Creating a Sanctuary

Helping to Create a “Sanctuary/Refuge”
by Cleaning & Organizing

D&C 109:8. Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;

CLEANING

The most important thing to remember with cleaning is to stay on top of it. Take the time to sit down and make a plan/schedule for your own home. Everyone will end up doing it differently, but here are a few ideas.

1st – Break up chores between daily, weekly, monthly and seasonally.
2nd – Make your own plan/calendar of when you want to tackle each thing.


DAILY CHORES

Keep Kitchen Clean:
§ Wash Dishes
§ Wipe Down Counters, Sink, Stovetop, Table & Chairs
§ Sweep Kitchen Floor
§ Take out Kitchen Trash
Check Bathrooms:
§ Wipe Down Counters (if needed)
§ Wipe Down Sinks (if needed)
§ Rinse out Showers/Tubs (Just have family members do it at the end of every bath/shower. I like “Clean Shower” from Arm & Hammer – just spray the shower after you are done, and it helps prevent mildew or scum build-up
Keep Floors Clean
§ Vacuum or sweep up any crumbs or obvious messes
§ Wipe up spills
Dust
§ If needed, do some feather dusting (Swiffer dusters are awesome!)
Wash Laundry
§ If you do at least one load of laundry a day it won’t pile up and you won’t play catch-up.
Tidy Up
§ Doing a little clutter control and a few minutes of picking up each day prevents your home from turning into a disaster.
Tidy Bedrooms
§ Make Beds
§ Put clothes in their proper place (in the hamper, closet or drawers)
File Papers
§ So papers don’t build up, put junk mail, letters, bills, school papers, receipts, etc. in their proper places.


WEEKLY CHORES

Clean Bathrooms (toilets, shower/tub, floors, straighten drawers & cabinets)
Clean Kitchen (sink, counters, appliances, stovetops, microwave, floor)
Clean Living Room, Bedrooms, Office
Clean Mirrors
Dust (furniture, wall hangings, ceiling fan, TV screen, computer monitor, blinds)
Entry/Porch/Patio/Garage (shake rugs, sweep)
Vacuuming/Mopping (carpets, rugs, stairs, hard floors)
Change All Linens
Wash Area Rugs
Spot Clean Walls/Doors
Gather & Take out Trash
MONTHLY CHORES

Dust Ceiling Fans
Clean Light Fixtures
Dust Air Vents
Clean Walls (Especially food preparation & eating areas)
Clean Window Treatments/Blinds
Dust Intensively (window sills, ceilings, corners/cobwebs, baseboards, doors, molding)
Vacuum Inside Furniture (couches)
Clean Interior Windows (and exterior windows if needed)
Spot Treat Carpet and Upholstery (schedule carpet cleaning if needed)
Dust/Check Smoke Alarms
Check Vacuum and Air Conditioner Filters/Change if Needed
Deep Clean Appliances (oven, refrigerator, freezer, microwave)


SEASONAL CHORES (Spring and Fall)

Windows (exterior)
Exterior Doors
Outdoor Areas (clean grills, patio furniture, etc.)
Move & Clean Behind Heavy Furniture/Appliances (stove, fridge, entertainment center, etc.)
Appliance Maintenance (vacuum refrigerator coils, clean vent & exhaust areas of dryer)
Clutter Control (Clean out pantry and all closets – remove clutter, store seasonal clothing)


ORGANIZATION

Ideas from "One Year to an Organized Life" by Regina Leeds - Get Your Life in Order One Day at a Time

Organization expert Regina Leeds offers step-by-step and day-by-day solutions to getting "all your ducks in a row." And there's no time like the present to start working your way to that organized life. The first thing you'll notice is that, when your life is organized, you'll be able to accomplish more in less time with little or no frustration. One Year to an Organized Life really is a month-by-month guide. But you don't have to wait until January 1st to start your project. You can choose any day or month to be your "January." From there, just get going. She has concluded that home and life organization comes down to 3 steps which she calls "The Magic Formula."

1 – Eliminate: Get rid of anything that is old, useless, torn, broken, out of style, or disliked should find another home. Choose the trash, a charity, a friend, or another room.

2 – Categorize: This means sort. Get like things together in one place. Soup goes with soup. Anne's files all go together. Sara's toys go in one box or drawer. Dad's shirts go on the same rack in the same closet. You get the idea.

3- Organize: Find containers, shelving, racks, and drawers to put things away. Each time you need to put something away, you will know exactly where it will go. And when you need to use something, you'll know exactly where to find it.

Leed's schedule for total life organization (adapt to your own needs):
January: The Kitchen
February: The Bedroom
March: The Home Office
April: The Bathroom
May: The Attic, Basement, Garage, Laundry Room and Guest Room
June: Traveling
July: Scrapbooks, Memorabilia, Greeting Cards, and Address Books
August: Moving
September: Back-to-School and Kids' Rooms
October: The Living Room, Dining Room, and Family Room
November: Entertaining and Thanksgiving
December: Christmas and New Year

By the end of the year, your home and your life will be in order and you'll be ready to really enjoy every day.
Kitchen Organization Tips

Mentally Prepare - Look in your kitchen and make a mental note of what belongs in there, what can be put away, what you don't need anymore, etc.

Organize Kitchen Cabinets - Take everything out of your kitchen cabinets, clean, and place them back into different categories such as glasses, plates, baking trays and so on. If your cabinets are organized you will save a lot of time during cooking.

Clean your Pantry - It's amazing the things you'll find stored in the back of a pantry. We often buy things we already have because we simply can't find them. So, take everything out of the pantry, clean and place back in categories. Use one shelf for dry foods such as cereals, pasta, etc. Use another for canned goods, and so on. Use baskets in your pantries for smaller items like stock cubes and gravy mixes. This will make them easier to find and avoid spillage from opened packets.

