Cleaning Focus - August 2015

[BookSaver]

Well now, lookee here, it's August already!

According to Indiana's schedule:
End of Round 3
8/3/2015 kitchen
8/10/2015 living room
8/17/2015 dining room
Round 4
8/24/2015 porch/entry
8/31/2015 bedrooms

Harriet's wise advice is to use the same schedule in decluttering, adjusted by 1 week. In other words, spend a little time getting clutter out of a room before you focus on cleaning it.

Indiana's theory was that Round 4 would be the last chance to deep clean each room before the U.S. Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. After Round 4, things go into maintenance mode until January.

If you need suggestions for exactly what to clean in each room, check earlier threads in the FOCUS subsection of the Organization and Simplification Tools topic for Indiana's detailed cleaning lists. (Some day we'll get those compiled somewhere more convenient.)

Remember that you're not supposed to attempt to do everything on the list each time. The whole point is to choose different tasks each round so you won't have to do a huge major lose-your-mind-trying-to-do-it-all effort once a year.

Using this method, Indiana's house was always ready for company at a moment's notice.

[BookSaver]

I always like it when Kitchen week rolls around again. I know what to do with THAT room!

[Harriet]

It is hard to believe that this month begins the last full Focus cleaning time before the holidays. Where does time go?

[Harriet]

My dining room has been a challenge to keep up with this round, because dd has needed it so much for her various assignments for school, several of which have taken quite some time. A lot of furniture change-around may be coming to our living room. Still making decisions on that.