Top to Bottom: Cleaning the House Post 1

Lots of people say they will clean their whole house. It sounds simple because how hard is it to clean? I'm going to tell you now, it's tough. Like kick your ass while chewing bubble gum tough.

Never say you're going to clean the whole house from top to bottom in a weekend. I don't care who you are, how much energy you have, or how clean it is already. You're not going to clean the whole house in a weekend. You just won't. It's always much more involved than you think it is.

I decided to actually start at the top.

I swept the ceiling first. I used my regular house broom which hangs on the porch. As you can see in the picture, we always have a mess. No matter how you live, there probably areas of your home where mess is an issue and that's another reason why this is tough; you've got to deal with those problem areas. Let's do this one step at a time. For those of you wondering why I started at the top, the short answer is gravity. No, I'm not being a smart-ass. The dirt is going to drift down to the floor anyway. No need to clean the same spot twice.

If you like, say a chant or affirmation. I said I was removing all negativity from our lives. I turn on the light because that makes it easier to see cobwebs. I walk around the room clockwise. Pay attention to areas where you can't reach with the broom because that is probably a space that traps negative energy. I try not to lift the broom away from the ceiling. Do every room in the house and don't forget about closets.

I like to leave lights on until the end. That tells me immediately if I skipped a room. I sweep down corners as I come to them. Really, I only sweep where the ceiling meets the walls but if you want to sweep the entire ceiling, go for it. Be aware it will be very obvious if you miss a spot.

After sweeping, the next step is to dust ceiling fans and light fixtures. Fans operate more efficiently when they are clean. A coating of dust creates drag causing the fan to work harder. Mundanely this is a good time to change blown bulbs and to replace smoke alarm batteries.

When you've gone around the whole house, you'll be tired. You'll wonder why you have so much house. If you couldn't get everything you will angrily curse having so much junk. Sit down. Next we're doing windows.