spring cleaning advice...

[Sarlon]

Since I'm not taking any summer classes this year, I've decieded that this house that I've lived in for the past almost 6 years now, needs a good hard clean, as well as some minor maintenance.

Problem is I have a hard time throwing things away, and some of the maintenance is beyond my scope (porch boards need work, interior needs painting).

Anyone have suggestions? Other then one room at a time?

I have 5 rooms of this house....my bedroom with walk in closet, tiny bathroom, office, kitchen with pantry (almost more a closet), and living room.

I have hardwood floors in all but the kitchen and bathroom (linoleum in kitchen and bathroom), dry wall painted in all the rooms except the shower which is ceramic tile, and 6 windows two of which are huge windows.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I found this blog recently (just from the url you can probably tell there's some NSFW language over there): http://www.unfuckyourhabitat.com/ or on tumblr http://unfuckyourhabitat.tumblr.com/

There are lots of tips and checklists and stuff that might be helpful.

[Sarlon]

I'm not saying my house is on par with a hoarders house, but in the past I've moved almost every year (rentals), and now that I OWN my own home, things start piling up.

I do live alone with a cat, and have very little storage space...all the sites that give recommendations for organization assume you have tons of space to do so in.

[sms001]

www.unfuckyourhabitat

I like them already!

Sarlon - I know it's along the line of 'one room at a time' but I would probably break it down even further given how long it's been. Ceilings, trim and windows first in kitchen - then bath, then etc. A big advantage is that these tasks are easy to work into a work/school schedule. Another advantage is that the equipment stays the same. The big disadvantage, of course, is that you often move things out of the way several times.

If you CAN face a whole room at once, empty it like you are moving. Clean ALL THE THINGS ©, then paint (if applicable) then take your time moving things back in, organizing as you go. It seems daunting, but once you have the room cleared, the desire to get things back to normal usually moves the rest of the project along pretty well.

I did this commercially for a while, do a pretty mean Spring Clean myself, and have never failed to get a deposit back on a rental, so I'll keep an eye on the thread and encourage you.

[Sarlon]

shame you don't live close enough :P

It always amazed me on how a house can turn into an extra dimensional space, the biggest chore will be tackling my office. I keep up fairly well with the paperwork, but hot damn things pile up with notices, catalogues, receipts.

My entire side of the house for the record is 900 square feet, the largest rooms being the kitchen and living room (just the way I like it.)

We'll be painting next door (this being a side by side duplex) once the tenants move out in a couple of months, and I'm hoping to have my side resemble something of a normal habitat so that we could paint my side as well.

[NecessaryCatharsis]

Work your way out of the house, do the closet, bathroom, bedroom, probably office first, do the room with the front door last, you won`t be messing up completed rooms by traipsing through them or putting extra stuff in them on your way out.

If you have trouble throwing things out, don`t do it now, but make a plan to do it:

Walk in closet - hang everything up with the hangers backwards. As you wear it and rehang it put the hanger the correct way around. Socks, underwear, shoes, t-shirts, bathing wear: put most frequently used pieces in the drawers or baskets you use to store them, put everything else in opaque plastic bins. Next year throw out or donate anything still in plastic bins and still hanging backwards.

Office - File your tax information, receipts and warranty cards and anything related to court cases, current employment or school and existing credit cards or loans. Everything else goes in plastic bins with like materials: (magazines in one bin, ideas for art projects or crafts in another, information on pets/cars/house redecorating you would like get or do in another). If you need anything, take only that piece out of it`s bin and file when done with it. After one year anything you haven't needed, throw out. Don`t look at it or you will start wondering if you need if again.

Kitchen. Put as many of everything as you have space at your table of (Eight chairs, keep out 8 place settings of everything) away on the shelves. Keep 3 sharp knifes, bread knife, peeler, strainer and 2 mixing bowls, 2 pans and 2 pots in cupboards, as well as things you use all the time (toaster, coffee maker, juicer, whatever you actually use). Everything else goes away in the plastic containers. If you haven`t gotten it out to use and put away after 1 year - toss or donate it.

Bedroom/Living room - Keep your favourite 5 pieces or art or knick knacks out, your 10 favourite books and your favourite 5 photos out. Everything goes away in the plastic bins. Any item you haven`t got out to look at/read/show someone in the next year gets tossed.

As you clear out and clean each room make a note of the maintenance that needs done. If possible actually do it while the room is empty, if not, keep the list from all rooms and hang it where you will see it daily. Cross off things as they are done. Write things and cross them off even if you get it done the same day. Seeing the reminder of having done some things on your list increases the chance that you will keep working on it and not give it up as insurmountable.

