FOR THE FANATIC IN ALL OF US ( OR THE “ WANNABE ” CLUTTER FREE )!
LIFE AT LIFE VOL 7 . Issue 4
Organization 101
By Shelia Wood
Are you a clean freak ? I absolutely am . Does clutter make you feel a special kind of crazy ? Me too ! We ’ re kindred spirits in the world of clean and tidy . Why , I can spend as much time in the cleaning product aisle as the shoe department looking for something new I simply can ’ t live without . Whenever you come in my home , it ’ s what my grandmamma called “ company ready .” That means everything is clean , shiny , clutter free , something baked in the cake dome and smelling good . Some people may say , “ Oh , a home is to be lived in ,” but I say lived in doesn ’ t mean you have to live in a mess . There is a happy medium between “ lived in ” and “ this is making me crazy .”
So , I ’ m doing a two-part series on keeping things clean and clutter free . Part I will be the everyday things I do so the surface always looks tidy and polished . The second part will be the deep cleaning things I do on a regular basis so my home always is clean , no matter where you look .
For years , I ’ ve been asked by family and friends how I keep everything in my home looking so good . Company often asks , “ Does your house always look like this ?” The answer is , “ Yes .” It is just so second nature to me , I don ’ t think I ever realized there was anything different or special about it . Well , I gave it some thought . Clutter , dust , grime , dirt and trash are my archenemies . I know I am a neat freak , probably a little OCD , but it works for me . And I keep things moving without driving my family crazy -well , maybe only a little crazy . Why go to a whole bunch of trouble getting your home ready for guests who will be there only a few hours , or a weekend , and not for yourself and your family who live there all of the time ? It is so much easier to keep things clean and tidy , than to get things clean and tidy . Even when I had toddlers , the house was never a mess . Now , my kids could make as big a mess , and drag out as much to play with and play on as they wanted , but when playtime was done , we cleaned it up . Every time . Being tidy can work for you too , without taking a whole bunch of time , with the right process . I know what you ’ re thinking …“ I don ’ t have time ”… but anyone can make a little time , and 20 minutes is about all it takes . ( I can make 20 minutes to tidy up the house , but not walk on the treadmill … Hmmm , maybe I need someone to share their tips about that with me ?) Here ’ s a quick glimpse into my process .
Things I do daily to keep my home running smoother and looking better : First , make beds every day when you get up - before you leave the bedroom- and take out all trash every day before leaving the house , even from the bedrooms and bathrooms . You ’ ll be amazed what a difference it makes if you get in that habit . Give your trashcans a quick wipe at least once a week to keep them from ever looking grimy . Before you go to bed , put things in your main living areas in place . Place magazines and remotes back on the table or in a basket and pick up dog / kid toys . Fold and drape throws back over sofas and chairs and fluff sofa pillows . When you come down the next morning , everything looks and feels crisp and tomorrow , when you ’ re ready to curl up after dinner , they ’ re fresh and ready to snuggle into . Don ’ t wake up to a sink of dirty dishes - there ’ s nothing worse for me in the morning . Just get in the habit of making a clean kitchen sweep after dinner . Clean while you ’ re dinner is cooking and it literally takes about 15 minutes to finish up . When dinner is ready to serve , I never have a pot dirty ; I clean as I go . Start the dishwasher , or wash and put away dishes and don ’ t forget to run the disposal with a little dish detergent to keep it smelling fresh . A fresh , clean kitchen is so nice when you grab your first cup of Joe . And your favorite mug ( or , in my case , my “ jug ”) is always clean ! Any time I have a washcloth or dishrag in my hand at the end of finishing a meal or brushing my teeth , I give it a good rinse , spray a little Windex on , and everything in the area gets a quick swipe just to keep it fresh between big cleanings . When you ’ re in the kitchen and finish wiping down the table , counters and the stove , rinse and reuse ! Drop the already dirty dishcloth on the floor and run it all around with your foot before you head to the laundry basket with it , which cleans up quick spots before they become sticky messes . And you ’ re burning some calories so have a little ice cream - you ’ ve earned it !
I keep hydrogen peroxide under the kitchen sink and I clean up carpet spills right when they happen -then you never have nasty spots everywhere . I also have a little electric sweeper that I run around the carpet every evening just to pick up stuff that got tracked in that day and the dog fur floating around .
If bathroom towels get hung up flat to dry after every use , they ’ ll stay soft and never smell . Plus it cuts down on laundry because you can use them an extra day . Also , I never put wet towels in my baskets or washer and leave them . They hang flat until laundry day or I lay them out over the washer so they never smell
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