The ZAP Cleaning System

Zone1 Bedrooms, Bathrooms, and Hallways
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You're psyched. You're equipped. You're armed with the best speed-cleaning techniques. Now put it
We'll start where you will make the biggest impact, the high-traffic Zone 1 areas-bedrooms, bathrooms, and hallways. This plan assumes  you have a two-story house. If you
don't you're going to have to move. Ha-ha. Ok, you can adapt the plan to fit your home.

Sponge

all into action with the ultimate step-by-step plan for weekly housecleaning.

1. Go into each bedroom, strip the sheets off the beds, and toss them into the hallway. Go into each bathroom and toss the towels, washcloths, tub mats, and bath mats into the hallway, too. Gather all of these washable items in a laundry basket and dump them in the laundry room. Start a wash load with the tub mats, bath mats, and a couple of towels.
2. Get the cleaning caddy you keep on the second floor. Go  into the upstairs bathroom and start spreading around the cleaning chemicals. Spray bowl cleaner (stored  under the sink) inside the toilet bowl. Spray all-purpose cleaner on the toilet rim, toilet seat, countertop, and sink. Sprinkle your bathtub cleaner in the tub.
3. Empty the trash basket into your plastic bag.
4. Now use a little elbow grease. Spray a clean rag with window cleaner and clean the mirror. Scrub the inside of your toilet bowl with the toilet bowl brush. Wipe down the counter, sink, toilet exterior, and toilet rim. Scrub the tub with a nylon scrubber sponge. Rinse the tub. Spray all-purpose cleaner on the shower walls and wipe them down. (Note: This prevents mixing two cleaners in the tub, which you want to avoid.)
5. Mop the floor, backing out of the room.
6. Go into one of the upstairs bedrooms and empty the trash basket into your plastic bag.
7. Move any light furniture or other obstructions toward the center of the room, away from the walls.
8. Dust the entire room, starting at the entryway and moving from left to right (clockwise). Using your lamb's wool duster, take one wall at a ti.me, working from top to bottom, including valances, window frames, wall hangings, and furniture.
9. Now vacuum around the entire perimeter of the bedroom. (see why you moved the furniture?) Return the furniture to its original position. Starting at the far corner of the room, vacuum the rest of the room, backing out the door.
10. Go into the other upstairs bedrooms and repeat steps 6 through 9.
11. Give the upstairs hallway a quick dusting, moving left to right, top to bottom, one wall at a time.
12.  Put away the upstairs cleaning caddy. Vacuum the upstairs hallway, backing toward the stairs. Take the trash bag with you and back down the stairs, vacuuming the stairs as you go.
13. For the first-floor bathroom, repeat steps 2 through 5 (except use your first-floor cleaning caddy).
14. For the first-floor bedrooms, repeat steps 6 through 9.
15. Dust and vacuum the downstairs hallway.
16. Go to the laundry room and unload the washer. Put everything but the rubber tub mats into the dryer. Load the washer with dirty sheets and towels. Hang the tub mats somewhere (a clothes rack, for instance) to drip dry.

Kitchen, Dining Area, and Family Room zone 2

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Nice work--you already have some of the biggest cleaning jobs behind you. Next we tackle three other high-traffic spots: your kitchen, your casual dining area, and the family room.

1. Get your first-floor cleaning caddy. Go into the kitchen and pull out a microwave-safe bowl. Pour in 2 cups of water, put the bowl of water in the microwave, and cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes.
2. While the microwave is running, go around the kitchen and dust all surfaces, left to right, top to

   

