Keeping Your House Clean While it is on the Market

Well, I thought I would keep up better with some posts about getting my house ready to put on the market. But it was all so CONSUMING that I was doing good to keep my head above water. There is now a sign in the front yard. And our realtor has had one open house. The day before they stuck the sign in the yard I thought I was DONE. But then when they scheduled the open house for one week later, I went from room to room looking for anything else that needed to be done. And you know what? It took me all week to do all the things I found! How??? I thought it was perfect the day the sign went into the yard!

But, now, finally, I do think it is done. Now it is a matter of maintaining. I have instituted some new rules around my house in order to maintain a near-perfect state. Such as:

1. If you put it down, you better pick it right back up and go put it in its assigned home right now.

2. EVERYTHING in this house has an assigned home. And that is the ONLY place it is ever allowed to be!

3. Do not EVER leave a fork or cup or plate on the counter or in the sink. Rinse it and put it in the dishwasher the instant you are done with it. If you leave it on the counter, I will wait till you are asleep and then I will come wake you up and make you put that fork in the dishwasher.

4. If you have a fork to put in the dishwasher and you discover that the dishwasher is clean, that means that you drew the lucky straw - you get to empty the dishwasher, and then put your dirty fork into it.

5. When you are leaving the house to go to school or work or to run an errand, you have to make sure your bed is made and your room is perfect!

6. Every day you can expect me to give you an assignment in the house. It might be vacuuming, or cleaning a bathroom, or dusting the den. But there will be something, so expect it.

7. Every single morning you must wipe down your bathroom sink and counter with a paper towel and spray cleaner. Every single morning.

8. Yes, I know you just cleaned that 4 days ago. Yes, I do mean that I want you to clean it again today. No, you do not need to wait until it LOOKS like it needs to be cleaned. The point here is that nothing should ever LOOK like it needs to be cleaned.

9. You are NOT allowed to EVER wait until every garment you own is in the dirty clothes and the dirty clothes are piled to the ceiling. If the color coded baskets in the laundry room are 2/3 full, then you must put that load in to wash.

10. And when you wash a load, it cannot be "hung up" on your bedroom floor. That is not hanging. That is throwing. Hanging means on a hanger, on the closet rod. See #5 - your room must be perfect before you leave the house to go anywhere.

11. If you come home and there are cars in front that you don't recognize, keep driving. That means a realtor is showing our house and you cannot come home.

12. Do NOT bang pots and pans around in the new kitchen sink and leave those silver/black marks in the sink for me to have to clean. Wash pans carefully and leave the sink spotless.

13. You make a mess, you die.

So far this is working very well! But if you can think of any other rules you think I should add, I'm open to suggestions...

Shannon