MONDAY CLEANING: BATHROOM + BEDROOM
Weekly cleaning series.
After sharing my thoughts on cleaning last week, I received an email from Becky who asked if I had heard of the "FlyLady Cleaning Technique."
I hadn't, so I did a quick search and found this article titled, "FlyLady Cleaning Schedule for Beginners." The essence is that you break your home down into 4 "zones" and clean one zone per week, rotating every month.
This article explained the three core principles of the technique:
1. Daily routines
"Morning and evening habits that anchor your day."
2. Weekly Home Blessing Hour
"A one-hour reset that keeps surfaces and floors under control."
3. FlyLady zones
"Five rotating areas of your home that receive focused attention each week."
The outcome
"When combined, these create a sustainable cleaning plan you can repeat month after month." (Source)
One thing I've learned about myself recently is that when I'm presented with new information that challenge my current way of being*, my immediate reaction is panic and fear. I told myself to calm tf down, that I'm just going to read the article and nothing more. Since then, I have found some interesting tidbits that I believe will help Daniel and I become better and more disciplined people.
* E.g., learning new techniques to form a habit.
Habit-building takes time so I don't need to rush myself. So for today/this week, Daniel and I will just read the article and discuss our findings.
If anyone else out there is struggling with cleaning, maybe the article/technique can help you out too!
Weekly deep-clean
Today I'm going to clean two areas because the cat-sitter is visiting us today to check out Boba, etc., and some of the common areas are dirty af. After a devastating loss of rock-paper-scissors, I am assigned the bathroom and Daniel the hallway (he won using mind games).
However, the main area I want to clean is my bedside area, because I want to install the new clothing rack I bought from Ikea last week! (I will also include building furniture as part of the weekly clean, because it can take me years† to finally put Ikea furniture together).
† I bought an Ikea cabinet and planned to paint the outside and wallpaper the inside doors. My goals were so ambitious that the cabinet sat unopened in the hallways for 2 years before I finally mustered up the energy to do it.
10:57
Sorry for gross bathroom picture. (That's not poop in the litterbox; just gaps in the litter. I checked!)
Sorry for gross rug.
I'm tackling the bathroom first. I want to do this in one step since this was the "extra" room. One of the FlyLady methods is the "5-minute room rescue," which only focuses on visible clutter. So I want to do this one quickly to get it over with.
Tasks before cleaning
- Take meds
- Write down to-dos for the day
- Tidy up desk
12:25
Soon the unsightly, quivery RÅGRUND shelf will be gone!
What was supposed to be a 5-minute clean turned into a one hour+ frenzy. I accidentally spilled used litter on the floor and there were areas that were so caked with dust and grime I couldn't help but wipe it down. I also lit a candle to encourage a clean atmosphere.
Normally, a room could've been broken down to several smaller steps which I would have preferred. But I just wanted it out of the way so I can focus on the planned task—the bedroom.
After all that hard work (Daniel was cleaning the hallway meanwhile), I think we've earned a break before the next tasks.
Tasks before cleaning
- Bathroom routine (brush teeth, etc.)
- Change out of pjs
- Lunch
- Make a tea
15:03
Moved the rug because I will be drilling into the wall.
Took a longer break because I was quite tired after cleaning the bathroom. Ate lunch, watched an episode of the Mighty Nein and then made a tea.
A tangent
I suddenly got this mid-2000s dance song stuck in my head but neither of us could remember anything beyond the saxophone intro, so we ended up listening to some Pitbull while cleaning, hoping to stumble upon it. I was convinced that it was reggaeton but Daniel says it's house/club.AND GUESS WHAT I was correct. It's Pitbull's "The Anthem" featuring Lil' Jon. Lmao I never even listened to this in my youth. Daniel was thinking of the version, "Destination Calabria" by Alex Gaudino.
But he says the best version is Enur's "Calabria," and now listening to it, that was actually the song I was thinking about! But I guess I wasn't wrong assuming that Pitbull would sample this melody.
Anyway, some tasks, and then my next cleaning goal is to start building the clothing rack and see how far I get before I need a break.
Tasks before cleaning
- Open mail
- Pay bills
- Apply to at least 1 job
18:10—DONE!
I love it! The design is quite clever too, but you really have to look carefully at the hooks when installing because some are slightly different.
I took a 30 minute nap after my job search because that always makes me sleepy. Daniel had to help me drill the holes into the walls because I tend to make them crooked but I did the rest myself. He hates putting stuff on walls, especially drilling, but I told him I'll help him with his projects (setting up, etc.) and all he has to do is drill.
I'm super happy! Now I have no excuse for leaving clothes strewn about the bed and dining chairs. Our Ikea delivery arrives on Wednesday and we'll see how far we get with putting stuff together (if at all), otherwise it'll be another Monday cleaning/building project.
I will spend the rest of the week tidying up other areas of the bedroom and selling some stuff, as well as change out the spring decor in the living room. I don't mind doing something small every day as it's usually a decorative change and I enjoy that.