|
|
Post by helen on Nov 26, 2012 19:38:18 GMT -5
9 rooms, 7 are at maintenance level. The rooms that need to be cleaned and sorted are the utility/laundry room and the office/library.
Can maintenance level be maintained? Yes, if you do it everyday. Am I faithful to do it everyday? No! But, I do what I can. A little is better than none.
I'll write with random thoughts. It would take me to long to write if I think about it to much.
I'm thawing out some pork loin for dinner. I should be in the kitchen putting away the clean dishes from last night, so that I'm ready to cook when the meat is thawed. One sink is full of dirty dishes. They were all rinsed clean before I put them in there, which will make them easy to wash. If I'm not going to wash them right away they need to be rinsed clean. I think while I'm cooking dinner I can put away the clean dishes and wash up the others. I find that the more time I spend in the kitchen the less time I spend anywhere else.
I scrubbed the bathroom toilet and sink and counter tops Saturday night. I have since picked up anything that was out of place. Even if it is one hair brush I put it back in it's home. If I leave the brush there and say, "It's only a hair brush", I find that the brush decides to invite their friends for a visit. They end up hanging out for a couple of days!
Thanksgiving Dinner was 4 days ago. I had a tablecloth on the table with a nice floral arrangement my sister had made. After dinner all the dishes were collected. I pulled the tablecloth into a bunch around the arrangement to keep the cats from hanging on the edges of the tablecloth. Today I looked at the table and decided it was time to get it back like it should be. People were starting to put other things on the table. I took the tablecloth off and put in the washer with the other tablecloth that I had on the kitchen table. Wiped off the table, gave it a quick polish and put the clutter away. I left the floral arrangement, which is still looking good. Lesson learned is that I should have done that right after dinner. The cleaner I keep the table the less likely that family members will leave something on the table. When I care, they care too!
I spent 10 hours clearing off my computer desk. It took 2 days of 5 hours each day to get it cleaned up. Right now I'm looking at my desk and it's starting to pile up again. There are as many as 20 things that are out of place. I don't want to spend another 10 hours cleaning it again. I'll report back, when I clean it up.
Time for dinner. Put the pork loin and cut red potatoes in a dish seasoned with "No-Salt" (sodium free), black pepper and thyme and some olive oil. Set the timer for 60 minutes. I washed up the dirty dishes (16 minutes), made iced tea, cooked balsamic pearl onions, glazed baby carrots and spinach. I threw away the empty packages from the onions and spinach. Wiped down the counters and stove. When I went to the cabinet where I store the brown sugar I noticed the rubber band had come off of the powdered sugar. Instead of saying "I'll take care of it later", I did it right then and there. It took about 10 seconds to get another rubber band and put around the powdered sugar. No chances for that sugar to end up all in the cabinet cause I took care of it right away. In the past I would have thought about doing that for weeks and would have ended up having to take stuff out of the cabinet to clean up the mess!
|
|
|
|
Post by messymimi on Nov 26, 2012 20:05:15 GMT -5
It takes a while to learn the habits of maintenance, but you are doing extremely well.
You caring will help your family to care, you are absolutely right.
messymimi
|
|
|
|
Post by CaringFriend on Nov 26, 2012 21:07:37 GMT -5
Helen, everything you wrote pretty much describes what maintenance is. Congratulations for getting to that point! I spent 10 hours clearing off my computer desk. It took 2 days of 5 hours each day to get it cleaned up. Right now I'm looking at my desk and it's starting to pile up again. There are as many as 20 things that are out of place. I don't want to spend another 10 hours cleaning it again. I'll report back, when I clean it up. My desk is in the kitchen and seen by everyone who visits (open floor plan). I like to have a clean desk for that reason, but mainly because I LOVE the look and feel of a clean desk. I usually take care of it daily, but if I'm sick or in a hurry, it looks bad after 3 days of me dropping off receipts there from shopping and hubby putting the mail there, along with anything else. Not wanting to spend a huge chunk of time all at once to organize it, I have learned to spend just 5 minutes every day before I turn on my computer. The other secret is to gather all of the same items in one sitting - gather all receipts and put those where they belong. Next day, 5 minutes to gather all mail that was in envelopes. Etc. In just 2 - 3 days the desk is back to it's original organized condition. Of course, that also means keeping up with the daily receipts and mail. One of the important things I discovered since being here is that any problem area (laundry, dishes, mail, surfaces) can be tamed just like that without a lot of effort. Once I chose whatever area I wanted to attack, I just stopped adding to the clutter daily - whatever I had in my hand got thrown away or put away. In addition to not adding new clutter, I would select at least 1 item of old clutter every day to dispose of. It's only logical that the area will be clear at some point because there is no new clutter and the old is disappearing. Good luck with tackling your desk.  Edited because "every" is spelled e-v-e-r-y and not v-e-r-y!  <sigh>
|
|
|
|
Post by razy on Nov 27, 2012 1:00:33 GMT -5
It works if you work at it!
