The Ultimate WAHM Spring Cleaning Challenge: 4 Weeks to Overhaul Your Home, Business, Money and Health

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March is here, yes ma’am and Spring is in full swing.  Today, in fact, we’re celebrating my daughter’s 5^th birthday. It seems only like yesterday that she was this big.

 

When did she go from that to this?

Time does fly.

Speaking of time, as a busy work-at-home mom, I really don’t have a lot of time for spring cleaning. However, I do like doing it and I do know that it leaves my home and our lives feeling a lot brighter, lighter and nicer.

So, all this month, we will be talking about spring cleaning for the home, your business, the budget and most importantly our selves.

Spread across 4 weeks, I will post every Monday and Thursday and share practical, actionable tips, tools AND a weekly challenge to help you have a cleaner home, a more organized business and budget, a healthier body and a streamlined life.

Ready?

 This is what the 4-week Ultimate WAHM Spring Cleaning Challenge will looks like.

Week 1

Spring Cleaning The Home – Bedrooms, Living Rooms and Bathrooms {this post}

Spring Cleaning The Home- Kitchen, Mudrooms and More

Week 2

Spring Clean Your Business – Tools

Spring Clean Your Money: Budgeting, Tools, Tracking

Week 3

Spring Clean Your Self- Eating Habits

Spring Clean Your Time – Calendar, Schedules and Routines

Week 4

Spring Clean Your Online Life: Social Media, Blog Reading, Digital Clutter

Spring Clean Through The Year  AND a super FUN Gift for ALL the Spring Cleaning Challengers!

Why a Weekly Challenge?

With our busy lives, juggling home, family, and a business to boot, weekly challenges are bite-sized and just right to deal with.

In fact, this challenge will be more of a weekend-ish sort, since we’ll have one challenge on Monday and the other on Thursday.

The Thursday challenges will be shorter and quicker so that your weekend doesn’t go in scrubbing, mopping, cleaning.

 How Many Tasks will I Have to Do?

 Seriously.. you’re the boss. You decide what areas need your attention the most and pick the tasks accordingly. But if I had to pick a number, I’d say, pick at least 3 tasks from each area to help you really give your home, business and life an overhaul.

 How Long Will the Tasks Take Me?

I’ve timed myself doing these and it takes me 10 to 15 minutes max to do each task. So, you can either batch 3 together or spread them through the day.

 WAHM Spring Clean Challenge {Sorta} Rules

•  Sign up if you haven’t already so that you don’t miss a challenge.
• Check your inbox or RSS reader every Monday and Thursday to get that week’s Spring Cleaning Tips, Tools AND Challenge.
• Spend the week or the weekend working on the challenge.
• Come back and share how it went on that blog post. Ask questions, share inputs,

I’m here to help you clean up your act this Spring!

Well, now that everything’s sorted, let’s move to the 1^st Challenge!

 Spring Cleaning The Home – Bedrooms, Living Rooms and Bathrooms

The bedroom, bathroom and living rooms can quickly become hotspots for dirt, grime, clutter and god-knows-what-else.

Here’s how to kickstart spring cleaning these high-traffic areas in your home:

 The Bedroom

1. Remove all visible clutter using a large basket or box that can be lugged around. Keep only the MOST essential things here.

2. Flip the mattresses and vacuum.

3. Wash the duvet and the pillows. Ours are feather so we get them dry-cleaned.

4. Wipe windows clean.

5. Wipe door, doorknob, airvents and switch plates clean.

6. Wet wipe all surface areas clean – the bedhead, the nightstand, the dresser, the closet.

7. Vacuum or dust the walls, the light fixtures and the fan.

 The Bathroom 

1. Scrub clean toilet – insides, base and seat. Pour toilet cleaner inside and let it sit awhile while you scrub the base and seat with a paste of baking soda and water.

2. Remove and wash shower curtain.

3. Scrub bathtub clean. We don’t have one, though, since we use the bucket bathing method.  So, I just scrub clean the buckets and mugs.

4. Scrub and remove shower soap scum. Again, a mixture of vinegar and baking soda work wonders but feel free to use whatever cleaner you like.

5. Clean the floor. This is a heavy-duty task. If you have to pick only 3 tasks and you choose this one, just pick one more. Chances are you wouldn’t get much else done. **smiling**

6. Polish mirrors and windows.

7. Clean light fixtures, switch plate and socket covers.

8. Clean baseboards.

9. Wipe walls clean with all-purpose cleaner.

10. Wipe doors and top of doors.

11. Clean the bath mat and trash can.

12. Wipe clean shelves and cabinet doors.

13. Organize medicine cabinet, if you have one in the bathroom. I don’t.

14. Organize towels and washcloths and bathroom linen shelf or cabinet by removing everything that doesn’t belong there and then, stacking everything neatly.

Living Rooms

1. Like the bedroom, take a large container or basket and toss everything that doesn’t belong in the living room into it.

2. Vacuum or dust walls and ceilings, especially those nooks where cobwebs thrive.

3. Dust or vacuum couch, chairs and cushions.

4. Vacuum carpets and floor. If they’re really dirty, hire help and call in the pros. Trust me, it is money well-spent.

5. Remove curtains, table linen, throws and either wash or clean according to manufacturer’s instructions.

6. Wipe clean all art, curios, photographs on the wall and tables.

7. Dust and clean the ceiling fan and light fixtures, including lamps.

8. Remove books from bookshelves. Dust and re-arrange neatly.

9. Unplug and dust all electronics.  Dust CDs, DVDs and arrange neatly.

10. Brush doormats clean.

 Tools To Use

• Vacuum Cleaner, Broom, Duster
• Cleaning spray of your choice. Mine is a mix of 1:1 vinegar and water with a teaspoon of baking soda
• Cleaning Rags, lots of them
• Old newspaper to polish mirrors and windows
• Toilet cleaner
• Baking soda
• Scrubbing brushes
• Carpet cleaning brush
• Sponges
• Squeegee
• Music to keep you pepped up
• Water to stay hydrated
• A timer, if you like the adrenalin rush of speed cleaning

Downloadable Tip Sheet

If you’d like to have a printed out version of the tasks, click here to download a printable task sheet that you can then, file away in your home management notebook for next year!

 Weekly Challenge:

 Pick a minimum of 3 Tasks from each of the areas, so a minimum total of 9 tasks.

Download your FREE Daily Planner, if you haven’t already and jot down 3 for each day.

Come back here on Thursday to share your progress and for the next challenge.

Ready, Set, Clean!

Cheering you on,