TVCH FORUMS HOME . JOIN . FAN CLUBS . ABOUT US . CONTACT . CHAT  
Bomis   Quick Links   TOPICS . TREE-VIEW . SEARCH . HELP! . NEWS . PROFILE
Archive through October 27, 2003

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions: 2004 Aug - Oct: TVCH's Home & Life Organization (ARCHIVES): Archive through October 27, 2003 users admin

Author Message
Whit4you

Tuesday, July 01, 2003 - 8:13 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I love flylady.com and it's very motivating but to be honest it's a tad hard to navigate for me.

Here's my idea.


First - we can share ideas on things we've read / ideas we've seen that'd help us be more organized, get in the mood to clean house, and so on.

Also I'd like to complle a list - to make a checklist of all the things that one would would do to clean house.

What I mean is what I want to do is make a list of say what you'd do if you were doing heavy spring cleaning and the person you want to impress most is coming over in two weeks.

So if you could help make that list it'd be great - I think it'd be really handy to have around - especially for anyone with a roommate cause you could print this list out and initial the things YOU do that month... and they could initial the things THEY do - it'd be pretty obvious after a few months of this who's not pulling their weight :)


Examples:

Washing window sills
washing the windows
cleaning pictures / picture frames

so want to help with this list?


Also - what sort of handy tricks do you have to stay organized? (or that you've heard of)

Ways to motivate yourself? What used to work for me (doesn't anymore) was saying to myself my mother was coming over on Sunday.... and I'd just really try to believe it - and clean like it were true. Sure wish that still worked for me.


Other ideas?

Sia

Tuesday, July 01, 2003 - 10:03 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Whit, you recommended Flylady to me some time last year, and I really want to thank you for it, if I haven't done it already. It's been very helpful in getting me more organized and in adopting a new philosophy about holding on to all my old "junk." Flylady's idea is that if you're not using/don't need something, it's only cluttering up your house and wasting space, so you should release it to the world and let it bless someone else. She's so right!!

I haven't totally de-cluttered my house, but I'm certainly making progress towards that goal. Whit, I need to put together my control journal and haven't done that yet.

{{{Whit}}} What a great web-site!!

Not1worry

Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 5:30 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
To me, the most valuable things I've learned from Flylady are:

When you are feeling overwhelmed or exhausted, just do 15 minutes. It always accomplishes more than I think it will and makes me feel better.

Lay out your clothes the night before.

Plan your menus, at least for several days out.

Small tasks done daily make a HUGE difference. I hate cleaning toilets, but if I swish them every morning, they almost never need the big cleaning I used to dread.

Keeping the Hotspots clean makes the whole house look cleaner.

Even if no one else in your house will pick up after themselves, don't give up and don't be a victim about it.


I agree, the website is a challenge. There's so much good stuff on it, but it's hard to find. I had turned off my email reminders when we were going out of town. Now I miss them, but don't like the deluge. I put them on digest form, so I get one email with about 15 messages on it. I don't have a control journal yet, but I like the idea.

Happymom

Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 9:14 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I've been meaning to really spend some time in the Flylady website for many mos. now.

I really like the idea of this thread! Thanks Whit!

I'll try to think of some good tips. Here are two for now.

I agree with Not1 re: toilets. That also goes for the rest of the bathroom, we keep it clean by using those indiv. wipes almost daily. I do not mind the cost of buying them, especially since Costco has them much cheaper. I do however not like contributing to the landfill so much. When my life is more organized, I will try one of those home recipes for indiv. wipes that I've seen places.

We use one of the spray shower cleaners after almost every shower. I only deep clean the shower a few times a year. This is such a time saver! I've tried 3 different kinds and found Clean Shower works best. It really works!

Can't wait to read others tips for cleaning and organizing!

Wargod

Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 10:02 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I do a thorough cleaning once a week. When the kids are in school, I pick one day during the week and go to town. When they're out of school I do it on the weekend. I vacuum, dust, scrub floors, do laundry, clean windows, find those spots that collect clutter and throw away everything that I figure no one will notice is gone.

The rest of the week I do dishes twice a day, once after lunch and once after dinner. Yup, breakfast dishes get rinsed out and sits there, LOL. Anything used after dinner, gets rinsed and sits there. I pick stuff up if I see it sitting where it don't belong, wipe down the bathroom once a day, and collect laundry at the end of the day. I found that if I really get the house clean once a week, the rest of the week it takes on average about 45 minutes to do the housework.

Some of the things I've found that help me are to not stress about certain areas of the house. The kids bedrooms they clean themselves. They pick up their own toys, and throw their dirty clothes in the hamper before bed. They have learned that by spending a few minutes a day cleaning, that on Saturday when I say its time to go clean their rooms, they don't have much to do. About once a month, I go in and help to get things back to the way I like them, but thats it.