As far as the actual cleaning goes, start at the top of the room and work your way down. Nothing worse than the dust from the window frame falling on the newly polished floor! Good luck.

[BookstoreEscapee]

There's also http://www.flylady.net/ which is a similar concept but less...sweary...

[Aethian]

There's also http://www.flylady.net/ which is a similar concept but less...sweary...

I second flylady. If I wasn't sharing a apartment with other people I would be able to follow her a bit more easily then I can. The calendar she posts helps with keeping on track.

[Sarlon]

I'll walk you through my house....

Coming in the back door (used more frequently then the front since I park in the back) you are in the bedroom.

Bedroom - Full sized/double bed, tall dresser, 5 shelf bookshelf, lazy-boy recliner, 3 drawer plastic roller container for sheets and towels, 3 slot hamper, folded up massage table, bedside table.

Closet - 2 side shelves, dryer, cat litter/toilet, hanging clothes (mostly my good stuff for formal occasions), 2 pieces of luggage, lego container, trash can for dryer lint, extra cat litter, tool box.

You walk out of my bedroom into my office...

Office - huge corner desk, 2 drawer filing cabinet, 2 5 shelf bookshelves, rolling computer chair (extra seating for people coming over or mom coming into the office for something), glass display case for dragons, 1 floor lamp (no over head lighting), twin sized futon chair/bed.

Bathroom is off of the office....

full sized shower, toilet, sink with undercabinet, wall mounted cabinet, mirrored medicine cabinet, 2 hanging towel racks. (and before you ask, there is not enough room to put anything more)

From the office you walk into the kitchen/dining room...

This is a place I'd like to organize better but I don't have a lot of space...The washing machine, sink, countertops and stove are all along one wall, the fridge and shelving unit where the microwave, crockpot, and cat food/water are along another wall, the 4 seater table and rolling cart are along another, and the coat rack hangs along the other wall which leads...

Kitchen cabinets contain my dishes, cups, and mugs, as well as my laundry supplies (since the washing machine is right in the kitchen), most of my kitchen things are in the under cabinets, but the more commonly used items (boiling pot, sauce pan, sauté pan, colander, 9x13 pan, and 9x9 pan) are in easy reach in the cabinets near the stove. The spoons, spatulas, and meat tenderizer (also known as my stress relief), are in a "display" container next to my kitchen aide mixer (which I do use often enough to want to keep out). My rotisserie and steak knife set are the only other things out on my counters besides the dish drainer (which stays in the sink and fits perfectly), again all things I use frequently enough to keep them out and on hand.

The pantry mostly contains my food as well as my Tupperware, extra paper towels, extra toilet paper, broom, dustpan, mop/bucket, vacuum cleaner, cat food container, and spare air filters (since the intake for the whole system is in the kitchen).

into the living room....

a 3 seater couch, a 2 seater couch/love seat, a large area rug, 1 5 shelf bookshelf containing movies, video games, and books for gaming (personal reading books are in my bedroom), 3 shelf wire rack for my TV and game systems, 1 coffee table (while large works for the room), a drop leaf table acting as one side table, 3 floor lamps (again no over head lighting), an actual side table a good height for the couches, a 9 box shelf used for business displays when I go out selling otherwise used for a catch all, and a small 2 shelf monstrosity that I'm going to be getting rid of, the holds my old stereo (it works, but I'll be getting rid of it as well).

[bhskittykatt]

As a mini-hoarder, I feel your pain. I just went through the bathroom and threw out an entire kitchen-sized garbage bag and a half full of crap. When I do a purge like that, it helps to have Hubs there to be all, "Do you REALLY need this?" So perhaps enlist the help of a close friend to help hold you accountable.

One thing I recently discovered: I went to the dollar store and got a knockoff of those Swiffer mops and used the wet refills to get the shower/bathroom walls and the grime on the walls/ceiling above the stovetop in the kitchen. It worked pretty well.

I also usually have a box in a corner somewhere where I chuck stuff that's too good to toss but that I don't want/use/need anymore, and as it fills up it goes off to Goodwill. Unfortunately I can never seem to declutter to the point where I no longer have the box.

[Sapphire Silk]

I like to do one room at a time. It helps to have a block of time, and to finish once you start. However, don't try to do too much at once. If you get feeling overwhelmed, you'll give up. I try to do a little bit at a time, and then to try and keep it clean once I've cleaned it.

Of course, I'm not always successful, but I do manage to keep some stuff clutter free for awhile.


