Wash, Dry, Fold and Repeat (and Repeat, and Repeat…)

The never ending cycle of household chores. You put the clothes in the wash, then the dryer. You fold the clothes, and put them away. Next, you turn around, and the laundry basket is full and ready to be washed again.   Same goes for the dishes, and the groceries. You make your bed just so you can sleep in it. You sweep and the kids track dirt in as your putting the broom away. The counters need to be wiped down every time the sun shines in, and the shower door has a never-ending film of soap scum. Let’s not even talk about closets. Or, junk drawers. You take everything out, buy the necessary organizational tools, put everything neatly away, and it all looks great. Fast forward a few months…or weeks…or days, and it looks the same as it did before you spent all of the time organizing.   There are those few, rare individuals who never seem to have anything out of place. They’re the really smart ones who put something away as soon as they’re done with it. And, even better, they put it back in the same place they found it. I may have used the word ‘anal’ to describe someone like this at one time or another. Truth be told, I’m just jealous. I wish I had that trait. Instead, I inherited the “Oh good God, do I really have to clean again?” gene. Not sure from where I got it. Certainly, not my mother. She’s one of those enviable, everything-is-always-clean types. I’m not like her. In fact, the only time my house looks even close to how hers always does is when my mother is coming to visit. It also looks good when she leaves, but that’s only because she keeps it that way. Truly, I’m not sure how people do it. Then again, I can’t stand the opposite either. It drives me nuts when my house is a mess. I see every crumb on the floor, every hair on the bathroom sink. I hate dirty dishes in the sink and the clothes all over the floor in my daughter’s room. And, the non-dated leftovers in the refrigerator drive me batty. I just wish I wasn’t the one who had to do something about it all. I always loved the book, The Cat in the Hat. You know, the part where the cleaning thingamajig comes in and cleans up the house. It’s like a dream come true. If only someone could create such a thing. In the meantime, I’ll have to stick to doing things the old-fashioned way. I’ve got to get off my butt and do what needs to be done. Of course, having a cleaning service can make things a lot easier. Even if you can’t have service on a regular basis, a one-time cleaning will certainly help. Call Immaculate Clean for more information, (410) 549-0727.

Organized Household in 15 Minutes a Day

Are you aiming to be more organized in 2016? Have you mentally promised yourself to never let the house turn into a big mess ever again? Well, that’s an easy promise to make but a hard one to keep, especially if your schedule is crazy busy. Our Maryland cleaning company is happy to offer you a few tips on how to keep the mess in check between weekly or biweekly cleanings.

Sort the Mail as it Comes

Unopened envelopes and sales catalogs eventually pile up and spill out of whatever spot you designated for them. Stop the mess before it happens by opening all of your mail and sorting through it as it arrives. Toss those weekly circulars and catalogs into recycling if you don’t read them. Put the bills in the folder on your desk. Place any discarded sensitive info into a box to be shredded later. It will only take you a few minutes! Bonus tip: unsubscribe! If your mail is 90% junk that you throw away, ask to be removed from those mailing lists. You can even ask to be removed from receiving pre-screened credit card offers. Just read the fine print, usually at the end or at the bottom, and follow the instructions.

Clear the Table After a Meal

Whether you eat at the dinner table or at your coffee table in the living room, take a few minutes to clear it after a meal. Put the food items back where they belong, place dirty dishes in the sink or dishwasher, and wipe down crumbs. Voila! It literally takes 3 minutes and you end up with a clean table for tomorrow or for the next meal. Bonus tip: rinse those cups! After you finish your drink, rinse your cup or glass in the sink instead of tossing it into the dishwasher. This way you can reuse it for your next drink and have one less dish to put away.

Make it Easy to Collect Laundry

One of the things that makes doing laundry difficult is the fact that you have to gather it from all over the house and then decide what’s clean and what isn’t, especially if it’s not your laundry. Eliminate half the struggle by placing laundry baskets and hampers in all bedrooms and bathrooms. So all that’s left to do is to grab a basket and take it to the washing machine. You don’t have to have a specific laundry day—as soon as you notice that any of the baskets are full, wash the clothes. Bonus tip: fold it as you take it out. No one likes folding laundry, right? But folding stiff and wrinkly laundry is much less pleasant than folding a fresh, warm pile of clothes. By folding the laundry as you take it out of the dryer you help the clothes stay wrinkle-free, as well as remove one extra step you would have to do later.

Keep the Bathroom Sink Clean

Bathroom sinks and countertops tend to get filthy rather fast. They will need a thorough cleaning every now and then, but meanwhile you can keep them looking neat, so you don’t panic when a friend comes over to visit. Keep a small sponge next to the sink, so that you can wipe it clean after you brush your teeth. It will take you less than a minute and you’ll get rid of toothpaste stains and hair. The bathroom sink is one of the first things you see in the morning—make this sight a pleasant one!

When to Find Time

Although 15-20 minutes isn’t much, if you don’t consciously pick a time slot for cleaning and organizing, it won’t happen. It’s important to pick your cleaning schedule and stick to it. You can clean as soon as you get home from work, even before you change, to keep the momentum going. Or you can take 15 minutes before bed to tidy things up. Consider making it a game and speed-cleaning during commercials. Spot one item that isn’t in its place and put it back where it belongs. After you do it for a few months it will become second nature. And when the time comes for a more serious cleaning, feel free to call Immaculate Clean to lend you a hand. You do enough on a daily basis—take the time off to spend with your friends, family or in long-overdue solitude. Let us scrub the tub, wipe the dust and give your home a fresh makeover you can easily maintain with your new organization and cleaning habits.