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Post by manygoatsnmore on Nov 1, 2015 5:12:09 GMT
Welcome to November! Thanksgiving and all the holidays are coming...will you be hosting any family and friends? For some of us, that can give us added impetus to get that house clean and neat and oh, so welcoming. For others of us (that would be me), it triggers feelings of panic! I'd really like this to be a year where I can open my door to company without feeling like I need to apologize for the state of things. FlyLady calls it CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome), and I'm feeling it right now. I really need your help and encouragement to work through the pain (something is wrong with my shoulder and back) and get things in order. I'm sure midtnmama will be along to post the FlyLady areas each week. If you have any other methods that work better for you, please share those, too. What works for one might not work for another, so the more ways posted, the better. Post your tips for organization and cleaning. Post your To-Do Lists if you'd like. Let's encourage each other to make our houses into warm, welcoming homes!
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Post by manygoatsnmore on Nov 3, 2015 3:32:07 GMT
We got more of the case lot goods moved into the pantry and more laundry done today, including rust removal.
Rolled a bunch of extra down comforters up like sleeping bags and stuffed them into some of those cheap reusable shopping bags and tied the handles shut. That keeps them squashed down so I can store them in a small space until they are needed. I used to have some of those Space Bags for storing puffy things, but they really didn't work well at all. This is lower tech, but it works!
eta: I guess this counts as organization. I had to put my first aid supplies and exam gloves to use today when I stopped for a minor traffic accident, so I restocked as soon as I got home. I do need to stock a better first aid kit to keep in my car.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2015 4:27:45 GMT
That time of the year - use-it-or-lose-it vacation. I've been doing what I call "odd-ball" cleaning. Such as under the washer/dryer/desk, wiping down cupboards (did kitchen last week, will do laundry room/bath rooms this week), baseboards (why did I ever agree to looks-nice-but-a-pain-to-clean colonial white baseboards!!). Stuff that is not on the normal weekly cleaning schedule. I also see some ceiling cobwebs I need to tackle.
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Post by susannah on Nov 3, 2015 14:17:16 GMT
We normally don't have guests for the holidays. For some reason, people seem to want to come up and visit us in summer rather than in often-subzero winter. Go figure. Our son and his family are the exception, but I don't go all out with cleaning. Because less than an hour after their arrival, the house looks like a giant wind blew through it and stays that way until they leave. But I'll take a messy house with them in it over a tidy one without them ever visiting, hands down. We do have neighbors drop in occasionally. Normally the house doesn't embarrass me if it looks lived in because, well, we LIVE in it. That being said, I do like the house better when it's reasonably clean and organized. What works for me is cleaning in 15 minute increments. I'll set a timer for 15 minutes, and attack some cleaning project until the timer chimes. Then I do other things for awhile. I usually do several 15 minute increments each day. I remember reading somewhere that even unpleasant tasks can be made easier if broken into 15 minute increments. Yes, I could get stuff done more quickly if I worked at it for hours, but I'd probably be annoyed by then. 15 minutes, I can do. Reasonably happily.
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Post by midtnmama on Nov 7, 2015 14:58:01 GMT
Week of 11/1/15: Zone 1: Entrance, Front Porch, and Dining Room
Zones: Spend 15 minutes every day decluttering these areas. Then proceed to the detailed cleaning list as time is available.
Detailed Cleaning list: List – Zone 1: The Entrance, Front Porch, and Dining Room
Entrance Detailed Cleaning List
Start at the ceiling and work your way down to the floor. Clean cobwebs Dust window sills and front door Clean switch plate of hand prints and walls if needed Put plants in to the shower and give them a good rinse. Let them set there until you are finished. Dust furniture Dust baseboards Straighten the coat closest Sweep vacuum or mop the floor Put back the plants. You would hate for DH to walk into a jungle tomorrow morning. Add your own personal touches to make it more welcoming.
