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Sherrie
Member
11-23-2003
| Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 1:20 am
I am so glad to see everyone here!!! Spinner - For whatever reason I will suddenly think about your husband and wonder what he is thinking. It makes me giggle every time!! Congratulations on 40 years. A three story house is a lot of work to maintain. I use the Clorex Wipes in my bathroom. First on my sink and than a quick wipe on the toilet. I am really swearing by Flylady these days. I had a friend call me on Thursday and say she was going to be in town over the weekend. She wanted to stay at my house. When I picked up the message my heart dropped and I got that rush of pure dread. I sat for a second thinking I would have to change all of my plans if I was going to get the house ready. Than I looked around the house and realized that all I needed to do was vacuum. I enjoyed her visit so much more since I was not exhausted trying to get everything done. Swapping cleaning ideas and tips is a great idea.....I am going to pay attention this week and see if I have any. Laurie - I am SO happy to hear that you were able to go to the doctor and to get your meds!!! I am even happier that you were able to sit down and express what you need to be happy. You are due some peace and happiness. Dipo - Congratulations!!! That is so thoughtful and kind, donating sheets and towels to the animal shelter. I love the feeling you get once everything is out of the house. It feels so liberating, doesn't it?
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Spinner
Member
10-27-2003
| Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 6:22 am
Thanks, Sherrie, for such an encouraging post for all of us. I use the Chlorox Wipes in the bathrooms too; it's amazing how quickly they shine up the counter/sink, but take a spare container out to the kitchen; they are so useful there, too. Other than sink-shining, I always put one down to set eggshells on as I crack eggs so there are no traces of egg on my countertops; sometimes there is salmonella in/on eggs and it can transfer to the countertop. I'm actually looking forward to the next "drop-in visitor" because, like you, Sherrie, I'm gonna be about ready! If my husband has anything to say about all of this I will share it, (giggle) but don't hope for too much; I once lopped a good 12 inches of hair and he never noticed at all!
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 11:26 am
Thanks. I decided that I needed to make myself the most important part of my world. I make and use my own Simple Green wipes. I love them, and they do make clean up a breeze. Still have more to get rid of, but I was just given an assignment by our editor, so, everything else gets put aside for now.
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Lumbele
Member
07-12-2002
| Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 3:48 pm
Love to see the interaction in here. Dipo, I started with just the absolute minimum in my routines and then gradually added more. Some days they all get done, other days just some of them. No big deal. My "Zones" keep getting shifted around to fit what works for me as well. For ex. I know that next month my kitchen will be turned upside down due to renovations, so aside from the usual weekly/daily cleaning it gets skipped this month. Instead I work in other zones instead. When it is time to put Humpty Dumpty back together again, I'll "steal" time from those zones. Last fall the Diabetes Association picked up half a truck full of stuff from our initial "weeding". By next fall they'll probably get another pick-up call, albeit nothing near that large.LOL Spinner, I can't wait to see how long it will take your DH to realise this is more than just the occasional hormonal cleaning spurt.LOL A while ago Wargod mentioned that new Mr. Clean eraser somewhere. It always takes longer to get new stuff in Canadian stores, but DH picked one up the other day. Did the shower doors with it, worked great, and I didn't have to gag from those nasty though effective shower sprays.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 4:22 pm
Lumbele: Good to know. I hate our shower doors and it just takes so much Simple Green to clean them. I'll check out the Eraser.
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Sherrie
Member
11-23-2003
| Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 4:57 pm
Lumbele: Thanks for the tip on Mr. Clean. The fumes of cleaners do seem to sit in the bathroom and I have just accepted that when I do deep cleaning in there I am going to have a slight headache for a couple of hours. I am always looking for something that works. In the kitchen I just love the Lysol Kitchen Cleaner. I like the smell and the shine it leaves. Though, after reading what Spinner had to say I am thinking it just might be wise to use the clorox wipes in between. Especially right now as I am dieting so am spending so much time prepping, chopping, etc. Laurie - I know everyone swears by Simple Green but I can never get the mixing down. I need it done for me. I know it must be me because EVERYONE likes it. I will share that today I have not been motivated to do ANYTHING....and have been ignoring my Flylady emails....it looks like a bomb went off. I am always amazed at how much of a mess I can make without any effort on my part. Hm.....might be a good idea to give each room a 15 minute clean up.....