Knowing ahead of time what I want to do also helps. I make a list and stick to it. If I didn't have the list, I'd be lost, LOL.

Twice a year, I go completely insane and clean everything in sight. I start a list before hand, put everything that needs done on it and go to town. I clean walls, pull stuff out of closets, cabinets, and drawers. Take curtains and blinds down for cleaning, take books off of shelves and clean those. If it needs done, it gets done. I go through the kids clothes, take out what doesn't fit them and give the clothes away. I buy plastic bins, take toys the kids haven't played with and hide them. They may get some of them back, but those toys may end up being sent to someone with younger kids or the Blind Association. Hehe, this is also the time that Darren and the kids usually find they have lots to do together away from home, since I have no fear of enlisting their help, lol.

I do think the biggest help is just doing a little every day. That for me is the biggest time saver. Well, that and having the kids help. I play games with the kids to when it comes to cleaning. We do the 2 minute tidy and see who can pick up the most toys. Kids love to help, especially the younger ones...let them! LOL.

Grannyg

Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 10:15 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I get real wicked and once a year I call "Heavenly Sunshine" to come clean my house from top to bottom and everything in between. They charge any where from $150 to $200 dollars depending on what all they do. When it was just hubby and I, I cleaned one day a week and the rest of the time I didn't do anything. Now that DS has moved back home it's a little different. He seems to think the second sofa in the family room is where his clothes now go not in the dresser that's in his bedroom.

Conejo

Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 10:15 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I hate a dirty cooktop and oven, so every time I use them I take a dish cloth and wipe them down. I even do the inside of the oven and find that I never have to do the deep oven cleaning and it only takes a few minutes.

I also hate water spots on my kitchen sink, so I keep a folded dish towel beside the sink and every time water gets splashed on the sink it is immeadiately wiped up. I've had my current sink (stainless - mirror finish) nearly 3 years and people still think it's looks brand new.

Twiggyish

Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 12:01 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I love the flylady site, too..but DO NOT sign up for the newsletters and other emails. I was overwhelmed with mail!!

Gidget

Thursday, July 17, 2003 - 1:02 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Another fledgling here. My house was a disaster area. The Collier Brothers meet StarWars. My husband and I share a very large house with my parents. The house is large enough for all of us, but not a true 2 family, hence not designed for 2 distinct families. My husband and I are both natural born slobs. I am a pack rat. And DH builds computers part time.

I worked around these challenges for years till I got tired of him screaming at me for moving his stuff so I literally quit cleaning for a few years. That's right, years!!!

Well DH moved out in May and only took what he needed short term like clothes. (We are talking and in fact dating if you can call it that. Quite another story).

Well I surely wasn't going to stay in that disaster area. So I called on what I learned from Flylady and gradually the place is beginning to look habitable again.

The hardest thing is parting with my junk but I am improving.

The 2 biggest tips that have helped me:

1. I do not bite off more than I can chew. I focus on a small area instead of tearing the whole house apart. This way I am more likely to actually complete the task at hand. And just as importantly, I am able to clean everything up when I am done so each time I do something I am making progress without killing my self or discouraging myself from starting the next project.

2. I tidy up every day with few exceptions. I make the bed, even if it is just straightening the covers. I pick up from my evening snack when I go up to the kitchen in the morning. I put away anything I have dragged out or dumped when I got home, before I go to bed so when I get up in the morning, everything is in its place.

If your house is not a pleasant environment your mind cannot be peaceful. If you suffer from CHAOS (can't have anyone over syndrome) you just have to join the flyladies.

I am so much happier. Even tho I have a long way to go to have the house I want I can see how I will actually get there.

I have been so into this that the woman who sits beside me at work got infected from me. She is not interested in flylady per se but has cleaned out about 2/3 of her basement and is planning to create more living space down there as a result.

Pretty cool, huh?

Happymom

Tuesday, August 12, 2003 - 12:03 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks to every one of you for your great suggestions!

I hope this keeps going...

Sia

Tuesday, August 12, 2003 - 11:56 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Happymom, I like the Flylady web-site and I appreciate Whit4you for directing me to it a long time ago!! I worked on my control journal last week. Now if I'd USE it, things might get better around here!!

Happymom

Tuesday, August 12, 2003 - 12:44 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
LOL Sia! Maybe I'll have to find out what that control journal is! I wonder...does one have time to actually keep a journal and keep control of the clutter/housework etc.?!! Let me know how it is going when you have time.

Twiggyish

Tuesday, August 12, 2003 - 3:40 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Whit Flylady overwhelms your mailbox with tons of emails.. I had to block them.

