We all know that sure, you could clean it in much less time if you set aside the time to do only cleaning. Unfortunately, most of us just do not have the luxury of setting aside the rest of our life to clean. Those that do have their house already clean would be looking for ways to maintain, not get it done initially. Still, these same steps would apply but with a slightly different goal.

Each step takes time to implement. You may be working on more than one step at a time, so do not think that you can make changes in one area while you are working on another area. There are several quality websites out there that provide detailed lists of do this, then do that. Eventually, there will be a list of that sort here also. If that is what you want, then you will simply be following the directions of another person’s plan. That is still a very valid option. For each of us, we will find ways that things will work differently for us than the original plan. Feel free to rework the plan so that it will fit you and your lifestyle. You have to own the plan in order to obtain the ultimate goal of a clean house that can be maintained in a short time.

The first step is assess. In order to assess, you have to stop take a few minutes to an hour and walk through your house. Take a notebook and pen along with you on your tour. Make notes of problem areas. When your tour is completed, take a look at your notes and prioritize each problem area. Which one irritates you or causes the most problems?

Now that you know what the problem is, then it is time to plan for your success. Take the first problem area and list what you need to do to correct it. If you would rather do something about it instead of taking the time to list the tasks needed, you would make a list of your problem areas according to the greatest priority to the least.

Now that you have your plan, it is time to take action. It does not matter if you made a list of tasks to solve each problem area or a simple list of problem areas. Start at the top of your list and work your way to the bottom. This may take several days or even weeks. Do not let this delay stop you.

When you finish the first task or problem area on your list, you will be doing two steps at once. You will be maintaining the first area, while taking action while initiating changes in other problem areas. This sounds much more complicated than it is. If you have a table that routinely gets piled full of papers, when you get it cleaned off, make a point to check it daily to make sure that it maintains the cleanliness that you worked so hard to achieve.

As you move further down your list, there will be times that something just is not going like you wish it would. That means the time has come to reassess the situation. What is not working? What are your options for making it work better? This will take some time. Don’t worry though, as you are reassessing these items on your problem list, others are being started. Progress is being made!

Renovating a house means that changes are being made to make it better. Now that you have reassessed the areas you have been working on and maybe found a few other problem areas that you had missed the first time around, you are ready to renovate your housecleaning. This step will begin probably long before you get all the way through your initial list of problem areas. That is fine! We are working towards a better future and sometimes that means that we may be going up and down the same set of stairs quite a bit before we are through.

Don’t get bogged down with worry. Do not let thoughts of failure cross your mind. There is no failure. Just a way that you tried and found out that did not work for you. Now, you get to try another way. First, you got to start. Grab that notebook and go for a walk around your home. Assess, plan, initiate, maintain, reassess, and renovate are the steps you need to utilize to get a clean house in thirty days that can be maintained in a short amount of time each day.

Unfortunately, I let myself slip for months. Today wasn’t the best start to a new beginning either. I let myself get distracted and did not get as much accomplished as I should. Will this make tomorrow harder? Sure it will! Then again, hasn’t it often been said that anything worth it never came easy? Well, a clean house is definitely worth it! It just isn’t as easy as we would wish.

Tonight, I took some time to remind myself that the path to success is paved with many failures. Today wasn’t a total failure but it is still a paver in my path. I will get there and tomorrow, I will put another paver down. If the day is a success, then I will be putting at least two pavers in place. Each day that I meet my goal, will bring me closer to reaching my ultimate goal.

I have made the decision to not attempt to over analyze each day’s success or how much progress I need to make each day to get to my goal. If it takes me longer than 30 days, the world will not come to an end. I sincerely hope to make my goal, and I plan on waking up each morning with that goal in mind. Each new day will bring another new beginning to help me find the success that I crave. Join me by taking advantage of your own new beginning as we each strive to achieve that goal that we so deserve.

When I started this blog, I had the very best of intentions. Then life kept getting in the way and it sort of fell into the pile of things that I needed to get taken care of but never quite found the time to do it. Just like with everything else, that pile has now demanded attention. I can’t stand to see it just sit there anymore.

