Monday, March 23, 2020

Clean (Don't) Freak

Cleaning your place can be boring, but with a pandemic going on, it's important to keep your living space clean, even if you're the only one using it. Plus, when you break things up into manageable tasks, cleaning can be fun, meditative, and a nice break from work (especially if you're working from home). So here are some cleaning tasks to pick from that can be done in 5 minutes or less:
  • Vacuum your living room rug/carpet - move any furniture that gets shuffled around regularly (like that end table you use to eat dinner in front of the TV - no judgement, I do it too - or the chair that gets brought in for extra seating or the ottoman that goes wherever you feet are) but don't bother with any furniture that isn't moved often
  • Sweep or vacuum the bathroom floor (if you're lucky enough to have more than one bathroom, pick the one most frequently used)
  • Wipe down the kitchen counters with cleaner spray or a warm, soapy rag; if you have a big kitchen, choose the counter(s) adjacent to the sink or the one that gets used most frequently (for me, it's the counter between the sink and the coffee maker)
  • Clean the bathroom mirror(s) with glass cleaner
  • Vacuum the office floor/rug
  • Clean your cellphone screen with rubbing alcohol or screen cleaner (even a warm washcloth is better than nothing)
  • Dust your bookshelves with a warm, soapy rag or duster (you can push the books back, but don't worry about moving them; it isn't dusty underneath them)
  • Sweep or vacuum under your dining table; move the chairs out, but don't worry about moving the table itself
  • Wipe down the fronts of your appliances (like your microwave, dishwasher, or oven) with a warm, soapy rag or cleaning spray
If you have some extra time, pick one:
  • Wipe down stove cooktop (move burner grates if you have gas, or just spray and wipe for electric cooktop; and if you have gas, throw the grates into the dishwasher)
  • Strip your bed and wash your sheets and pillow cases (I know it's a hassle, but trust me: clean sheets feel wonderful)
  • Dust tops of shelves, above trims, and/or the tops of picture frames (a duster, like these Swiffer Dusters I absolutely love, makes this task even easier)
  • Move the houseplants off the window ledge or the stuff that accumulates on your dining table or desk, and wipe the top down with a warm cloth or cleaner spray (I use a disinfecting spray for just about everything, except my dining table, which I clean with a warm, soapy washcloth or wood cleaner)
  • Move the end tables that generally stay in place and vacuum the living room (but don't worry about moving the couch, unless you have help and somewhere to put it)
Though some of these tasks take longer than others, none take very long; you could pick one or two of these tasks a day to tackle.

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