One of the best cleaning practices my homemaking mentors ever taught me was to “C.A.Y.GO.”
Are you preparing a meal in the kitchen? Then “C.A.Y.GO.” Are you shaving or doing your makeup in the bathroom Then “C.A.Y.GO.” Do you want to keep your home decently clean and tidy for most of the day? Then “C.A.Y.GO.”
Clean As You Go.
Are you ready to make dinner? Then get some hot, soapy water in the kitchen sink (yes, even if you have a dishwasher) and Clean As You Go. Toss messy cooking utensils, pans, or etc., in the sink to soak or to be washed as you’re working. The “dwell time” in the water while you’re doing other things makes for easier clean up either during the cooking process or later. In addition, having all that lovely hot, soapy water already available makes it easy to immediately wipe down counter tops, cook tops and scrub cutting-boards as needed. Your work area will remain functional, sanitary, pleasant and safe.
Always Clean As You Go in the bathroom. Have you finished brushing your teeth? Doing your makeup? Fixing your hair? Then “C.A.Y.GO.” Take a damp washcloth (or other preferred cleaning cloth) and wipe any splatters off the mirrors and fixtures, swipe remains of hair or makeup off the counter top and clean the inside of the sink. It literally takes only a few seconds and, believe me, the next person in the bathroom will thank you.
“C.A.Y.GO” the general living spaces all the time. As one mentor said, “For goodness sake, don’t walk by that piece of paper or toy on the floor. As you’re traveling from one room to the other, scoop it up and drop it off where it belongs!” For example, pause where the toys are out or there is a mess on the coffee table and do a 15-second tidy (or, better yet, have whoever made the mess come and take care of it right away). Most “C.A.Y.GOs” take less than a minute and, yes, you will be doing them often, but isn’t that better than having to face a mountain of mess at the end of the day?
My homemaking mentors were right. Smart homemakers use the best-practice of “Clean As You Go.”
You can be sure I “C.A.Y.GO.”
Do you?