Use a Spice Rack - By simply using a wall-mounted or counter top spice rack you can save a lot of cabinet space and have your spices close at hand. Clearly label your spices and place the ones you use more often towards the front of the rack.

Clear your Counter Tops - Remove any items you don't use on a regular basis from your counter tops. Instead, store them in a cabinet or even your basement or garage (if you don’t use them very often).

Organize that Junk Drawer - Okay, just because we all call it the "junk drawer" doesn't mean it shouldn't be organized. Take a look through and throw out any items you many not need. Place small baskets in there to store items like batteries, clips and all those other interesting things we seem to collect in our kitchens.

Clean the Fridge - Every time you go grocery shopping clean out your fridge. You'll find things in there which have gone bad, are empty, etc. Throw out all these items and give your fridge a good wipe if necessary.

Set up a Message Station - If your kitchen allows, set up a specific place for the telephone, messages, keys, etc. If you don't have a space for this in your kitchen then try to find one in your hallway or living room.

Invest and be Clutter Free - Now you can find all sorts of inexpensive organizing products and gadgets for your kitchen and home. If possible invest in a few of these as they will make your job much easier. A simple pegboard where you can keep photos, messages or your kids works of art can be a lifesaver. The same thing goes for a plastic bag organizer or good spice rack. Invest a little and you'll reap the rewards in time saved and much more pleasant kitchen to cook in.


Closet Organization Tips

1. Set aside two to four hours to tackle a small closet; four to six hours to wrestle a walk-in into shape. If a friend can be coerced into helping you - or at least keeping you company - so much the better.

2. Buy a few plastic bins from your local discount store and collect some large, sturdy cardboard boxes. These will come in handy when you begin to sort and store.

3. Before you start, decide what types of items you want to store in the closet. Clothes and shoes only? Wrapping paper? Your bowling ball? Unfolded laundry? Plan ahead and create storage space elsewhere for items that will be evicted from your closet.

4. Ready to dig in? In a systemized way, take everything that's not on a hanger out of your closet. Go from the top of the closet to the bottom, from the floor up, or go from right to left.

5. As you remove each item, sort it into one of five piles: trash, giveaway, projects, storage or closet. The trash pile is self-evident - toss it into the garbage bin. Giveaways are those items you no longer need, but can be of use to a family member, a friend or a charity. Projects are those articles that need further action on your part - shoes that need new soles, clothing items missing a button, etc. Storage consists of things you want to keep, but not in your closet. The pieces in your closet pile will go back into your closet once you've finished organizing.

6. Take a look at your shoes. Haven't worn them in over a year, and won't in the foreseeable future? They're either trash or giveaways. Are they special occasion shoes that you'll wear again? Box them up and label them. If you're in a cold weather climate and you won't see sandals for another six months, box up your warm weather shoes and pack them away for the winter.

7. Once you've gotten this far, you're more than halfway there! Now you're down to the clothes on their hangers. This is the tough part, but boldness and bravery are necessary to achieve your goal. Go through each piece, one at a time, with as much objectivity as you can. Does the item fit you at your present size? Have you worn it in the past couple years? Has it seen better days? How does it really look? After answering these questions, decide whether it should go into trash, giveaway, storage, projects or closet.

8. Once you've sorted through everything in your closet, it's time to assess your progress and put everything in its proper place. Organize your hanging clothes by their function: sportswear, casual, career, special occasion. Within each function, group like items together: blouses, skirts, pants, jackets. Within these groups, organize by color.

9. Now you can dispose of your five piles. Dump the trash and be done with it. Sort the giveaway pile into items to distribute to people you know, and put the rest in a large carton or trash bag to be given to charity. Sort your projects pile into appropriate categories, and put them in a bin or box (take time to reserve a day on your calendar when you will tackle those tasks). Group the items in the storage pile by the location where they will be stored. Box up the things that are going into longer-term storage and label the boxes. Then, put all of the items in their proper places.

10. Now that you've reclaimed your closet space, you should have plenty of room to put away the things from your closet pile. Make sure to label any boxes, so you'll know what's inside and you won't have to dig the next time you need something.

11. If you have a small closet you may need to take additional steps to create more space. Consider over-the-door organizers, wall hooks and multi-level rods. Remember that the space under your bed can be utilized as long-term storage space.

12. Relax and congratulate yourself on a job well done!



Bathroom Organization Tips

1. After a thorough cleaning of the bathroom, take all items out of the drawers/cabinets. Clean empty drawers and cabinets while empty.

2. Discard any product that is over 1 year old. Old mascara, make up, lotions, deodorants, as well as unused items such as hairbrushes, clips or old nail clippers.

3. Place everyday items in convenient locations. Store less used products in the lower drawers or at the back of a cupboard.

4. Place hooks on the walls and back of doors for towels, robes, wet swim suits, etc. If possible, take things off your counter such as electric toothbrushes, hairdryers, etc. to free up counter space.

5. Use a hand soap dispenser for cleaning hands. Filling them is easier and cleaner than bar soap.

6. Install a basket in the shower/bath to hold the shampoos and other products. There are a variety of styles on the market.

7. If needed, consider putting extra storage in your bathroom such as a cabinet over the toilet.

8. Have a designated spot for wet or dirty towels. Don’t let them pile up in the bathroom.

9. Always have a place for everything in the bathroom to keep it tidy and neat. A well thought-out bathroom allows you to relax in the warmth of the bath, rather than stress about what needs to be cleaned.

10. Organize your bathroom, at least once a year.