Routines Archives - The Motherly Heap

Spring Clean Your Bedroom: Spring Clean Series

Jordan N. — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 17:37:42 +0000

Does your bedroom needs love and spring clean action? Except for the kitchen, bedrooms become dirty faster than any other room in the house. However, we sometimes skip cleaning them because they are too demanding of our precious time (and let us be honest: Who has time?). So we’ve devised a way to get structured cleaning for your bedroom this spring—a step-by-step guide to getting your bedroom to shine again. Also, devoting your time to making a clear, clutter-free bedroom for you to enjoy helps your mental health. A double win for you, my friend. We know that creating a space for rest is a top priority in building solid relaxation and sleep habits. So what does spring clean have to do with all these goals anyway? It all depends on how you tackle and clean your bedroom this spring. Now, grab your cleaning gloves and get your A-game for spring cleaning! Your bedroom requires a thorough going over, and you’re the one who can do it. This spring, stop reorganizing that messy space beneath your canopy bed or hiding away those old clothes. Instead, get right down onto your hands and knees for some serious cleaning – YOU CAN DO IT! How to Spring Clean your Bedroom 1. Prepare your cleaning supplies and trash bags for a quick decluttering session. It’s easier to get going when you have the needed supplies. 2. Start from top to bottom when cleaning your bedroom. You become more organized when you plan the steps, to begin with, your cleaning. Then, you can focus on one area at a time systematically. 3. Tackle the ceiling, light fixtures, and ceiling fans. Take care of every little angle filled with dust. A microfiber cloth with a water/cleaning agent will help remove dusty surfaces. And while you’re at it, check if the light bulbs need changing if they haven’t been changed during your quarterly cleaning to-dos. 4. Change the air filters and clean the covers. Springtime is another best time to switch them out. Again, the more you care for your vent system, the healthier environment will be more beneficial. Remember, home air quality also depends on how clean your air filters are. 5. Take down all curtains and wash them. Curtains harbor dust, and they need to be cleaned often. 6. Wipe down and clean the windows and blinds. Blinds and window screens can easily collect dust and other allergens. Make sure you vacuum, wipe and dry the windows appropriately. 7. Dust away anything from the headboards and any flat surfaces. Nightstands, headboards, and other flat surfaces have more dust than other furniture. If you have a TV console and other speakers in your bedroom, you might want to check on them too. 8. Vacuum your lamps and drawers behind the side tables and under the bed. Investing in a good, practical vacuum will streamline cleaning the house, including your bedroom. Lamps and drawers need to be vacuumed frequently to prevent dust. 9. Remove bed linens and all sheets. Wash them. Washing your bedroom linens and duvet will remove accumulated shedding skin, dust, etc. 10. Sprinkle baking soda on the stripped mattress. Later on, vacuum all the powder off the bed. Next, freshen up your mattress by cleaning it properly – remove debris, etc. You can also steam and dry your entire mattress before putting back fresh linens. Quick note: Vacuuming with baking soda – please double-check first on your vacuum manuals. If you aren’t sure, skip this step. Vacuum the mattress without baking soda. Related Posts: Spring Clean Your Kitchen Spring Clean Your Bathroom Cleaning Routine for SAHM (Checklist) 11. Polish all fixtures and furniture. When it comes to cleaning, you not only remove the dust and gunks – it’s good to polish fixtures and furniture to prolong their life. 12. Give your bedroom and closet doors a good wipe-down. Use any cleaning products as appropriate because these areas can become dusty and dingy. However, here is a quick cleaning tip: you can easily use a magic eraser with squeezed-out water to clean the doors. 13. Vacuum the bedroom floor if you have carpet flooring; time for some carpet washing too. First, clean up your bedroom floor, whether it has carpet, wood floor, or other flooring. If you are washing the carpet, ensure it has good ventilation, so it can quickly dry. 14. Keep your cables uncluttered by securing them. Purchase or DIY a storage system to keep your lines/cords secured in one place. 15. Assign a charging station area for all electronic devices. To minimize clutter in the bedroom, designate a space for all electronic devices to charge. 16. Sanitize all controls, door knobs, and hardware. Frequently touched areas need to be cleaned and sanitized regularly, not just in the springtime. 17. Clean your air purifier, cool humidifiers, and essential oil diffusers. It’s helpful for your health to keep these devices and gadgets regularly cleaned out. 18. Sort out your clothes by season. Store away clothes that are off-season. Stay organized by keeping the clothes you’ll wear accessible and have the off-season tucked away. 19. Donate or throw away bedroom products and clothes that are not serving you anymore. Clutter will build up if you aren’t careful in acquiring stuff in the bedroom. Regularly purge your products to keep clutter to a minimum. 20. Organize the rest of your bedroom items and keep track of clutter spots. Then, when bedroom cleaning is completed, it’ll be easier to organize the bedroom spaces. Remember, do not feel pressured to finish it in a single day. We all know how good it feels to have a clutter-free and clean bedroom all year, not just in spring. So take the opportunity to freshen up your bedroom this season. After all, it’s where you should feel truly relaxed and at ease. So, once you’re done deep cleaning your bedroom, add a vase of fresh flowers or a new throw blanket, and voila! You’ll be surprised at how much better you sleep in a clean, tidy bedroom. So go ahead – spring clean your bedroom today! If you like this cleaning post, please share and PIN it. Thanks!

