Follow This “matching” Strategy on Big Cleaning Days
When you’re faced with a big cleaning project, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and not know where to start. You can use certain methods for certain parts of your home, but how do you know which parts should be treated at all? Here’s how: You follow this mapping strategy that helps you figure out what to clean and when to clean it.
Why you need a strategy
Cleaning and mental health are closely linked . If your space is cluttered, you may feel anxious or stressed, but if you are anxious or stressed, you may feel like you can’t clean. It’s a vicious cycle, but having a plan before you even try can make a huge difference . For the same reason that you might want to plan ahead for a busy workday or write down guiding questions before you start reading important material, creating a step-by-step plan before you clean can help you feel more in control and give you something useful to do. something you can return to when you lose track of what you should be doing.
Before you begin, make sure you set aside time specifically for cleaning (and cleaning only). Put it on your calendar or schedule and give yourself enough time to get everything done. Then write down the areas you’ll be doing in order, even draw a little map if that helps you see it all visually.
Your Best Cleaning Strategy
Some cleaning methods, such as the ” Junebug ” or ” round “, involve cleaning in a more cyclical manner, moving from task to task until everything is done. If you follow a predetermined guide, area by area, you will have more structure. Some proponents of this strategy advocate “wall following,” or moving around the house by following one wall and removing everything directly in front of it. This works, but misses a few key points, namely everything above you.
Instead, your map should focus on one room and move from top to bottom and then left to right . Start somewhere high, like the corners of a ceiling or fan, and clean them first, working your way down the wall to the baseboards. (This will ensure that any dust introduced during the process will be removed when you start cleaning the room itself.) Once that’s done, start on the left side of the room and gradually clean as you move to the right. You can work with another cleaning method, such as the “five things” technique, which forces you to deal with trash, laundry, dishes, things with a specific place and things without a place. Be sure to do this for each section, and also close any windows or closets along the way before moving on to the next one further to the right.
When you’re done cleaning a room, vacuum up any remaining dust and debris and then move on to the next room. By following this step-by-step mapping strategy, you’ll ensure nothing gets left behind and you’ll stay on task to get everything done.