2013 FOCUS - Dining Room - 10/28/2013 - Fourth Round

[Harriet]

Here are Indiana's steps to a clean dining room, from March 15, 2009.

As we continue to maintain our homes, the key is maintaining our homes through out the year instead of a full deep cleaning once or twice a year.

Adjust the rooms to fit your home.

Not all the things listed need to be done this round. Some may be done daily, weekly, monthly, every 3 or 6 months or yearly. I have marked possible times for doing the chore. Look at each area with fresh eyes to see what should be done this round.

As you do each room dust, vacuum, wash, wipe, wax, sweep, mop, detail, straighten, and declutter any surfaces that need to be done.

Dining room
Ceiling and corners - quarterly
Ceiling light - quarterly
Walls - quarterly
Doors and hardware – weekly (finger prints), quarterly
Door and floor trim - quarterly
Light switch - weekly
Dust lights - weekly
Dust pictures - weekly
Dust decorations – weekly
Wash decorations – quarterly if needed
Cold/hot air vents - quarterly
Window – quarterly if needed
Window treatments - annual
Dust furniture - weekly
Closet -quarterly
Floor – weekly
Throw rugs – weekly if needed
Wipe mirrors – weekly
Drawers, cupboards, and shelves – quarterly if needed
Vacuum upholstery - quarterly
Manage clutter - daily
Repairs – either repair or put on a list for the future
Buy – replacements or something new if needed
Declutter – porch / entry / foyer (next focus area) and post accomplishments in Harriet’s declutter thread. This is a great opportunity and will make maintaining the closets easier.

Remember not all the things listed need to be done this round. Some may be done daily, weekly, monthly, every 3 or 6 months or yearly. Use the list as a guide

[Nancy]

Boy do I need to pay attn. to this one!
China hutch is in mine and is getting cluttery looking as well as in dire need of a good dusting.

[Harriet]

Need to start at the top of this room and clean downward in preparation for dgrandchildren's visit soon. I think the dining room is the most important to do the light fixture first, because it's not just floor under this one! It's an eating surface! I keep the wooden high chair in this room all the time, and have just found a child's plate that's perfect for the ridged edge of this high chair's tray - big ridge around the top of the plate makes it "fit". Maybe I can get little britches to climb into it one more time for this funny new plate, before he becomes a "big boy" sitting at the table.

[Nancy]

I have kept the dining table cleared off for nearly a week yea!

[Harriet]

What are you hosting during the upcoming weeks? How will you be gracious in this room/area? What do you need to be sure to clean and keep up well?

We have a new dining table and chairs since last round. Not as sturdy, but pretty wood that I'll need to take good care of. Since it is used, I can see it's not perfect even when it arrived, so that takes the pressure off! Have bought a set of coasters. Thinking of a table runner for this table, or possibly placemats. I noticed I mentioned the high chair last round. It is still a fixture in our dining room (it's wood). But my youngest grandson is definitely saying he's too old for it now! Sigh. Wish they didn't grow up so fast. (He's not really too old, so we'll see if he changes his mind.) Have a party coming up soon so I want that light fixture and the room corners clean as a whistle in case I choose to hang streamers from the center of the room.

[Harmony]

Harriet, DGD3 has been hating her high chair also. We have a 2-step stepstool which is just a bit higher than a regular chair, easy to climb up onto so we used that for her. Some highchairs can be pushed right up to the table with the tray removed but not ours. Ours has a big plastic piece that comes up between the legs and that keeps it away from the table too far and the arms do that too. Highchairs are easier if they'd only sit in them longer!

[BookSaver]

Last week of Focus cleaning before maintenance mode for the holidays.

I did not get the chance to do any decluttering last week. Therefore, I will be happy if I can do that this week. Lots of stuff in the dining room that doesn't really belong in there.

[Harriet]

Completely dusted the dining area. That's an area with a lot of knick-knacks, cubbies, chair rails, so I'm glad to know that's accomplished just before November. Some of the knick-knacks need to be stored during the holidays. Changed the mini-quilts over to autumn colors.

Brought a set of 6 placemats that belonged to my dmother over from her house and they have found a new home here on the dining table. They are plastic-covered and reversible, but really only one side is pretty. The two older grandboys absentmindedly doodled on them at breakfast - one with colored pencil and one with ink pen! - and were in trouble, boy howdy!!! They were set to cleaning but couldn't get them clean, and dd15's idea of an abrasive just wouldn't fly with me because I knew it would scratch and stay visible. Grandpa rescued us all with just some greater strength in scrubbing with a wet paper towel. I had both boys go to him with personal, heartfelt thanks for saving them from Grandma's wrath!

[Nancy]

I am digging out the dining room this week it is an ongoing task but I have been making progress on it.