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 5:07 pm
Sherrie: For my wipes, it is really easy: 2 tablespoons of Simple Green and 2 cups of water to the half roll of paper towels. That's the easy one. To do the other calculations, I bought a commercial spraybottle with the ratios on it. hmmm....I guess that's actually the easy one.
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Justavice
Member
07-12-2003
| Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 7:43 pm
Another vote here for the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I bought a pack of 2 for 99 cents because I had a coupon. I just figured I would try it out. That is the most amazing cleaning product I have ever used. I got the ring out of my toilet that has been there since I moved into the apartment. That is one cleaning product I would pay full price for!!!
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Spinner
Member
10-27-2003
| Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 10:21 pm
Mr. Clean eraser? Hmm. I'm sure I want it! What does the package look like so I can find it--hopefully at Costco; that and Trader Joe's about takes care of my shopping, but I can go to a regular grocery if I have to. My shower doors are a mess; the big shower in the master bath is 2 tile walls and two plain glass walls and they are all soap-scummed much of the time. I've not had much luck with the shower sprays that are supposed to prevent having to keep cleaning them. Right now I use my scum-buster and one of those smelly sprays (whatever's cheapest; it doesn't seem to matter) and it cleans up but it sure doesn't last long. And I'm always fighting mildew in the corners, crevices and between the sliding doors; the room doesn't air out very well. Any other suggestions, besides the Eraser? Or isn't that a good use for this problem?
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Justavice
Member
07-12-2003
| Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 10:39 pm
Spinner-- The eraser takes some elbow grease, but is definitely the best cleaning product I have used for stubborn stains. It is virtually odor-free and feels like a stiff sponge. They don't last forever, I tossed the one I used on my toilet the day I opened it. But that was after cleaning the kitchen sink, shower floor (which I thought was just the color of the floor until I used the Magic Eraser) and my toilet. Your arms will get a workout, but it is just amazing. I have no idea how it works, but it does. The package is a blue and white box with a picture of Mr. Clean on it and some stars and fairy dust(?) in a swirl. The back of the box says that it will work on "tough bathroom soap-scum". I bought it at the grocery store with a double coupon, you might wait and see if you can find a coupon to justify testing it out. I am sure some of the bargain stores like Kmart or Walmart or Target carry it for less than a grocery store. My mom has also used it very successfully on the walls in their rented house. They are moving and she was going to touch up the paint so they don't get charged for scuffs, but she tried the magic eraser and it worked beautifully on the dark marks on the white walls. I am almost tempted to draw on the wall with crayon just to see how well this thing actually works!
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Spinner
Member
10-27-2003
| Wednesday, February 11, 2004 - 12:59 am
Thanks, Justavice; I'm gonna find an Eraser tomorrow. I don't mind "elbow grease" a bit!
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Lumbele
Member
07-12-2002
| Wednesday, February 11, 2004 - 9:41 am
Spinner, I don't know where you are, but DH found ours here in Canada at Canuck Tire. There is one other cleaning product that I love for kitchen grease and other tough spots. It's called Mean Green Cleaner Degreaser, made by ChemPro in Spartanburg, SC, so I am sure you can find it in the States as well. (Again Canadian Tire up here.) ETA Spinner, if you are going to tackle a big job with the eraser, get the double pack.LOL
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Spinner
Member
10-27-2003
| Wednesday, February 11, 2004 - 10:04 am
Just what I need, Lumble--a double pack! <G> I'm in Los Angeles. I've used Mean Green and it works fine on the shower, as do most other cleaners; I just have to use them so often! And they smell! Headache-central. We have very hard water in LA and it has this affinity for soap, and the combination sticks to glass, especially, like glue. For kitchen grease I really like orange-scented Zep. It's even strong enough to clean the oven and the odor is ok. I buy it at Home Depot.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Sunday, February 15, 2004 - 9:46 pm
Tomorrow I am steel wool shining my sink...and spending time on boxes and artwork. What are your plans for tomorrow?
