Hello thread, long time no cleaning. I am clearing surfaces this week. I will take before & after photos for myself. Key areas:
There are a hundred other surfaces in the house to be cleared, but these are the ones I am doing this week.
I definitely have more motivation for autumn cleaning than spring cleaning (probably because I’m in prep for holing up).
Yesterday I:
Goals:
Very productive day. I started with the long term piles on the floor. It is now clear, so I won’t trip while clearing the next surfaces.
Floor is still clear! I like this part where it stays nice.
I organised and consolidated the contents of my bedside dresser. The top is almost down to the items I actually need on it.
I am slowly getting the kitchen bench cleared. Almost all the food that was on the bench has been stuffed into the pantry somehow.
So, progress had been made. I will report back after the weekend.
Kitchen bench is covered in pantry goods, pile of clean clothing on the floor is back. No problem, we did it once, we can do it again!
I never have motivation to Spring clean; I just want to be outside lol. Now with the ‘sad’ weather I’m allways inside and it would be easier to clean. There are so many things to do that I don’t know where to start. Take it room by room or by type (clothes, papers, etc.) or surfaces (floor, shelves, dressing, etc)?
I’m a big proponent of starting with whatever seems the least off putting, i.e. that the best method is the one you will actually do. So if say a part of you enjoys going through clothes but you absolutely hate dusting shelves, start with clothes, and hope you’re able to keep the momentum going!
Yes! The momentum method. Starting is the best way to start, period.
It is the day before our fortnightly cleaners. I’m going to go through the house from least-used room to most-used as I tidy. That way it should stay mostly tidy for 24 hours until they’ve cleaned.
This strategy worked! It meant I could do all the little bits in the 5 “mostly tidy” rooms, and focus Duckling & Ponder’s energy on the kitchen and loungeroom (i.e. toy cleanup and dishes). No rushing around this morning to tidy up because we could do most of it last night.
This means over the next fortnight, I can pick another small but long-term untidy space to clean up.
Tidying the carport took precedence over tidying inside the house. Here’s a few before/in progress pics.
We will just tidy whatever we can before cleaners come tomorrow and call it good enough for now. The overall trend for our quantity of stuff & organisation of that stuff is on a really good direction, even if it’s clearly nowhere near there yet!
Tiny petition to change this just for the season to “Winter Cleaning Motivation Thread”? I know it’s not winter for everyone, but I find the least motivation to clean comes for me in the frigid depths of sister winter.
Perhaps “equinox cleaning” so we cover both hemispheres?
Oooooooooh I love that for us
I am tidying year-round.
I just moved a bunch of DVDs etc around so that we have open shelves that are accessible, and organised the toy shelves so they’re a bit more organised. Baby steps towards being able to put stuff away.
Bonus organisation! I allocated one cubby to each of us in the study next to the main computer desk, so now our laptops and miscellaneous papers have a home! If I stop losing things, then I won’t have a million duplicates or spend half my energy just working out where something has been placed.
Nice work!!
I love seeing pictures of your house; there’s something about it that reminds me of all my favorite bits of Kiddo’s toddler days and being a mom and cosy family vibes 
Nice work!!
Is that a wishing well for your garden?
