Week 7: Room-by-Room Monthly Cleaning

This is a list of things to clean in order to deep clean your house in 12 months. I recommend doing this every year to keep the house looking nice.

January - LAUNDRY ROOM

- Open windows.

- Wash windows and window sills.

- Take out and wash window screens.

- Wash cabinet doors.

- Wash inside cabinets.

- Wash laundry sink.  Shine faucet.  Clean drains.

- Wash outside of washer and dryer.

- Wash inside of washing machine.

- Wash lint trap with soap and water to remove filmy build-up from laundry soaps and dryer sheets. Let air dry thoroughly before putting back in place.

- Wash switch plates.

- Wash walls and trim.

- Wash doors and door knobs.

- Wash floor registers and other vent covers.

- Sweep and wash floors. 

- Reseal grout lines, if applicable. 

February - LIVING ROOM

- Open windows.

- Vacuum sofas.

- Spot clean sofas, if applicable.

- Launder throw pillows and blankets.

- Dust shelves, furniture and decor.

- Clean lamps and lampshades.

- Wash windows and window sills.

- Take out and wash window screens.

- Clean television screen.

- Carefully dust electronics.

- Tidy electronics wires.  Tuck nicely out of sight.  Label them, if practical.

- Sort through music and DVD collections.  Purge things that no longer suit your families interests.  Organize what is left in an attractive manner.

- Sort books and magazines.  Donate or recycle ones that no longer suit your families interests.

- Wash switch plates.

- Wash walls and trim.

- Wash doors and knobs.

- Wash floor registers and other vent covers.

- Clean floors.

March - BEDROOMS

- Open windows

- Dust furniture.

- For each drawer: remove items, wash drawer, place items back neatly.  Donate Items you no longer need. 

- Remove everything from closets. Sweep and wash closet floor. Put everything back neatly.  Donate items you no longer need.  Try not to store things on closet floor.

- Move Bed.  Sort and put away anything that was under bed.  Sweep or vacuum under bed.  Try not to store things under bed.

- Put bed back.  Freshen mattress by sprinkling with baking soda, letting sit briefly, and the vacuuming it up..

- Launder bedding and curtains.  Wash pillows and duvet in hot water.  Air out mattress pad, if you have one.

- Wash hard plastic children's toys with warm soapy water. Rinse and dry.  Launder stuffed toys.  Donate or store toys that your children have grown too old for.

- Dust lights. Clean lamp shades.

- Wash windows and window sills.  Take out and wash window screens.

- Wash switch plates. 

- Wash walls and trim.

- Wash mirrors or dust art.

- Wash doors and doorknobs.

- Wash floor registers and other vent covers.

- Sweep and wash floor or vacuum.

April - FOYER

- Dust lighting fixtures.

- Wash walls and trim

- Wash doors, knobs and switch plates.

- Wash bench or other furnishings.

- Launder bench cushion, if applicable.

- Empty out coat closet.  Wash walls and floor.  Sort items as you return them to the closet.  Store out of season items, donate unneeded items. 

- Clean or replace entry mat.

- Sweep and scrub floors.  

- Reseal grout lines, if necessary.

May - SPARE ROOM

- Open windows

- Dust furniture.

- For each drawer: remove items, wash drawer, place items back neatly.  Donate Items you no longer need. 

- Remove everything from closets. Sweep and wash closet floor. Put everything back neatly.  Donate items you no longer need.  Try not to store things on closet floor.

- Move Bed.  Sort and put away anything that was under bed.  Sweep or vacuum under bed.  Try not to store things under bed.

- Put bed back.  Freshen mattress by sprinkling with baking soda, letting sit briefly, and the vacuuming it up..

- Launder bedding and curtains.  Wash pillows and duvet in hot water.  Air out mattress pad, if you have one.

- Dust lights. Clean lamp shades.

- Wash windows and window sills.  Take out and wash window screens.

- Wash switch plates. 

