Maintenance Mnemonics

Mnemonics are mnifty. As in, a nifty way to automate chores and tasks without having a to-do list or a chart.

Microwave Monday Odd as it seems, the post-dinner kitchen clean is me-time. It’s a little daily ritual. Sometimes my family is finishing dinner and finishing conversations. Sometimes they’re laughing at me. Sometimes Kathy is correcting papers or working on her laptop, and one of my kids will be doing homework at the kitchen counter. So I clean the kitchen thoroughly (but I always forget to wipe the counter, right Kath’?). And on Mondays, my 15-minute after-dinner chore is the microwave. Mostly, it’s a quick wipe with some vinegar and water …sometimes someone carelessly microwaved something and the microwave needs a little more attention. But Microwave Monday is easy to remember and mostly means I have a clean microwave all the time.

Towel Tuesday How many days in a row, or how many showers in a row, do you use the same towel? I think using two towels a week is about right, which means each towel gets used 3-6 times before washing. If I put fresh towels out for everyone on Friday (Fresh Towel Friday) and then on Tuesday wash all the towels and start over (Towel Tuesday), it means everyone has a fresh towel on Tuesday and Friday. It works.

Right AirPod on days with “R” (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) and Left AirPod on days without “R” (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) – I think about the battery life of my right and left AirPods and my other Bluetooth wireless earbud style headphones. I’m of the opinion that if I only use the “Right” AirPod eventually it will die while the seldom-used “Left” will be like brand new and I’ll be left with a working Left and a dead Right. So … I use the Right AirPod/earbuds on days with “R” …Thursday, Friday, Saturday. And I use the Left AirPod/earbud on days “without R” … Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday.

Phone for Four at the Four – Only look at your phone and engage with your phone when the clock’s big hand is on the 4. Read the full story and the why here.

Phone Phriday

SUNDAYS

Sun-Drains (like “Sunday” + “Drains”)

Bedsheet Sundays – Every Sunday, I strip the beds and wash the sheets and pillow cases. The first weekend of each month, I wash the mattress pad, blanket, and the pillows themselves.

Stovetop Sundays – After “Sunday dinner”, which 80% of the time is still a ritual, it makes sense to add this to end the weekend, and start the week, on a clean note.

Sink Sundays – Another one … this is like the nightly post-dinner kitchen cleaning but the main sink … after a week of dishes and with this crazy sink rack, it gets some gunky stuff and some “yuck” so I hit it was some baking soda, some elbow grease, and make it shine.

MONDAYS

*** COMING SOON *** Social Media for Seven at Seven

*** COMING SOON *** Window Wednesdays

*** COMING SOON *** Sharpening Saturdays

*** COMING SOON *** Shower Saturday

*** COMING SOON *** Talk Tuesday

*** COMING SOON *** Walk n’ Talk

*** COMING SOON *** Floor Fridays

*** COMING SOON *** Mircrowave Mondays

Food + Fifteen: Do a 15-minute chore every night after dinner. No more than 15 minutes. No less than 15-minutes. Over the course of just 5 days, Monday thru Friday, you’ll knock out 1 hour and 15 minutes of weekly chores. Alot can be accomplished in 15 minutes.

Tuesday

Towel Tuesday