CLEAN – The Floors
I like to clean my floors on a Friday so it’s clean for the weekend when the family are home and visitors popping over. I then give it a quick vacuum on Monday morning as it’s always filthy and some evenings I use a Stickvac to pick up dinner that has fallen on the floor.
Having a stickvac on hand makes cleaning really quick and easily, I have just recently purchased a Hoover Air Stick Pro, which I have found really handy for quick cleans, has a turbo head to give the carpets a good clean (and pick up cat hair) and has extra attachments for those high hard to reach places. Ultimately I just love it for the quick clean up under the kitchen bench.
Cleaning task
Today’s cleaning task is to do the following to your floors:
[wlchecklist name=’CleanDay5′]
If you are trying to watch your pennies, you may notice how quickly cleaning products can eat into your budget. With reusable supplies and few common household ingredients, you can effectively clean your home AND save money! Homemade floor cleaner would have to be one of the simplest DIY cleaning recipes. It’s important to keep your floors clean with people walking from inside to out, babies or pets crawling around or having the doors and windows open to let in the fresh air. These can all spread dust particles and dirt throughout the house.
I have 2 effective DIY recipes for cleaning floors, depending on your flooring, find my recipes here.
I get asked regularly what is my favourite mop. It’s Vileda, I have been using it for over 10 years and rave to anybody that listens about it. Ultimately I just love the effortless glide over the floors compared to the old ones I used to use. I reviewed their new Vileda UltraMax Easy Twist Mop on the blog recently, read review here.
Read more: How regularly you need to clean the floors.
Shoes or no shoes indoors?
This has been a controversial topic on my blog before, it’s each to their own in your own home with pro’s and con’s for both sides. However, I prefer that visitors leave their shoes at the door when coming into our house. I don’t like dirt from the bottom of shoes being walked into the house and on the carpets (ours are cream and show dirt really easily), it’s my personal preference as I don’t have the time to be continually cleaning my floors. I also make sure the kids wear shoes (thongs) outside protecting their feet from bindi’s in the grass but also so they don’t bring dirt from their feet onto the carpets.
I place a little sign at the front door, letting visitors know to kindly remove their shoes.
Sign is available in my shop. Use coupon code 20daysshoes to get 50% off at checkout
Click here to download
DECLUTTER – Out of date food
Look through your pantry (especially your dried herbs and spices) and dispose of all food out of date.
Add food close to use by date to next weeks meal plan.
Read more: How to organise your spices.
[wlchecklist name=’DeclutterDay5′]
ORGANISE – Pantry
Today’s organise task is to organise the pantry. However, I don’t want you to remove everything from your pantry as this can be a big job (please only do so if you have the time). Instead, today let’s spend time tidying and reorganising to make it more manageable.
Below are images from my new pantry, it’s a walk in, which appears to be the new thing in new homes these days.
The top shelves stores large plasticware (such as dip serving dishes, large tupperware), I hide away rarely used items such as disposable plates and cutlery in the white baskets (from Kmart), and extra products I purchase when they are on special. On the floor are some plastic drawers from Ikea, I keep muffin paper cases, plastic bags, whole packets of nuts (I buy extra when I see them on special, once open they go in the containers mentioned below), zip lock bags etc.
My favourite part of the pantry would be my new Ikea 365+ Plastic Food Containers. I use them for all my nuts, baking chocolate and dried fruit. They have a flip lid to for easy access. I am yet to label them all, just trying to find the right solution as I wasn’t happy with what I started doing.
I still continue to use my Tuppererware containers, which I have had for a good 8+ years, I can’t fault their quality and I really like the shapes of these ones below, perfect to hold biscuits, crackers, rice cakes etc for kids lunchboxes.
On the left of the top shelf shown below i have two plastic baskets, one with muesli bars and the other with potato chips. I make my kids healthy lunchboxes, but do allow them treats like this every now and then. Plastic stackable turntable is great for all my different cooking essences etc.
Plastic stackable turntable is also great for spices. I actually prefer this than the tiered shelf (available from Kmart or Howards Storage World) next to it, as I am so short I can’t see the names on the spices behind.
I keep my oils in these large plastic tubs from Kmart, makes it easier to divide my sauces and spices keeping it tidy, but also easier to wipe and clean up any spills.
I keep our recycling on the floor in the pantry in a plastic storage tub, which is easy to wash out if it gets sticky.
You will find some great ideas in this post where I helped a reader create an organised pantry on a budget
[wlchecklist name=’OrganiseDay5′]
Plus, more great ideas on pantry organising:
- A guide to Tupperware Modular Mate sizes for an organised pantry
- More inspiring pantry ideas
- Clear the clutter from your fridge, details of how I have made this board
- Before and After of how reader Victoria organised her spices
- 5 tips for a healthier pantry
- You will find a complete post here, including video of the storage I used for my old pantry
- What to do with open packets in the pantry
NEW HABIT – Tidy the kitchen bench
Immediately put rubbish in the bin
Once something is rubbish or ready to be recycled put it straight into the bin, then and there, not later because later sometimes never comes and this is how a pile accumulates and gets out of control. Be it paper on your office desk (create a recycling bin close by), tags from new clothing left on your dresser, lolly wrappers left on the bench, food on dirty dishes should be scrapped straight into the bin.
[wlchecklist name=’NewHabitDay5′]
5 MINUTES ONLY – Tidy the kitchen bench
Tidy the kitchen bench. Let’s maintain the great work you did at the beginning of the week.