This is a good idea. =)

Trishan

Tuesday, August 12, 2003 - 5:24 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Hello, all. I read this a while back in a magazine: Set an eggtimer at 15 minutes and go around the house to see how much garbage you can collect. You can do this every day, and if you have children, get them involved--it'll be like a game for them. As I did not have an eggtimer, I set my cellphone as the timer, and voilà! (I now have an eggtimer, which I got at the 99 cent store).

I use Clorox clean up wipes almost on a daily basis on bathroom sink & toilet; I also found this cool bathtub spray by Bissell at the 99 cent store (as you all may have noticed, the 99 cent store is a cool place for me to go!). While I wipe sink & toilet I let Bissell do its thing, then use a small broom on the tub, rinse & the tub is sparkling clean! (The reason for my using a broom? I suffer from lower back pain, after cleaning tub with it I don't need to crawl out of the bathroom...my mom gave me this idea! Of course the small broom has been designated as the bathtub broom). After showering, I also spray the tub with after shower spray--I haven't had to deep clean bathroom ever since I started this routine.

I also line the trash can with three trashbags at a time, try it--it'll save you time!

Whit, this is a really cool thread, thank you for starting it.

Sia

Tuesday, August 12, 2003 - 9:57 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
There are really nice "convenience items" that, when first marketed, seem overpriced and unnecesary, but I'll tell you what: once the generic forms have come out I've bought several and really find that they cause me to do more housework in less time. As an example, to "properly" clean my wood furniture I want to get a bucket of hot water, a rag and some Murphy's Oil Soap and scrub everything. The $1 quick answer? Furniture wipes in a plastic container like the canister that baby wipes come in. They're quick and easy and you throw away the wipe when you're finished. It takes me a while to drag out the bucket of water and Murphy's, so the wipes mean I polish furniture more frequently.

There are now also pre-moistened window wipes, antibacterial wipes for the kitchen/bathroom and the little Swiffer hand-held dusters in addition to the Swiffer mops and floor-dusters. Convenience! Makes me feel soooo sorry for the participants of "1900 House" on PBS!!

Happymom

Wednesday, September 03, 2003 - 10:21 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Used dryer sheets (like Bounce) make ok dusters. Just make sure they are definitly well used. They don't work as well as Swiffers, though. If something is really dusty, I opt for the Swiffers. I can use two used Bounce sheets on the floor Swiffer duster tool with the long handle (we have mostly hardwood floors and our dog sheds a lot year round). I mostly just use the dryer sheets for hand dusting, though. I use the swiffer sheets on the floor and turn them over to use the clean side. Doing this with two bounce sheets is too time consuming.

Sia, I watched 1900 house too...what a hard life for the women!

Happymom

Wednesday, September 10, 2003 - 10:16 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
This isn't really organizing or keeping something clean...

I save money buy using much less liquid hand soap because I buy the foaming soap type. I use these until they will no longer work...they last through many many refills. When you refill the soap, you only fill about 1/4 of the container with the soap and add water for the rest.

Wargod

Wednesday, September 10, 2003 - 10:40 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I learned a new housekeeping trick this weekend that I was so excited about, LOL. I'm painting my daughter's room, and was just dreading having to clean the walls. It takes so dang long, and its hard work. Anyways, I was griping at my sis who told me that you can use a sponge mop to clean walls. As long as the sponge is new it works great. I was done in probably 45 minutes...and didn't have to drag the step stool all over the room.

Trishan

Wednesday, September 10, 2003 - 2:31 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Hello, all. Found this article really interesting. War, will go to the market tomorrow to purchase that sponge mop as I really need to clean the walls.

Quick and Tidy
Just 19 minutes in the morning makes for a clean house all day

KITCHEN: 4½ MINUTES
· Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher (30 seconds).
· Wipe down the stove top (one minute).
· Wipe down the counters (one minute).
· Sweep, Swiffer, or vacuum the floor (two minutes).

Tip: Always start with the sink. "Keep it empty and shining," says Marla Cilley, author of Sink Reflections (Bantam, $15) and creator of FlyLady.net, a housekeeping website. A sparkling sink becomes your kitchen's benchmark for hygiene and tidiness, inspiring you to load the dishwasher immediately and keep counters, refrigerator doors, and the stove top spick-and-span, too.

BATHROOM: 2 MINUTES
· Wipe out the sink (30 seconds).
· Wipe the toilet seat and rim (15 seconds).
· Swoosh the toilet bowl with a brush (15 seconds).
· Wipe the mirror and faucet (15 seconds).
· Squeegee the shower door (30 seconds).
· Spray the entire shower and the curtain liner with shower mist after every use (15 seconds).

Tip: Make cleaning the basin as routine as washing your hands. But don't stop there. Get the most out of your premoistened wipe by using it to clean around the edges of the tub and then the toilet before tossing it.

BEDROOM: 6½ MINUTES
· Make the bed (two minutes).
· Fold or hang clothing and put away jewelry (four minutes).
· Straighten out the night-table surface (30 seconds).