I'll move things out of the room I'm cleaning into another room if they are in the way. I bring a big trash bag. If it is broken, toss it. If it is paper and is not needed for tax purposes/legal purposes, it probably should be tossed.

1. Go through any books not on book cases and ask yourself, will I read this again? Have I read it recently? If no, donate it to the library or take it to a used bookstore to get what you can for it.

2. With odds and ends ask, "Do I use this often? Have I used it in the last five years?" If no, throw or give it away.

3. Throw away, donate, or sell all clothing that does not fit you, or that is worn or stained. Ditto for shoes and accessories.

4. Get a couple of boxes to toss donatable items into. When it's full, take it to the charity of your choice.

5. I like banker's boxes for organizing things. The square size makes them easy to organize.

You say you live in a small space, not much room for storage. That's actually good for you. The less space you have, the less room you have for stuff. Use that as a justification to get rid of stuff you don't need.

Start trolling Habitat for Humanity or Voldemart for storage solutions. You can get new or nearly new shelving materials to help you reorganize what storage space you DO have. Stuff is easier to manage when you have a place to put it.

I also got some 18 quart plastic boxes that I used to organize all my computer cables and accessories, and then shelve for easy access.

One of the things I did in my office was to remove all the wire shelving from one of the closets (it has two). I then put book cases floor to ceiling in there and voila! Most of my gaming collection out of the way.

[Sarlon]

Clothes and books are not really the issue, I went through them just before classes started (since I needed to figure out what clothes I had that fell under the NOT church relics category).

Ans Sapphire, I'll pay you in your weight in Bacon if you come help :P

I'm making a list of things I want to motivate me to get the house cleaned out and organized and hold a yard sale.

New T-shirts for school, and some new clothes in general (like more then 2 pairs of pants >.>)

a massage (plus tip of course)

A new cookie jar

[Jester]

Do it bit by bit. I recently started cleaning my own personal sty, a project much overdue, and still not complete, but I have made significant progress by setting smaller goals for each day I work on it. Day 1 was this....day 2 this....and so on.

Some amusing (and not so amusing) things I've found as I've attempted to turn my Mini Hoard Storage Space into something resembling a grown up room:

--A tumbler full of change, to the tune of over 20 bucks, even after the Coin Star machine took its percentage. Sweet.
--An uncashed paycheck from a former second job that, with some effort and phone calls, I was eventually able to cash. Not easy, considering it was dated December 2012. Very sweet.
--Some clothes of my ex-fiancée, which I had clearly meant to send to her and never did. This caused an absolutely necessary beer break. Bittersweet.
--The memory board and flyers from my friend Tiny Dancer's memorial. Her sister was happy to find out about them, and I sent them on to her. Also bittersweet.
--my pellet gun (with only 4 pellets).
--lots of unused unopened decks of cards. For a magician, this is both awesome and not all that surprising. Kinda cool.
--an unused, still wrapped full set of sheets. Spiffy.
--unused, still wrapped dress shirts (four) and dress socks (three pair). Swank.
--my beat up roller blades. No brake pads. Dangerous. (I'm highly incompetent on these things.)
--one of my two bicycling helmets. Where the hell is the other one? Confusing.
--hand wraps for hitting punching bags in the gym. Good for getting anger out. Hopefully superfluous.
--my plastic pitchfork with two impaled stuffed cats. If this confuses you, google the ASU-UofA rivalry. Perfect, considering the upset win over the Cats last week.
--parking tickets. Not the kind you receive. The blank joke kind you can fill out and leave for assholes who park like, well, like assholes. Fun.
--tons of free maps from my travels around the country in the late 90's. Sweet, until I realized that smart phones, GPS, and the 15 year gap made them all pretty much obsolete. So...dated.
--six blank legal pads and three rolls of scotch tape, all unused. Huh?

Still have much to do, but I've buckled down a lot more than in the past, and thrown out a bunch of stuff. Not just the obvious stuff, but some things I didn't want to part with, like some old t-shirts that were just done. I probably could have tossed even more than I did, but small steps are better than none. Also, stuff I had that I meant to send to people has been sent. Stuff I wanted to donate has been donated. And yet more to go.

Be strong. Follow through. Small steps.

Soon I'll be able to bring women into my room without either being embarrassed or having them be blindfolded. For their safety, of course.

[Sheldonrs]

The easiest way to clean is find an OCD support group and invite them over for coffee. :-)

[dalesys]

The easiest way to clean is find an OCD support group and invite them over for coffee. :-)

...and use Mountain Dew syrup for sweetener...