Why You Need a Cleaning Checklist

Mom life is richly rewarding and amazing. It is also extremely hectic and demanding at times. It is important to create systems that make life as easy as possible. That’s why you need a cleaning checklist to stay on top of your home.

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Collage of Cleaning Checklist and photo of clothespins on a line with text overlay: Why You Need a Cleaning Checklist

 

[bctt tweet=”There are so many things vying for brain space, don’t let cleaning tasks be one of them. That is why you need a cleaning checklist.” username=”diyadulation”]

Last week I shared 5 weird items that I haven’t been cleaning like I should. The real question, though, it why. Why aren’t I cleaning these items like I should be? It’s because they aren’t in a convenient list to keep me on track. There are too many things fighting for priority in my mind to keep track of it all mentally.

Printable Cleaning Checklist Button with text: Grab Your Free Cleaning Printable Today!

 

Put the responsibility on your cleaning checklist and not on your brain. It’s easy to do and will help you tame the stress while staying on top of your home.

You can grab a free printable cleaning checklist in the VIP library or you can make you own handwritten version. Either way you can dominate your domestic responsibilities.

 

Printable Cleaning Checklist

Write It Down

As I said above, there are so many aspects of life you are expected to keep track of that you can’t do it all without help. That help doesn’t have to be people or hired services. Instead, write it down.

Take note of everything you need to clean and how often to clean it. I recommend leaving some blank spaces on your list too, because you will inevitably think of more later. You don’t want to have to create a brand new list to incorporate them.

Make It Reusable

I’m all about saving money and that means making everything I can reusable. A cleaning checklist is no exception. Luckily, there are plenty of easy ways to do this.

 

Printable Cleaning Checklist

Keep it Convenient

Systems don’t work unless they are convenient. Be sure to put your cleaning checklist somewhere you will see it daily. This can be on your vanity, on the back of a cabinet door, or on the wall in your kitchen. Whichever you choose, make sure it is obvious and convenient for you.

Give Yourself Grace

There are going to be days when you simply cannot bring yourself to clean. That’s okay. Your goal should be improvement, not perfection. On the flip side of that, don’t go a week without cleaning because you don’t feel like it. That is not taking a break, it’s laziness. (Don’t worry, I’m guilty of it too.)

Group Cleaning Supplies

Nothing kills your motivation faster than not being able to locate your supplies. Find a way to group cleaning supplies together so you always know where they are.

Do this in a way that makes sense to you. I like my cleaning supplies organized by room. These upcycled room cleaning buckets are what I use. Maybe your organization style is by supplies type. That’s fine too. The point is to make your cleaning supplies easy to find.

 

Collage of Cleaning Checklist and photo of clothespins on a line with text overlay: Why You Need a Cleaning Checklist

There are so many things vying for brain space, don’t let cleaning tasks be one of them. That is why you need a cleaning checklist. It takes the onus off of your brain and puts it onto the paper.

Now all you have to remember is to look at your cleaning checklist once a day. Isn’t that so much easier than trying to store every chore in your head? Heck yeah it is!

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Collage of Cleaning Checklist and photo of clothespins on a line with text overlay: Why You Need a Cleaning Checklist

 

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Easy Small Kitchen Junk Drawer Organization

This month I’m so excited to be teaming up with an awesome group of bloggers to help you get your drawers organized. The hop will take place weekly and focuses on a different room of your home. This week we’re starting with the kitchen and dining room. Start here with this easy small kitchen junk drawer organization.

Sometimes you’re not blessed with a large kitchen. In kitchens like mine, where space is at a minimum, organization is essential. The drawers with utensils are easy to keep organized because of the multitude of products available. The other drawers are a little trickier.

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Collage of Before and After Photos of Junk Drawer with text: Easy Small Kitchen Junk Drawer Organization

[bctt tweet=”Begin your organized journey with this quick and easy small kitchen junk drawer organization! ” username=”diyadulation”]

Some people recommend not having a junk drawer but that doesn’t work for us. If you want to get fancy you can call it a supplies drawer. Then you feel more organized (even if nothing really changes).

Luckily, I have some simple tips for easy small kitchen junk drawer organization. This is one organization task you can complete in minutes and is inexpensive to do.


Welcome to the Drawer Organization Blog Hop! For the entire month of April, 12 bloggers will be sharing the process of cleaning and organizing one drawer in our homes each week. To kick off the first week, we’re focusing on drawers in our kitchen and dining rooms!

Drawer Organization Blog Hop - Week 1 Kitchen & Junk Drawer

My PinterventuresIntelligent Domestications

DIY AdulationDomestically CreativeCookies Coffee and Crafts

Domestic DeadlineAcross the BoulevardMichelle James Designs

Mom Home GuideCentsably Creative • Olives & Okra


Easy Small Kitchen Junk Drawer Organization

 

Kitchen Cabinet and Drawers with arrow pointing at top right drawer

Unorganized Open Kitchen Junk Drawer

Disorganized Kitchen Junk Drawer removed from Cabinet

Step 1

Take your drawer out of your counter. This makes the entire process so much easier.

