Emergency Cleaning

I have my own "Emergency Cleaning" plan. I've gleaned tips from many different areas and made it my own. I use it for times when I'm standing in the middle of the room and paralysis has set in, I feel the Doom and Gloom descend and I want to run away because I can't figure out where to start.

That's what I felt like today. Everything was clamoring for my attention and nothing was truly getting done. We got in Saturday PM, church and laundry (and laundry and laundry) on Sunday. Monday I got the suitcases and paraphernalia put away, and the homeschooling back on track, but I was still faced with disaster.

So, I hauled out my Emergency Cleaning list and started blindly obeying it, taking a break after every two to three accomplishments. That got me up to the point where I can begin to function at normal levels again. It also stopped the hyperventilating. I decided to post it here in case someone else finds it useful.

1. Spray cleaner on the bathroom sink(s) and toilet(s) and leave to do its thing.
2. Deal with whatever phase the laundry is presently in without doing more. For example, if I've done everything except fold and put away the stacks, then I do that without starting a new load. If the underwear drawers have an echo from lack of inhabitants, I start a load of whites and follow it through to the finish, stopping after that.
3. Clean out the frig. Dump out all wannabe science experiments without guilt and just start over. Fill the sink with sudsy water and put the emptied containers in to soak.
4. Empty the dishwasher.
5. Load the dishwasher.
6. If there's no dishwasher (which has been most of my life), wash ONE sink-full of dishes and put in drainer. Condense everything else on the counter into a tidy, compact pile. It looks less scary that way. You will revisit this pile later.
7. Take a trash bag and walk around the house in a clockwise pattern. Throw away ALL trash--including newspapers. You won't read them. Seriously, you won't.
8. Take another trip around the house with a box or basket to hold all important papers. Stow these next to your desk. Trust me on this. Penalty fees in the past taught me a hard lesson about keeping important papers in sight!
9. One more trip around collecting things that go in other rooms. Put them AWAY as you enter each final destination on your clockwise trek.
10. Switch the laundry if you're doing a load.
11. Put away dry dishes and wash another load of dishes if you're hand washing.
12. Go back and clean the bathroom(s) fixture(s).
13. Finish last step of laundry and/or dishes.
14. Clean kitchen counters and stove top.
15. Empty trash.
16. Sweep.
17. Mop.
18. Vacuum.
19. Smile!