Family Schedule: Monday

So in Part One, I showed you what a week at the Howard House looks like and in Part Two shared my reasoning for why and how I felt decluttering was a super important step before cleaning could even happen. Now I want to go into further detail on what I actually do on each day.

On Mondays I tackle the Kitchen and Laundry!

I grouped the kitchen with my laundry day that way I can scrub the kitchen, then throw the cleaning towels into my hot load. I scheduled the kitchen on Mondays because some how, over the weekend, the place just gets totally trashed. For the kitchen, I usually use Ajax to scrub my white sink(obviously someone who never has to clean a sink designed a white sink - eye roll)and counter tops. I have usually run the dishwasher the night before so that gets unloaded. I try to reorganize my shelves and take inventory of what we are getting low on. This really helps my menu planning and why not do it while I'm moving and wiping down items anyway. I wipe down the cabinet fronts and drawers, and once a month, I get out the wood polish and oil my cabinets. I try to washout the fridge and organize it while I'm taking inventory too. I sweep and use the wood cleaner on the floor and at the end of the day, I lay out the clean rug that I've washed!

When I stay on top of this and do it every week, I've found that it only takes me 30-45 minutes to clean the entire place down and be finished. I've also found that when the boys see me doing this in the kitchen, I'm blessed with a nice amount of quiet time! It's a great time to pop in a sermon tape or some praise music!! Maybe they are scared I'm going to make them work?? I haven't cleaned the inside of my dilapidated oven since moving in the house, anyone have a great way of doing this??

The laundry also got moved to Mondays because I try not to do any real work during the weekend and by Monday it is super full. I usually end up doing two loads of laundry on Monday, a warm load and a hot load. I'm so blessed to have a new washer and dryer at this house and they hold a TON! We've been dealing with a diaper rash with Morgan, so we've had to switch to disposable diapers for a while in order to heal his cute tiny heiny, but normally I would have a third load to do as well. Washing is the easy part, putting it away seems to be my nemesis. Since I've started with the schedule it has been much easier as I feel true accomplishment when I can check it totally off my list for the day! I've also found that if I get it all started early, I can carry the boy's clothes upstairs at nap time and then, poof, I'm done!!!

Are there any great tips you could share to make kitchen cleaning any easier? Anything you do in your kitchen or laundry room that has helped you get it all done faster or better?? I would love to hear!