34 Weeks of Clean! Week 11- Bathrooms

Get ready ladies, this week is not the most fun, but we can do it!  I am assuming you clean your bathrooms on a regular basis but today we are going to really deep clean and tackle any drawers and cabinets there as well.  This is for ALL the bathrooms in your house, except the Master Bedroom bath.  We will get there, I promise!

Let's get started-

• Start by emptying all of your drawers and cabinets.  Yes, all.  This will help you get an idea of what you have, what you need and don't need, and maybe a better way to put it all back.  Hold on to your hats - it is ugly!

• Now, throw it all away.  Just kidding, though it is tempting, right?  DO take this time to DECLUTTER.  Remember, that is one of our goals in the 34 Weeks of Clean.  Expired medicine - throw it out.  Old makeup - throw it out.  Extra lotions that are not being used - throw it out.  Seeing a trend?  If it is not being used or will not be used in a timely manner - THROW IT OUT!  It is taking up valuable space.

This is the look you will get when you tell your kids to throw it all out!  Just saying!

   -A word about kid's tub toys.  Inspect and throw out the old ones.  I am sure you know what a mold holder those plastic ones can be.  GROSS!  If they have holes in them, chances are they are harboring mold.    Feel free to try to bleach them, but in my humble opinion, unless you are committed to keeping that up weekly, it is better to just toss them.  And if you are brave and looking for a science experiment, cut one open and see what you find.  Yuck!

• Because we live in a smaller house, all of our towels and sheets are stored here as well, so that is another area we are tackling. You have to decide for yourself how much is enough, but several years ago I determined we did not need 5 sets of sheets and towels per person.  One can only use one set at a time, after all.  Choose your favorites, get rid of old stained and torn ones, and replace any you need to.

• Wipe out all of your drawers and cabinets before replacing your things!

• Stick rugs in the laundry!

• Take down your shower curtain and wash it as well.  If you need to replace the liner, now is the time.  Yes, they can be washed up, but for about $4, you can replace them just as easily.  Hey, sometimes we just need to make it easier on ourselves. 

 I think one child of mine might be using the shower curtain as a towel.  Hmmmm...

• Curtains or mini-blinds?  Do those as well!

• Light fixtures need to be cleaned off.

• Tub, countertops, and toilet are next.  Are you having fun yet? ;)

• Walls are up next.  Why?  Because if you use hairspray I am willing to bet that the wall behind where you stand to do your hair has a layer of hairspray on it. ;)  Don't forget the light switches while you are there, as well as any pictures or such you have hanging.

• Door frames are next.  Again, why does every door have all those cute, but hard to clean decorative grooves? Design fail, I am sure!

• Off to the baseboards we go and then lastly the floors!

• More than one "extra" bathroom?  Repeat! ;)

• You can now replace your rugs and shower curtain and then stand back and admire your hard work!  Like this new addition for my girls.  They decided to get rid of the four drawer plastic piece and upgrade to this piece.  It just made things look nicer!

Are you tired yet?  Just so you know, we did not do these two bathrooms in one day.  We are not gluttons for punishment, 'ya know!

Speaking of tired - we are almost three months in to cleaning and organizing our homes and I know the tendency is to slack off and let things slide a bit. (Exercise New Years' Resolutions, anyone?) Can I just encourage you to get your second wind and keep plugging away?  We CAN do this!  And trust me, together is much more fun.

And since Kemi and I want to encourage you to have fun and keep going, here is surprise number 1. At the end of our 34 Weeks of Clean! we are giving away a 34 Weeks of Clean! Prize Basket to one blessed person.  You can earn 1 entry for each time you have linked up in our series.  For those who are not bloggers, you can earn an entry for each time you have shared a picture with us on our FB page.  No worries, I am keeping track! ;)  

Our second surprise is thanks to one of our participants a few weeks ago!  Leah, at As We Walk Along This Road, mentioned a whole "rinse and repeat" idea that Kemi and I liked.  In response to that post, Kemi is working on creating an ebook for our 34 Weeks of Clean! series.  She will be getting details to us in the next few months, but until then, keep on cleaning!

And speaking of Kemi from Homemaking Organized, wait 'til you see the beautiful wall art printable she made for us for our bathrooms!  France, anyone?

So how'd you do last week?  Remember, each time you share you earn another entry in our 34 Weeks of Clean! Prize Basket.

Week 10- The Entryway

Week 12- The Family Room + DVDs

An InLinkz Link-up

Hugs to you all and many blessings,