Welcome to the next article in my new series on Organization.  In the last article I explained The Walk Through and how you’ll incorporate it into Zonal Cleaning.

The cold days of winter are quick on their way here in the Thumb of Michigan and I’m anxious to finish up my homes fall cleaning. It is such a good feeling when everything is fresh and clean.  I just feel so much better when I know this task is completed and I can check that off my to-do list for the fall.

Today we are going to touch on the next item in my organization series, Zonal Cleaning.

If you missed the last post in the series here’s a link to it https://fordragonfliesandme.com/2013/11/18/organization-day-6-the-walk-through/

So you walk into your child’s room and it’s a disaster. You feel frustrated… unappreciated… you blame yourself for not teaching the child properly… you slam the door shut and walk away.

How many of you have done this? I know I have… and it is an overwhelming feeling!

But is slamming the door shut, walking away and not dealing with it the solution to the problem? No! We all realize it isn’t, but what is the solution you wonder, as I have so many times… even today!

Zonal Cleaning is at least part of the answer!

“OK Jean,” you’re saying to yourself, “What is zonal cleaning?”  In the previous article I explained that the walk through was not ‘cleaning’ day,  it’s something that should be done repeatedly through the day and especially right before bed.  Zonal cleaning on the other hand is cleaning day.

We’re on day six of my organization series and so far you’ve  gotten everything down on paper and you’re ready to roll into the work… and that’s where we start today. When you were creating your routines, writing them down and putting them into your journal, you were actually preparing for today’s lesson on zonal cleaning.

You see, each room in your home is a zone and while you created the cleaning order for each room you were actually designing your plan of action to tackle the zones- each room in your home

I realize the best way to teach someone anything is to give examples.  Here’s a look at how I zone clean my family room.

~Weekly jobs: (unless otherwise mentioned- like the walk through)

*Start the room with a walk through.
*Feather dust from the top down: Ceiling line and down corners of the wall; picture tops, curtains, lamp shades, blinds, table tops and any other dusty spots you see.
*Wipe down/dust any shelves in the room
*Wash windows, wipe down ledges; wash all glass- pictures, clocks, etc.
*Straighten book case- organize books that are out-of-place; any decorative elements; table tops
*Vacuum.

~Once a month tasks:

* Take down mini blinds/shades and wash.
*Take down curtains and wash.
*Wash lamp shades.
*Pull out all furniture that can be moved; clean up behind; use broom to sweep any dust from the baseboards out onto the carpet so it can be vacuumed.
*Vacuum under cushions of couch and chairs with removable cushions.
*Spot clean any spots on the furniture.

~Spring & Fall Cleaning:

*Wash ceilings and walls, wash carpets.
*All the once a month chores as well.

As you can see, zonal cleaning is basically your daily routines broke down into rooms or zones.

In my next article I’ll explain to you the basics on Menu and Meal Planning and how easy it is along with a sample of one of my months menus!
Happy Day,
Jean