Dining Room Detailed Cleaning List
Start at the ceiling and work your way down to the floor. Clean the cobwebs Dust window sills Clean the window Clean doors of china cabinet after you straighten dishes if they need done. Dust. Clean and straighten any drawer Clean off top of dining table and polish Rinse plants in the shower Dust the bottoms of the chairs. Dust the baseboards Move furniture and vacuum underneath (except the china cabinet). I turned mine over one time. It was not funny. Add your own personal touches to the table (table cloth, pretty bowl, flowers)
Front Porch Detailed cleaning
Sweep down cobweb and spider webs (In the summer, I leave them. I feed the spiders, too, LOL.) Sweep off porch furniture. Sweep the porch. Throw away any dead plants. Prune back unruly bushes from the entrance. Repot planters if necessary (in summer) Refill bird feeders. Wipe off tables, banisters, and light fixtures. Get rid of unwanted items. Add your own personal touches to welcome friends and family (wreath, welcome mat, bell)
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Post by midtnmama on Nov 7, 2015 15:42:35 GMT
Sorry I'm late in posting the weeks tasks. Flylady must be as busy as me, since the daily zone work is just "declutter" I'm going to try to get the deep cleaning done this weekend for those areas. Tomorrow I'll try to post next weeks' tasks. Today we have tidied an area of the basement so DH can work on a project. Got that swept (and cobwebs dealt with). I'd like to take things out of my pantry that are only there for company desserts and make a list of these ingredients so I can remember to use them when those events come up.
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Post by midtnmama on Nov 7, 2015 15:46:29 GMT
manygoatsnmore, I am sorry you have pain to work through. I recommend some gentle stretching before you start and throughout the day. Also, work during the time of day when it hurts less. When I do a lot of cleaning, sometimes my right shoulder and neck ache-I try to do as much with my left as with my right. One thing yoga has taught me--is to work in a way that I won't hurt myself (in alignment) and to equally use my left and right sides. When I overwork my dominant side, I pay for it!
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Post by manygoatsnmore on Nov 8, 2015 6:22:24 GMT
midtnmama, I wish there was a time when my shoulder was hurting less - I have health insurance now so will be making a doctor's appointment to find out what the problem is and what can be done for it. Hoping it is something simple and easy to fix! I'm so hopelessly right handed, which doesn't help at all (right shoulder pain), even though I do try to remember to use my left hand, clumsy as I am! Worked on my bedroom again today. Still so far to go, but every tiny bit helps.
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Post by susannah on Nov 9, 2015 14:28:17 GMT
We packed up the futon that was taking up a lot of space in the useless hallway...oops I should say "entrance", that really does sound better. But wow, a 7+ foot wide entry hall looks absolutely huge when there's nothing in it. Yes it will be transformed into a mudroom this winter, but for now I needed to do something or it looked like it would echo.
The "entrance" is the only part of the house that still has carpet (that will be remedied this winter when we extend the hardwood floor into that area) and the carpet had what I thought were oil stains. After spending quality time with the carpet cleaning machine we bought many years ago when we had a wall-to-wall carpet house, the stains are gone. They must have been dark dirt all along. They were hidden first by a large couch (that now lives down in the family room) and then by the futon (which is awaiting pickup and transfer to its new home) so it hadn't been an issue (out of sight, out of mind you know). Even if the carpet is only going to be there for a few months, stains...bug me. Glad to have them gone.
Next I moved a wooden storage bench that my husband had made. It had been living next to the fireplace in the living room but it really was crammed in there and looked crowded. We'd originally kept it there because of limited seating in the living room. Well the family room we created last year on the lower level has two couches as well as other seating options, so we do have a bigger seating area.
And let me just say I love how the smaller storage bench looks in the useless hall, umm, entrance. It breaks up the giant space but doesn't overwhelm it like the futon or couch did. It provides the perfect place to sit down and take off/put on boots and things like that. This WILL become part of the mudroom. And I love how open the area around the fireplace looks now. So, that's my first step in Zone 1. Since I have the smallest stoop/porch imaginable - and no dining room - the entrance was my sole focus for this past week.
