At the end of today’s challenge, be sure to post in the facebook support group so that we can send out your badge for having completed 7 days of the challenge! You can then proudly display it wherever you please and look to it for motivation to keep going! 
Now, let’s get on with today’s task…
Day 7: Deep Clean the Balcony
Today you will be deep cleaning the Balcony… or verandah/porch/patio/deck or any outdoor area.
These spaces add value to your home and serve as a fun and relaxing area, where you and your family can enjoy the great outdoors.
For apartment dwellers, a balcony is a window to the outdoors. It provides a breath of fresh air, a place to relax and get in touch with nature ans is also an ideal spot to carry out some indoor gardening.
But, because these areas are open and exposed to the environment, they collect a lot of dust and dirt. It is thus quite a task to keep them clean.
However, cleaning these areas is not really as hard as you think.
Important Note:
So, whatever you do, don’t get overwhelmed and work at your own pace. It doesn’t matter if you take a bit longer to complete the challenge.
Do whatever works for you – skip certain tasks, add others. But, just clean something!
Today’s Cleaning Plan
Daily Cleaning Tasks: Keep that daily routine going and use a checklist to stay on track!!
Weekly Cleaning Tasks: Surface clean the Balcony as part of your weekly routine while spending a little extra time deep cleaning it.
Monthly Deep Cleaning tasks
- Deep Clean the Walls and ceiling: Clean the ceiling and walls. Wipe down the walls and corners with the help of a long handled brush. Mop the walls, if needed/possible and spot clean any stains that you might notice. Clean switch plates, wall decor and anything else that’s up on the wall!
- Deep Clean the doors and/or windows: Thoroughly clean the windows – the panes, the window sill, grills, frames etc. Wipe down the balcony door and clean up any stubborn stains. Don’t forget the doorknobs and/or handles! Also clean all glass surfaces if you have any.
- Deep Clean all the fans, lights, fixtures etc: Thoroughly clean the fans, lights and all other fixtures and make a note of anything that needs fixing or replacing.
- Deep Clean the floor: Thoroughly sweep/vacuum and mop the floor. Move away the furniture and pots and clean all the hard to reach areas. Spot clean any stubborn stains.
- Finally, re-arrange the furniture and potted plants.
- Curtain Washing: Wash the curtains that you took down from all the other rooms all through this week. 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. Once done, fold them and put away.
Download your Day 7 Checklist here
Tips to remember during the 30 Day House Cleaning Challenge
- 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.
- 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!)
- 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.
- Work from one side of the room to the other side, in a systematic matter, so that you don’t miss any spots.
- When the timer goes off, stop working! You can catch up with what you have missed during your next cleaning session.
- 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.
