Day 9 - 20 Days to Organise & Clean your home Challenge

I am participating in the The Organised Housewife's 20 Days to Organise & Clean your home Challenge. The challenge has now finished, but it's never too late to start and complete it at your own pace like I am.

I have had a few weeks off challenges due to Master One's 1st birthday party, 3 out of the 4 of us getting really sick and then the susequent recovery/catch up period. But I'm keen to get back on track as the house has really deteriorated and I want to reclaim the clean, tidy and calm house it was becoming at the beginning on the challenge. 

So here goes! I am up to Day 9 and rather than bust my guts to complete each day's challenges in one hit, I'm just going to work through completing all of the tasks and maintaining previous focus areas before moving onto the next Day. You can find all the information you need know about Day 9's challenge tasks here.

CLEAN ceiling fans

This may sound a little crazy but I was actually looking forward to this task after cleaning the ceiling fan in our bedroom. It makes me feel a whole lot better about using them as the weather gets warmer, especially in the kid's bedrooms, knowing they are clean and not just flinging dust around the room.

DECLUTTER junk drawer

Like Katrina, I don't really have a junk drawer but my kitchen utensil drawer was a nightmare! I was barely able to close it and was forever wasting time looking for utensils. I had previously purchased some drawer organising trays from the local discount store in preparation for this task so I was all ready to go. I removed all of the utensils, cleaned the drawer, put in the trays and then only put back the utensils I use at least once a week. The remaining utensils that I use less regularly are going in the next drawer down and the rest are going to charity.

 

ORGANISE calendar/diary

I use a simple A5 diary showing one week across two pages which fits nicely into my handbag. I also have a calendar at home on the wall near the kitchen.

Each week I note:

- work related appointments e.g. meetings, clients

- pay sheet reminder & pay day (very important!)

- kids activities e.g. swimming, play dates, doctor's appointments

- other activities e.g. book club, dinner club, functions, babysitting

- bills due, birthday's, special dates e.g. father's day

- hubbie's work roster and when he will be away

Maintaining both a paper diary and calendar is time consuming to make sure they are both in sink and I don't forget things so I am very keen to investigate how I can do all of this electronically between my phone and computer.... a new task for my to-do list!

 

NEW HABIT unload the dishwasher

Oh, this just hasn't been my week! The dishwasher has finally decided to die so as much as I would have loved to only have to unload the dishwasher .... I'm now having to hand wash the dishes and then hand dry them as they never seem to fully dry just leaving them in the rack. I am having major dishwasher withdrawals and seem to be forever at the sink washing dishes! I don't have a nice "after" photo to share of that lovely clear benchtop/sink I was loving so much as I haven't seen it the dishwasher broke :(

But a suprisingly positive note has been an improvement in the condition of my hands as whenever I go to put gloves on to do the washing, I lather them in moisturiser first and the heat helps it to absorb... no more dry, cracked hands for me! Now I just need to keep the moisturising up when our new dishwasher arrives!

5 MINUTES ONLY dust around the lights in each room of the house

Done and dusted ;) but another job had been added to the to-do list and that is to clean inside the lights .... it's amazing how many bugs get stuck in light bowl ... ewwww!

Phew, another week down and I am up to Week 10 .... almost half way!