Now that the horrid allergies of spring have passed, I am confronted with the season's other beast: Spring Cleaning. I used to think that was sort of awkward and cliche, perhaps better representing a time long past when housekeeping was designated by misogynistic roles. That, and I was really quite lazy.
Then, in the late 1990s, my perspective on cleaning changed, when I took a job with a professional house cleaning service. I quickly learned that cleaning had nothing to do with gender roles (actually, the best cleaner in our company was male, as were some of our most fastidious customers) or outdated ideals. Rather, a clean and healthy home simply made a happier environment. Cleaning my own home and adding personal details gave me a sense of pride and satisfaction that no amount of leisure ever could.
These days, I still strive for a clean home. I remember many tricks of the trade (i.e., rubbing alcohol on a cloth baby diaper easily polishes glass and chrome without streaking) and use the same methods for efficiency (always go from top to bottom, working around to the dirtiest spot, carrying bottles, rags, and dusters along in a tool belt.) The hurdle I run into these days isn't laziness or lack of skill--it is time management. With a kindergartener and a menagerie of pets running around, college classes, and odd writing and tutoring jobs galore, cleaning often becomes a lower priority. I have trouble even keeping my website cleaned up... my sidebar is in dire need of straightening and refreshing!
I came to a point where I was spending more time trying to plan what to do next than actually doing it. In frustration, I turned to the internet. After all, it's the web that got me into this mess in the first place. (Not that I'd complain, or turn down the opportunities the web has presented me.) That's when I ran across the Fly Lady. It was suggested in an article in our local kid's paper (appropriately named the Kid Pages) and seemed to be just what I was looking for:
Are YOU living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome)...?
You'd think she saw me coming.
Beyond the opening title which brought a smile to my face, I was impressed with what I saw. First, the Fly Lady's styles and schedules were already pretty close to my own. Second, it was free. You can't beat free. The system is based on Yahoo Groups. Frequent reminders are sent through e-mail. (I'd much rather receive messages that say "reboot your laundry" than the ones that say "improve your erection".) The reminders are gentle and simple, usually prescribing blocks of 15 minutes, with frequent breaks and drinking water. At the bottom of every reminder is a reassuring message: "You are not behind! I don't want you to try to catch up; I just want you to jump in where we are. O.K.?"
Advice is given with a dose of humor. I knew I'd found a kindred spirit when I read, "Just know in your heart that you have cleaned it very well now and it doesn't have to be perfect. Our perfectionism is what got us in this situation in the first place." So, I signed up. Now, I'll be doing my spring cleaning in small increments, catching up gradually, and keeping it up as I go. Perhaps I'll even get around to dusting off my sidebar!
Before I go, I'll leave one last trick I've learned over the years. One of the biggest things people dread is washing windows, and will pass the job off to someone else at just about any cost. But it can be quick and easy (even fun, if you can get into that sort of thing) if done right, as the professionals do. Equipment-wise, all you need is a bucket, a sponge, a squeegee, and something to polish with. As I recommended above, a cloth diaper with a touch of rubbing alcohol is excellent... but paper towels work just as well. For a cleaning solution, I recommend using a drop of liquid dishwasher detergent in a bucket of hot water. Regular dish soap can work, but it's easy to use more than a drop, which ends up leaving streaks later.
Dip the sponge in the bucket, then shake off the excess water. Scrub down the window. It doesn't have to be fancy, just make sure there isn't anything stuck on. Then, starting at a top corner, use the squeegee to wipe the water down, pressing firmly. This should leave a mostly clean window, with a few lines where the edge of the squeegee passed. These can be minimized by wiping off the squeegee in between wipes. The remaining lines can be polished off with a clean towel, either dry or sprinkled with a few drops of rubbing alcohol. The real catch with washing windows is to not wipe them. A bottle of window cleaner and a rag tends to just streak and smear, making the task take much longer than it needs to. This method works on big bathroom mirrors, as well. If you have trouble getting off spots of hairspray, try dissolving them in rubbing alcohol when scrubbing, rather than the water solution.
Image via the FlyShop
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