Back to starting this on Friday for anyone who wants to start early. I won't be home most of the weekend and into next week, so will try and finish up the master closet as my all house cleaning. Honestly with doing the branches each month, it is keeping the house is great shape, IMHO.

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. (if possible in your schedule, it can be done in babysteps each day)

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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Hope your 4th was great. Many of the fireworks displays were cancelled, but no one mentioned it to a few neighbors. Frankly I was a little frightened, as everything is so dry, I was praying nothing would catch fire!

So this branch is PERFECT for me this week. After I entertain, it seems sometimes things get put into the wrong place (as in I was in a hurry and needed to clear something off), so this is a good (and while I am stuck inside in this heat) time to move the frig out, and mop and vacuum behind it, sort thru some more cabinets and get it all done! This is my plan.

Going to sneak in the outside frig in this week too, needs a wipe out in the inside. Already tossed items from the small freezer, but it needs better organizing (if I can stand how hot the garage is).

Well, considering I cleaned the kitchen last night (counters cleared and wiped, floor swept and mopped), I need to decide just how much more needs to be done and I want to do!

As for the back porch...it's taken over by the kitties! Every time I water the back garden, I hose the back steps and cemented area and that is about it. Although, I saw some cobwebs, which can be taken down.

Now who was saying she is never finished????? Hmmmmmmm Ms. Bless?

I definitely need the kitchen branch to work on this week.

I already washed the back door window this morning. Scrubbed the drain board under the dish rack.

Need to wipe out the drawers and see what I can toss. Also it refreshes my mind what I have in there!!

I will be busy this week in here, the back porch I have been working on each day maintaining.

Diana, that's just it, though! You see, even though I did the counters and floor yesterday, and soaked and scrubbed the burners last weekend, now that the branch has come around, I keep thinking, maybe I should wash the cabinet fronts, maybe I should organize the cabinets themselves, and what about the vent hood? And the top of the fridge? And shouldn't I wash the walls? And the ceiling? Do you see what I mean? I want to deep clean the whole kitchen, every time the branch comes around!

I want to tackle under the sink area. It frienghtens me. ALso I wish I would get my new bakeware in but it looks like I'm not going to get it afterall. It's on back order.

Also I need to organize the fridge a whole lot better. It's horrible. I just can't seem to get it figured out. Might do the curtains while I'm at it. I may even shange the picturees to photos since I keep taking so many I would like to show off. That's really is making me think.....Talk more later.

Cindy

Bless, I feel the same way, I feel like this time around I should repaint the kitchen (same color, I like it) I'm here 7 years I think.

Otherwise, I feel like you do. Since it's too hot to repaint, I might just wash one wall thoroughly this time around. I will clean the vent hood. I keep a notebook that tells me the amount of time to THOUROUGHLY clean the (large) vent hood, so it isn't this horrible task. (25 minutes outside and inside) And, my cabinets really need a good cleaning on the outside, so maybe this time around I will do one side of the kitchen bottom cabinets.

Isn't it the point of the branch work to not get overwhelmed and just do sections at a time when the branches come around so that we always keep up? Except for the kitchen for me, I practically live in my kitchen....this is the toughest branch for me...

Good discussion ladies!

WL you are right, the idea is to work on the branches and not get overwhelmed....just do what you can this time. I have to be inside with this heat, so it is a perfect time for me to dig into the cabinets and straighten them out. The top cabinets and drawers are fine, the bottom cabinets need a good going over.
If I can get those done and behind the frig, that is great,

Bless:
I hope you relax more! I don't feel the pressure to deep clean everything each time the kitchen branch comes around , other than the appliances getting a good swipe, but I do that regularly anyhow so it isn't so overwhelming to me, but I
am usually home and not out working and driving 400 miles a week like you. Be kind to yourself.

Cindy: fun to change out decorations. I do it all the time.
It gives a new perspective to my house, and something different to see every so often~

That under the sink area is a problem to me too! I am hoping to come up with a container that looks better in there.

Well, while I am waiting for severe t=storms to come, (they are just missing us here) I have gotten FOUR kitchen drawers done.

I completely dumped each one, washed them out, washed things I haven't used lately (baking items) everything back in nice and neat!! Totally cleaned the fronts of each drawer as well, haven't done that deep a cleaning on the fronts in a while.

Also did the 2 upper roll out shelves of a base cabinet. I just don't feel like sitting on the floor to finish the bottoms just yet.

I should be realistic and toss more stuff, but I like to entertain, and even though I have several cheese knives (for instance), they are different sizes for different types. I'll keep them till the next go around. I'm going to put a note in the drawer with today's date: "Get real Mary you haven't used this stuff since July 7" ROFL!!

Diana I am going to change the pictures but now I have to decide if I wantcolor or not and size. Disscussions!!!But I am excited about it.

I did the pantry. I put my creamer and the like in lock'n'locks. It looks a lot better and also tossed some things. I also decided to store all my extra wrapping supplies (foil, etcl.) in the garage. Then I will have that area for can food. Not sure how I will store them but have a few ideas.

I have been putting off under the sink. I know I have to do it and it scares me. I need to just go do it or at least start.

Cindy