Neat Trick of the Day: Dynamite Clean-Up

I do not like to clean house. I'm sort of sloppy. You may not notice this on your first trip to my home because my mother instilled in me a deep fear of other people seeing my messes, unless they know me fairly well. Shouts of, "Don't let them see our garage!!!" were common when I told her a friend was coming for a visit.

When I was young, she instituted something called "Dynamite Clean-Up." She was trying to get my sister and I excited about cleaning fast and furiously in 15 minute intervals. She'd come to the bottom of the stairs and yell "Dynamite Clean-Up time!" She'd start off with sincere enthusiam, until her calls became bellows and slightly less exuberant. To her chagrin, it never caught on. My sister and I were lazy.

Well, she'd probably be happy to know the seeds of clean-loving-fun she strew (in the most orderly way) have blossomed in my own home. I have introduced "Dynamite Clean-Up" to my husband, and I believe he finds it more palatable than "All Day Clean-Up."

There are two versions:

Lazy Man's Version: While watching TV, tackle a new cleaning task each commercial break. Mike and I emptied the dishwasher, tidied the living room, and folded two loads of laundry last night during SuperNanny this way!

Slight Less Lazy Man's Version: Set aside 1 full hour for cleaning, but rotate cleaning in 5 minute intervals. This sounds hectic, but for someone like me who needs frequent distractions and often has things that never belong in the room they are in, this technique is perfect.

There you go!