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Sherrie
Member
11-23-2003
| Sunday, February 15, 2004 - 10:30 pm
I am tackling my bed. I have a queen, pine sleigh bed that is pushed up against a wall. I was planning on turning my mattress, etc. Well, when I got up close I realized that there is dust and stuff between the sides and the bottom mattress. This led to looking behind the bed, against the wall. OMG!!! YUCK!!! I am going to pretend that that those are cobwebs and NOT spider webs. I am dreading this project. Tomorrow is my weekly cleaning day and I have about 30 saved emails from Flylady with 15 minute projects. I figure I would tackle what I can since I am already cleaning. I am so glad to know that someone else is working on stuff too. Maybe now I won't wake up in the morning and put it off.
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Spinner
Member
10-27-2003
| Monday, February 16, 2004 - 8:12 am
The zone, this week, I think, includes "one other room" that's supposed to be the laundry room but really nothing needs to be done there so I am going to start working through my craft room. Even though everything in it has a place to land, it's just too crowded! Every inch of wall space has some sort of storage unit on it and every one of those units is filled to the hilt. I used to be just fine with this but now that the rest of the house is looking pretty serene, this room bothers me. But I am only spending an hour on this today! I have learned that I don't have to have time to do the whole job to make a start. I have started noting little things in a room that are dirtier than the rest of the room (like a corner that's grimy, the microwave I notice is splattered, a dirty windowsill behind a curtain, that sort of thing) on a notepad. Then when I have a spare 15 minutes I choose a job on the notepad. This is working out so much better than mentally adding it to what else I'll have to do when, if ever, I get around to that room. This method of not trying to do it all at once is really working for me. Sherrie, good luck with the bed. OF COURSE those are just little cobwebs! LK, your sink will be lovely and I thank you again for suggesting FLYing!
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Monday, February 16, 2004 - 8:21 am
Spinner: Make the Zones work for you! I only have 4 Zones, and I only spend 4 Days in the Zones. Fridays are spent on Houseblessings, so I have a clean house for the weekend. HOWEVER, since DH and I have decided on Monday for Date Nights, I think I'll plan (on next Monday) to move my Houseblessing to that day--then get a shower afterwards so I can be ready for our Date Night. Won't take but a bit of rearranging, and that way we have a nice clean house to spend out date. The hard part is training DH to keep the sink EMPTY. I have a Flylady cling on the bottom of the sink and a post it note saying "Please keep sink empty of dishes." I think I am going to make up a bunch of 3x5 cards on the computer: Nothing Says I Love You Like _________; and then fill-in the blanks with a variety of things and then laminate them. Then, I'll put one that says Nothing Says I Love You Like An Empty, Shiny Sink! on the faucet.
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Sherrie
Member
11-23-2003
| Monday, February 16, 2004 - 11:51 am
Hurray! They were cobwebs. Not a single spider! (hope i did not just jinx myself) I was shocked by the amount of dust. But now it is done. Spinner: It is funny that as you become more organized and get your routines down that you start to see things that have been there, never bothered you and suddenly sticks out. Keeping a list is a great idea. I am finding that if I do not write it down it is probably going to be forgotten. So nothing from your husband yet? When I see your name here I get excited wondering if this is going to be the post where we hear the details. Laurie - That is so nice, scheduling a date night with your man. I bet that you breeze through the housework knowing that you have some romance on the way. I am so glad to see you are doing well! When you say you are working on artwork, what are you doing? OH! I wanted to share about the Flylady's dusters. They are GREAT! I used it behind my bed and it grabbed the cobwebs and dust...did not just move it around. I had the vacuum all ready to go but there was not that much to vacuum afterwards. Back to work for me....
