Cleaning and organizing

[Backroads]

With summer break for me underway, I enter my annual befuddlment of "how the devil do those stay-at-home moms do it?" Despite the husband and I keeping the house reasonably tidy during the rest of the year, summer is my time to shoot for unreasonable standards like unto precisely two people I know. Minimum, do some dejunking. 

This week, whilst my overly social progeny of two hermit parents is doing a few hours of camp at the Montessori school around the corner, I am attempting better order of my storage spaces in hopes having an actual place for everything will help keep things tidy.

How do the rest of you keep your home's in order?

Edited June 12, 2017 by Backroads

[Jane_Doe]

As far as clutter goes?

Fight tooth and nail took keep it from coming through the door in the first place.  Beyond that, about every 3 months I go through a room and do the "do a I really, really, really, need this test.  

[anatess2]

It starts with "Everything has a place and everything in its place".  That's really where it all begins - let's say kitchen.  What goes in what drawer or cabinet.  Take general inventory and figure out which drawer/cabinet will hold what.  My mother - OCD organizer - was big on Dymo.  Labeling everything.  That's, of course, silly.  But, having some kind of a map for what goes where is a giant step.

Then after that, it's just - wear those aprons with big pockets - and go through a drawer.  Take what doesn't belong in the drawer and put it in your pocket.  Then when that's done, take whatever is in the pocket and put it in the place where it goes to (or close to it) including the trash bin or give away bin.  Don't worry about straightening up.  Just move stuff around.  Then go to another drawer/cabinet.  You can do a couple drawers a day if you're just doing this part-time.  Then when you get all the kitchen all moved around, then you can go ahead and start straightening drawers/cabinets up one by one - including purchasing drawer/cabinet organizers to corral messes.

That's all there is to it.

Edited June 12, 2017 by anatess2

[seashmore]

Set a goal of filling either a trash bag or a box each day of either things to toss or donate until you feel it's decluttered or summer is over.

I used this method over Lent (so, a goal of 40 bags/boxes) with better success than any other time I've tried.  While doing so, I created a mantra, "stuff is just stuff and it's getting in the way."  I'd say that whenever I was indecisive about whether to keep something.

[Iggy]

It is time for me to do the clothes closet. I have lost 20 pounds and have dresses & blouses that are just way too big. So - put on the clothes, if they are too big they go into the DI Pod  box. Those that fit and can be folded, fold and put into the cubbies. There are still a few items that are just a bit too snug. Those get hung in the closet and placed in the corner. When I finally reach my goal weight - they should fit just fine. Read once where you hang your clothes with the hanger hooked with the opening facing you. When you wear the item, launder it put it back with the opening facing away from you. After a year, all hangers that are still facing towards you - those are the ones you haven't worn in a year - give them away.

The kitchen is the bane of my existence - doesn't seem to matter how much I de-clutter, yada, yada - it is STILL cluttered!! 

When I packed to move back to Oregon, I tossed all of the Teflon coated cookware. TOSSED - why in the world would I want anyone to cook on them and eat that stink'en Teflon that is chipping off of it? I took all of the utensils that I hated to the thrift store. By using the one year method - I have dishes that have not been used in over 10 years. I bought some from my girlfriend. They are carnival glass. Thing is, it isn't a complete set. Every dish is chipped, so they have no real value. Time to box them up and put them into the DI Pod. Same with the last few plates Hubby came into the marriage with. Heavy stone ware. These are chipped too. All of these items are taking up space. Valuable space. There are no longer Might Come Handy's.

I had always planned that once the kitchen, dining room (where all the dishes are kept) and the bedroom was organized then I would clear out the *Den*. There are boxes three high and two deep of unpacked JUNK. A lot are tools. Oh, tools - - - the shed, that is another problem area. Our tools are all over the place. In the den, shed, some in the laundry room, some my office/work space even in the bathrooms. Was going to bring in the Gorilla Cart - put all the tools in it, then sort through them. Ha! I get a gut ache just thinking about that *job*.

The only room that stays organized and un-cluttered is the laundry room. The cupboard over the washer and dryer stays the same with the detergent, bleach, stain removers, iron, etc. We have two freezers in there. Those are neat. Litter box and 8 boxes of litter - same. Neat and in there place. Broom, mops, handled dust pan - hang on the wall.

~ ~ ~ sigh ~ ~ ~ if only the *ship would come in* so we could afford to hire a gal or two to come in and cook, clean the house for me.

After my separation and before marrying Hubby #2, my home was neat, orderly, I cooked three meals a day. Even baked bread every other week. What is it with me and husbands? I get married and my cleaning, organizing skills go to pot??? ~ ~ ~ sigh ~ ~ ~

[Sunday21]

I found that I bought a lot less stuff when I stopped watching tv. Those commercials are effective!