Tip: Make your bed right before or after your morning shower. A neat bed will inspire you to deal with other messes immediately. Although smoothing sheets and plumping pillows might not seem like a high priority as you're rushing to work, the payoff comes at the end of the day, when you slip back under the unruffled covers.


LIVING ROOM: 6 MINUTES
· Pick up crumbs and dust bunnies with a handheld vacuum (one minute).
· Fluff the cushions and fold throws after use (two minutes).
· Wipe tabletops and spot-clean cabinets when you see fingerprints (one minute).
· Straighten coffee-table books and magazines. Throw out newspapers. Put away CDs and videos (two minutes).

Tip: Start with the sofa — as long as it's in disarray, the room will never look tidy. Pop in a CD while you dust and you should be able to cover the whole room by the fourth track.

Kellannie1

Sunday, September 14, 2003 - 8:58 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I learned about Flylady about 3 years ago and have been doing it ever since. I have times when I "fall off the flywagon" but I just jump back in.

I learned from a friend to break down my zone cleaning. Make a list of all you want done to that room/rooms and then assign tasks to a certain day of the week. This makes the deep cleaning not so overwhelming at times. I will have one major task (cleaning oven) and add to it 2-3 easier tasks.

Example: zone is Kitchen

Mon.- Clean out cabinet under sink
Windex windows
clean off top of fridge

Tues.- clean oven
wipe down cabinet fronts
wash curtains

Since Zone work is done once a month it is not so bad..LOL

I also use the Clorox wipes in the bathroom, it definately cuts back on the time I spend in there cleaning. I have a Swiffer Wetjet that also cuts back on my mopping time, and with 4 messy kids that floor needs done quite a bit..LOL

If I think of any more tips I will post again.

Gidget

Monday, October 27, 2003 - 12:07 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I got off to good start when DH moved out. Then I was in kind of a funk and then of course the requisite BB daze when nothing gets done. LOL

Well I met a new person, Clutterfree and looking at her website got me inspired again. One of the things I liked about her website was the before and after pictures. My gosh, I thought only my house looked like that.

I am the only child of depression/war era parents. One of whom is a really, really bad pack rat and apparently has been since childhood. I inherited the pack rat gene and then married a slob. What a bad combination.

Anyway, I am back at it. I so want to live clutterfree. Yesterday I cleaned out my drygoods food cabinet. I am pretty good about dating things that go in there. I found canned goods from 1996!!! The extra refrigerator was not quite so bad but yielded quite a bounty as well. I put out six bags of garbage last night.

I bought new pillows last week. My usual behavior would have been to save the old ones for what purpose I truly don't know. Well 2 of the pillows were still in good condition and I washed them and they came out ok so I will keep those ostensibly for company. For now, anyway. Hey I have to take this in baby steps. Three others went in the trash.

The really hard one was the fax/printer which hasn't worked in eons and is old and not worth repairing. I put it out at the curb with the trash. When I went out to the car this morning it was tugging at my heart strings.

WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH ME!!!

No I did not rescue it. But I recognized the feeling from previous cleaning out efforts.

Oh well, I will keep trying. Hope some people will post their goals and trials and successes here with me so I don't think I am the only nut on earth.

I have to get my stuff cleaned out. My pack rat parent not only has 2 houses with his junk, he has two garages full from my two grandmothers who passed in the last few years. I have begged my mother not to leave me with this mess. It was a hard topic to broach but they are both in their upper 60's. So far no progress.

Lumbele

Monday, October 27, 2003 - 12:24 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
LOL, Gidget! You are not alone. We have been decluttering for about 3 months. But now I am really seeing bright light at the end of the tunnel. Weeeeeell, rays anyway.
As for the "inheritence" - don't hold your breath. You know what they say about old dogs and new tricks. My mother already told me how sorry she feels for me having to clean out her house some day. She fully admits to pack-ratting, but has every intention of hanging on to all that stuff until then.LOL

Sasman

Monday, October 27, 2003 - 12:25 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Gidget, my wife's buisiness is Clutterfree; she is a professional organizer and deals with situations like yours all of the time.

I don't know where you live but if you email her at clutterfree1@earthlink.net she will be able to send you the names of some organizers in your area.

Good luck!


Gidget

Monday, October 27, 2003 - 1:04 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Sasman is that the Clutterfree who is at TVCH?

You live very close to me (Middlesex County), but the Clutterfree I just met here appeared to be somewhat north of us.

At this point I am a do it your selfer. I really can't afford professional help. If I do spend money at some point it will be to have someone come in and hose the place down after I declutter it.

Sasman

Monday, October 27, 2003 - 1:18 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
no my wife is not your clutterfree. Clutterfree is the name of her business.