The past few months have been very hectic at my house. My daughter and her three children have moved in with us. It was supposed to be for only a few weeks. It has been four months now and there is no sign of their leaving anytime soon. Well, that is unless they keep driving me nuts and I physically toss them all out the door. That would not be very nice of me, so I think it is time that I tackle this pile and try to get control of everything that I can. Maybe then, the stress of having extended family living in the home for an extended period of time will be something I can better deal with.

As you can guess, all the prior headway I had made in getting my home under control went right out the window when the household doubled in number but not in size. We have more junk piled around than ever! I refuse to take it anymore. So, today, I’m revisiting my 30 day challenge.

As of my writing this, the date is April 18, 2009. By May 18, 2009, I fully intend to have much of this house cleaner and more organized. As I attempt to meet my goal, I will share my thoughts and experiences along the way. Remember, that my ultimate goal was to get the house clean in 30 days and have it organized so that I can keep it clean in 30 minutes per day.

Buying a new microwave may be the preferred method of getting rid of that horror, but save your money. It may take a few times going through the process, but it can be done. Depending on how much splatter has been allowed to grow and for how long, you too can remove it without requiring the application of an extreme amount of back breaking elbow grease.

To find out how, check out the Cleaning Tips section.

Have you ever had one of those days that you knew was not going how you wanted it to and the more you tried, the worse it got? Well, that was my first week. I felt horrible. I kept trying to get a difference made but yet it is not as much as I wanted to get done. My lack of obvious results makes me worry about my goal. Will I be able to achieve it? I certainly am not going to give up this easy.

Whenever you begin your 30 day challenge, I hope your first week goes much better than mine. Whether it does or it doesn’t, stand firm. Do not give up. One day, it will happen. You will be able to fling open your door and invite some unannounced visitor in your door without worrying about how your house looks.

My shower takes a beating. I have boys that are into sports. I have a husband that works as a heavy machinery mechanic and welder. Have you ever seen what grease and oil does to a tub and shower?

I have tried to get a handle on it for years. I scrub and scrub until I just can’t stand it anymore. Still some remains. I’ve tried all sorts of sprays. I’ve even used scrub brushes. Nothing ever got it all off.

My first day of the 30 day challenge was the day that I decided to take on this so far unsurmountable task. I cringed as I walked to the door of the shower and pulled it open. I had used cleanser on it just a few days ago. When it still looks bad, it is very difficult to find the motivation to clean it daily. Believe me, if you have never dealt with that type of grease in a shower, you do NOT want to ever deal with it.

Okay, so I bite the bullet. I had splurged a few weeks ago and bought the good stuff. You know those famous scrubbing bubbles that are supposed to do the work so you won’t have to? Well, even with using the real name brand, I still had to work. I scrubbed. I rubbed. I’m not even sure how much elbow grease I have left in me at this point.

Did it work? Well, it was better, but still not clean enough. Yeah, go ahead laugh. It does sound funny coming from a woman that admits that she has not cleaned it in a couple of days.

After rinsing that down, I went back to my computer to do some research. I know I can find something that will work. So I search “how to clean a shower”. Yes, I know it isn’t that difficult normally. But this grease has a life of its own! I see all sorts of advice. Some sound good, some doesn’t. Ammonia seems to be a common thread. I do not have regular ammonia, but I do have Windex. Doesn’t Windex have ammonia in it? Without taking the time to look at the ingredients, I say, well, it’s worth a shot. I know, not very bright. I sprayed the shower down and left it overnight.

I awoke the next morning to a shower that was definitely cleaner. Is it spotless? No. I had continued my research and today I will be making a stop into the local store. I will buy a bottle of ammonia. I will also try one more thing today. Dish detergent is a cleaner that I have been told removes bath tub rings. This is something I have heard for ages, but it just did not come to mind last night.

So when I get home from work today, after changing into my cleaning clothes, I will be grabbing my dish detergent, a scrub brush and a rag. Then I will be applying all of these, along with some water and as much elbow grease as I have left inside me. Day two begins.

I’m giving them an option. They have the choice. They can either clean their rooms or I’ll clean them for them. If they clean them, then things get organized according to how they prefer. There are a few rules.