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6 Tips to Maintain a Clutter-Free Home

Jordan N. — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 17:05:04 +0000

You’ve decluttered your home. You’ve put in the work to get rid of unnecessary things and unused ones. Now, as weeks and months roll by, you are looking at cluttered spaces in the home with a huge question – why are the clutter piles back again? How do you maintain a clutter-free home? Here’s a secret, no one’s home is genuinely clutter-free. That includes mine too. On the contrary, somewhere in the house, stuffed boxes and overflowing storages prove that the clutter bug is at it again. Nothing makes a mom cringe more than looking at the clutter all over the house. And you know, it will be eating up your time and energy. So, now, here are six tips on how to maintain your home clutter-free. We can only try to find solutions to each situation, and recommendations may be hit or miss. So, stay with us on this – prevent bringing in more items and tackle clutter head-on. Practical Tips To Maintain and Keep a Clutter-Free Home Ask before you buy Purchasing things on a whim. Shopping spree with no plans. Shopping scenarios, here and there. Now, thinking of keeping the home clutter-free, you’ve got to stop impulse buying. Easy to say, hard to do. Then, let these questions be on your mind before swiping the card or handing in your cash – The list goes on… Asking yourself questions before buying an item can help you sort out what you need or want. Hopefully, it deters you from getting things you don’t need yet fills up your home with clutter. Be ruthless on clutter Yes, you’ve cleared out some from your stash. Yet you still have plenty of storage boxes to sort out—souvenirs and memorabilia, sometimes clothes from the early college years. Check and check. It’s time to part ways. Instead, become the ruthless declutter queen – starting today! Let it all go. You take a picture of something you choose to keep and not use anymore. Then, say goodbye. Adios. They said, “other people’s clutter can be another’s treasure.” So let it be a therapeutic step of letting go and giving away. Scan prints/art into digital items and save them on a hard drive. Or best, find them a new home. Contentment It is personal. How we feel and what we have and deserve are ours. When we feel content with the things around us, we are more relaxed and happier. As a result, we don’t seek out other material things to fill the void or be the answer to what we’re dealing with. It may be in our nature to want more, to keep – just in case. So even buying just for the sake of buying or item DEALS gives us a heightened feeling – only to realize we didn’t need it. Clutter in the home can be the aftermath of wanting more material things; the problem is some items don’t even get used or meet their purpose. Time to let go. Related Posts: Declutter First Before Organizing Your Home Organization Hacks for Your Laundry Room Family Affair Involvement in the maintenance of your home requires the entire family. YES, not just mom or dad. Everyone. Kids love to be involved. So the responsibilities of keeping their school backpack organized, taking out the clutter from their bedroom, tidying their personal space – let it be a family affair. Add decluttering to their chores. There may be some pushback from the kids, but having a clutter-free space shows them how peaceful it can be for them too. Be able to concentrate on homework or enjoy their personal space without the chaos. It also helps them reflect on how they feel around the home. Of course, it will never be perfectly clutter-free; it’s understandable. However, feeling responsible for the home environment can keep them from adding to the clutter. Make a habit It takes an average of 66 days to make a habit. Since you’ve done your part on the initial decluttering of your home, let it drive you to continue clearing things around. Creating a decluttering habit incorporates it within your daily routine. Motivation can become fickle, but a strong decluttering routine can keep you going. Time and Plan Dedicate time to decluttering the home. Would it be the early morning, midday, or late evening? You can also use the clutter timer – 5 minutes pick up for any area. You’d be surprised how many you can check off your list when you are determined to make your home clutter-free. Any area is a potential clutter place. But, as I’ve mentioned, planning your time and energy to declutter can help you in many ways. Clutter-Free Home and Maintenance Maintaining a home is complex, and adding clutter to the mix becomes complicated. Prevention is key to keeping clutter from piling back up again. Getting ahead of chaos can become another task in your homemaking, yet it can be a savior to your sanity. How you maintain a clutter-free home does do cleaning and organizing your home more accessible. As a result, it won’t be as time-consuming. Include these tips in your homemaking routine today, and let a clutter-free home bring peace and happiness. What are your hidden secrets in keeping clutter under control in your home? Please share your tips with us.

