Step by Step

by Sarah
from Virtuous Daughters, February 2007~Volume 6, Number 11

“Children, it’s housecleaning day!” Mother’s cheerful words struck dread in my seven-year-old heart. Ever since I could remember, I hated to clean our home. Even the suggestion of a cursory tidying of the living room nearly sent me into convulsions; and if one should mention deep-cleaning my disaster of a bedroom, I would venture very close to death. However, my mother gently reminded me of Colossians 3:23, which says, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” Housecleaning certainly fit in this category! Over time, the stirring truth of this verse slowly dawned on my mind, and I began to realize I was definitely not performing my duties “unto the Lord.” I was, at best, a grudging worker who half-heartedly executed the minimal requirements so I could skip outside and play. As I focused my energies wholeheartedly on my housecleaning responsibilities, I discovered a satisfaction in joyfully fulfilling my tasks in a way that pleased and honored the Lord. And, ironically, I found that I actually enjoyed some aspects of housecleaning! I do still occasionally struggle with keeping a glad heart during chore time, but I try to remember the reward the Lord gives a cheerful attitude, the reward given on this earth and in the world to come. I would like to share with you the method I used to finally conquer my dusty room and beat the cobwebs into submission.  

The goal is to thoroughly deep-clean your room; in order to do this, you must start with an orderly room that has been freed of all dirty socks, stray teddy bears, last year’s home school assignments, and the like. And before you embark on your campaign of cleanliness, recruit a parent’s or older sibling’s assistance for some of the trickier steps. ...a room is best cleaned when working from top to bottom. Acting on this tidbit of advice, first dust the fan and/or light fixture in your bedroom. If the light fixture has a glass cover, carefully take it down and wash it thoroughly. After this, it’s amazing how the room brightens up! Also shake the dust out of the curtains and wash them if need be. The air conditioning vents in my room
almost always need attention, so I clamber atop a stepstool and get busy with the assistance of my trusty feather duster. I also wage war on the cobwebs in the corners while I have the stepstool handy.

Next, tackle the blinds. Take them down and drape them over the back fence or clothesline, then blast the dust away with the power nozzle on your hose (definitely don’t do this with painted or wooden blinds). Tip: little brothers adore this job! Make sure the blinds are completely dry before you hang them back up. Now dust your pictures and any other flat surfaces in your room. I like to take this opportunity to polish all wooden articles and clean any glass items (mirrors, figurines, etc.) that are in my room.

Now grab a broom and sweep the dust off the floorboards. Although this seems like a negligible detail, this will make your room appear much cleaner, especially if you have a large amount of wall space. At last! You are finally ready for the last step—sweeping or vacuuming the floor. When this is completed, stand back and rejoice in a job well done. If performed with a happy heart, you have just completed a daunting task that will please the Lord and bring great joy to your family as well as yourself.