Everything must have a place. All the furniture and even the walls and ceiling must be dusted. The ceiling fan or light fixture must be cleaned. Books must be in the bookcases unless they are in use. The beds must be cleaned out from under and all bedclothing must be cleaned. Curtains have to be taken down, cleaned and put back up. Floors must be swept and mopped. What, you think I have too many rules? They will agree. The alternative is that I go in.

Oh, you think that will be what they choose? I doubt it. When I go in, all video games will be placed in storage. All guitars will be shelved. Computers will be subject to being stored temporarily. Hey, I have to find the time to clean them all and get them spiffy to be added back to their nice clean room, don’t I? So what if it takes me a couple of months? They can do without their own computers for that long. Without the video games, they may even decide to help me clean the missing items to get them back sooner.

Okay, so I’m joking. I’m not really going to pull the plug on their use of electronic equipment. I would never get anything done for having to run out of the house to get away from the sound of screaming teenagers if I did. What I am doing is putting a time limit on their free time. They will be allowed a total of an hour of all combined electronic equipment, including but not limited to cell phone, video game, computer, television, and guitar. Once that hour is used up, they will have to earn the priviledge of additional time.

Hey, it is all about motivation. I have to find the motivation to do my part of the cleaning. If they are to do their part, then they have to be motivated. Fortunately, I know two secrets. One, they are addicted to their electronic equipment. Two, they hate for mom to come into the room with them, especially when they are instant messaging, text messaging on the phone, or worse having a telephone conversation.

Since the challenge is mine, sure I will do the work! I just get to pick my time to do it. My time to clean my son’s room is about now. He just got on the phone with his girl friend. That could prove to be a very short conversation or a very productive one, depending on how he reacts to his mom coming into the room and cleaning while he talks. Shall we find out?

Find what motivates others and you too shall find a way of recruiting needed help.

My house is overwhelmed with clutter. There is no surface that is safe. Not even the living room chairs are safe from being piled so full of stuff that you can not sit down without moving things. There are worse, I’m sure. They are just few and far between. Eventually, enough is enough.

That is where I find myself now. I have tried to do it on my own. I have even tried to recruit my boys into helping me. I dare not even think of asking my dear sweet husband. His method of cleaning it would be to back a dump truck to the back door and start throwing. Hmmm… Don’t think so. Yes, I have too much stuff, but I may need some of it at least.

So before my husband decides to take it on his own and use his vacation time to clear away the clutter, I am putting on my working clothes and issuing myself a challenge. A clean house in 30 days is my goal. You get to come along with me for the roller coaster ride.

The first thing I need is a plan. My plan is to get the house so clean and so organized that I can clean it in 30 minutes per day. Yes, you heard me right. 30 minutes is the time limit that I am selecting to attempt. Will I succeed? Who knows? I got to meet the 30 day challenge first. In order to meet that, I have to set myself smaller goals that I can see some measure of success to keep my motivation up.

This is a major undertaking for me. I do not allow anyone in my house. It is too messy. It is small and is currently holding enough stuff for at least three homes this size. With a square footage of 1280, you know that there can’t be much room for walking with that much extra clutter around. It has three bedrooms, two baths, living room, kitchen, and laundry room. When I try to take a look around to come up with a plan, I get too overwhelmed to even think about a plan.

As I tackle each room, I will post my plan of attack, my schedule, and my accomplishments as well as my failures. I am morbidly obese so don’t expect miracles. I have to take it slowly and build up as I go. If I see that I can not meet the thirty day challenge on my own, I may assign additional chores to my boys. They have fallen into my bad habits so they need a wake up call too. They are supposed to keep their rooms clean and do their bathroom. They don’t always do what they are told. They are teenagers after all. My ultimate goal would be to get their rooms clean and for them keep it up, but honestly, they should do that for themselves, right? Yeah, I’m dreaming big today!

So, don’t expect before and after pictures. Just expect honest truth and ideas of how to get a clean house in 30 days and how to keep it clean in 30 minutes a day. Are you ready to join me in a challenge?