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Post by midtnmama on Nov 13, 2015 13:50:46 GMT
I'm a little late, but here they are for this week. I'm following them pretty close to be in shape for Holiday company and peace of mind( manygoatsnmore, @selena, susannah,): Do a 27-Fling “Trash” Boogie. Trash is clutter. When the bag is full, take it outside, right away, to the trash bin. Clear out your mail hotspot. Get rid of the old magazines, catalogs, and advertisments. Clear the clutter off your counters one at a time. Clear the clutter off your kitchen table. Take a peek at your pantry. Don’t pull everything out and start reorganizing; just take a look, see what you need, and start a grocery list. Kitchen: Detailed Cleaning List Empty refg/clean thoroughly Clean microwave inside and out Clean stove/oven Wash canister/knick-knacks Straighten drawers/cupboards Wipe fingerprints off walls Wash inside windows Clean fan/vent-a-hood filters and hood Scrub down cabinet fronts (only a few at a time) Clean light defusing bowls (glass globes over light bulbs) Clean under sink/throw away old rags Clean pet dishes
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2015 4:54:31 GMT
A bit off topic but in addition to docs and chiropractors, naprapaths can also help. Alternative medicine, focusing on manipulation of joints, muscles, ligaments etc (our naprapath does not "crack" our back for instance). And he also focuses on overall health (good diet, sleep, stress management). He is not anti-doctor - a couple of times he told my spouse to see a doctor. He was correct as there were underlying injuries causing the pain. He is quite focused on ensuring our bodies are in alignment - I used to sit for extended amounts of time with my legs crossed. I have stopped this "habit" now that I know it puts me out of kilter so to speak.
House is not too bad of shape cleaning/clutter wise. We've been concentrating on the getting ready for winter chores.
And yes, I have a tray of filing to do. That and other financial prep for tax time is on my list. I have use-them-or-loose-them vacation days which I have been/will be taking. So that is on my list.
When I'm off, I have been doing what I call odd-ball cleaning - wiping down all cupboards, cleaning under the washer/dryer/stove.
Started moving some bins to the empty bedroom upstairs. Plan is to use that room to organize genealogy and other mementos. Scheming how to get work table/chair up there. May have to break down and buy a card table. Which wouldn't be the end of the world as I already have the chairs.
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Post by midtnmama on Nov 14, 2015 17:00:10 GMT
Got the refrigerator cleaned out and am making progress on the other kitchen tasks. Should finish today. I am also working on some nasty grease stains on DH suit pants. That could be an expensive oops if I can't get the stain out. Here is how I'm working it: www.wikihow.com/Remove-Grease-or-Oil-Stains-from-ClothingThis may be one of the last good warmish days to do some painting on outdoor furniture that is an eyesore that people see when they come in the back porch. Even if I only get one coat on, it will be worth it.
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Post by midtnmama on Nov 14, 2015 17:14:04 GMT
I like the way my home looks clean and uncluttered. Do you notice that those nice decor pictures of homes never look cluttered or dirty. Even the shabbiest furniture looks good in an uncluttered room.
That can be hard when you have children, but there are things you can do to help. Teach kids to put things away (bins/boxes) before bed or nap or dinner. Rotate toys so they are not all accessible all the time for kids. I kept underbed boxes holding clothes that they were not big enough for or that were waiting for the next sibling or to give away to a friend.
I cleaned the bathroom when they were in the bath playing. Or we played, "give your barbies a bath in the sink" while I picked up the bathroom/cleaned the tub and toilet.
As soon as the kids were able to begin pouring their own drink, I put their cups in a lower cupboard that they could get themselves and taught them to pour milk into their glass by opening the dishwasher and using that as a table. If they spilled, it was contained.
Any other advice for young mothers and cleaning and organizing?