[wlchecklist name=’5minutesonlyDay5′]
DOWNLOAD
Print the daily sheet to keep for reference while you are completing the above tasks.
- DAY 5 DAILY TASK SHEET – file behind ‘Daily Task’ divider – click to download.
156 comments
Not going to get much done today as I will have to pack to go away for th long weekend. Which means that I won’t get Monday’s tasks done either. On the plus side ” going away ” YAY!!
Yay, hope you enjoy your time away. When you come back Simone just start for that day and come back to the ones you didn’t get time to complete after the challenge or on weekends 😉
Hi Kat,
I have found the mop and bucket system online for $50. Just wondering if this is a good price or where else I could purchase it from? I prefer to buy locally rather than online but don’t want to waste days going from hardware to the bigws etc.
Hi Chloe, Yes i $50 for a mop and bucket is a reasonable price. I got mine from my local supermarket.
I received an email regarding ‘week2’ at 6.29am this morning – but when I click on the link to start today’s tasks, it just comes up with ‘You’re eager to get ahead….’ My day starts at 4.45am on Mondays and Tuesdays. It would be really good if I could access the next week from midnight – as it is now 8.15am and I’m at work and I still can’t access week 2. On the days that I work, I need to get as much done as possible whenever I get a chance so I can stay on track. Please open the weeks up a little earlier for us early birds. On a much more positive note – I AM LOVING THIS CHALLENGE… my home sis looking so clean, tidy, uncluttered and organized – thank you!!!!!!
Hi Carol, it was meant to go live yesterday but… something played up, you can access it now and I have made sure that it will go live from Sunday next week too 🙂
Hi Kat,
Would it be possible to have the next weeks tasks unlocked on a Sunday? It would be great for planning my week, and because I’m 3 hours ahead, if it doesn’t get released till Monday morning, I’ve lost the morning in which to do anything.
Thanks heaps 🙂
Hi Felicity, it was meant to, so sorry it’s up and running now and I have made sure next weeks is live Sunday too.
Got my floors done twice this week which was great but still have the pantry to do. I have a big pantry so its going to take a few days in between work and kids going back to school. But looking forward to getting it done.
one step at a time Sally, glad you are seeing results with your floors!!
recouperating after a big couple of weeks for me!
Rest up Julie! You will be refreshed and already to go for day 6.:)
Week One COMPLETE!! YAYE!!! Already seeing positive changes in our home & with our routines!
My floors are shiny and my Pantry is clean & organised! TICK!
Bring on Week 2!!
Now to rest and shake off this chest infection (grr)
Wahoo, great work Charlene, love reading your progress and comments on facebook too!
Hi
Just wondering what the 2 fonts are that are used in the print outs please so i can add tasks in the same font to match? I think the main one is Century Gothic but not sure about handwritten type of one? Please tell me so i can sleep at night!?
Thanks for the challenge tasks…behind but feeling so much better.
My floor cleaning is definitely on the up. I use a steam cleaner (karcher) because all my floors are tiled with only rugs. Does a great job on the floors and no products at all, only very very hot steam, which kills any bacteria. I looked at my pantry and I have now ordered an expanding 3 tier shelf system that I can install on my existing shelves. This means I will then be able to actually see what is on the shelf. Proudly put up my laundry personalised checklist in my laundry, looks great!
Susanne 🙂
So glad you love the laundry checklist!! Great, would love to see pics of your pantry, your onto it Susanne!
So, I started off the week in great form, we (my little Miss 3 1/2yr old) weren’t getting EVERYTHING done each day, but we sure were making MASSIVE progress!! Then yesterday morning happen,… On my way into dropping Missy off at pre-school I managed to have a bad trip down hill on cement with my 1 year old little Mr in my arms!!!!
What was most distressing was not only did we both go down HARD, but that at the last minute before impact I had to drop him (FELT ((AND STILL DO))) SSSSSSOOO GUILTY) or I would have landed right on top of him!! So half a day in hospital later and we are badly grazed and I’m limping like my right leg is about to fall off (x-ray showed no breaks lucky) but otherwise ok. Poor bubba looks like his been in the boxing ring and come off second best!! Should make for great 1st Birthday Pics for him tomorrow!!!
Needless to say nothing has been accomplished in the last two days (although thanks to my mum my kitchen is still organised and clean!! Mums are THE BEST) however come Sunday when I’m allowed to do a bit more I’m going to attempt a bit of a catch up. I figure however that THE MOST IMPORTANT THING is that my bubba is ok, and i’ll be ok soon enough, could have been much worse right? Anyway hoping to get back into it on Monday, don’t think I’ll try and play catch up, I’ll just stick to the schedule and fit in extra catch up stuff where I can or at the end (I KNOW i’m going to need MORE than 20 days to complete this challenge with three kids 6, 3/1/2 and 1 anyway). It’s great to see everyone else’s progress thought, it’s keeping me motivated! GO LADIES 🙂
Ooh Amy I am so sorry to hear about your fall, you can’t help dropping your son, reflexes happen and as you say better than landing on him. What timing just before his birthday. My youngest has a big scratch over her face with her 1st birthday pics too. I hope you both heal and can find time to rest over your busy weekend. That’s a great idea to just keep to schedule, I think from last week the two important rooms to make sure you were able to accomplish is the kitchen and main bedroom. Thinking of you xx