Great job Helen!
|
|
|
|
Post by OnTheMend on Nov 27, 2012 3:07:28 GMT -5
Yes, this captures maintaining's essence! Ofcourse there still is (lighter) cleaning and deep cleaning and ongoing small scale decluttering but so much of keeping things looking nice are these little habits, many of which only take seconds or minutes to perform.
Erase the evidendence (ETE)! Stove as you go! Clean after yourself! Leave the place as good or better when you leave! These are the consepts online organizing sites use, and with different wording, they all mean the same.
I think it's important to start doing these little ETE type activities even when one is in deep squalor. It might feel it's a drop in an ocean, but it will help in two ways: it will prevent the mess from growing and it will teach the actual skills one needs when reaching the non-squalorous state and is faced with the maintaining.
Oh and I'm not perfect by any means, and am still learning these myself. Say I vacuumed few days ago and notice some bigger piece of trash on the floor: a dark piece or thread, something that came with the shoes from outside, apple seeds from the piece of apple my dog ate, a dustbunny I had missed... I pick it up and throw away in the garbage. It does not come naturally to me, I tend to ignore these kind of things, but I'm getting better at it. When I do this consistently, the floor stays neat for longer. I might walk past it several times, but am learning to really notice anything out of its place and I think it's paying off.
My kitchen stays neat mostly with these ETE type activities I do while I wait the water to boil (I drink lot of instant coffee).
I always take things with me when I get up/leave the room. I put a laundry hamper where I get undressed (bathroom) and a chair in the bedroom where I can lay the clothes that are not yet dirty. (Before they were often in piles on the floor).
|
|
|
|
Post by Jannie on Nov 27, 2012 8:13:19 GMT -5
My sister was never a clutterer/squalorer. Her house always looks nice and clean. I asked how she does it and she told me she spends about 45 minutes a day on housework, including laundry, kitchen,bath, everything. Sounds like maintenance to me. As a bonus, she says she never does marathon or spring cleaning. It's just not needed when you do that 45 minutes a day.
|
|
|
|
Post by helen on Nov 28, 2012 2:25:28 GMT -5
Thank you messymimi for your encouragement. Thank you CaringFriend for describing how you clean your desk. razy, love that quote: It works if you work at it. OnTheMend, those are some great ideas about cleaning as you go. I do it sometimes and other times I don't. I need to be better about sharing "HOW" I do things that work for me, so that others can learn along with me! I do have a few good habits and I should share them. Jannie, When I keep up with maintenance it really doesn't take long. My problem is that I spread them out during the day and it makes me feel like I'm cleaning all day. I cleaned my desk yesterday. It took me 16 minutes. I use the following timer: www.online-stopwatch.com/countdown-clock/full-screen/?ns=../../s/11.mp3&nslen=3I didn't want to do anything today, BUT I did!  Laundry - I have laundry hampers in my room and one for my #2 DD in her room. The hampers hold a weeks worth of dirty laundry. When I wash clothes I will wash my clothes in a load, and my DD in another load. I bought a new washer in February. The old one would cost to much to repair for it's age. I bought a simple washer, top loading. It uses half as much water as the older models. There is no big agitator in the middle, which allows for more clothes, one weeks worth! It also spins the water better, which means reduced time in the dryer (which is old). With my old washer I had to make two loads of wash from the hamper. The load would also take a long time to dry. Now, I can make the two loads one and put them in the dryer for the same length of time it took to dry one load. It has made a huge difference in my utility bill. Dirty clothes come off of my body and go directly into the hamper. If I have only worn them for a couple of hours I hang them back in the closet. When it's time to wash, I take my load to the washer, load it, wash it, dry it and put it away. I have my DD collect her clothes (some make it to the