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Post by farmchix on Nov 15, 2015 12:00:55 GMT
I have run out of room to store things. I have most of my kitchen in totes (which is a LOT). Until we remodel the kitchen, there is just no where to put it. So, I have resigned myself to put it on metro shelves in the garage. That's a job I will start today. It's a very tidy area (no cars), as I use it to store my trade show supplies for work. Now that I have switched companies, some of the shelving areas are freed up. (New company has a local office and doesn't expect me to store it all at home. *whew*) Right now, Hubs and I are basically living in 3 rooms of an 8 room house until we get the shop done and can start the remodel on the house. We've said for years we could downsize--this is certainly the test! LOL
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Post by midtnmama on Nov 16, 2015 13:10:41 GMT
Flylady tasks for the Week of 11/15/15 Missions in the Main bathroom: Monday: declutter for 15 minutes Tues: Clean out the medicine cabinet and throw away outdated things. Wipe the bottom and the mirror, if any. Wed: Clean the front of the cabinets, then work in the closet (if your master bath doesn't have a closet, use this time in the master bedroom closet)Spend 15 minutes decluttering the guest bedroom. Thurs: Change the guest bedroom sheets Frid: Clean the surface areas of the bathroom: back of toilet, top of sink/bath. I'd say it would be a perfect time to clean the surfaces as well. Bathroom detailed cleaning list Wash area rugs Scrub/wax floor Straighten drawers/ cabinets Clean shower stall/ wax (not the floor!) Wash shower door Clean medicine cabinet Clean scale Throw away empty bottles Extra bedroom detailed cleaning list Polish furniture Straighten drawers/closet Clean cobwebs Wash mattress pad/dust rug Flip mattress Wash curtains Wash windows Clean window Clean bath tub Clean top of sewing machine Straighten bookcase Straighten computer desk Clean out the closet Put away stray items Fertilize plants Children’s bathroom detailed cleaning list Wash area rugs Sweep/scrub/wax floor Straighten drawers/cabinets Clean shower/tub stall Wash shower door Scrub bath toys Wash down outside of toilet Throw away empty bottles Children’s bedrooms detailed cleaning list Polish furniture Straighten drawers/closet Clean cobwebs Wash mattress pad/dust rug Flip mattresses Wash curtains Clean window Straighten toy shelves Clean under the bed Clean out the closet Put away stray items Sort out-grown clothes Vacuum under bed/closets Dust baseboards Clean fingerprints off door/walls Rearrange videos/games/books Office detailed cleaning list Clear off the surface of your desk Throw away pens that don’t work Sharpen pencils Throw out all the trash Put items to keep in a pending file for Wednesday (desk day) Do not stop to pay bills Straighten one drawer at a time Toss out old receipts from over 7 years Clean off the monitor screen Fill printer caddy with paper Establish a place for current bills Vacuum under desk and the whole room Dust furniture Clean windows Remove cobwebs Check supplies of paper and printer cartridges Stamps and envelopes Laundry room detailed cleaning list Wipe down the top of the washer and dryer Clean the gunk from under the washer lid Throw out empty bottles and boxes Empty the garbage can Check supplies of laundry detergent, softener, spot remover Sweep and mop the floor Remove the cobwebs Put away all clothes Look behind appliances for odd socks manygoatsnmore,@selena, susannah, midtnmama, farmchix,
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Post by farmchix on Nov 16, 2015 14:00:07 GMT
midtnmama, I don't follow FlyLady anymore. I have made a calendar that I follow to do the same things. Got the idea from way back when I used to follow her. A lot of those things I do more frequently...some of them no longer apply with no young ones at home. i.e. Laundry room detailed cleaning list....I wipe down the washer and dryer the last weekend of the month. I clean out the filter and clean around the seals (have a front loader AND a well, so this is a chore that can not be neglected). The garbage is emptied weekly on Saturday...and I keep tons of detergent and softener on hand. I make my own spot remover. All clothes are put away on Saturday/Sunday. I love the principal of what she does. I have a weekly calendar (i.e. dusting, laundry, bathrooms all have assigned days). Then, I have a monthly calendar (i.e. this weekend is powerwash weekend, this weekend is pruning, and so on). I think if you have a "plan", that's half the battle. I also do things like wipe down the fronts of cabinets, clean out the fridge, etc., while I am cooking. If I want to watch a TV show that I have saved on DVR, I clean the room while watching....even vacuuming during commercials. LOL After I get ready in the mornings, I wipe down the sink and counter in the bathroom. I dislike coming home to a mess, which is probably why I am so OCD.
