Are YOU Ready for the "31 Days to Clean" Spring Cleaning Challenge???

As we gear up for the quickly-approaching "31 Days to Clean" Spring Cleaning Challenge, I wanted to encourage you to participate as much or as little as you want.  You can attempt to tackle each assignment for 30 minutes or 3 hours, depending on your availability.  (In fact, you can pick and choose which projects you'd like to do throughout the challenge...who says you have to follow my schedule?)

If you have...

5 minutes - Go through the space and throw away all of the trash and/or expired items. 

10 minutes - Do the above and remove all items that belong somewhere else in the house. 

20 minutes - Do the above and remove items that you no longer need to keep. Ask yourself: "Do I use this?" and "Do I love this?" If the answer is "no" to both of those questions, get rid of it. Don't worry about "What if I need this one day...?"  Likely, that day will never come.  Put the items in a garage sale box or in a Good Will bag near your car.

30 minutes - Do the above and clear all shelves and surfaces, dusting and cleaning each surface (with a little soap and water, if necessary).  If this is all the time you have, put everything back.

1 hour - Do the above and group items in like-categories and (if this is all the time you have) put everything away in a location that makes the most sense.  Ask yourself what you use most often?  Which items need to be within a child's reach?  Which items shouldn't be within a child's reach?  Remember to containerize smaller, like-items in baskets and bins.

2 hours - Do the above and before putting everything back, remove all of the larger items in the room, wiping down baseboards, dusting ceiling fans and vacuuming behind furniture.

More than 2 hours - Do all of the above AND label containers, bins and even shelves, if it would be helpful.  Labels help others in the family know what goes where. (...because, um, we never need reminders...right?)

You can do this.  Take a look at each day's assignment and commit to spending as much time as you can doing something to each space on the list. 

Here is the schedule:

Tuesday 3/1 - Day 1: Clear all surfaces throughout the house

Wednesday 3/2 - Day 2: The Master Bedroom

Thursday 3/3 - Day 3: The Master Closet/Dressers (rotating seasonal clothes)

Friday 3/4 - Day 4: The Master Bathroom
(WEEKEND - catch up or take a break)

Monday 3/7 - Day 5: All Other Bathrooms

Tuesday 3/8 - Day 6: Family Room/TV Room

Wednesday 3/9 - Day 7: The Front Entry/Front Hall

Thursday 3/10 - Day 8: The Laundry Room/Mud Room/Back Entry

Friday 3/11 - Day 9: Formal Living Room/Dining Room

(WEEKEND - catch up or take a break)
Monday 3/14 - Day 10: The Play Room/Kids Toys/Game Room

Tuesday 3/15 - Day 11: The Kids Rooms

Wednesday 3/16 - Day 12: The Kids Closets (rotating seasonal clothes)

Thursday 3/17 - Day 13: The Office/Computer Station

Friday 3/18 - Day 14: The Craft Room/Craft Supplies/Hobby Area

(WEEKEND - catch up or take a break)
Monday 3/21 - Day 15: The Kitchen - Pantry/Dry Food

Tuesday 3/22 - Day 16: The Kitchen - Fridge/Freezer

Wednesday 3/23 - Day 17: The Kitchen - Cabinets & Drawers

Thursday 3/24 - Day 18: The Kitchen - Junk Drawer/Junk Counter

Friday 3/25 - Day 19: The Kitchen - Coupons & Paperwork

(WEEKEND - catch up or take a break)
Monday 3/28 - Day 20: Non-Bedroom Closets (Linen Closet, Coat Closets, etc)

Tuesday 3/29 - Day 21: The Guest Room

Wednesday 3/30 - Day 22: The Basement/Attic

Thursday 3/31 - Day 23: The Garage

This weekend, work on putting everything back where it belongs, instead of just where it's convenient at the time.  Do the dishes immediately after each meal. If you wipe a child's nose, put the tissue in the trash immediately, don't put it on the nearest counter.  Put the towel back on the rack after showering. When you return home from errands, put your sunglasses and keys back in your purse....that one small task will save you precious minutes the next time  you leave the house. 

Remember to check my blog daily throughout the month of March for tips, suggestions and before/after pictures of my own completed assignment.  (I'm going to stay a few days ahead of the assignments so I can share my experience on each post.)

Enjoy the next few days off before we start our Spring Cleaning Challenge on Tuesday.  Have a great weekend!