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.
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I'm back and raring to go. Funny how a couple of days away can
free up one's mind and focus on what needs to be done!

Had a fabulous time and loved all the different things we were able to see. There was a floral exihibition that had all those wonderful spring flowers and smelled heavenly!

Back to work....

Welcome back, Diana. Happy to know you had a good time, and I agree that a short break can do wonders, I've just come back from a lovely 4 day family visit and I can feel the difference.

I'm still focussing on the previous branch until next week. I had hoped to start on it last Saturday before I left, but didn't get around to it, so will use today and tomorrow for a little dining room work and then get to the bathrooms. But the porch will be tackled as it needs a good sweeping and the bird feeders need filling.

I need to sweep the porch (Oak flowers still falling) and wipe out the light fixtures, mop the cedar to take the cob webs down,
and wipe the front windows.

Baths are good, but will check thru things and do the blinds in
the main bath.

Skipped the last branch.

I will be purchasing a plant this week to hang on the front porch
and some herbs for the back porch. We are getting a lot of rain this week, so maybe no window washing, etc. That is okay, can do it in a short amount of time another time.

I got the bathroom scrubbed down last night. Worked on my front porch a little yesterday. I can get rid of some more stuff out there.

Porch got swept and tidied, bird feeders replenished, still some things I can do. I would like to paint the front door, but will have to see what time I have this coming week.

Nice and lovely outside, took advantage of it and cleaned the furniture on the back porch. I swept and mopped before putting down my outdoor carpet under the table and chairs. I stored away the BBQ winter cover and the shovel.

In front I swept and mopped after I threw away the pine branches from the planter box. I also stored the winter lights I had around the branches. They are solar powered and didn't light during winter, now days are longer and the panel gets more light I guess because now they would light up! I will purchase flowers for the planter box in a week or two, still not warm enough.

I cleaned the bathroom, did half yesterday (shower, bowl, sink, mirror) and finished wiping the bath, appliances and floor today.

Other than regular cleaning in the bathroom which I'll take care of again during the week I'd say I'm done for this branch.

Other than regular bathroom cleaning, I don't think I shall be spending much time on this branch. The bathroom cabinets are not bad and I can find other stuff to do outside while the weather is fine at last.

It has been storming and raining since I returned home. Cannot do the front porch even if I wanted to!

Well the sun is out today, it was yesterday but I worked inside when I returned home.

Cleaned out both sides of the vanity in my bathroom last night.
Will check the other one today, and hopefully clean the light fixtures and sweep the porch.