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Post by susannah on Nov 16, 2015 20:21:45 GMT
Well, I see I'm going to be busy with this week's list! Good thing we don't have to travel anywhere this week. I think, anyway. Surprise trips have been having a way of popping up.
Cleaning the medicine cabinet sounds like a good place to start. Amazing how things accumulate in there. I truly do plan on attacking the medicine chest just as soon as I get done here.
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Post by manygoatsnmore on Nov 17, 2015 23:27:48 GMT
Well, I'm actually in the right room for FlyLady this week. I've swept all the spiders and cobwebs out of the corners, used hot vinegar and Dawn on the tub and shower (ready to go wash it all off now), removed all the stuff that doesn't belong in the bathroom (I don't know why stuff seems to migrate in there), cleaned the toilet, swept the floor and shook out the rugs, and tightened the screws on the tub faucet handles - no more drips! I still have a bunch more water jugs to fill with filtered water for storage, and then I'll have my counter back, too. While I was at it, I got a lot more clothing and bedding put away in my bedroom, did a few loads of laundry, and generally neatened things up quite a bit. Not bad for a rainy Tuesday.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2015 4:13:42 GMT
Cleaning the medicine cabinet sounds like a good place to start. Amazing how things accumulate in there. I truly do plan on attacking the medicine chest just as soon as I get done here. Plus it is a good time to inventory with "cold" and cold season fast approaching (if not already there, you're north of me).
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Post by manygoatsnmore on Nov 19, 2015 17:31:52 GMT
I'm continuing to work on my bathroom and bedroom - the bathroom is completely scrubbed down - windows, tub, shower, walls, floor, etc. Needs a little neatening under the sink, but not much, mainly just re-stacking the rags that get kind of tossed on the pile when I'm putting away the laundry. I really need to swiffer the bedroom floor and take more stuff that doesn't belong in here to storage. Need to change out the sheets, and I have a load of whites with rust stains on them to run through the washer with iron remover.
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Post by susannah on Nov 19, 2015 22:52:11 GMT
I cleaned out the drawer under the vanity and found a new toothbrush, three contact lenses (I wear the 2 week kind) and a container of dental floss, none of which I knew were in there. Little bonuses from my cleaning, I guess.
As I type, the shower curtain, cloth shower curtain liner and over-tub-window curtain are in the washing machine. I'll toss the bathroom rug in the wash when the curtains are done.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2015 4:53:07 GMT
While technically *not* frugal, I love Murphy's Oil wipes. Did the dining room chairs, baseboards, and other "dusting" dining room tasks today. Probably should clean the fan paddles before the floor is cleaned. Relocated a a couple of items that were temporarily homed in the dining room. They really weren't in the way but someone-who-shall-remain-nameless would have oinked about them.
Have a small donate pile in the spare bedroom - will double check with younger daughter to ensure what she left is to be donated. If so, I'll deal with the pile on my next day off.
Washed one of the pet bedding today. Will do the other ones this coming week. A lot less to do now that I'm down to one pet. I take my 3M roller to the bedding before I toss in the wash. Amazing how much fur is removed - saves me time doing a mid-cycle lint trap clean.
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Post by susannah on Nov 22, 2015 15:27:55 GMT
I am definitely going to clean out and reorganize the giant closet in the powder room. This morning dh swore we were out of kleenex but I knew we had to have at least one more box. And yes I found it, but it took me several minutes of searching. Not acceptable. The clutter gremlins are trying to take over and must be stopped.
