CLEAN ROUTINE

On top of everything else we have to do with regards to school and being a member of a sorority, we cannot count out those mundane tasks that everyone takes part in like cleaning. I find it hard to fit cleaning my apartment into my schedule, but I know it has to be done or I will hate coming home and things will just keep piling up. For me, I had to look at my work and school schedule to see which day worked best for cleaning. I found that Friday afternoons are the best. I am off work and have nothing usually planned for Friday afternoons. Since I live in a small apartment it doesn't take me that much time to go through my routine either so if I am leaving town or have somewhere to be that evening I have plenty of time to spare.

With my schedule it varies week to week on if I am working on the weekends, so I cannot depend on that time to clean my apartment. Besides that I almost want to refuse to clean on the weekend. If I am working, I do not want to have to worry about it. If I'm not working, I do not know what to have to worry about it either. I would much rather focus on relaxing. It is nice to go into the weekend and the coming week with a freshly clean apartment. I use a variety of items to get my cleaning done, but not so many that it takes up a ton of space.

1. Vacuum cleaner. This vacuum cleaner is perfect for small spaces. I keep mine in my clothes closet and it takes up no space at all. You should definitely invest in a vacuum cleaner for your apartment or suite. It will make you feel a lot better about your floors and cuts down on dust.

2. Windex. Fun fact: I was obsessed with dusting with Windex as a kid. It was my absolute favorite chore. Unfortunately, I advanced to laundry duty (#yuck). Always keep Windex and some paper towels on hand to clean windows and mirrors. You would be surprised how much hairspray gets built up on your mirrors.

3. All-purpose cleaner. You definitely need an all-purpose cleaner with bleach. You can practically use it on everything (hence "all-purpose") from countertops to appliances. I use it on my kitchen countertops frequently. The bleach helps kill any bacteria that may get loose when I am cooking.

4. Toilet bowl cleaner. I love anything that Clorox makes. To me, it is definitely worth the extra dollar you spend because you don't have to use as much. The same goes for this toilet bowl cleaner. If you live in a sorority suite and you don't have to clean your own toilets, you can skip this step.

5. Bathroom cleaner. Bathroom cleaner is a little different that all-purpose cleaner in that you can set it to foam. This option is helpful if you have extra grime in your shower. Also, we sometimes spill things in the bathroom that are hard to clean up. Having a little extra power in the foam really helps.

6. Swiffer Wet Jet. I swear by this thing like no other. I think mops are absolutely disgusting and I see no need of having one in an apartment. You can get by with this on ceramic, linoleum, and hardwood floors. This is the perfect floor cleaner for those of you living in a sorority house too if your room has no carpet. It is easy to stow away.

7. Clorox Wipes. These are a little piece of heaven. Anytime I don't feel like breaking out the all-purpose cleaner, I just wipe down the countertops with these. They get the job done! 

Throughout the week I run the dishwasher whenever it is ready (read: not every night) and take out the trash whenever it is full. I find that doing these things as they need to be done saves me a lot of time when Friday cleaning rolls around.

What is your cleaning routine?