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Spinner
Member
10-27-2003
| Monday, February 16, 2004 - 12:41 pm
Great idea with the notecards, LK! I sort of take Sunday off other than sink-shining if needed (coffee's all we have at home in the morning--the church feeds us breakfast and lunch <G>) and bathroom once-overs because church activities take up a good part of the day, and we often go do something else fun afterwards and often eat no meals at home that day so I like having House Blessing Day on Monday. By then the house needs it, but there's not too much extra from Sunday to do because we're not home much the day before. I don't know yet how many zones I'll have; I haven't gone through a whole zone-cycle yet, but I am adapting them to suit my needs as I go along. I need to rethink my craft-room decluttering. I noticed this morning that I mostly found new places for stuff and threw out very little. However, in my defense, <G> the last time I did this I ended up spending a bunch of money to replace stuff I threw out. My "crafts" consist of sewing, card-making (includes paper-making), knitting, spinning (thus my screen name!) and weaving. Obviously not all are going at all times, usually just one, but over a year I will engage seriously in all of them. I often choose what I want to do next based on a specific need (I try to keep handmade cards for most occasions, sewing may be a new household fabric item or clothing for someone; knitting is often because someone asks for something specifically for Christmas/birthday, etc.; I sew/knit for the ShipSupport program and weaving/spinning is time-consuming but very satisfying so I do it when I can. So today's "trash" may very well become a needed finding/accessory for the next craft project. What I'm likely to throw away and then need to rebuy are accessories for projects--a weird thread color that I think I'll never need again, an odd-length zipper, some unusual wool, but then I wish I had them back. Of course I can buy them again, but that seems to defeat the purpose although goodness knows you can't keep everything. I have no trouble throwing out small quantities of things, but my tastes change and I've been known to buy again $15 worth of fabric that I thought I hated and wouldn't want again, only to purchase it again within 6 months. Hard to decide. But I did unpackage some stuff today and put the items in their proper drawers and throw out the boxes/packaging which is very space-consuming, cluttery. All together I tossed two very large wastebaskets full of stuff so it's a start.
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Spinner
Member
10-27-2003
| Monday, February 16, 2004 - 12:51 pm
Just saw your post, Sherrie! Great about the cobwebs; see, our vibes for you have worked! Nope, DH hasn't said a thing! It's become a fun game with me and I'm enjoying this little secret hugely--we usually tell each other everything that we think the other would be interested in, but whether or not the house is clean is a fluctuation I think he learned to live with so long ago (to keep from going crazy, married to a mostly-slob! LOL) so this doesn't really count as something we both need to know. But it may be sinking in at an unconscious level; a couple of times over the weekend he's seen a "little something" the house needed and he's done it! This is most unusual behavior--the house isn't really his problem; he does so much for both of us that he's more than doing his share. For one thing, he keeps all of our technical equipment in great shape, all software updated and snafu-free, purchases without being asked the latest in geeky stuff and when huge upgrades/software re-installation is needed, tackles it competently and without complaint. In my book, that alone is his share, but he takes care of lots more besides--the yard, the garage, the trash, dead things in the road in front of the house (we seem to have a lot of roadkill lately), etc. So I'm ok if he never does anything related to housework and we'll just see what, if anything, he has to say!
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Monday, February 16, 2004 - 2:40 pm
Wow. I did one side of the sink and I am amazed! Still need Turtle Wax, but I am happy with the result so far.