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Post by farmchix on Nov 22, 2015 15:52:31 GMT
My goal for today is to empty at least a couple more totes. Hubs can't find his winter sweaters, and it has started snowing today. I did start on that area in the garage, so I am making progress slow and steady. I spent most of the day in the kitchen baking and cooking, so I scrubbed down the outsides of the cabinets and a few of the inner shelves. It is bread-baking day today, so I will finish out the inner shelves of the cabinets. While I make dinner, I will also chop onions, celery, etc. for Thanksgiving day so it is not too overwhelming.
While I was vacuuming yesterday, I did hit a few beginner cobwebs around the ceiling. The new place has sooooo many spiders/cobwebs. I'm sure I hit those same ones a few weeks ago!
It is Sunday dinner day, and I was at a loss for what to make this week. So, we are going for simple....spaghetti, homemade meat sauce and homemade meatballs. Of course, there will be fresh bread to go with. (I also have to make a few extra loaves--DS wants one for his work potluck this week and the Hubs promised one to a client.)
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Post by susannah on Nov 23, 2015 15:05:57 GMT
I did get the giant closet in the powder room cleaned up and organized. No other surprise treasures were found. Unfortunate, as I was hoping I had overlooked a bottle of vitamins. Guess I WILL need to go to Walgreens this week.
There are five shelves in the giant closet, and I was able to condense everything down to four shelves. Once the cedar chest redo is complete, I hope to be down to three shelves in use. And whittle down from there. When the powder room becomes a full bath next year, it will have a much MUCH smaller closet. I'm afraid I've gotten spoiled with the giant closet - plus it became a catch-all for things I had no use for but kept anyway. So condensing is a really good thing.
Today's project will be dusting all the doors. We replaced all the closet, bedroom and bathroom doors with six panel ones two years ago. And those doors have become dust magnets like you wouldn't believe. I've been pretty good about dusting the bedroom and bathroom doors. But I seem to have forgotten the hall closet and basement stairway doors. Last night I ran a finger over one of the panels and was shocked. Dismayed. DISGUSTED...all of the above, by the amount of dust that came off in my hand.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2015 3:27:41 GMT
Yes, six panel doors look wonderful but do collect dust - especially the ones you don't close very often. The "hidden" side must put out the word it is a good place for dust to hide lol.. We have indian white doors and baseboards. Note to self - never let spouse pick out door and trim color.
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Post by susannah on Nov 25, 2015 15:04:16 GMT
Another "never" in my book - a black granite vanity top. The white wood vanity with a black granite top seemed like the perfect sink when we redid the main bathroom shortly after moving in. We never though about water spots. Especially salt-in-the-water spots courtesy of the water softener. Sadly, the vanity does look amazing right after I clean it. But let just one person wash their hands, and it looks like a reverse spotted cow. I am constantly wiping down that counter top.
The new bathroom that will emerge from the powder room is going to become the main bathroom next year. And while we haven't decided yet on vanity or sink, one thing's for certain: there will be no black surface anywhere in that room.
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Post by manygoatsnmore on Nov 29, 2015 1:37:42 GMT
I've been working my way around the living room/dining room area in prep for getting the Christmas decorations up. Was hoping to get the tree done today, but got side tracked by cleaning the utility room and more of my room, along with the main living areas. There isn't an area yet that is totally clean, but it sure looks much better in most of my house now! Considering how long I've been neglecting my house, I'll take it.
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Post by manygoatsnmore on Nov 30, 2015 3:09:35 GMT
Stripped my bed, had Abby help me turn the mattress, and laundered everything from mattress pad to down pillows and comforters today. Did more sweeping and straightening in just about every room. Still have a pile of stuff for Abby to take to the shipping container, and am waiting for her to help me bring in the big totes of Christmas! I'm amazed at how much long hair I'm finding mixed in with the dust bunnies - Abby must be shedding, lol!
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Post by farmchix on Nov 30, 2015 10:28:00 GMT
I almost finished the stripping of the wallpaper in the master bedroom. If I get it finished this week, all I have to do is mud and paint. Then, there are more carpet tack strips to pull up and I can put another room back together....which would be one HUGE happy dance!!
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