Posted in Our Housekeeping Systems
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We have three bathtubs, three toilets, five bathroom sinks and a stall shower. After many years of scrubbing each one every week, I've decided less is more! By using only one shower, one tub, one toilet (barring emergencies, of course) and one sink, I have found we have less cleaning to do. Here's approximately how it works: In the morning when I wake up, I get into the master bathroom first. I do a quick dusting with a static duster and a quick sweep of the corners before any steam gets into the room to cement dust and hair to surfaces. I brush my teeth and hair and Dearest Beloved takes the first shower. When he is done, he rinses the walls and shower door with water (we keep a quart-sized plastic cup in the shower.) After he's done blow drying and brushing and all, he uses a cleaning wipe on the counter and around the sink. He has wiped up the sink since he started trimming his beard, but if I keep wipes handy, he'll do the whole counter! What a guy! John gets in the shower next. Just before he gets in, he uses a disinfecting wipe to wipe down the toilet top to bottom and the floor around the toilet. Then same shower, same rinse down with water afterward. Blair has the room now and takes the longest - no surprise. She also does a quick rinse of the stall walls with water. By the time she's done her hair and makeup the hot water is replenished and ready for me. But before she leaves, she wipes the mirror with a window wipe. Time for my shower. Before I leave the stall, I rinse the walls down with water and take a squeegee to all the wet surfaces. After I'm all ready for the day, I tidy up the room, make sure all the handles sparkle and hit the doorknobs and light switches with a wipe. That bathroom is done and isn't used again until tomorrow morning. During the day we use the toilet in the hall bathroom. It's easy to dust, sweep and wipe up during the day because no steam accumulates. Over the course of the day I'll take 30 extra seconds during each pit stop to clean one thing - the mirror, the sink and counter, the toilet and around, a quick sweep, etc. Our young girls bathe after dinner in the downstairs tub. Rose goes first and climbs up on the counter to clean the mirror afterward. Christy has second bath and cleans the counter and sink when she's done. Finally, Kate gets in and wipes up the tub when she is done. Because I can't get up and down those stairs very often, Blair has been put in charge of making sure that bathroom is tidy before she goes to bed. So she will make sure there are no puddles lurking and give the toilet and surrounding floor a top to bottom wipe before bed. By bedtime, all three bathrooms are tidy and wiped down. The steam and dampness is confined to one chunk of day in each room, so the mold is controlled as much as possible. We still shake out and wash rugs, do a good sweep and mop and scrub all the showers and tubs once a week, but it's so much easier when the mess is knocked down daily. A couple practical notes: we use a non-soap soap. It's harder on the skin, but easier on the cleaning. You might know it by "detergent" soap or "Zest." Each child has a dorm bucket I got for a few dollars at a bed and bath store. It holds their own toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, makeup, hair brush and doodads. They bring it to the bathroom for their shower or bath, leave with it full and store it under the bathroom sink nearest their bedroom. About once a month I'll take them apart and put them in a disinfect cycle in the dishwasher. Yes, I know those wipes are expensive, and yes, I know I could make them myself. But, if I have them they will get used. If I don't have them the wiping doesn't get done, the work takes longer during the weekly chore and we have to be alert for drop in visitors!! It's a trade-off and one I will gladly make to have clean bathrooms. |
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