Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Speed Cleaning: Clean the Kitchen

This is based on the book Speed Cleaning -- I am trying to work through it and gain some skills.   It seems like the kind of approach that would appeal to a bunch of boys, which is what I have.  So if I learn how to speed clean I can pass on the skill to my boys.   Plus, everyone needs an occasional refresher course --- note how teachers and other professionals have conferences or new courses occasionally.  It helps upgrade the skills and refresh the mindset.  SO!

Here are the general Speed Cleaning Rules

Here's an article:   15-minute kitchen cleaning. It's more for the kind of daily cleaning you do after meal prep, but it has some of the same general ideas.  

The procedure (this is for ordinary weekly cleaning, not deep cleaning)

Preparation

  1. Gather your supplies together, preferably in a cleaning tray which you can carry with you.   Basically, you need a glass cleaner, a heavy duty spray cleaner, a powder cleaner like Comet, a nylon scrubbing pad, ten washcloths, and some mop covers.  You also need a mop like a Shmop.   
  2. Start at the sink -- get it cleared of dishes.   Then you can fill the sink with your floor-cleaning solution.
  3. You put the trash out by the kitchen exit and put the mop beside it.  
  4. If there's stuff on the floor or a lot of excess clutter on the counters, you have to put that away first.
  5. Put a clean cloth on your shoulder -- wipe with another cloth and dry with the shoulder cloth.  When the shoulder cloth gets too damp, it becomes your new cleaning cloth and you replace it with a new shoulder cloth. 

Action
  1. The idea is to move to the right, work up to down, and back to front. 
  2. You want to make a circle around the kitchen with a quick detour to the island when you get to it, if you have an island.    
  3. Vertical surfaces don't need as much cleaning as horizontal.  Clean only when it needs it.  .... for example, most cabinets only need the handles wiped. 
  4. If you do the procedure the same way every time, it becomes part of your muscle memory much faster.
  5. You don't want to waste time scrubbing resistant spots and stains, so spray and use a razor to lift up stubborn dried food (I'm scared to do this for now).
  6. Move items as little as you can -- you want to move them to your right while cleaning so they are in the dirty part you haven't cleaned yet.    Then you replace them in their proper places. 


The book suggests that you work fast and time yourself so you can try to beat your speed.  

There were more details about how to clean individual surfaces (for example, you pay attention to cobwebs at doorframes, and wipe the top and sides of the refrigerator, and so on) but I just want to get the basics down for now.

Conclusion

  1. After you've made the circle through the kitchen, you sweep and/or mop.   As the cloth on the mop gets dirty and/or too dry, you take it off and replace it with a clean one, so the water in the sink that you dip the mop in is always clean.  
  2. You want to back yourself out of the kitchen, so you start inside and make a circle and then end up at the exit, so you're not stepping on the floors you already mopped. 
  3. You leave the dirty cloths and so on next to the kitchen exit so you can move them to the laundry room.
  4. Then finish by draining and polishing the sink.   (or at least, that's what I'm going to do).  

2 comments:

  1. I like the shoulder cloth/hand cloth idea. I had never heard of that one. I may try that next time!

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  2. Hi Willa, I am so pleased to find your blog (I followed the link from the UC group). Wow! You have links for a couple of my stories. So surprised. Thank you. How kind of you!

    I can see I am going to enjoy reading your blog. I immediately noticed you have Tom Playfair and Our Island's Story on your list. I am sure to find other books we enjoy.

    You have reminded me that I have a copy of "Speed Cleaning". I ought to get it out and use it!! God bless.

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I would love to hear your thoughts on this!