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Anyone up for a March Spring Cleaning Challenge!?!

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#1 ·
I will edit this post as I think of more items to add! I thought it might be fun if we tacked points onto our Spring Cleaning jobs, see who can get the most!

This is just a starting list for now:

General Tasks:

Windows: 50 points per window (this includes cleaning the glass, screens, curtains, polishing the sill, getting all the cobwebs cleaned out to welcome the fresh spring air!)
Baseboards: 50 points per room (this is polishing and vaccuuming all around the baseboards)
Washing Wall: 150 points per room (this is getting all the crayon, handprints and general stuff that gets on your walls cleaned off~okay, so we aren't all going to do this, but I have to add some "challenging" stuff in, right
)
Cobweb Patrol: 25 points per room (this includes cleaning out the cobwebs that seem to collect at the top of the room, and in upper corners, or anywhere else cobwebs decide to gather)
Floors: 100 points per room (well, we all do this regularly anyway, but this time we will get it done really well, do the hardfloors by hand, and vaccuum several direction on the carpet, move the furniture and clean underneath it, treat any bad stains, and get it looking as best it can)
Pictures and Shelves: 100 points per room (this includes taking every picture down, dusting and cleaning the glass, ect. get rid of all the dust! Don't forget to wash any fake greenery!)
Light fixures: 25 points (take down the fixtures, wipe off the fan blades, get all the dust off!)

Special Rooms:

Kitchen:
Lower Cabinets and drawers: 100 points (this includes pulling everything out, cleaning the cabinet out, and then replacing only what you need ~see, we can declutter, too!~ Don't forget to wipe off the outside, too!)
Upper Cabinets: 100 points (same as above)
Fridge: 100 points (clean on top, underneath, vaccuum off the cobwebs on the back, defrost the freezer if needed, clean all the inside, get rid of old food, and make sure all kiddy prints are wiped off! I'd say this one thing could take me all day
)
Stove: 50 points (pull it out, clean down the sides, inside, get ALL the gunk out of every crease!)
Table: 50 points (clean on top, underneath, the legs, all the chairs' legs, too!, Polish if needed ~did you know your kids could get so much food on it?!?)

Bedrooms:
Closet: 200 points (this one gets alot of points b/c it's so intimidating! Touch EVERY piece of clothing, shoes, ect. and get rid of anything you don't need or love, organize any storage, make a list of what you need for summer, or any storage thingys you might need, get rid of all cobwebs, vaccuum it out really well, polish or clean any shoes that need it, get the things that need mended and mend them! And remember, this is for each closet in your house!)
Beds: 100 points (okay, strip the bedding off and get it washing, then remove the mattress, vaccuum every piece, treat any stains as best you can ~ I"m planning to air my toddler bed outside~, be sure to clean underneath, put anything that needs stored into storage containers, and label them so you know what's living under your bed!)
Dresser, ect: 100 points (this includes taking out every piece of clothing in your drawers, go thru it and make a list of anything you need for summer, polish the dresser, clean out the drawers, and organize as you put things back in. Don't forget the top of the dresser, declutter it as well, make it look nice!)

Bathroom: 500 points for the whole room (don't forget to clean out all the cabinets, make-up drawers, get rid of yucky old towels, get the tub really good, organize, and sanitize)

Office/Computer workspace:

Computer: 100 points (this includes dusting and cleaning all of your hardware, re-organzing your favorite,a nd cleaning up anything onyour computer that needs done. DOn't forget to do any on-line updates that need done, organize your photos, ec.t)

Papers Papers EVERYWHERE: 200 points of getting all of your papers organized and filed away, and doing anything else that needs done in your office space

Crafts: 100 points for going thru all your craft stuff, and finding each thing a home, organize what you do have!

Outside:
100 points for weeping the porch, getting all the dust and cobwebs off the walls, and getting something springy sitting outside or on your door! Double this if you have a back porch, too! Treat any stains, wash any lawn furniture or kids toys outside.

BONUS POINTS:

Doing something above and beyond this month? Add to your points total by:
Painting a room 200 points
Rearraning furniture and wall decor 100 points
Cleaning out the freezer 100 points
Planting anything outside 100 points
Planting or working on your garden 200 points
For every box or bag of stuff you remove from your home (those big plastic riding toys and the like each count as one box) 100 points
Clutter Spots! Do you have a place or two (or three, or four?) that always seems to gather all of the miscellaneous items in your house? Change, reciepts, things the baby might choke on, movies, books, mail, and just about anything else? For every clutter spot you clean out, give yourself 100 points! I know I have 2 in my Living room, and one in my kitchen!

I"m sure I"ve missed rooms and stuff, but honestly, this is way more than I can get done in one month! Please feel free to request or add your own spring cleaning items!
 
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#2 ·
Wow, just reading all that was daunting
... that's why I think I need like a daily checklist so I don't get overwhelmed!

I realize of course you didn't mean to do it all in one day! Good challenge though, it gave me some things to think about definately (like baseboards) that have been ignored for um...a while...

I am sure you will get many takers on this!

How about some points for half-a$$ed cleaning if we put some fresh flowers in pretty vases around the house?
 
#5 ·
I'm in. I have a baby due this summer, and I can't stand the thought of bringing him home to the way my house is now. I'm giving up most of my other message boards for Lent, so I'll have plenty of time in March and I have no more excuses.


Off to print out the list...
 
#6 ·
I'm in, too! Passover is coming in about 6 weeks. I have to have every bit of the house deep clean by then. I have 3 rooms done and some more in progress. If I get all the points for the kitchen, bathroom, and computer room, Pesach (Passover) cleaning should be a breeze!

