How to Make Cleaning House Fun

Do you HATE cleaning? Want to feel more like you're playing than working? Join me in playing these I HATE CLEANING HOUSE games.

Before you begin, choose your LOUDESTmost invigorating favorite music and open all drapes so the neighbors can watch.

Straightening Up

Remember the old saying, "Never bend over backwards to get somebody else to straighten up"? OK, I admit it - I made up that saying. But if you think about the process of straightening up, you're actually doing a lot of bending over, which doesn't make much sense.

Of course, in order to make cleaning easier, you really need to rid your home of clutter (because when you have less to move around, your job will feel less like work), but instead of bending over, try picking up things with your toes. Or, if you have to clean in a hurry, toss everything into a box or a bin - basketball style - and pretend you're Michael Jordan. Stash the box in a closet somewhere.

Don't worry about emptying the bin - clean it out later - when you have time. If you don't have time right away to clean out the box, exchange it for a larger box or bin. When the box becomes the size of a refrigerator, consider throwing some of the contents of the box away. Or, if you haven't used any of the items for a while, throw out the whole box.

Shower Shine

Tub cleaning doesn't have to be a job. Every day, bring an extra towel into the bathroom with you, and after you take a shower, use it to vigorously, and as quickly as possible, wipe down the entire shower stall and/or tub surround. Use that same towel to clean the floor. It's a great way to keep the mold out of the bathroom and get some exercise at the same time. Eat some spinach to infuse a sense of power. Flex those muscles! Good job!

Bathroom Stinks, I Mean Sinks

Set a timer for 5 minutes. Grab your favorite bathroom cleaner and... Ready?... Set?... Go! See how much you can get done in 5 minutes. Blow into the end of the cleaning product when you're finished. Then twirl it on your finger, flip it into the back of your pants, slap your hands clean, and fold your arms across your chest in prideful recognition of the awesome task you just completed.

Filthy Floors

Why get down on your hands and knees and scrub the floor when you can let your feet do it for you? Wrap your feet in plastic bags, then wrap and pin (or tie) rags (with bottoms soaked in soapy solution) around your ankles and toes. Use the counters for balance as you slip and slide your way to slimmer hips and a cleaner floor.

Dusting and Polishing

Turn off the radio and turn on your favorite TV show. Why devote hours to dusting and polishing when you can do it during commercials? You would be surprised how many shelves you can clean in the span of a couple of minutes.

Vacuuming

Consider vacuuming to be a muscle building exercise. While you're still watching your favorite television program, wait for a commercial. Turbo-vacuum for one minute (or two). Eat more spinach. Return to the television. Wait for another commercial. Repeat with another turbo-vacuum. Continue the process until the job is done. Attack those dust bunnies with all your might - make Popeye proud.

Cleaning Out the Refrigerator and Cabinets

Invite the neighbors over for a party. Take everything out of your refrigerator and pantry and display all of it on the counters and tabletops. Play "Find the Expiration Date" games. Serve them "Hodge Podge," a conglomeration of various food items thrown together to look as if it was meant to be an actual meal. Give the expired items away as parting gifts. Clean the shelves (during the commercials of courses). Return remaining foods to their proper place.

And finally:

Toilet Scrubbing

Even I couldn't come up with a trick to make this task fun, but you can make the job a little less agonizing by dropping a table of "The Works" into the toilet. I discovered from my friend, Sandy Behrends (have to give credit where credit is due), that "The Works" is the best product available for getting rid of rust stains.

Uh oh - did you wait too long? Does your toilet have an ugly ring around it? Sorry - nobody wants to look at that disgusting filth - get a toilet scrubber and scrub it clean, blast the music really loud to take your mind off the job, then purchase the tablets for next time.

Now take a bow at your window, close your drapes, and congratulate yourself on a job well done!

CLOSING NOTE: Except for the "Refrigerator and Cabinets" section, I actually use these methods for cleaning my house.