Can you see your reflection?

Okay, so I didn't get our first task posted when I said I would. Its our first lesson in perfectionism. So it didn't get done when I thought it would, but here it is! Just Because we don't start something when we intended doesn't mean we can't jump in where we are.

Our first task is two fold. First, we must prepare ourselves for work. Whether this is your first job, second, third, your calling in life, or just something you have to do, you wouldn't show up to your place of employment in your pajamas! The same goes here. Get dressed down to your shoes. Prepare yourself enough that you could leave the house by grabbing keys and a bag. I don't mean dressing up, or even putting on makeup necessarily, but make yourself presentable. Get some clean clothes that aren't stained or wrinkled. Put on some comfortable shoes. I find that when I put on shoes, I get SO much more done. It's hard to sit down and get comfortable with a good pair of tennis shoes on, so you will get more tasks accomplished not sitting!

Next, we are going to clean the sink. I know, this sounds very minimal to you. I can hear you now, "But I have all these messes around me, and you want me to clean my sink?!" Believe me, when you get the sink clean, it becomes contagious. Load those dishes into the dishwasher, or wash them. Get a sponge and scrub that sink until it shines. Oh, and stop whining! It takes work to get and keep a clean home, but we'll try to make it enjoyable!

Generally, for me, this includes soaking it in hot water and bleach for an hour. Rinse it out well. Next, I use Comet or Borax to scrub it with a sponge. Rinse again, and then use a clean kitchen towel to dry. If its still not gleaming, try polishing with car wax or CLR. I find CLR will take the really hard water spots off right away. Just be sure to rinse very, very well. Dry it with that towel again until it shines, and encourage your family to do the same should they use the sink. They may think you've gone crazy, but they'll think the same when they see you out of your jammies at 10 am!

(I am working on finding a natural solution to those hard water spots, as I hate using those chemicals so near to my cooking area. If anyone knows a good secret, let me know!)

These are your daily tasks for this week: Getting dressed, and keeping your sink sparkling! A shiny sink is hard to keep if it has dishes in it, so they will magically start being put in the dishwasher.

If you need more information about cleaning your sink, check out this site. FlyLady is where I started from. Sink Reflections is a good book, as is also Sidetracked Home Executives. Both are very similar, but Sink Reflections uses a notebook, while Sidetracked uses note cards in a file. As a perfectionist, I get caught up in what my notebook looks like, instead of the tasks inside!