This is just so motivating for me. I loved the Declutter Challenge; it helped me get (most of) my closets done. Housework can really feel like accomplishing nothing sometimes, because minutes, hours, or days later things are dirty again. But the deep cleaning has to happen sometimes, and writing it all out and posting makes it feel more permanent.

 
#7 ·
Quote:
Wow, just reading all that was daunting ... that's why I think I need like a daily checklist so I don't get overwhelmed!
me too


I am having my kitchen demolished next saturday so this week Im scared because I need to empty all cabinets everything needs to be gone
. Im very overwhelmed and def need this to inspire me and make me feel really good about decluttering orgnanzing my entire house so that way once the kitchen is done, my house will "feel clean" KWIM??
 
#8 ·
Okay, we have a few brave souls who want to sign up!
I'm starting today, a little early, but I need to get started. I'm going to focus on my LR this week, and hopefully get a start on the kitchen. On the list of things to do today:

Picture window: 100pts (counts as 2, it's actually 3 windows all together)
Clutter spot #1, top ot TV cabinet: 100pts

And that's as much as I can probably get done today. I have to go to town, and do a few errands. Off to work...
 
#11 ·
Do I keep a tally here and keep editing it??

ok I already earned 1100 points between last night and today


Kitchen cabinets all-200
bedroom closet-200
dresser-100
entire bathroom-500
clutter spot(in bedroom)-100

hey do I get 50 points for turning my self clean oven on today
?

Im on a ROLL
 
#12 ·
I'm in! Our new baby is due the first week of April, so I may be a little slow, but I really want to get these things done, because nothing will get done after their arrival, that's for sure. I'm going to concentrate on airing out bedrooms, organizing closets, and get the kitchen as organized and clean as can be.
 
#13 ·
Cleaned out my closet and dresser bagged up the donation stuff and made contribtions to the rag bag. I still need to do the deep clean part so I won't count the points yet.

My fridge is done. 100 points

Dining table (major clutter spot) started but not polished.

Catch-all spot-Always a work in progress.

Floors-


Bathrooms-decluttered, still need the deep clean

Windows-Thank goodness I have a whole month
 
#17 ·
I'm in I need more motivation for more than surface cleaning! I got started a week ago I did MAJOR cleaning does that count? Next week I am cleaning the rugs (we just got a hoover steam vac and the rugs need to be cleaned again they went waaaaay to long with out itwont even say how long
)and friday clean closets
: I have my nephew until then and 2 2year olds and a open closet
do we tally here as we go? I think it would be more motivation! I am so excited!!!!! I want the house so nice and clean for spring/summer!

Karen and Baby Joe
 
#18 ·
oh oh - can I join in?

My house is in some serious need of help - we (ok DH mainly) is fixing up our daughter's bedroom and our entire house is degrading into a big mess. I need motivation and I think I just found it
 
#20 ·
I finished my lower kitchen cabinets last night-- 100 points! I have a ton of lower canbinets, so that was a lot of work for me. I only have a couple upper cabinets, however, so that one should be easier for me. The drawers are laminated in this textured plastic stuff, and dirt gathers in it, and I really scrubbed-- hard. Still, I need to work on something else for a change, so maybe I'll do cobwebs and the table.

Total: 100.
 
#21 ·
I'm not keeping up w/ the points, but this thread has inspired me to do some spring cleaning.

So far I have decluttered and reorganized my dresser drawers; cleaned all of the ceiling fan blades in the house; reorganized and decluttered kitchen cabinets and two closets; and cleaned my kitchen floor on my hands and knees.

I now have a huge pile of stuff for a yard sale!

Next on my list to do: clean out the frig.
 
#22 ·
As a February declutter challenge dropout, I hesitate to join, but maybe, just maybe, earning points will motivate me. My house isn't exactly in a shambles, and most of the clutter REALLY IS dh's. But it just isn't as clean around here as I'd like it to be. And now that ds is mobile, he gets into everything. So I'm in. I think I'll print off the list, too. Maybe crossing things off a list AND earning points will be just the ticket for me.
 
#23 ·
Well, I can finally reply! I keep getting Server to Busy messages :p

So far I've got 7 windows= 350
Clutter Spot #1= 100
All pictures in the LR dusted, ect.= 50?

So, that's 500 for me! I still need to do the ceiling fan, and the floors in the LR, and then I"m planning to tackle the kitchen (well, maybe). Sound slike we are getting some work done, Ladies!
 
#24 ·
Well I've been busy


I pulled everything out of our closet - vacuumed/dusted it out and then only replaced the things that we are using/need. I also organised everything as I was putting it back. I've got a couple of garbage bags full of things to donate. I've got to hold onto it till next week as a charity truck is coming by for a pickup but then it will be out of here.

I've also cleaned our main computer desk. Took everything off - dusted everywhere (ick - it was really dusty!) Lots of papers into the shreader and only what belongs was put back neatly.

I just keep staring at my closet and desk - they look so nice - it makes me happy to look at them....now I just have to shut my eyes when walking through the rest of the house


So I guess my total so far is 300 pts.....
 
#25 ·
Last night, I finished cleaning my kitchen table. I had amazing results. Last week, we pulled a chair off the curb that happened to match my kitchen chairs nearly perfectly. So, I cleaned that chair for the first time; it had some white labels stuck onto it and some white paint on the back. I got all that off and used steel wool on some rust spots on the chrome legs. Then I started to clean my original chairs the same way, and, lo and behold, most of those dark spots I thought was rust turned out to be old darkened food! I got those chairs second-hand, too, but now they look great. There are still a few rust spots, but they look much nicer. I also got some food bits off the table and the nearby wall. 50 points.

Then I got rid of all the cobwebs in my kitchen. 25 points.

Total: 175.
 
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