A Cleaning Challenge: Week 3 in Review

I am loving the results in the house from the 30 Day Clean House Challenge from Money Saving Mom.  It is so nice to complete some of the lingering projects and see rooms the way I would like them to be.  The only problem is the maintenance.  If we could just leave it absolutely clean (like go on a vacation and have a webcam set up so I could just sit and look at it), I would never have to clean again.  But life, it is messy!

I am currently sitting and looking at a sink full of dishes from dinner and a kitchen counter that is cluttered with stuff.  (sigh)

But here is what we did this week for the challenge:

Monday: Surface clean living room and kitchen.  This is a good way to start the week!  Since we did a deep clean last week of the living room, this was relatively easy.  I decided to clean out the kids’ book bin that is downstairs under the coffee table.  I took books that belong upstairs out and organized it.  Yes, I know this is an exercise in futility, but it looks so pretty for a few minutes!  I also cleaned out the clutter on the table and took the items to the proper rooms.  Oh, and I gave my vacuum a spin with her new filter.  I think she likes it!

Tuesday: Deep Clean Bathrooms.  We only have two bathrooms we REALLY use around here, so I got to those and scrubbed.  But there really wasn’t much to do because I deep cleaned these a couple of weeks ago when the assignment was to clean the bathrooms.  I don’t know the difference between deep cleaning and cleaning.  Let’s just say, it got done.  The pictures end up looking the same as the one from back then:

Wednesday: Clean things that get repeatedly handled.  I took some disinfectant wipes and wiped down all the switch plates, remotes, door handles, and phones.  This is the easiest task to do, but I often forget how much they get touched.

Thursday: Clean out refrigerator, take stock of food and/or clean out pantry.  I worked on cleaning out the pantry and I am in love with the results.  I sit at our island and stare at it.  Don’t you just love beautiful organization?  It always keeps me motivated to keep it that way for as long as possible.  Maintenance, maintenance.

I waited until Sunday morning to clean out the fridge.  It is just easier to do it at the beginning of the week for us.  Got up really early and cleaned the fridge and freezer before anyone woke up.  How long do you think it will stay like this? By the way, this is the fridge that we paid cash for!  I wrote a guest post about it for Money Saving Mom a couple of months back.  I have a fondness for it that kind of goes beyond normal.

Friday: Clean entry way, sweep garage and/or clean out car.  We are in the midst of a garage overhaul, so I am not ready to show off pictures just yet, but I did get to the car and cleaned it out real quick, wiped down all the surfaces, and vacuumed the interior.  D is the car exterior superstar around here, so that is his thing.

Saturday: Surface clean living room and kitchen.  I decided since the downstairs living room was in pretty good shape from Monday, I would work on the loft upstairs.  This is D’s domain (where he watches movies and plays video games).  I mostly cleaned it while G was still sleeping at almost 9 in the morning!  Love being able to squeeze in kid-free cleaning!  I also made sure the dishes were in the dishwasher before I went to bed.  Waking up to clean dishes and an empty sink is lovely!

Sunday: Surface clean bathrooms.  OK, I have noticed a pattern here that I can’t quite get on board with.  We are simply not that dirty, so I don’t need to clean my bathrooms this often.  This is a good reminder to change the linens and maybe swish out the toilet, but, honestly, this does not require this much work.  After I showered, I threw some vinegar and baking soda in a bag and wrapped it around the shower head and let it soak for a little while to clear out all the deposits in there.  We will wake up to a clean shower head to start the week! I decided to also change the linens on the beds and vacuum all the floors.

There you have it.  What did you get done in your home this week?

If you are interested in learning more about the challenge go to Money Saving Mom and check it out.  If you would like to follow me through this challenge, follow me on Instagram or Twitter.

Happy cleaning! Have a great week!