Saturday, May 8, 2010

Cleaning Challenge #2

I'll let you in on a secret.One which I'm highly embarrassed to even admit. I'm not a tidy person. Honestly, I have an issue with cleaning, always have. I just never want to do it. However, I'm trying to change this about myself. I consider myself a perfectionist in most aspects of my life. Unfortunately, keeping a tidy home is not one of them. Combine that with my bachelor pad style husband, and well, we end up needing some help.

I used to keep the house pretty clean, but once I was knocked on my butt with the swine flu, things went to hell. I've found it difficult to get back in the habit again. Plus with working on our new house, which we hope to be in soon, cleaning has kind of been put on the back burner...

I started doing these cleaning challenges in hopes of uplifting my lacking cleaning abilities. It's really helped.

Today, I tackled the bathroom. Here's the before. I want to warn you though, it was bad...



See, I told you. YIKES!

Like I said, I haven't gotten back into the swing of things, and the husband is still stuck in his bachelor ways.
We had toiletries all over the counters from our last shopping trip that just hadn't made it into the closet. Magazines all over the place. Powder EVERYWHERE.

Even an empty air freshener. 

It was simply chaotic and a mess. I'm actually quite embarrassed to show it to you. But hey, I pride myself on my honesty and want to show that not everyone's home stays neat as a pin all the time. Hopefully, one day, mine will though.

So anyway, the challenge. I gave myself 30 minutes to clean this place up.

Starting time: 4:25.

I started by grabbing a large trash bag, and throwing most of the magazines away. Then I put the new toiletry items in the linen closet and wiped down the counters with disinfectant. I dusted everything. Used some cleaner and scrubbed the sink, faucet and toothbrush cup.

Then, I moved over to the toilet and disinfected it. Wiped it all down, scrubbed the bowl and replaced the bowl cleaner in the tank. Wiped down the trashcan and cleaned out the hidden magazine rack (oh yes, there were more!)

The tub was clean, since we use it all the time and bathe Buggy in there. So I just straightened the shower curtain there. 

Then I took a wet rag and scrubbed the floors to get the powder residue off the floor. I hate dirty floors.  

I even changed the air freshener out. Yay

Ending time 5:05. I spent more than 30 minutes on it, but honestly, an extra 10 minutes was nothing compared to the results.



*Contented sigh*
Much better!

...now, on to tackle some laundry by hand since our washer is broken. That will be an experience.


3 comments:

  1. Well done! I've let my bathroom go recently, for two reasons, I'm pregnant and first trimester and bathroom cleaning just don't go together (can't use that excuse any more though), and no one sees our bathroom as it's upstairs, and guests have no reason to go up there. I better do a cleaning challenge this week though - it's getting ridiculous. Thanks for reminding me that it's worthwhile!

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  2. My bathroom looks pretty close to yours before you cleaned it up. I'm trying so hard to unclutter my home and keep it clean...it's quite overwhelming as I've let it get so out of control. Anyway I just wanted to thank you for sharing your progress as it is inspiring to people like me! I'm working on my kitchen today...even took pics and posted to hold myself accountable. Yikes! LOL

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  3. haha, nice work! gotta love the feeling of stumbling beary-eyed into a nice, clean bathroom for that 3am just-fed-bubs-now-time-to-tend-to-my-own-needs pit stop! ;)

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