hamper and some don't) and when I'm ready to wash them I have her take them to the washer. When they are finished I take them to her room and we fold/hang them together for a quick job! I don't like to collect clothes at the washer. My mind doesn't work when there is a pile of clothes. Piles collect more piles. When SIL and #1 DD bring their clothes over from next door they get mixed with mine or #2 DD. It's easier to keep them separate. I'll collect towels, which hang in the bathroom until I'm ready to wash them. Between hand towels, bath towels, kitchen towels and maybe a pair of PJ's I have a load about every other day. My laundry was caught! Oh, don't be fooled by that statement! I looked high and low and found enough towels and a pair of PJ's for a load. I sure like keeping up with laundry. I'm always thinking, "you better do a load today no matter what". I checked the refrigerator for food that needed to be thrown out. Banana pudding from Thanksgiving and some outdated yogurt. In the trash it went. While I was in the frig I wiped down the spots that were empty. I kept up with the dishes all day, washing, drying, putting away. Had supper ready before it was time to take #2 DD to archery. I even washed up our supper dishes. SIL and #1 DD ate later. It's after midnight and there are a few dishes in the sink. They can stay there till tomorrow. I'm tired. The counters are wiped down, as are the stove, and microwave. I took the kitchen trash out before we left for archery. Taking the kitchen trash outside before I leave the house is a great idea. If I leave the trash, the dogs think it's an invitation to "get in it". Another mess avoided! I cleaned the bathroom toilet and sink on Saturday. I looked at them today and it seemed as if all of a sudden they were needing another scrubbing. I think my standards of cleanliness have gone up! When I brush my teeth or hair or wash my hands, I take a moment to check around the sink and counter. I wipe up toothpaste smudges, hair, or clutter. It really only takes a moment. When I get out of the shower, I wipe the mirror with my towel to wipe off any smudges. Sometimes I get a Lysol wipe and run it over the counter, the edges of framed prints I have hanging in the bathroom, light switches, or the shelf over the toilet, which has glass shelves, or the tank cover on the toilet. I did sweep the house. It took me 16 minutes. It's been 2 or 3 days since I've swept. I notice that if I sweep everyday the dust bunnies are not as well formed. When I wait a couple of days to sweep, they are bigger and float in the air and are harder to catch with the broom. I will also sweep the front porch, which is concrete and red brick. The concrete/brick cleans a broom of hair, cobwebs and other things that stick to it. So, clean broom, clean porch! I cleaned the cat box. I haven't cleaned it in 2-3 days. I have 3 cats and really must clean it EVERYDAY. I do most of the time, but sometimes I just don't. It took me 8 minutes to clean it out, take the waste to the outside trash, sweep the area and wash my hands. When I do it everyday, the job takes about 3 minutes. I'd rather bend down for 3 minutes rather than 8 minutes. Also, if I clean it everyday the waste is not as heavy. Oh, and, of course, the cats are happier! My leather sofas get a beating from the dogs. The day before Thanksgiving I cleaned them real good. Today I used a damp cloth to wipe them down. Just a quick wipe, but they looked better. I only did maintenance today. No special projects, no decluttering. I wasn't in the mood or right frame of mind. I hope tomorrow will be different. I still have areas that need deep cleaning. |
|
|
|
Post by dayeanu on Nov 28, 2012 7:06:37 GMT -5
I almost did not read this thread, because I thought it would just be about maintenance. And I'm not in maintenance.
This is an excellent thread, with some excellent ideas - not only for maintenance, but also for getting out of squalor.
We tend to think we need hours. The idea that we can spend 5 minutes at a time, abstinence from neglecting messes (putting away the hairbrush), do it now (the rubber band on the sugar), using the BDG method and other suggestions here - will get us out of squalor, as well as keep up with maintenance.
Great simple instructions for what to do.
