Cleaning up the Holiday's ~ Week 1, Day 3 - Surfaces

Today we're taking 15 minutes and clearing all living room surfaces of knick knacks, books, and other items to dust and organize. You may not get is all done in 15 minutes and that's ok, start with the worst area for you and move outwards.

For my home the main book cases are horrible, we hardly ever dust them and they get coated so quickly. When I do take the time to dust all the books come down and a deep dusting begins. It's hard since there are over 100 books between 3 shelves and I really have no order to the titles. I start with my shelf in the corner, it has the most knick knacks that I don't want the kids touching. Other shelves like the movies and entertainment center get a light dusting about every few days or week. When I dust them only the knick knacks are moved, but if I have time everything comes off and is deep dusted as well. Our gaming cabinet is the hardest to clean, I can't take everything out and it collects dust bunnies the size of a T-rex some months. This is a time I like to make sure I have plenty of canned air handy as well as dusting rags with spray. I use the canned air to force dust out of corners and from behind wires, then use the rags lightly sprayed with Pledge to clean out the dust I just blew around.

As many of my readers know I try to be green whenever I can so I do have a DIY Dusting Spray that does work on the wood, but I mostly buy Pledge Multi Surface because Mr. Mechanic likes it and it makes my cleaning a bit faster. Here is the recipe I use

D.I.Y Dusting Spray 

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 cup warm water

Stir/shake well. Store in a squirt bottle for optimal usage. 

This recipe will be good for about a week and then it's time to start another batch. If you don't think you'll use that much you can half the recipe.

I have another recipe for D.I.Y dusting cloths that I plan on trying out this weekend. I'll post the results after I test them in another post.

I am happy to report that my routine posted yesterday is going as planned
 
Evening
1. Make dinner
2. Go over morning plans with family
3. Make sure dishes are off counters
4. Laundry for the evening is wash, dried, folded, and put away
5. Blog post for tomorrow planned out
6. Bed at a good time

Morning
1. Get kids up, showered, and dressed
2. 15 minute chore time
3. Lunch money given before boarding the bus
4. breakfast and coffee for me
5. Laundry going
6. Blog post typed and posted
7. Community Cake dropped off
8. Check in at work for more class students
9. Laundry
10. 15 minute hot spot clean up

Afternoon
1. Lunch
2. T.V. time
3. Laundry
4. Start dinner 
5. Go over meal plan for the next day
6. Kids come home
7. 15 minute weekly clean up

  I feel good about myself this morning, I know it can be done and I have the goal in sight.