[anatess2]

On 6/12/2017 at 9:04 PM, seashmore said:

Set a goal of filling either a trash bag or a box each day of either things to toss or donate until you feel it's decluttered or summer is over.

I used this method over Lent (so, a goal of 40 bags/boxes) with better success than any other time I've tried.  While doing so, I created a mantra, "stuff is just stuff and it's getting in the way."  I'd say that whenever I was indecisive about whether to keep something.

One of my favorite movies is My Name is Doris. 

 

[askandanswer]

On 2017-6-13 at 5:52 AM, Backroads said:

With summer break for me underway, I enter my annual befuddlment of "how the devil do those stay-at-home moms do it?" Despite the husband and I keeping the house reasonably tidy during the rest of the year, summer is my time to shoot for unreasonable standards like unto precisely two people I know. Minimum, do some dejunking. 

This week, whilst my overly social progeny of two hermit parents is doing a few hours of camp at the Montessori school around the corner, I am attempting better order of my storage spaces in hopes having an actual place for everything will help keep things tidy.

How do the rest of you keep your home's in order?

Before starting the real work at your place, it might be helpful first to do some practice - at my place  

[askandanswer]

Redefinitions can be extremely helpful. If you simply redefine everything that you now call "clutter" as "useful stuff" you won't have to do a thing. And if that doesn't work, redefine it as REALLY useful stuff. And if even that fails, you can always work on lifting your tolerance levels for clutter and thereby enjoy your Summer more. 

Edited June 17, 2017 by askandanswer

[seashmore]

8 hours ago, anatess2 said:

One of my favorite movies is My Name is Doris. 

 

Don't think I've seen it. Might have to check it out, though.

[anatess2]

On 6/17/2017 at 10:04 AM, seashmore said:

Don't think I've seen it. Might have to check it out, though.

Warning - it's R-rated for language and sexual inuendos.

[Guest]

On 6/12/2017 at 2:52 PM, Backroads said:

"how the devil do those stay-at-home moms do it?"

We don't.  The house is usually a total mess until we expect company over.  Then we do a whirlwind of cleanup to keep up appearances.

Each day the house is clean for about 20 minutes.  But after that the house is a mess again.  Kids make forts out of blankets and couch cushions; school supplies all around; food spilled everywhere; dirt dragged in from outside...

[Backroads]

I am happy to report the laundry loom looks awesome now. Husband even saw what I was doing and finally moved all his Army junk to his car, one step closer to returning it.

[Suzie]

My motto is "less is more". I am a sort of a minimalist and practical, I am happy that way. I am not into shelves with lots of little decorations etc, it drives me nuts. I like to see rooms clean and clear.

[Backroads]

6 hours ago, Suzie said:

My motto is "less is more". I am a sort of a minimalist and practical, I am happy that way. I am not into shelves with lots of little decorations etc, it drives me nuts. I like to see rooms clean and clear.

This is becoming me. I greatly admire minimalism and I think I am slowly but surely becoming one. 

[Jane_Doe]

6 minutes ago, Backroads said:

This is becoming me. I greatly admire minimalism and I think I am slowly but surely becoming one. 

Same here! 

[askandanswer]

Doctrine and Scripture regarding Cleaning and Organising

Or

How to wrest the scriptures to support your pre-existing view

Matthew 8:20¹ suggests that Christ did not have His own place so its unlikely that He did any house cleaning. This is an area in which I am 100% willing to follow His example

It is recorded in the scriptures that on one occasion, Christ did clean His Father’s house ². His methodology showed a preference for removal rather than reorganisation, ie, He threw the moneychangers out rather than organising them in a more orderly manner.

The rationale for the revelation now known as the Word of Wisdom was Emma’s concern about having to clean up tobacco stains. Rather than reveal the formula for a new, super effective tobacco stain remover, God gave a revelation prohibiting the use of tobacco. This suggests that the preferred approach to cleaning is prevention before rather than cleaning up after.

The Earth will be cleansed by fire, (scriptural reference) whereas our souls are cleansed by immersion in water (Scriptural reference). This suggests that difference approaches are required for different areas, and there is no “one size fits all.” Cleaners risk burn injuries if they mix up these two methods.

The task of cleaning the Earth has been allocated to the angels ³. My kitchen, laundry, shed and garage are part of the earth. Far be it from me to take upon myself a task which has been assigned to the angels.

 

1.       Matthew 8: 20  And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

 

2.      John 2 13  ¶ And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,

14  And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:

15  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;

16  And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.

 

3.        Doctrine and Covenants 38:12  Which causeth silence to reign, and all eternity is pained, and the angels are waiting the great command to reap down the earth, to gather the tares that they may be burned; and, behold, the enemy is combined.