Cleaning--one small thing a day!

I hire a maid whenever it gets out of hand. It's about that time now but since I'll have all 3 grandkids Saturday I may wait until next week!
 
Since this thread started I have cleaned out the laundry room and ended up with a full bag of giveaways plus started a pile of clothes that are too big for me to give to my sister who just had weight loss surgery. I have been making a daily concentrated effort to keep up with it which has taken my time in there from all day Sunday to just a few minutes a day.

I've also put a good clean on the downstairs area (except for the deep dusting) and bathroom. Again been making a concentrated effort to keep it up and keep after my family to HELP. I've got the younger kids wiping down the dinner table and counter tops while I do the dishes and stay after all of them to put their stuff away. This has worked fairly well with all except older DD. Before I would let her stuff pile up because it's not my job to put it away. However, she recently decluttered her dresser and so I ask her once to clear her crap from my countertops and if she doesn't I dump it on her dresser. I tell her every time I'm not going to let her crap become MY mess. This strategy has also freed me up to do other things.

Today I'm cleaning out the downstairs bathroom cabinet and will put a quick touch up on the bathroom over all. The next couple of days I plan on dusting/vacuuming the younger kids rooms so this weekend we can clean out their closets. One on each day.
 
Two days ago, I tossed a big box of papers, broken items, etc. from the playroom that is slowly transitioning to teen hangout space. I have another box started of donations up there that I need to finish.
 


I'm sitting in bed with my feet throbbing after the 7th day in a row of painting... Today was a full 14-15 hours on my feet, up and down the stairs, etc. So sore! I'm taking tomorrow off! Not sure that is going to work out, but as much as possible!
 
I've gotten a great start -- Used my calendar and have scheduled small 15-20 minute "to-dos" through the house for the next 2 months.

Yesterday was our supply and cleaning cabinet. I got rid of 2 huge bags of cleaning supplies that I frankly never knew were there, as well as about 8 cans of bug spray and at least 10 containers of sunscreen -- when the kids were going to summer camp each year, I'd buy a fresh one of each to give to them. Apparently we never used the old stuff up. Got rid of a LOT of old toothbrushes and travel toothpastes, as well as plastic travel containers. We'll start fresh if we find we need any others.

Found a Hello Kitty toothbrush that must have been sent with my daughter to camp when she was little. She just graduated from high school. Sigh.

It's a stupid little closet, but it feels so great! And really only took 15 minutes to go through.
 


I'm getting better at cleaning....
  • love my Dyson cordless vacuum for inside the house.
  • love my cordless Ryobi leaf blowers for outside the house.
  • love my new Worx Power cleaner for outside and the bathroom
  • just need more motivation to throw more things out.....
 
Wow, a lot of commitment still on this thread, so I am really happy to be a part of it.

I have been continuing to weed things out and donate them, so that is a help in my closets. I have more to go.

I also have my front porch and my back yard gazebo all set up and clean so we can use them. I have a spare room for the "girls" and it had gotten very cluttered, so that has all been taken care of as well. I continue to clean what I have cleaned, which is a routine I used to have and that helped me immensely to keep up. Getting there!
 
I'm failing miserably at the 15 minutes per day goal, though I did spend some more time in the coat closet last night. I have a big bag full of donations, threw out a few things, and organized two of the shelves. I still have two shelves left to go through.
 
I'm failing miserably at the 15 minutes per day goal, though I did spend some more time in the coat closet last night. I have a big bag full of donations, threw out a few things, and organized two of the shelves. I still have two shelves left to go through.

This may seem wasteful, but when I was drowning in clutter that I had stashed in closets, drawers, and corners I followed FLylady's suggestion.. Take a plastic handle bag and open one of the doors or drawers or choose a room. Then just do it. Pick fifteen things that you do not use....old hairspray, colognes, magazines, etc. and toss them in the bag. Do not look back. Toss the bag out.

My stack of donations was piled on the girls bed, and I will admit that I brought it to the second chance shop, and I did nto look back. I normally would have waited until they were in season, but not this time. GONE> and if they send them to Big Brother, so be it. They have very little storage but if I waited until Fall, OMG!
 
