apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

hahaha i was listening to my vinyl London Calling while I was cleaning the other day. and yes i am a firm believer in music cleaning

My parents came into town last weekend. So on Thursday I found "Top Secret" on Starz, and cleaned my 808 sq ft condo in just under 2 hours. I cleaned every inch of this place. Now if I could only do that every couple of weeks...

i'll clean the house everyday as long as i don't have to watch 'mamma mia!' again.

Music is a great enthusiasm booster, but nothing helps like the panic of having company scheduled to arrive in a few hours or minutes.

I watch 6 feet under dvds!

Funny story...Before I was married, my roommate and I had a tiara hanging above the sink for whomever was doing the dishes or other cleaning in the apartment. Sounds silly, but we saw it on The Ellen Degeneres Show and it immediately clicked. I'd just been thinking about getting another one, actually, because now vacuuming without one just isn't the same. :) For us, this worked even better than the best playlist...

A few days ago the house was so messy and I'm so unmotivated to clean (8.5 months pregnant)- so I set the kitchen timer for 21 minutes and told myself I could quit when it went off. I went as fast as I could and can't believe how much I got done! All surface clutter got put away, all the main living areas got vacuumed, kitchen got straightened up and counters wiped down, even got a little dusting done. Will have to try that again.

I have a schedule for doing a little every day. My bedroom and bathroom one day, my daughter's the next, then the living room, and finally the kitchen and dining. Because I do each room every week, they don't get too dirty. And each one only takes about an hour. Plus I'm done all my cleaning by Thursday so I never have to use the weekend time. :)

Call a maid service?

My iPod. I got some great, noise-canceling earbuds that allow me to vacuum and listen to music or podcasts at the same time.

Ipod...shuffle some Marc Anthony, Juanes and MGMT

Music and a timer.

I used to be really good at keeping the house clean. And then I started a job that I don't get home from until 6:30. By the time dinner is made and put away, all I want to do is rest. So sometimes I get up early to do the dishes and tidy up. Unfortunately the weekends have turned into cleaning days...and I hate it!

julie_k- that's what I do with my timer, too! Sometimes I set it for 6 minutes per room (minus dishes). Other times I set it for 20 something minutes total.

It IS amazing how much you can get done! :)

I use the TV and iPod, can't clean in silence.

But cleaning at my own pace on the weekend isn't too horrible. I take breaks as I feel like it and it's one of the few times during the week I don't feel like I'm rushing constantly. That's why I don't like cleaning on workdays, it feels too rushed.

Turning the music up and dancing along with it while I do chores works best for me...especially if it's a cram session of cleaning right before we are due to have company.

Depends on the cleaning job. I am cleaning out my big hallway closet this week, big job, so I turned on the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. It is long and I know it by heart, so it is just the right amount of amusement to keep the closet job interesting.

usually its put on music and clean BUT only when I clean my room i'll put on a dvd i've seen a thousand times. usually an office marathon-cleaning escapade. :)

honestly, i have a beer or make myself a little drink. it kind of clears my mind and makes it less stressful to clean. if the tv is on i just zone out..

Oh yeah, and I agree with Candice--it's less of a big chore if you break it up into rooms or tasks and spread it out over the week rather than trying to do it all at once.

i too spread it out over the week. i made an interpretation of the chore chart for my iphone. i have a ToDo application where I have recurring reminders setup to remind me of what i need to do every day. i combine that with catching up on my favorite TV shows. during commercial breaks i choose a task from my todo list, power through it, then check it off the list. my reward is another 7-10 minutes of watching my shows...wash, rinse, repeat. it's a nice way of getting the work done without getting sick of it. and getting me off the couch!

I pay my cleaning lady to do it!

i love the idea with the timer, i am going to try that :-D

i listen to audio books on my iPod.

If I'm watching TV at night. I make myself do the cleaning (dishwashing) etc during the TV ads. On weekends though I have serious collection of "music to clean to". It has to be fast paced.

On weekends I invite people over which forces me to clean before they arrive.

With the 'just do it' philosophy.

One Word: MAID

I ususally do the dusting, clearing/tidying and laundry hanging which chatting on the phone.

For the noisier and more intensive stuff it is the TV or music and dancing. I also tend to do the really annoying stuff...like the bathroom or cleaning out a closet before a large, fun event so that it becomes a reward. Plus, I'm more likely to enjoy the event because I'll be in a good mood after all I accomplished!

No joke- I have found the Rocky soundtrack to be very motivating when it comes to cleaning.

I do a mix of music and timer cleaning. I set my timer for 15 minutes and see what I've done at the end. If I need more, I set it again. Some how, I feel better doing 4, 15 minute cleaning sessions and an hour of cleaning the kitchen.

I listen to music. When I'm cooking, it's something mellow, like Sia, Some People have Real Problems - also good cocktail hour/ eating album.

When I need to get my ass in gear, it's Eagles of Death Metal, the Aggrolites or Toots and the Maytals.

Also, the Frosty Heidi and Frank U podcast is great. I miss FHF!

Write a check!

If it's something I have to do myself, I either go the Pride & Prejudice in the background route (so glad I'm not the only Jane-ite here) or crank up some Beyonce or Pink or B-52s.

I like to turn on the TV, and do quick 5 minute speed cleaning trips during the commercial breaks of my favorite shows. This way, I get my TV indulgence and a clean house! It's also fun to see how much I can accomplish in just 5 minutes at a time.

I just do it. No music. No TV. Just pick the cleaning project and get it done. If I have time and energy, pick the next one. Having the house look nice is motivation enough, and I don't panic about falling behind (except on laundry -- that MUST be done every weekend! Limited wardrobe...)

Audiobooks are the best! I find myself cleaning more just to hear more of the stories.

I actually enjoy cleaning (strange, I know) so no music/TV. stiff drinks needed for me!

i watch movies online or sex and the city dvds :)
(when cleaning upstairs where there's no TV)

Secet for those in a rush: if nothing else, just make sure that ceramics and shiny or reflective surfaces (mainly in the kitchen and bathroom) shine and sparkle.

Other than that... I invite people for brunch, and clean like a fiend before they arrive. Works for me!