15 Minute Tasks for the Week
This week was incredibly full. Full of unforeseen events, that is! The older kids were sick all week, and the baby was teething, and I was doing good to even get a shower much less do any organizing or cleaning projects. When they started feeling a little better, and I began to put the house back in order, we had last-minute overnight guests for the weekend. So, with my head hung in shame, I have to report to you that I didn't do any of last week's assignments.
On the bright side, however, I did do a whole lot of other deep cleaning projects. You see, when my kids are sick, I get frantic about ridding the house of any possible germs. I spent any free moments scrubbing their bedrooms and the bathroom floor to ceiling with disinfectant, and washing all their bed linens, curtains, and furniture. Did it help them get better any faster? I have no idea. They did stay sick with runny noses and coughs all week, but they didn't get any worse than that. I've heard plenty of stories from others in my church, and even from my Facebook friends in different states, how nasty the viruses are that are going around this year, and how long it's been taking people to recover. Would my family have gotten to that point had I not tried to stop the germs in their tracks and boost their immune systems at the first signs of any sickness? Maybe, maybe not. But I didn't want to find out.
Anyway, now that I'm done rambling, I'm going to assign you some of the same tasks this week. These are things that will need to be done at some point in the year anyway, so you might as well do them during cold and flu season!
Monday
Take down and wash curtains and bed linens in the bedroom(s) of your choice.
Tuesday
Clean ceiling fans in all bedrooms and knock down any cobwebs from the ceiling.
*Helpful tips for cleaning ceiling fans*
- Use an old pillowcase to clean the fan blades. Just slip it over the blade, grip it tightly, and slide it back off of the blade. The dust will be contained inside the pillowcase instead of floating around in the air.
- Clean the rest of the fan with a swiffer duster or a damp rag.
- Keep a spray bottle of water handy, and spray the air around the fan as you dust. The mist will help the dust particles fall to the floor instead of floating around in your face and making you sneeze. (I tried this for the first time this week, and was amazed that I had no problems with sneezing, itchy eyes, sore throat, etc. like I almost always do when I'm around dust.)
Wednesday
Mist bedroom walls with a non-toxic disinfectant. Scrub any smudges, crayon drawings, etc. off with a rag.
Thursday
Move bedroom furniture out from the wall. Dust the baseboards and spray with disinfectant. Vacuum the entire floor, including underneath of the furniture. If you have a wood floor, sweep and spray the entire floor with disinfectant.
Friday
Spray all bedroom furniture (dressers, bed frames, etc.) with a non-toxic disinfectant and wipe down with a rag. Empty trash cans and spray with disinfectant before replacing the liner.
Saturday
Move quickly through all bedrooms and remove any items that do not belong there. Place them in the correct places in the house, throw away trash, and get rid of things you no longer use.
*I am happy to post the recipe for my homemade non-toxic disinfectant if anyone is interested. Just leave me a comment if you would like it.