Day 14 of the “30 Day House Cleaning Challenge”! Two weeks down, just one more to go! Wohooo!

Yes, yes! Today is the day when you will receive your weekly badge. So, once you complete the day’s tasks, be sure to post in the facebook support group so that we can send it out to you and celebrate your success with you.

Now, let’s get down to today’s task quickly. You have a badge to claim!

Day 14: Deep Clean Balcony Furniture

Today you will be deep cleaning balcony (or any other outdoor space) surfaces and furniture. In addition you will an extra load of laundry – remember those curtains that you set aside in every room, last week?

Ok, don’t panic just yet! I choose to launder my curtains on balcony cleaning days because mine is a small area and has very little furniture. But, if your outdoor area is huge, you could always move this task to some other more convenient day.

Also, if you have too many curtains, you can divide the load and do some of them next week. Or you could skip your daily laundry and do it tomorrow.

Important Note:

Today’s Cleaning Plan

Daily Cleaning Tasks: Carry on with your daily routine and use a checklist to stay on track!!

Weekly Cleaning Tasks: Surface clean the Balcony and carry out some monthly deep cleaning tasks while you do.

Monthly Deep Cleaning tasks

• Deep clean the furniture: Deep clean all the furniture – tables, chairs, loungers, recliners – that you have in the balcony. Dust them and then thoroughly wipe them down with a suitable cleansers. Since this furniture is exposed to the outdoors, it will need more cleaning and care than other furniture.
• Clean all surfaces: If you have any open shelves or racks in the balcony, clean them as well. Take down any items, spray the surface and wipe off. Then clean the items and return them to their places. Throw away and/or replace anything that is old and useless.
• Deep clean the balcony rack/cupboard/cabinet: If you are into gardening, you probably have a space to store your gardening supplies and tools. Deep clean that space. Remove everything from inside and clean the interior of the cabinet. Wipe down all shelves, line with paper/plastic. Clean the items and arrange them back inside and at the same time discard any old, useless items and make a note of anything that needs replacing.
• Clean the carpets, rugs, doormats: If you have any carpets and rugs in the balcony, deep clean them as well. Get a professional cleaning done, if necessary. Deep clean the doormats as well.
• Curtain Washing: Wash the curtains that you took down from all the other rooms during your first week of cleaning. You can do them all today or leave some for next week if they are too many to deal with today. If they need specialized care, take them to the professionals.

Download your Day 14 Checklist here

Tips to remember during the 30 Day House Cleaning Challenge

1. 1. Before you begin, gather all the necessary tools and keep them ready. You could get yourself a cleaning caddy or just use a basket or box.
   2. Decide on a specific amount of time that you can/will spend cleaning and set a timer. Work as quickly as you can within this time and don’t get distracted. (Except if it’s an emergency of some kind!)
   3. Start cleaning from the top of the room and work your way down. This will prevent dust falling on surfaces that you have already cleaned.
   4. Work from one side of the room to the other side, in a systematic matter, so that you don’t miss any spots.
   5. When the timer goes off, stop working! You can catch up with what you have missed during your next cleaning session.
   6. Use checklists to track your progress and to ensure that you don’t miss out anything. Checklists are especially useful in instances where you cannot complete a task and need to reschedule it.