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Purplecow
Member
12-08-2003
| Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 6:38 am
Wow! I go away for a couple of days and when I come back I find LK cheerful, properly medicated and dating her DH, Spinner's DH has STILL not noticed the continuously tidy house and Sherrie so tidy she's noticed dust on the bed rails! Huzzahs to everyone! Me? I enjoyed 4 nights alone in a hotel room where I could use both sides of the sink, sleep in the middle of the bed with all 4 pillows and someone else magically cleaned up and made the bed while I was at work. DH vacuumed the living room, shined the coffee table (glass top) and cleaned the kitchen while I was gone. He also put flowers on top of the entertainment center (can't put flowers where the cat can eat them)and a heart shaped Whitman's sampler full of sugar free chocolates along with a valentine on the coffee table. I did unpack my dirty clothes and put them in the hamper but, as usual, my suitcase is open on the floor in the living room with "stuff" spewing out of it. I couldn't leave it open on the bedroom floor because that is filled up with the suitcases from my previous 2 trips. What's WRONG with me????
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Sherrie
Member
11-23-2003
| Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 8:29 am
Purplecow - There is NOTHING wrong with you!!! I believe that all of us here are just like you. I may not have dust on the bed frame but for support reasons I will share how the rest of my house looks right now. Three bags of trash piled up by the front door (just like Flylady says - if you aren't showered with your hair and makeup done you can't go outside. guess you now know i need to shower....) I have clothes drip drying from my kitchen bar so it they have invaded the living room. I need to vacuum and mop really bad but am able to avoid it cuz the trash needs to be taken down. My bedroom needs a good once over and has piles everywhere from my project yesterday. I think Flylady is right about becoming overwhelmed....set your timer for 15 minutes and tackle one suitcase at a time. It does not have to be all or nothing (that is something I strive everyday to live by because it does not come naturally). If you do it this way I bet your suitcases with be unpacked before your next trip. I always go through withdrawals after staying at a hotel. I just love having a maid come in everyday to clean up after me and find it hard to adjust at home for the first few days after returning. And you can't be that bad.....it sounds like your DH was busy while you were gone and made your welcome home very nice. Spinner: Do you think playing your "wait until he says something" game keeps you motivated? He sounds like a good man. I think you really like and respect your DH. That is so nice to hear. You know how you will get a mental picture of someone having never met them or heard a description? Well, I have had this funny one with him and his ruler measuring the book shelves. The road kill is just not fitting in the picture....LOL. Oh and I wanted to share that I understand hesitating about the concept of throwing out things that you do not use. There have been a couple of times that I have regretted it. Not to say that in the long run it is not better but more to say to think before tossing and not getting caught up in the decluttering. Laurie - how was date night?
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 9:18 am
We had fun. At 6:30, we put the phone on answering machine, and made dinner together. We watched part one of last week's Two and a Half Men and then watched the CBS Monday night line-up. We chatted about answers to open-ended questions, and when we flipped on the news, we were cuddled together. Neither of us remember how the news ended. It's the first time I actually fell asleep before 2AM, so it was an even greater plus for me. We both woke up at 4AM and decided that our evening together was a success and is to definitely be repeated next week.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 11:39 am
Spinner, I do understand the frustrations of the craft room. As a Mixed Media Artist, I end up keeping everything! (BTW, I know I am a mixed media artist because that's what it says on one set of my business cards.) The trick is to just organize the crap out of everything. For example, my 8.5x11 paper is stored in one of those bill organizers by color. The paper stays smooth, organized, and easy to transport. My images are broken up by category, and placed in smaller versions of the organizers (13-slots, but only like a 2" capacity). I also bought some of the plastic parts cabinets. I sorted gewgaws into the different drawers. Now if I want jewelery, I only need to select a couple of drawers (necklaces, earrings, pins, broken pieces, etc.) instead of dumping out a variety of boxes and other containers. I thinned out my rubber stamps and kept only those that I most used. They fit neatly into a wooden spice rack--accessible, but out of the way. I can fully understand not wanting to clear out supplies that may be needed. All I can suggest is that you think about what you have, and determine if it is something you want to use, or is it something that doesn't appeal to you now. Or, is it something you could put with other things and make a Creativity Seeds Packet for someone? Hope that helps!
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