Day 13–Speed Dusting 101

13

It’s lucky number 13 today! Congratulations on making it halfway through another week. How’s it going with meal planning? Are you keeping up with the Daily 7 for the most part? Remember that this isn’t a competition—-no prizes will ever be doled out for the best-kept house—just do what feels right on any given day. If you are having a particularly taxing day today, it’s okay. Tomorrow or the next day is bound to be better and you can make it all up.

No worries.

Speed Dusting 101

How often you dust and vacuum is dependent on how dusty your home becomes. In our first apartment, we had a construction site right behind us. If you live near a construction site, you’ll notice more dust than you will in an established neighborhood. Carpeting collects dust and dirt, but you won’t notice it as much as you will notice dust bunnies on hardwood flooring. Dark furniture shows more dust than light furniture will.

I try to dust and vacuum weekly, although sometimes our schedule just won’t allow it, and I go a bit longer. In the summer, when the kids are home, and are tracking more dirt and sand in the house, I need to vacuum more often.

Do what’s right for you. On average, once a week is plenty for most families, although I’ve heard that the Duggars vacuum their living spaces a few times a day.

I like microfiber dusting cloths. I like the way they trap the dust and don’t spread it all around like dry dusting with a towel does or fluff it into the air like a feather duster. If you don’t have microfiber cloths, it doesn’t matter. You’re still going to have to dust.

Find a stack of old rags, t-shirts, cloth diapers, socks without mates, etc. Grab a bottle of your favorite dusting spray, or use a bit of warm water–all you need to do is super lightly moisten your cloth.

Pick a room and start moving. Tackle all horizontal surfaces from the top to the bottom and move in a clockwise manner until the room is finished. Don’t worry about ceiling fans or blinds right now. We’ll get to them, I promise.

Try not to get compulsive about dusting every little knick-knack perfectly. Pick it up, wipe it off, and move on. Only spend a few minutes per room. The name of the game is SPEED.

When the house has been uncovered from it’s layer of dust, dig out the vacuum. Crank it up and quickly move from room to room. If there are things in the way, vacuum around them. Do not move furniture. Quickly vacuum all flooring including the kitchen and bathroom flooring.

TIP: I like to use an extension cord when I vacuum (20-30 feet is usually a good length) and plug it in a central location. This way I can move from room to room without needing to stop and move to a different outlet.

that’s it!

have a fantastic day.

yesterday: efficient erranding

tomorrow: exercise? what’s that?