While these are important, knowing HOW to clean doesn't do us much good if we never actually get around to it. Bishop Hendricks asked that we have this night as a way to add to our "toolbox' of self-reliance.
The theme for the night was, "Done is better than perfect." This means that we shouldn't let the idea of having to do things perfectly get in the way of doing them at all. Ladies, we aren't perfect housewives (ok, maybe some of us are). We also aren't our mothers (or mothers-in-law). There are some things we might need to loosen our grasp on, and housekeeping to perfection may be one of them. If you feel that keeping a clean house is too overwhelming (or that it's too far gone to ever catch up), A great suggestion was made to set a timer for 15 minutes and do all you can in one room before the timer goes off. When you've finished there, move on to another room. You'll be amazed at the different 15 minutes can make!
Our topics included:
Things we should do daily to keep on top things
- Make your bed!!!
- Sweep, vacuum, and mop (if necessary)
- make sure ALL the dishes have been washed before you go to bed, even if you are tired--you'll feel so much better waking up to a clean counter/sink
- wipe down the bathroom sink and counter--wiping all the water off the faucets prevent hard-water stains
- do a load of laundry so it doesn't turn into Mt. Washmore
- Pick up clothes and make sure they are actually dirty. If it isn't visibly dirty and doesn't smell, don't wash it! It only creates more work for you and wears out the clothes faster if you wash everything every time.
- Spray your shower with a water/vinegar mixture daily to prevent hard water build-up
- Some weekly tasks include: spray faucets with Pledge to prevent buildup, change sheets, dust, clean toilets, and picking one cupboard/draw to clean out and organize.
- Some of KLynn's favorite cleaning tools include terry cloth rags for wiping things down and a dustmop with washable pads to spot clean the floor with. She recommended a cleaner which you buy as a concentrate, then dilute in a spray bottle. She uses it on her floors all the time.
- Click here for ideas of what chores children of certain ages are likely capable of. You may be surprised at just how much our kids can do if given the opportunity!
- Some ideas for how to motivate kids to participate in housekeeping included:
- Write down all jobs that needed to be completed, then draw them out of a hat--when the jobs are done, they're done!
- Make sure to let the kids know what is expected--no surprises. Kids do really well with a bit of structure
- Small rewards along the way--one sister used to place small treat at the bottom of the laundry basket of clean clothes and when the clothes were put away, the kids could have the treat
- After "must do" jobs are done, allow the kids to pick up other jobs to earn money
- Small kids can use picture charts/cards to help them remember what they need to do
- Arline had many great ideas, and there are a bunch on the internet. Her main point was: find something that works for you!
- Use a mixture of half and half vinegar and water to clean windows in place of regular glass cleaner
- Dilute Softscrub--it lasts longer and works just as well
- Invest in a good duster. Jenni recommends The Original California mini duster (available at Walmart in the auto department, or at an auto parts store).
- Try using wet sheet rock mesh instead of a pumice stone to get rid of the ring that forms in the toilet bowl. Pumice stones can scratch the porcelain and make the ring appear faster rand faster so you want to be careful.
- Try cleaning your showers (and lots of other things) with baking soda--it's kid friendly!
- You can also used a water/baking soda/dish soap mix to clean the inside of your oven after using conventional oven clean to prevent that white film. I've also heard you can use it in place of the oven cleaner, but I haven't tried that one personally.
- Keep cleaning supplies in each bathroom
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