Week One, Part 1: The Big Picture and the Little Details

Before the week begins: Print a Room Evaluation Form for each room you are responsible to maintain. Get a tape measure, a pencil, and another blank sheet of paper.

You can also print the Room Evaluation Instructions for the room evaluation form. They are essentially the same as below, but you can refer to it as you work in each room.

Assignment: Evaluate only one room a day, starting with your personal space (usually a bedroom, and for most a bathroom). Have too many rooms for one week? Trying doing all the bathrooms on the same day, since the routines will be similar, just don’t overlook any unique responsibilities in each bath. You can also try to do one family use room (living room, family room, kitchen, dining room) and one bedroom each day. Or just don’t worry about being done in one week; just work through the rooms until you are done. 

What actual cleaning should you do during the week? Whatever you want, just limit the work to thirty minutes a day. Or if you never clean, put in at least thirty minutes a day.

1. Analyze first impressions: Put a chair in the doorway of the room-for-the-day and answer these questions on your blank sheet of paper:

• What is the first distraction you notice in the room? (This might be a cleaning issue, a structural issue, or an organizational issue. We’ll hope it’s not all three).
• What is the first thing you notice that needs cleaned?
• What needs replaced in the room?
• What is unsafe about the room?
• How do I want this room to look if someone walks into it unexpectedly at 8 in the morning?

2.  Document the facts. Set aside your first impression answers and measure the room. Record them on the room evaluation form. Measure the windows, and note any unusual features about the room. You can draw a map of the room on the back of the form. You can also attach an envelope to the back to hold paint and wallpaper swatches, fabric samples, etc.

3. Determine two quick fixes. First fix: Select a labor-only fix that will also make a noticeable difference. Ideally, this would be a one time fix (removing the four foot stack of newspapers from the corner) rather than something that will be a problem again in a week (putting away the four piles of laundry from the bed, the chair, the desk, and the floor).

Second fix: Select something that will cost no more than $20.00 (or whatever amount your budget can readily afford) that will give the room an instant boost, solve an organizational issue, or otherwise make a quick improvement. I’d recommend doing this last, something like instant gratification for all the work you put into evaluating the room!

4. Analyze specific fixes. Fill in the section on the form where you can indicate major changes, broken things to replace or repair, and particular frustrations. Use these areas to record the room’s specific problems or organizational issues. Again, these should tilt toward one time solutions (change the broken light socket, paint the water-stained wall, glue the broken table leg, or throw out the chair with the broken springs). Organizational issues usually find a place under frustrations (bills always pile up on the desk, no place to hang the coats, too many catalogs for the drawer, etc.). Again, give idea of costs involved to fix the problem.

If you are worn out, out of time, or cannot bear to continue, now is a good stopping point. It’s such a good stopping point, we’ll discuss the last two steps of the room revaluation in the next post.