- Wash walls and trim.

- Wash mirrors or dust art.

- Wash doors and doorknobs.

- Wash floor registers and other vent covers.

- Sweep and wash floor or vacuum.

June - OUTSIDE

- Sweep porches and walkway.

- Wash thresholds.

- Wash exterior doors.  Give front door a fresh coat of paint, if necessary.

- Clean or replace welcome mat.

- Wash siding.

July - STAIRWELL

- Sweep/vacuum stairs

- Spot clean walls.

- Wipe down handrail.

- Dust art and light fixtures.

- Repaint stairs

August - KITCHEN

- Open windows.

- Remove and clean window coverings.

- For each cabinet or drawer: Remove items, wipe out drawer, place items back neatly.  Donate unneeded items.

- Wash and sanitize cutting boards

- Sharpen knives

Wash cabinet doors and knobs

- Clean and organize pantry.  Check food expiry dates.

- Clean oven.

- Clean stove top.  Remove elements and drip bowls, if applicable, wash and put back.

- Clean and organize fridge and freezer.  Defrost freezer, if necessary.  Check food expiry dates.

- Clean under fridge and stove.

- Vacuum refrigerator coils.

- Clean microwave.

- Clean crumbs out of toaster.

- Clean and descale kettle.

- Wipe down any other counter appliances

- Wash counters and back splash.

- Wash and shine sink.  Shine faucet. - Clean drain.

- Clean Dishwasher.

- Dust light fixtures.

- Wash windows and window sills. Remove window screens and wash.

Wash switch plates.  

- Wash walls and trim.

- Wash doors and door knobs.

- Wash floor registers and other vent covers

- Sweep and wash floor.  

- Reseal grout lines, if necessary.

September - BATHROOM(S)

- Open windows

- Empty all cabinets and vanity.  Wash inside, replace items neatly.  Discard expired medications and cosmetics.

- Wash outside of cabinets and vanities

- Clean tub. Wax if necessary. Clean drain.

- Clean toilet, inside and out.  Remove seat and clean around seat bolts.

- Clean sink and drain.

- Shine faucets.

- Clean mirror and frame .

- Dust light fixtures. 

- Wash windows and window sills. Take out and wash window screens.

- Wash switch plates.

- Wash walls and trim.  Wash doors and door knobs.

- Wash floor registers and other vent covers.

- Sweep and wash floors.  

- Reseal grout lines.

October - FOYER

- Dust lighting fixtures.

- Wash walls and trim

- Wash doors, knobs and switch plates.

- Wash bench or other furnishings.

- Launder bench cushion, if applicable.

- Empty out coat closet.  Wash walls and floor.  Sort items as you return them to the closet.  Store out of season items, donate unneeded items. 

- Clean or replace entry mat.

- Sweep and scrub floors.  

- Reseal grout lines, if necessary.

November - DINING ROOM

- Open windows.

- Wash curtains.

- Wipe down table and chairs.

- Wipe down or dust other furnishing.

clean chair pads, if applicable.

- Polish table, if necessary

- Dust any displayed china or serving dishes.

- Launder table linens.

- Shine silverware.

- Dust art.

- Wash windows and window sills. Take out and wash window screens.

- Wash switch plates

- Wash walls and trim.

- Wash doors and door knobs

- Wash floor registers and other vent covers.

- Clean floors.

December - FAMILY ROOM

- Open windows.

- Vacuum sofas.

- Spot clean sofas, if applicable.

- Launder throw pillows and blankets.

- Dust shelves, furniture and decor.

- Clean lamps and lampshades.

- Wash windows and window sills.

- Take out and wash window screens.

- Clean television screen.

- Carefully dust electronics.

- Tidy electronics wires.  Tuck nicely out of sight.  Label them, if practical.

- Sort through music and DVD collections.  Purge things that no longer suit your families interests.  Organize what is left in an attractive manner.

- Sort books and magazines.  Donate or recycle ones that no longer suit your families interests.

