Common Sense Living

Archive for the ‘House Cleaning’ Category

I came home the other day to new windows. The downside is that I came home to a layer of dust over everything.

Regular dirt isn’t that hard to keep up with. But construction dirt? OMG! My Kirby is my best friend these days.

Between the storms, the tree, the new siding and windows – my blinds were horrendous. I figured we aren’t going to get too many more nice days, so I took the blinds down to clean them. I HATE that job.

It gave me the opportunity to put some cleaners to the test.

My neighbor has been raving about Greased Lightning – sold at Menards (one of my favorite stores). She said it was recommended for her new granite countertops.

I’ve also been meaning to try the new green Clorox line.

I took the blinds outside – a job in itself. 4 of my blinds are too big to fit in the bathtub. I have like 30 feet of blinds just to give you an idea..

I started spraying them down with the Greased Lightning. It immediately started eating through all the dirt and grime, even on the strings. I let it sit for about 10 minutes and hosed it off. I swear my blinds have never been this clean.

I left the kitchen blind for the Clorox test. It sprayed the blind down, let it sit, rinsed it off, sprayed it down again. No comparison. And I hated the smell! It’s really strong smelling.

Now I have to warn you – the Greased Lightning says not to use it on aluminum or acrylic. Which is a bummer. I was going to try it on the horribly yellowed ceiling tiles that I was going to replace anyway – but I didn’t waste the time. But my tub surround is very old and yellowed. I was hoping to see if the Greased Lightning would help, but now I’m afraid I’ll ruin it – and I can’t replace that right now. One room at a time…

I did replace the acrylic ceiling tiles in the drop ceiling in the kitchen. I repainted the tracks. The panels are 2 ft. by 4 ft. I knew I would have to cut 2. I didn’t plan of having to cut 5. UGH. Nothing in this house is normal.

The antique wallpaper in the kitchen is gone except behind the stove.

Now its on to the fun job of glue residue removal.

I have a loooong way to go…

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“Clutter sucks the life, the spirit and the
creativity out of any space.  Getting organized
is a sure first step to a better life.”  Peter Walsh

You know, clean and clutter are 2 different things. But boy, a lot of clutter sure make it hard to clean.

I picked up yet another Kirby over the weekend. I got it for a steal, and it was cheaper than getting either one may other machines fixed. So now, I have 3 Kirbys, 3 sets of tools, 4 shampooers. We have an old computer we kep to play windows 95 games on. We found out last weekend that it’s dead.

Someone gave me a bigger TV. It doesn’t fit in my cabinet, so now I have 2 TVs that no one ever watches. An no one wants, since they are old clunkers. I’ll keep the bigger TV, but that will require some furniture moving. And my daughter voted for no TV on the main floor, so I’m guessing I’ll have to pitch the smaller one. I wonder if even Goodwill would want it. Probably not.

And all the bottles of half used lotions and shampoos that we keep because we might run out and need it.

There is so much stuff!

But you know, in life you have to let go of bad stuff to make room for good stuff. Whether its clutter, or food, or grudges, or limiting beliefs. You gotta get the garbage out to make room for the good things.

Spring cleaning is about more than just cleaning house. Its like a fresh start.

And since I don’t have a TV up here to take up my precious time- I’m going to take a walk, enjoy the beautiful weather, get some exercise, clear my head, relieve some stress, and maybe catch up with some people I haven’t seen all winter. Thats a pretty productive 40 minutes, wouldn’t you say?

Then I’ll come back and get back to work.

What’s taking up too much room in your life?

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Last week we were sporting tank tops and shorts. This week? You should have seen the snow blowing sideways yesterday! And we have snow in the forecast.

I am so disgusted!

I should have painted a room this weekend. My daughter wants her room painted orange. Yes, really. I’ve been putting that off…

The Kirby guy blew me off last night. I’m not a sale, I’m only a repair. Both of mine need to be repaired. One is 10 years old. The other one is 20 years old. Why 2? You ever tried to carry one of these monsters up and down stairs? They are heavy! And if you ever want your kids to vacuum, you have to make it as easy as possible

I wanted to watch Ali Brown’s episode on Secret Millionaire. I thought it was a really good episode. I think that not only did it change her, but it will change anyone who watches it. You can watch it here – but bring Kleenex -

http://abc.go.com/watch/secret-millionaire/SH5580166/VD55121060/ali-brown-venice-calif

I’m going to take advantage of the cold weather and bake some cookies and throw them in the freezer so we’ll have some on hand for a while.

How about you? Have you got your house ready for all the stuff coming up? Easter, showers, weddings, barbecues, graduations… Get your house under control

And if you need great food ideas for all those special events, not to mention some ideas to keep from dying from every day monotony - make sure to login here –  

You know the old saying, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!”

That’s how you can get through your spring cleaning.

For example, tonight I cleaned this silk peonie thing I have in my great room. I ran some soapy water in the bathtub, held the flowers by the stems, swished them in the water, shook them off, put them back in the pot. Total time – about 5 minutes.

Now imagine if you did just one 5 minute task every day. That would be 365 little tasks.

Do you think that would add up?

Instead of complaining that you have to wipe out your cabinets, and never doing it because its such an overwhelming job – how about wiping down just 1 shelf? You can manage that, can’t you?

Isn’t it a relief to know that you can have a really clean house without killing yourself?

Now, how can you apply this strategy to other areas of your life?

Stressed out?

Depressed?

Unmotivated?

No Energy?

Constant bickering at home?

There is something you can do.

Clean your house.

I know, it sounds stupid – But

• A clean house is calming.
• It reduces stress.
• You’ll feel lighter just being in a clean house.
• It gives you a sense of accomplishment and pride.
• People notice.
• People in a calm home bicker less.
• You’ll get more exercise.
• Because you’re already feeling better about yourself and your surroundings, you’ll be more motivated.

Now tell me what other therapy can accomplish all that?

I know, you don’t think you have the time – but is a few minutes a day worth it? I sure don’t work hard at it. Break it down into manageable chucks.

Now the problem is – I don’t want to leave my house…

You can find my secrets for keeping the house clean here >>>