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Clean These 5 Kitchen Items: Don’t Skip Them.

Jordan N. — Sun, 06 Mar 2022 19:24:40 +0000

The pace of life can pick up some days. My go-to mantra these past few weeks – “it is what it is.” These 5 particular items somehow stop me in my tracks as I clean my kitchen. Why? Because when I clean, I want to be able to do the cleaning without putting anything extra. I understand when I need to scrub the burnt grill or get the fridge purged once or twice a week. But some days, I want to clean and go. I don’t want to spend extra time making sure they’re super sparkling clean. Are you the same with cleaning? Hey, we don’t get to do what we want for easy cleaning. But, as homemakers, we make time for things that need attention. Additionally, the health of the family may depend on it as well. So, grab your gloves, and let’s do it. 5 Kitchen Items need extra cleaning and attention: 1. Cutting Board When’s the last time your meat cutting board had a good scrubbing and soak? Do you mean there are different cutting boards for food? I say yes; you may want to dedicate one cutting board for meat and one for produce. The reason is food safety and handling. It makes sense not to use the cutting board for meat and chopping potatoes together. Some bacteria from the uncooked meat get picked up by other food items you’re preparing on the same board. Keeping your cutting board clean after every use: Scrub your cutting board with salt and a lemon cut in half. Paying particular focus on crevices. Get hot soapy water in a small tub and clean your cutting board. You need to use a gallon of water + 1/3 cup of chlorine bleach to soak for 5 minutes. Then rinse with hot water – to remove the chemical solution. (Follow bleach safety guidelines for home use). Allow the cutting board to air dry and store in a clean place. If you have a wood cutting board, choose it for produce or other items rather than meat. There are NSF-certified plastic cutting boards available in the market. Another alternative is a glass cutting board. Whatever you use as your cutting board at home, be sure to clean and sanitize them properly. If the cutting boards are worn out – REPLACE them. 2. Under your microwave oven – grease filter Have you taken a good look under your over-the-range microwave? Do you see that screen mesh filter with gunk in it? Yes, that one underneath. If you have your microwave manual handy in the kitchen, check how to remove it for cleaning. You can carefully remove it for most microwave models by unhinging one corner. Remove the screen. Soak with a fourth cup of baking soda with 4 quarts ot water with a few drops of diah soap for 10 minutes. After soaking, you can get a cleaning brush to scrub and then rinse with warm water. Say no to oil splatters and dust. Instead, grab your favorite cleaner to wipe down the entire bottom of your microwave. 3. Refrigerator: Water spout and ice dispenser Hello, fridge! If you have a refrigerator with a water and ice dispenser, you’ll see that this area gets nasty pretty quick. Look closely at the water tip and make sure there isn’t any gunk-like white or, worse green stuff sticking around. The ice dispenser spout can get easily dirty as your family uses it daily. So for your safety, pay attention to this area as much you’d want to get fresh, safe, and clean water. Never use a commercial cleaning agent or chemical on them. Opt for the simple tried and true – vinegar and water (V+W) solution. Fill out a small ziplock with equal parts of V+W. Wrap it around the spouts. Leave it to soak longer. Then wipe down. If you don’t want to soak, grab a spray bottle filled with V+W and use a soft cloth to wipe it down after spraying the spouts. Related Post: Cleaning Routine for a Stay-At-Home Mom That You Actually Can Stick To 4. Sink Grinder (Garbage Disposal) Ever wonder what’s that smell when you’re by the sink? Yes, it’s your garbage disposal. It may be automatic for you to clean this weekly or more times during the week. But sometimes, life gets busy, and you forget. Let’s tackle it together to get those slimy, grimy goop around and in it. TURN OFF the power to your garbage disposal. Please do this FIRST. Grab a sponge and your dish soap. Scrub the spout chamber sometimes, it can be stuck with all the gunk around it. Rinse your sponge and repeat cleaning it thoroughly and rinse with hot water. Now take your ½ cup of vinegar and ½ cup of baking soda – pour down the drain. COVER with your sink stopper. Let it do its magic. Then, wait for the fizzy to slow down. Once done, remove the cover, then flush your sink disposal with hot water. For the scent part: either grab a few lemon peels, drop into the chamber or a few drops of lemon essential oil with ice cubes – turn on the disposal for 20 seconds. You can do the same for the other sink without the disposal. Clean as much as you can, then drop some lemon fragrance oil to freshen the smell. 5. Trash Cans Include your trash can on your cleaning to-do list this weekend. Unfortunately, this kitchen item can get overlooked. The trash can may not get cleaned until it’s overly yucky looking to your sight. A good scrubbing and rinsing will do the trick. For quick clean up: Empty the trash. Grab your all-purpose cleaning spray and sponge to clean. From cover to the sides, then the bottom and pedals. Replace a new trash bag and freshen up with a fragrance spray. For thorough cleaning of the trash bin with stuck food, liquid stains, etc. Empty the trash. Bring it to your bathroom and give it a good shower. Use dish soap and scrub those gunks off and rinse with hot water. Always dry out the trash can before using it again. Replace a new trash bag and spray it with your favorite essential oils. Now that we’ve tackled those 5 Kitchen Items in your home to clean. Let’s give these items the proper cleaning and never forget it again. Which one are you going to clean first? Anything you want to add to those kitchen items that get overlooked? Let me know in the comments.