- Wash switch plates.

- Wash walls and trim.

- Wash doors and knobs.

- Wash floor registers and other vent covers.

- Clean floors.

Week 6: Update on finger *GRAPHIC*

Warning: This post contains some pretty gross images. Don't read on if you have a weak stomach or are easily grossed out.

If you don't know about my finger injury, you can read about it here:

http://ineedtopaintmytoenails.blogspot.com/2013/07/week-4-i-think-we-have-emegency.html

Basically what happened is almost two weeks ago I was cutting apples and the knife slipped and sliced off the top 1/4 inch (or so) of my finger. Not enough to reattach, so they cauterized it to stop the bleeding. Talk about ouch!

This was taken at the hospital very shortly after the cauterizing.

Yes, I am aware that the bandage resembles a condom. No, I didn't think it was funny at the time. Yes, I have heard a lot of jokes about it. No, I will not share them now.

So basically they instructed me to keep it dry and covered. So I followed these instructions, and put off changing the bandage for two days.

This is my finger two days later. A piece of gauze stuck to it as you can see. And I was still in crazy amounts of pain at the time, taking acetaminophen and ibuprofen as many times a day as the directions allow.

I then changed the bandaging once every day or so, sometimes less often because to be honest the sight of it made me nauseous.

Yes, I took pictures even though they made me nauseous.

This is my finger about five days after the "incident". It was so dry and hard that every time I moved my finger it pulled the skin around it and hurt really bad. The scab was also much darker.

That evening, while rebandaging it, I tried to cut off some of the gauze that had been stuck. This pulled at the scab and caused it to bleed, quite a bit, but it stopped within minutes. Then it oozed for another hour or so. I figured I might as well wait to see the doctor in the morning rather than go back to emerge.

The following morning, six days into recovery, I had an appointment to see a plastic surgeon.

Now, I know what you're thinking. How vain of me! I'm lucky I still have a finger, why should I care what it looks like?

Well actually, as it turns out most people with breaks or fractures or serious injuries involving the arm, hand or fingers go to see a plastic surgeon. Not for cosmetic purposes, but to keep an eye on the healing process and make sure there is no nerve damage or infection.

So upon arriving there (after an hour long sit in the over-crowded waiting room), they were somewhat surprised by the state of my finger. It was so dry!

*gasp*

The doctor instructed me to keep it covered constantly with polysporin to prevent infection and keep it moist. She said I was lucky it wasn't already infected because of how dry it was.

Umm… infection? Ew.

Also to wash it one or two times a day when I change the bandage. She went on to explain that what I had thought was pus oozing out was in fact broken-down fat, an after-effect of the cauterizing (barf).

So she had me wash my hands, souped it up, wrapped it and sent me home. This whole process took less than five minutes.

Fresh out of the doctor's, goopy and hurting from all the man-handling.

So I followed the doctor's instruction even though it was basically the opposite of what I was told in emerge, but I figured she knew what she was talking about.

This is my finger two days after my appointment (eight after I originally cut it). This is when I began to notice some big changes. The scab was lighter and softer, it hurt significantly less, and it had started to ooze (I know, gross).

This is a couple days later. And my finger looked absolutely disgusting.

This is the same day as the picture above (in the evening), but with flash. To emphasize how nasty it was, I suppose.

As you can see, the scab had cracked and the fat beneath had started to seep out.

This is my finger ten days after the incident. The scab is partially gone and some of the stained skin (from the silver nitrate) has peeled off. I apologize for the awful lighting.

And this, dear readers, is my finger last night. The scab is gone, the skin has mostly peeled away and it resembles a finger again! Hurray! Don't get me wrong, it still hurts and I seem to bang it off something every five minutes, but it is healing.

I made it through the last week and I know with God's help I can make it until my baby comes home!

God bless you all and have an amazing week.

- M

PS: My advice of the day? Don't cut your fingertip off.