   Liquid Soap and Broom

   bottom. Spray an all-purpose cleaner on the stovetop (make sure it's cool first), the oven door, the refrigerator, and the counters.
3. Take a clean cloth and move from left to right around the kitchen, wiping down the counters and appliances. While you're at the stove, wipe any food spills from the burner grates (gas stove) or coils (electric). Move any countertop appliances and wipe under them as you go. When you get to the microwave, make sure the water has cooled for at least a minute. Dump the water out and wipe down the steamed interior of the microwave.
4. Pick one section of cabinets to clean each time you clean the kitchen. Spray that section will all-purpose spray and wipe.
5. Toss out any food in the refrigerator and pick one shelf or drawer tp clean. Spray it with glass cleaner (for light cleaning) or get the Lysol from under the kitchen sink (for heavier cleaning or disinfecting).
6. Sprinkle the sink with scouring powder and scrub it with a nylon pad. Rinse.
7. Mop the floor.
8. Go to your casual dining area. (If you have an eat-in kitchen, take care of the table and chairs in step 3.) Dust your way around the room, left to right, top to bottom. Dust the light fixture. Pull the chairs away from the table. Wipe up any spills or crumbs from the table and chairs. Mop or vacuum under the table and move the chairs back. Clean the rest of the floor.
9. Go to your family room. Move any light furniture into the center of the room. Move around the room dusting--from left to right, top to bottom, one section of wall at a time. Dust the valances, window frames, wall hangings, furniture, and electronic devices.
10. Now vacuum the perimeter of the family room. Return the furniture to its original position. Vacuum the rest of the room.
11. Go to the laundry room. Take the towels, washcloths, and bath mats out of the dryer and set them on a counter. (Don't bother folding.) Take the sheets and towels out of the washer and put them in the dryer. Load any remaining sheets and towels in the water.

Zone 3 Formal Living and Dining Rooms

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Take a deep breath, take a swig of water, and pat yourself on the back. You're almost done--and you've left the easiest for last!

1. Go into your formal living room. Move any light furniture (lamps, end tables, and such) into the center of the room.
2. You know the drill by now. Dust the room, moving from left to right, one wall at a time. Dust from top to bottom, including valances, window frames, wall hangings, and furniture.
3. Vacuum the perimeter of the living room. Return the furniture to its original position.
4. Lift the seat cushions out of the sofa and love seat and then vacuum underneath with the brush attachment. Vacuum the center of the floor.
5. Go to the dining room and repeat steps 1 through 3.
6. Dust the dining room table and the chairs around the table.
7. Pull the chairs away from the table and vacuum under the table. Return the chairs to their original position and vacuum the rest of the room.

Laundry Room and Miscellaneous Spaces Zone 4

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Time to polish off the last couple of rooms of the house and then wrap up the loose ends.

1. Go to the laundry room, remove the sheets and towels from the dryer, and add them to the unfolded pile on the counter. Move the last of the laundry from the washer to the dryer.
2. Empty the laundry room's trash basket into your plastic bag.
3. Since this is not a high-traffic area, a quick dusting will do. Move around the room left to right, top to bottom, dusting the shelves,appliance tops, and sink. Wipe up any detergent spills on the appliances with a damp rag.
4. Mop the floor.
5. Continue the pattern of dusting and then vacuuming or mopping in the other miscellaneous spaces of your home--foyer, sunroom, enclosed porch, utility room, office.
6. Put your vacuum cleaner and cleaning caddy away (assuring the little dears they can come out to play again in a week).
   
7. Take your plastic bag full of trash out to the garbage can.
8. While you're outside, take your welcome mats out onto the lawn and shake them out.
9. Take your dirty cleaning cloths to the laundry room and toss them in the washer.
10. Once all of the sheets, towels, and such are dry, spread out one of the sheets from an upstairs bedroom and put all of the other laundry on top of it, along with the tub mats that were drip-dryng. Pull the corners of the sheet together to make a sack. Haul it all to the first-floor bedrooms and put the sheets back on the beds. (This is why you didn't bother folding.) Return the towels, washcloths, bath mat, and tub mat to their places in the first-floor bathroom. Then carry the remaining laundry upstairs and repeat.
11. Take a bow. Or take a nap--your choice.