This may seem wasteful, but when I was drowning in clutter that I had stashed in closets, drawers, and corners I followed FLylady's suggestion.. Take a plastic handle bag and open one of the doors or drawers or choose a room. Then just do it. Pick fifteen things that you do not use....old hairspray, colognes, magazines, etc. and toss them in the bag. Do not look back. Toss the bag out.

My stack of donations was piled on the girls bed, and I will admit that I brought it to the second chance shop, and I did nto look back. I normally would have waited until they were in season, but not this time. GONE> and if they send them to Big Brother, so be it. They have very little storage but if I waited until Fall, OMG!

I need to use this idea! Thanks for the tip.
 
I haven't done any small projects recently but have managed to keep up on all I've done so far AND have gotten the family on board. I've noticed I don't have to prompt anymore they just do it. This is a huge victory for me.

I decided to teach my youngest DD backgammon but when I pulled it out most of the pieces were missing. So that will be my project this weekend, going through the board games, sorting and tossing if need be.
 
I need to use this idea! Thanks for the tip.

You do not need to do it for long. Just to n shape. Then you can go back to being responsible with how you clear and sort.

I haven't done any small projects recently but have managed to keep up on all I've done so far AND have gotten the family on board. I've noticed I don't have to prompt anymore they just do it. This is a huge victory for me.

I decided to teach my youngest DD backgammon but when I pulled it out most of the pieces were missing. So that will be my project this weekend, going through the board games, sorting and tossing if need be.

Oh the games!!! I sorted the kids games out when I did the girls closet. That was a job! I ended up keeping just a few and got rid of the rest. I am not looking forward to all the books. I have had them since my DGD was little, and as her caregiver and her Nana, I read them all to her, over and over. Then I did that with Nola and Rylee. Oh, I am an old softer who keeps too much stuff, so the books are going to be a challenge.
 
You do not need to do it for long. Just to n shape. Then you can go back to being responsible with how you clear and sort.



Oh the games!!! I sorted the kids games out when I did the girls closet. That was a job! I ended up keeping just a few and got rid of the rest. I am not looking forward to all the books. I have had them since my DGD was little, and as her caregiver and her Nana, I read them all to her, over and over. Then I did that with Nola and Rylee. Oh, I am an old softer who keeps too much stuff, so the books are going to be a challenge.
I kept all of older DD's books for years and then my sister had my niece so I gave them to her. Five years later I had twins and had to start all over! One thing I did was take each child's very favorite book and put it in their baby box. When I was little my uncle read to me and he saved my favorite book and gave it to me when oldest DD was born. So maybe you can compromise, save some and donate the rest.
 
I'm definitely a book hoarder (no worries, though, plenty of space to walk through our home; all books are in their proper place). It runs in the family. I have a cousin who kept all of her books from growing up. I love going to her house and looking through her bookshelves. I only have a few of mine from my childhood, but I'm keeping most of my daughter's books for sure. If I could build bookshelves into all of the free wall space in my home, I would. E-readers don't do it for me. They have their use, but nothing beats an actual book - the older the better!
 
Well, mission accomplished. It wasn't too bad. I have four complete (but no longer relevant to our family) games to donate and three complete games for the newly designated game drawer in the entertainment center. Only had to toss one. There has to be more roaming around this house though. Giving a board game for Christmas is DH's thing, I find it hard to believe we only had eight games.
 
I kept all of older DD's books for years and then my sister had my niece so I gave them to her. Five years later I had twins and had to start all over! One thing I did was take each child's very favorite book and put it in their baby box. When I was little my uncle read to me and he saved my favorite book and gave it to me when oldest DD was born. So maybe you can compromise, save some and donate the rest.

That was how I planned to do this. I already talked to the little ones and they are going to choose one or two to keep on the shelves, and I plan to keep the Christmas books I have. I decorate the girls room for Christmas, And place teh Christmas stories in sight.
 

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