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AT Cleaning Habits

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The Apartment Therapy Eight-Step Home Cure book is great to refer back to on a regular basis (whether you've actually done the Cure or not). Listed with "Week Nine and Beyond: Ongoing Exercise and Maintenance" (ch. 12, p. 237) are reminders of why maintaining a healthy apartment is really a daily practice...

 
 

2-28-cover234.jpgThe reference list is essential, one that you'll likely do on autopilot after a couple weeks (if you aren't already in the habit). Here's a reminder of what the daily, weekly, monthly, and more sporadic rituals should be to keep your home its healthiest:

Daily:
1. Make bed.
2. Wash dishes.
3. Put clothes away.
4. Sort mail.
5. Clear answering machine.
6. Clean all kitchen surfaces.
7. Take out full garbage.

Weekly:
1. Clear all surfaces (put odds and ends away).
2. Wash clothing, take in dry cleaning.
3. Take out recycling.
4. Change sheets.
5. Water plants.
6. Clean bathroom and kitchen.
7. Quick-vacuum all floors (especially if you have pets).

Monthly:
1. Vacuum, sweep, or mop all floors.
2. Flip mattresses.
3. Clear out refrigerator.

Every Three Months:
1. Wash windows.
2. Declutter refrigerator, bulletin board, etc.

Every Six Months:
1. Spring cleaning (April)
2. Fall cleaning (October)
("Perform Deep Treatment on bones and breath levels: clean and declutter through apartment; change seasonal clothing; clean out drawers, closets, and under-sink storage; purge clothing, extra CDs, books, furniture.")

Okay, so we're blogging Spring Cleaning a little later than usual, but otherwise we are wondering how diligent most of you are (and, is your spring cleaning treatment already long past?). Comment below...

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Comments (2)

The best thing for my clutter habit was when I put my old apartment on the market. I was still living there when showings started, so I had to clean it regularly and every day before I left for work I had to make the bed, make sure every dish was out of the sink, get rid of mail and other clutter, fluff throw pillows, wipe down surfaces...

and I discovered that this takes all of 5 minutes in the morning.

I still procrastinate when it comes to deeper cleaning, but this 5 minute ritual is habit and it's SO worth coming home to a clean sink and made bed.

posted by Anne in Chicago on May 23rd 2007 at 9:07am
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I never make the bed unless someone is coming over. My partner makes it though before we go to bed at night.

I associate "making the bed" with child's chores. I know that's goofy, and probably something to get past, but I've always felt grown-up not making my bed, and not listening to my mother ask me to make it.

posted by Saha on May 23rd 2007 at 2:58pm
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