The most valuable thing I've learned from FlyLady is that I don't have to clean my house perfectly to make a difference. One of the ways FlyLady teaches this lesson is through the Weekly Home Blessing Hour, which is "the time FlyLady spends slipshod cleaning her home" by vacuuming, dusting, mopping, polishing mirrors and doors, purging magazines, changing the sheets, and emptying the trash.
My favorite part of this is the vacuuming because, as she puts it, you only vacuum the middles - i.e., the middle of the floors. "Just the middles" has been my mantra more than once when I haven't felt like vacuuming.
FlyLady does her Weekly Home Blessing Hour on Mondays; I've been trying to get in the habit of doing mine on Fridays, so that my house is ready for the weekend, which is when we spend the most time together in it as a family. My habit is very much a work in progress, but I try to at least vacuum and clear the floors and tables. I find that this makes the house as a whole look and feel clean, especially when you first walk in. And that's always a good feeling.
7 comments:
A quick run through the house to hit the high spots gives the impression of clean to visitors. In visiting friends and family I started to notice that just getting clutter off countertops and piles out of sight it makes a huge difference. Line the shoes up by the door instead of leaving them in a pile and always put the dishes in the sink into the dishwasher. It makes all the difference in no time at all.
I think I may try this. I was doing bathrooms Mondays; kitchen Tuesdays; etc but it's just too much. I love the way it looks afterwards, but time is an issue!
It's amazing how nice the house looks after a vacuum! Our carpets are desperate for a cleaning, but even a vacuum makes it all feel better. :-)
Camille, I find that I am continuously trying to find a "schedule" that works for me. When something fits well, it's easy to stick to. Otherwise, I seem to keep putting it off and then realize I should try a different way. It's all a work in progress!
I want to say thank you for mentioning Flylady on your site. I finally checked it out and can finally see the difference in the appearance of the house. I do my whb on Sunday afternoon when hubby leaves for work. I am a payroll she so still working out the scheduling. I def uttered all last week. Thank you again!
Yay! I'm so glad you're finding something that works for you!
The weekly home blessing is really something each person needs to figure out but the message is, short and sweet. My home is 5000 sq ft and we have 6 baths. On Mondays downstairs I swoop up any objects around, dust with a rag, vacuum, mop. I also clean 4 baths "swish and swipe" style and put out fresh towels, take out all the garbage, and wash last weeks' towels. Then on Thurs I do a quick dust and vac upstairs and the other two bathrooms. On Mondays it takes about an hour and a half or less. Trick is to blow through the kitchen, don't get stuck in there! Get rid of your smelly toxic cleaners and fussy little tools and get some Windex, some scented Pledge and some purple rags from Flylady and get sane. Maybe some scrubbing bubbles once in a while for a rust stain. No more getting wet when you clean, dealing with fumes, feeling awful, being stuck all day. If it never gets real dirty because you keep blessing it, all you ever have to do is just keep on, well, just blessing it!
You make a great point about everyone figuring it out for themselves. I love your last line, about "keep blessing it!" :D
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