Starting this on Friday for people who want to work on the branches over the weekend. Think of your home as a tree and each room is a branch of that tree.

First, break the house up into branches (manageable areas), which can be DEEP cleaned in a week's time.

For each branch, compile a list of all the tasks you'll need to do to get that room to SPARKLE! This includes cleaning, dusting and vacuuming the areas behind and under furniture, washing windows and curtains, etc.

Also, put together a Weekly Cleaning List to keep things looking good. Each week, finish your Weekly Cleaning THEN focus on doing some deep cleaning in this week's branch.

Cycle through the branches, one per week, to maintain a high level of cleanliness throughout the house.

Here's the schedule of Branches we'll be following:

Week 1: Entry/Living Room
Week 2: Dining Room/Laundry Room
Week 3: Bathrooms/Front Porch
Week 4: Kitchen/Back Porch
Week 5: Children’s Room/Guest Room + Closets for those rooms
Week 6: Family Room/Room of choice
Week 7: Master Bedroom/Master Closet
Week 8: All House Cleaning

Some sample "Choice" Rooms:
Office, Pantry, Craft Room, Garage, Attic, etc.

Make your master and individual branch lists work for YOU. The lists we share here are just our own examples; yours should be designed to suit your own home and situation.

If the branch you're working on needs decluttering, focus on that first. It's much easier to clean a room that doesn't have piles and boxes everywhere. Even if the whole house needs decluttering, this is a good way to focus on a room at a time on a regular schedule.

This isn't a competition. Just go at your own pace, as that will be exactly right for you. We are all here to support and encourage one another.

Start with a new branch each week. If you don't finish all the tasks on your branch list for the week, that's OK--you're already ahead of where you were before, and the unfinished tasks will still be there for you when you cycle back to this branch. If you finish early one week, you can go back to work on previous branches.

Good luck.
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This is working out perfectly for me this week. I started to clear out a dresser so I can put my sweaters in there, and I can now continue working on that, along with the usual dusting and cleaning in there. This is working out very well for me so far this year!!!

This one will be easy.....off from work on Sunday and SO and I will be working on all his clothes that haven't been unpacked yet to find a home for them with the rest of his stuff.....also to give a more streamlined look to the basement for when his son is here. This I know, will also yield more donation items.

Guest room just needs a dusting and quick sweep. Will do a slight rearrange of hall coat closet for SO's stuff from downstairs. The only other closet needing serious attention is in the office......that for me, falls under ROTM, which is in maintenance mode til I feel better.

off to work now

BL
How are you feeling? Obviously you have to go to work, but am hoping the infection is better and the new antibiotics worked.

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Waiting for the ladies to arrive. Crocheting on a lap robe for the hospice center, haven't worked on it in a couple of weeks, and we have to hand it in in Feb/March. This is the yarn I took from the donations we had at the center.

Cannot wait to start on the closet and the dresser. I also thought to bring up a 3 drawer cabinet (plastic) that I have empty in the basement. Just has a few christmas bags in it, and I want to start packing up the gifts as I gather them together, so will bring it up for scarfs, etc. that I don't have room in the 6 drawers I have. I have a built in window seat in my room with the drawers under it. There is room for a dresser but if I don't need it, why clutter?

clean the horizontal blinds
wash bedding
wipe miror
dust book shelf
closet needs organizing

Brought up some things from the basement and did 2 babysteps down there this morning. Put the sweaters in the dresser.
Now I need to bring up the chest. Might keep it in the guest closet have to see what I am going to keep in it first. Probably things I don't need every day.

Need to clean the blinds, furniture, vacuum also.

Packaged some items up out of the closets that I had sold and tossed/donated some of DS's toys and clothes.

Still more to do in that room before I add the chest. Going to take the material out of the dresser and place into a clear bin so it is all together. Maybe I will get back to sewing.

Things are moving along. Woke up during the night with some ideas, so I wrote them down so I could go back to sleep! It worked. Sometimes when that happens, if I don't write it down, I forget this fantastic idea by morning! LOL

good morning all,
I have been working at getting more space in this closet. since this is a combination MY SPACE and guest room I am always moving stuff around in this room for relaxing in but also office type of functioning ,I think I have found the best way at last. I definitely have future plans on my master list for this room. It so needs paint. Still for now keep tossing or donating from the closet. Yesterday I took an extra leaf from my dining table that I kept in there .I put it back in the table,making the table bigger than needed but it is really where it should be now. I noticed the teak was even changing colour from being stored.
health problems do so spoil plans but I know it is about pacing and being satisfied when I accomplish something. ann 39.

clean the horizontal blinds
wash bedding
wipe miror
dust book shelf
closet needs organizing

I agree with you Ann, just be satisfied when you accomplish something if you have health problems. Anything is good.

Bubblegum:
You have to feel good knowing you don't have tons to do.

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I did some files and shredding. Took out some things from the closet, and removed some fabric from dresser drawers, so I can keep all of the material in one bin. Have to gather up some more from downstairs. Not looking done yet, but bit by bit.