Week Five: Testing the Deep Cleaning Chart

After all the long, arduous instructions to build the calendar, this week is a breeze: just begin doing what is on the deep cleaning chart by your preferred method.

Of course, you need to decide on a plan to do the deep cleaning tasks as well as the routine cleaning.

DECIDE ON A CLEANING TIME FRAME

Daily:

The first five tasks on the calendar are done during the first week of the month, rearranged within that week to suit your schedule and avoid Sundays. The second five tasks  get their turn during the second week of the month, and so on. Simply do the day’s designated task sometime during the day and/or swap and switch with other days for what works best with your schedule. Deep cleaning tasks can be done during the routine cleaning time, or given a separate time. Just plan check-up at the next Executive Oversight time to see how well you kept to your intentions.

In our house, one person did the deep cleaning job of the day during the routine cleaning time, so I favored the one task-a-day method, figuring I could probably find 10-20 minutes sometime during the day to keep up with the chart. Especially when I thought of all the accrued benefits.

Weekly:

If most of your tasks are fifteen-minute modules, you can bundle all of them together for a single cleaning session sometime during the week. If this is your preferred method, you probably want to schedule complementary tasks into the individual slots as much as possible. Plan for an hour and twenty minute work time to start and adjust from there.

Bi-weekly:

Split the tasks into two or three sessions (40 minute work sessions).

All of the Above:

After awhile, you’ll find you can readily mix and match both tasks and work times. Doing five tasks all at once one week, and handling them daily the next week, and starting daily the following week, before doing a mini session to finish off the last three tasks at one time. You’ll find yourself doing something that is on the schedule three months from now, because you notice it needs attention, and skipping a task that can wait till its next appointment. Having your tasks collected, broken down into small modules, and recorded for permanent reference gives you vast flexibility. And if you decide NOT to do the task-of-the-day, you’ll know exactly what you could have done and didn’t!

GETTING THE CHART READY FOR USE:

Make at least two clean copies of your chart. File one for reference, use the others. I prepare the calendar on the computer, so my “reference” copy is on the computer, and print a working copy for the year. I paperclip my working copy to the back of my regular family calendar for quick reference. I also can jot the tasks onto my menu plan, if I want.

If you use a planner, keep a copy there to consult during your Executive Oversight sessions. Cross out finished tasks when done, and note changes you want to make next time.

IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN and PREPARING FOR TRAINING

While you maintain your routine weekly plan, start wherever you are in the year, and begin doing the scheduled deep cleaning tasks as they appear. If you already have trained  family members, begin to delegate tasks to them. If you have family members who need training, before you start training,  do the tasks yourself making written notes of what needs gathered together, how you work, and what important details you will (eventually) pass along. Time the tasks: are they close to fifteen minute modules, or could they be with better work habits?

As a general rule, apprentices should learn how to regularly handle all routine cleaning tasks, as well as the monthly deep cleaning tasks.

They should learn how to do the other deep cleaning tasks when age appropriate. For training purposes, you can always “deep clean” something that doesn’t really need deep cleaned, but the calendar ought to be built around when it makes sense for you to do the work if you have no help (because, sad to say, the day is coming when you won’t).