Foreword: I promise, I didn’t forget about my blog…it’s just been CCRRAAZZY up in here. Between the school year coming to an end, helping with graduation, cleaning out my classroom, renovations on our home, and prepping for a huge yard sale, I got lost in life…and, I’m not going to lie, I got tunnel-vision on cleaning our house.

As a public school teacher, our home does not get a good deep-clean very often, mostly when I’m out on break from school- whether it’s Christmas, Spring, or Summer…you’ll probably find me furiously cleaning away. Well, this time around was the most in-depth cleaning job I think I’ve ever done.

We bought our home almost 4 years ago, and as you’ve heard me talk about before, my husband and I are on opposite schedules, so we have to tag-team the chores which sometimes means the house doesn’t get thoroughly cleaned often. Also, because of our schedules it has taken us a LOONNNGGG time to get everything unpacked and settled the way we want it. After my tunnel vision cleaning last week, I can finally say I wouldn’t be ashamed if someone opened up a door to a room or closet without asking first. Every room, every closet, every drawer has been thoroughly cleaned and organized (where do you think all the yard sale stuff came from?! 😉 )

But really, here’s are a few simple, yet VERY important mindsets to have while cleaning your home:

1.Clean it like you mop a room: you mop yourself out of a room, clean yourself out of your house.

Start in one room and focus on EVERY aspect you want done in that room- de-cluttering, organizing drawers, sorting what you want to keep/yard sale/donate, decorate, dust, etc. Make a list for EVERY room, then focus on knocking out one room at a time. I’m the worst for going ADD on cleaning a room. I’ll pick something up to take into another room, notice something I need to do in the new room, and start on that. Every time I clean like that I get overwhelmed and very little gets done too efficiently.

There are still a few things I need to do, but having that overall list that I marked off as I went helped me stay focused, and working on one room at a time, progressing through the house made me FEEL more productive which served to BE more productive.

2. Be willing to LET GO of junk!!

Seriously…it’s stuff…inanimate objects…don’t get all sentimental about them. There’s a book out (it’s on my “To Read” list), “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.” As I said, I haven’t read it but I want to. I did read the “cliff notes” reviews online and got the gist of it…and I kinda practiced it, but a little faster than the author would’ve wanted me to, but the main idea was- if something doesn’t give you joy…(or in my case, if I never have and probably never will) use it, get rid of it. Don’t keep it around because “oooh, I might need it…” no…just no. Cut the cords, stop thinking about this stuff with your emotions and start being realistic. If you never use it, you probably never will, so what’s the point of it taking up space and cluttering your life? Personally, I believe clutter just causes stress. It overwhelms the senses and your thoughts. It’s more to take in and analyze, whether you think you are or not…maybe it’s just me, but junk is just too much to handle. Put it in boxes in one room, plan a yard sale to get some money back out of it, or just donate it and take it off your taxes, but for real, cleanse your life of the junk we have that we really don’t need….there will be another blog about this topic on Thursday…you’ll have to check it out.

Giving your home a good, deep-clean really just comes down to those 2 things- focus on REALLY, thoroughly cleaning one room at a time, and don’t allow your emotions to sway you, just be content with what you need and get rid of the stuff you don’t.

Simple as that…and a good, CLEAN home, will make you feel all the better.