I Can Do 5 Minutes, I Know I Can

 

Not 10 or 15, just 5 minutes. That is how we used to clean our house. The kids and I would gather the cleaning essentials, grab a slip of paper from a hat as to which room we were tackling first, and then set the timer. When the timer went off, we stepped out and onto the next room. Was the room perfect? Depended on when we did 5 minutes the last time. I realize a bathroom takes less time than a kitchen but this 5 minutes didn't replace normal upkeep like dishes and laundry but added to the keeping up on the cleaning. 

Today my granddaughter who is newly married is doing just 5. For her this should only take 20 minutes. Lis lives in a studio so she has a bathroom, kitchen, living room and closet. Yes, she counts the closet because that is where the toppling clean laundry pile resides if she doesn't take 5. When I had a house full of cleaners with my four kids and me we had to take 5 in an hour because we had a whole lot of rooms. This cleaning method actually takes longer than the total number of rooms times 5 because there is the in between shifting from room to room as well as water and tinkle breaks. But it is a memory I cherish when the kids and I all crammed into a bathroom and spiffed it up with Windex and toilet cleaners. Sometimes we even ridded out the dreaded drawers where hairpins and flossers go to die. 

My mistake now is that after the cleaning lady comes once a month, I act like it will be good until she comes back. If I would take the time to do just 5 in our empty nest my house would be amazing. Perhaps Goodwill would have more to sell and I would have less to trip over. My house could be completed in under an hour now since our home has less rooms and one bedroom has Myank our PHD student from India. I'm positive he wouldn't want me spending any time in his space since he doesn't even want the cleaning lady in there. 

When I get home it is being added to my morning routine. Coffee, Bible study, blog, take 5, then shower and get dressed. Did you notice I just found a way to stay in my jammies even longer. Who knows I may actually get down to only one junk drawer in every room and be able to find a paper clip when I need one. 

In Him,

Joyful

12-14-21