbish bag & basket to remove items that belong in other rooms.
Order of cleaning
* Put toilet bleach in toilet and put seat down
* Move all small items into basket so all surfaces can be cleaned
* Clean window sill, shelves & cabinet
* Clean mirrors & window
* Clean sink, wall tiles & taps
* Clean bath/shower, dirty wall tiles & taps
* Clean outside of toilet
* Clear floors of rubbish
* Flush away bleach and use toilet brush to give it a thorough clean
* Empty bin
* Sweep floor
* Wipe down cupboard doors (when needed)
* Mop floor ( when needed)
Order of cleaning
* Put toilet bleach in toilet and put seat down
* Move all small items into basket so all surfaces can be cleaned
* Clean window sill, shelves & cabinet
* Clean mirrors & window
* Clean sink, wall tiles & taps
* Clean bath/shower, dirty wall tiles & taps
* Clean outside of toilet
* Clear floors of rubbish
* Flush away bleach and use toilet brush to give it a thorough clean
* Empty bin
* Sweep floor
* Wipe down cupboard doors (when needed)
* Mop floor ( when needed)
Cleaning Bedrooms
(If these are the last items on your to-do lists the laundry from these rooms will already have been sorted so that just tidying remains to be done)
Items needed: extending hand grabber (mobility aid), furniture polish/wipes, glass cleaner, rubbish bag & basket to remove items that belong in other rooms.
Order of cleaning
* Remove small items from surfaces, one surface at a time
* Clean window cills, & other surfaces and put items back where they live after you finish each surface
* Clear floor space - put all miscellaneous things that should live elsewhere into basket to deal with later
* Collect rubbish & empty bin
* Vacuum floors
Items needed: extending hand grabber (mobility aid), furniture polish/wipes, glass cleaner, rubbish bag & basket to remove items that belong in other rooms.
Order of cleaning
* Remove small items from surfaces, one surface at a time
* Clean window cills, & other surfaces and put items back where they live after you finish each surface
* Clear floor space - put all miscellaneous things that should live elsewhere into basket to deal with later
* Collect rubbish & empty bin
* Vacuum floors
Now The House Is Clean...
What's Left To Do?
* Sort Baskets so everything that belongs upstairs stays upstairs and everything from downstairs is back downstairs.
* Put laundry on (or schedule a time to do it)
* Make yourself a well-deserved cup of tea or coffee and sit down to sort through all your baskets, sort them back into the baskets but this time specifically for sorting into the right rooms. Delegate responsibility - if the items belong to your children make them do them and offer them rewards if they do it well. If it's a partner, flat mate, older child - then just ask them to do it as it's all theirs.
* Put all your detergents and cleaning products back where they live
* Wash your hands (literally), and treat yourself to a well deserved relax in your tidy house!
* Put laundry on (or schedule a time to do it)
* Make yourself a well-deserved cup of tea or coffee and sit down to sort through all your baskets, sort them back into the baskets but this time specifically for sorting into the right rooms. Delegate responsibility - if the items belong to your children make them do them and offer them rewards if they do it well. If it's a partner, flat mate, older child - then just ask them to do it as it's all theirs.
* Put all your detergents and cleaning products back where they live
* Wash your hands (literally), and treat yourself to a well deserved relax in your tidy house!
Final Thoughts...
Once you have a list it's easy to divide jobs amongst flat mates, partners and children. The reason that ironing clothes is not on my list is because I don't do them any more!
If you have these lists you can do the jobs that NEED doing every day, then doing the whole house once a week will take no time at all and make easy work of keeping your whole house clean!
If you find that your belongings have no set places where they live you may need to sort through all your draws, cupboards and storage space to make space for the things you actually use, but again that is a different blog and a job for another day.
Please share this blog with anyone who struggles to keep their homes clean. I will be writing a separate blog for organising your office/work space but as that involves a lot more than just cleaning I want to devote a whole blog just to that.
If you find these blogs useful and want to see all my tools, tips and technique guides please do subscribe to the blog now or 'Like' my Facebook Page, so that you can be notified when the next one is released.
If you have these lists you can do the jobs that NEED doing every day, then doing the whole house once a week will take no time at all and make easy work of keeping your whole house clean!
If you find that your belongings have no set places where they live you may need to sort through all your draws, cupboards and storage space to make space for the things you actually use, but again that is a different blog and a job for another day.
Please share this blog with anyone who struggles to keep their homes clean. I will be writing a separate blog for organising your office/work space but as that involves a lot more than just cleaning I want to devote a whole blog just to that.
If you find these blogs useful and want to see all my tools, tips and technique guides please do subscribe to the blog now or 'Like' my Facebook Page, so that you can be notified when the next one is released.
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