 

Empty kitchen drawer removed from cabinet

Step 2

Next, remove everything from your drawer.

Tip:

Step 3

Now, clean your entire drawer and any organizing containers with a disinfectant cleaner. I love this Clorox spray for the job!

 

Empty Containers Organized inside a Drawer

Empty Containers Organized inside a Drawer

Step 4

Next, find containers to use as organizers within your drawer. The ones pictured here are:

 

Items removed from Kitchen Junk Drawer

Step 5

Take a hard look at what needs to stay in the drawer and what doesn’t. For example, we had a container of extra pegs for book shelves in the drawer. This should be in the garage with similar items.

 

Organized Kitchen Junk Drawer

Close up of organized junk drawer

Close up of organized junk drawer

Close up of organized junk drawer

Close up of organized junk drawer

Step 6

The last step is to return the items you are keeping in the junk drawer to the newly designated places.

 

Collage of Before and After Photos of Junk Drawer with text: Easy Small Kitchen Junk Drawer Organization

This easy small kitchen junk drawer organization will let you knock out a new budget-friendly project quickly. Now it is time to check out the other awesome organization ideas from my friends! By the end of the month, we’ll have all of your drawers clean and organized.

For more kitchen and dining room drawer organization ideas, visit the other host blogs below.

 
 
 

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Collage of Before and After Photos of Junk Drawer with text: Easy Small Kitchen Junk Drawer Organization

5 Weird Items You Aren’t Cleaning But Should Be

It’s the time of year that cleaning is at the forefront of our minds. As if we needed more guilt about the state of our homes and our housekeeping habits. However, with cleaning on my mind I’ve noticed a lot of things I’m not cleaning regularly. If you’re like me here is a list of weird items you aren’t cleaning but should be.

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Green Fans on a Wall, close up of Hello Kitty sleep mask, and a woman sitting in a laundry mat washer with text overlay: 5 Weird Items Your Aren't Cleaning But Should Be

[bctt tweet=”Don’t forget these 5 weird items during your next cleaning session. #cleaningtips” username=”diyadulation”]

Last week I was laying in bed trying to fall asleep. I recently started a night time beauty ritual to try to improve my skin tone. It’s not easy to start routines so I think about it a lot. Suddenly, it dawned on me that I couldn’t tell you the last time I washed my eye mask.

This is something I wear every single night and it is washed once a year at best. Yuck! It led to other items I’m not cleaning like I should and I figure you might be missing them too.

 

Hot Pink Hello Kitty Sleep Mask

Sleep Mask

Since this is the item that spurred it all we’ll start with it. This mask is enveloping part of your face everyday. That means oil, dirt, and sweat are building up on it even if you clean your face before bed.

Think of this like your sheets. Throw it in the wash at least once a week. If you’re worried about going without it for a night purchase a second one. Then you can rotate them out as needed.

Doors

When is the last time you scrubbed your doors? Think of all of those grubby hands grabbing the handles day in and day out. Again, this is a germ magnet.

I recommend wiping the handles with a Clorox wipe daily. Fully scrub the door every other week at a minimum. Don’t forget a quick pass of the frames while you’re at it.

 

White phone sitting on a computer keyboard

Electronics

Before our television hung on the wall, it was low enough the little fingers could (and did) touch it constantly. Couple with that computers, tablets, and phones with touch screens and these things get a lot dirtier than they used to. I remember being able to dust the computer monitor and CRT television and calling it a day.

Now your electronics require more maintenance. Use a cleaner like this with a microfiber cloth for the screens. Then use compressed air for keyboards and speakers.

Bonus Tip:

Pantry Organizers

We use plastic bins to wrangle snacks, breakfast items, and more in our pantry. These need to get washed occasionally as well. These are like your kitchen cabinets. They accrue build up and yuckiness that needs to be washed off.

I love the Dawn infused paper towels for this job. The Dawn busts through the grease and grime making the process quick and easy.

 

Green Fans attached to a wall

Fans

With summer coming up, don’t forget about the fans in your home. They are dust and dirt magnets. In fact, they’re actively sucking any particles lingering in your air. Again, gross.

To clean these, take apart the casing by unscrewing it. Throw the casing in your shower and cover with any foaming cleanser (I like Scrubbing Bubbles). While that sits, wipe down the blades of the fan. Finally, use your shower nozzle to spray off the foaming cleaner on the casings. All them to dry and put them back together.

 

woman sitting in a laundry mat washer with text overlay: 5 Weird Items Your Aren't Cleaning But Should Be

There you have my 5 weird items you aren’t cleaning but should be. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all of the spring cleaning, start with these items that you haven’t cleaned in a while (if ever). Better to accomplish something than be paralyzed into inaction.

What other items would you add to this list? I’d love to hear about them in the comments. Don’t worry, there will be no judgments here. Someone who hasn’t thought to wash their sleep mask in a year doesn’t get to judge, amiright?

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Green Fans on a Wall and a woman sitting in a laundry mat washer with text overlay: 5 Weird Items Your Aren't Cleaning But Should Be

 

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