The Habit of Cleaning

In my new obsession of keeping clean, I have had two revelations.

FIRST
The main problem with keeping clean is not the actual cleaning part.
It is the keeping part.
The thing that makes us start and finish cleaning.
The schedule of it.
The daily and weekly habits.

No one teaches us this.

There is plenty of information on cleaning products. Obviously there is money to be made. It is an easy way to make money selling water.

If you have a habit of cleaning, you will find the product to clean with. You will eventually do better cleaning.

The habit or ritual or whatever you may call it is the key here.

This is what I am really really trying to nail.
I am starting small.

SECOND
Vinegar is magic.
It cleans almost anything.
Diluted with water and a few drops of dishwashing detergent added, it cleans the toughest of stains on those corners of the bathroom that we have learned to ignore.

Add baking soda to the party and you have enough cleaning power to reform the government.

In Defense of Routines

In defense of routines that are not created as just substitutes, here are a couple of routines I have been developing in the last few months that are actually making my life a little better.

Morning routine

I start winding down by 9:30 PM, no electronic devices from this point on (writing the blog post is the only exception)
In bed by 10:30 PM and I read one of three books at my bed side table
Wake up naturally without an alarm at around 6:30 AM
Wash my face and drink an entire glass of water
Take Olive for a walk
Make a smoothie / omlette
Scoop the cat litter
Jump in the shower and off to work
Note: no time allocated for checking social media

Gym routine

Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings are gym days (I want to add a 4th day later).
Drive to the gym, 20 mins
Warm up on a cardio machine, 5 mins
Interval cardio, 90 sec of high rev, 30 sec of low rev... repeat till I can't do it any more, which is about 20 min at this time
Weight circuit, this is designed with 10 machines and 10 aerobic step exercises, done alternately over 30 mins
Stretch for 10 mins
Drive home, 20 mins

I am staying midfull of diversions from this routine. I let diversions happen. If they seem like a good idea, I include them in the routine. I do the same to take things off the routine. The intent is to be only as rigid to develop a habit but still flexible to let it improve.

My friend Chuck recommended a Saturday routine that I will explore in the next few weeks.

What routines do you have that you really like?