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Why Kids Routines Will Change Your Chaotic Mom Life?

Jordan N. — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 20:39:45 +0000

What is a recurring household scene in your morning? Is someone crying? Are you yelling? Is the constant struggle to push and rush everything a staple in your home? Mama, are you inside a bubble that’s about to pop? Then, what about at night? Do your kids just close their eyes and escape to dreamland? Great! Or you’re on a long winding road of unending requests from your toddler trying not to sleep yet. Will these battles in your life continue? How long are you going to endure it? What if there’s a way to lessen the chaos? Then, creating kids’ routines might be the answer to your question. It can become a significant part of your home. Mama, let’s check what kids routines can do for your kids and for you. Kids are relaxed when there’s a regular structure in their lives. When there are consistency and predictability, they feel confident when they know what’s next. It’s never a good scenario when they don’t know what to expect. What comes next? (Drum rolls, please.) Meltdowns and fits happen because kids can feel out of control, and emotions are running high. In addition, kids can’t adjust to abrupt changes in their environment easily. Routines are ways for them to understand how the world works and how they can be a participant. Make these new routines become learning moments for them and the saving grace for you. Benefits of Routine to Kids Routines need not be strict, although we could all follow time blocks for efficiency. Kids feel secure when routines are present in their lives. It offers a safe space for our kids. Change happens every day, and their routines can help them feel grounded by knowing what to anticipate. They are less likely to feel rushed, especially in the morning. Children are calmer as they approach their bedtime. Routines act as a stepping stone in learning. Independence, life skills, social connections, and healthy habits creation are among the things they can improve. Practicing routines can fundamentally set up your kids for success as well as their emotional stability. Kids will form healthy habits like brushing their teeth properly, washing their hands after play/potty time, or just taking their vitamins every single day. You’ll witness their delight and satisfaction in completing each task, and you celebrate them joyfully. These tender moments with your kids can only strengthen your bond more. Benefits of Routine to Parents Anything that creates less chaos in our home is a must! I see your hands up high, Mama! With structured routines, it fosters cooperation, and there’s less power struggle between you and your kids. We all start and end our day better. The less stress we deal with everyday living, the more we can enjoy each other. As we all know, it’s hard to keep it together when kids have meltdowns. So we try to refrain from becoming increasingly upset about the situation, and at the same time, trying to diffuse the emotional outbursts of our kids. When routines are solidified, kids will learn boundaries and the effect of their actions/inactions. It is a teachable moment for you to show that things in life aren’t all carefree, that we all have our places and responsibilities. Our kids can learn that their choices can result in an expected outcome. And for those times that aren’t that great, kids know how to do better. We can encourage them to grow their creativeness and be mindful of their choices. We strive to have a calm and collected disposition as parents; that’s when routines come into place. The home environment becomes less stressful, more predictable, and controllable. Here are my Kids’ Routines for Morning/Nighttime: Don’t be afraid to add new rituals that you want to be included in the kids’ routines or take some out. Kids aren’t overwhelmed when one new ritual is inserted at a time. Just remember; the simpler it is, the quicker it becomes a habit for them. With my kids, we read and then pray together right before we say goodnight. These rituals can fortify a sense of belonging in your family. It strengthens core family values and beliefs and for your kids to know what’s important. Kids need a healthy balance in their lives, so don’t overdo routines too rigid or time-conscious. It does help us to get things moving; however, kids will need some flexibility to manage their own with your guidance. This explains well when occasions or life events arise around the family. Your kids will definitely look for a familiar ground when it comes to sudden changes in their day. Routine comes easily with kids age; a simple daily routine for a preschooler isn’t going to be similar to how structured activities are for a pre-teen. The older they become, the more independent, self-reliant they become, and can easily adjust to change. Make routines fun for them, and next thing you know, you’ll realize how come you’d not jumped into this kids’ routines train way sooner. Celebrate any day that makes your homemaking easier, and having a good routine for kids will achieve just that. In the end, we all want a calm start in the morning and a restful end at night. Are you finding ways to reduce your stress as a mom? Will you start routines for your kids? What are your family’s rituals? Share below in the comment. Share this post.

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