Thanks.
|
|
|
|
Post by helen on Nov 28, 2012 16:47:10 GMT -5
dayeanu, I almost did not start the thread because I wondered if the word "maintenance" would turn some people away. Thank you for coming by to read the post. Maintenance doesn't mean life is or will be perfect. Maintenance is keeping up, and it is fighting bad habits, and it's making new habits. Today I am struggling to do maintenance. I'm not sick, I'm not sad or depressed, I don't have a headache, I had plenty of sleep, I ate some breakfast, I've had a shower, I took some time to catch up on a TV show (watched it on my computer), but still I feel like I'm dragging. My "mojo" is gone! - Because I'm struggling I willed myself to find enough clothes to make a load. I washed, dried and put them away. - I didn't want to wash the dishes. There was a pan leftover from last night (spaghetti sauce), pan where I cooked cheesy scrambled eggs this morning, a couple of plates, glasses, etc. Not many dishes and I could wash them in about 15 minutes. Knowing that I was struggling, I collected all the dirty dishes and made sure I had them soaking in some soapy water. When I go to the kitchen to cook dinner, hopefully I will wash them. There was some clutter on the kitchen table, I put all that stuff in their home. I wiped down the kitchen counters. - I don't even care what we have for supper. But, I know that we'll all want to eat something. I took out a package of chicken breast. At least the meat will be thawed by dinner and I'll be thankful for that when the time comes to cook dinner. - While I was watching the TV shows on my computer I started a list of things I need to clean. Those jobs I never seem to get around to, like brushing the dog hair off my decorative pillows, change light bulbs, clean out drawers and jewelry box. When I get in the mood I'll have a list to look at. Also while watching the TV shows, I cleaned out a wire basket of "things and stuff", threw away what I could, put a few items in their home and the other stuff I wanted to keep and had no home for went back in the basket. I need to find a home for that stuff. At least the basket is not overflowing anymore! Tomorrow is trash pickup. I need to collect all the trash in the house and take it out. I'll clean the cat box when collecting trash. I can empty the waste into one of the trash bags and not have to get out one of the 4 gallon bags I use for that purpose. - This morning when I walked up to the front of house I was discouraged. There were a few things out of place. The cushions on the large sofa were all in the floor. One of the dogs knocks them off every morning. She roots around on the sofa till they all fall off and then rubs her body on the sofa where there are no cushions! In the past I have left those cushions sitting in the floor for a month or more. Nobody was using the living room so I just left them. Since I've cleaned up my SIL will sit in the living room and watch movies. This morning when I saw those cushions in the floor I almost said what's the use. Bad habit! I pulled myself together enough to go ahead and pick them up and put them back. Just doing that one thing made the living room look better. All I can say is, leather sofas are very forgiving! - My hair was driving me crazy. It has gotten long, way past my shoulders. When I took my shower I put my hair into a pony tail and cut it off. Now, it's short, just above my shoulders. I had my #1 DD trim off the pieces that were to long. My hair grows fast, I didn't want to spend money going to the hairdresser. I fell like a weight as been lifted!!!  I'm wondering will I get around to sweeping and washing those dishes? We'll see! |
|
|
|
Post by CaringFriend on Nov 28, 2012 17:38:26 GMT -5
I have my DD collect her clothes (some make it to the hamper and some don't) and when I'm ready to wash them I have her take them to the washer. When they are finished I take them to her room and we fold/hang them together for a quick job! That is a great way for kids: - to put their clothes away immediately without nagging.
- to build a good habit.
Good for you! When she is old enough you can teach her how to do her own laundry. Do it together several times, then step away and let her work it into her own schedule. Sounds like you have a good handle on things.  |
|
|
|
Post by helen on Nov 28, 2012 18:36:32 GMT -5
CaringFriend,
Thank you for the encouragement. Most of the time laundry is not a problem for me. If I get stuck it is because of the following:
- I leave laundry hamper at the washer and say: I'll come back and load those in a little while. Bad habit is leaving them there knowing that I have an empty washer to put them in. Procrastination gets nothing done.
- I leave a load in the dryer and think I'll get it tomorrow when I wake up. Someone else in the family washes a load and takes the clothes out of the dryer and puts them on top of the dryer. Oh, that sends me into a spiral.
The lesson for me is to complete the job. Don't start it if I can't finish it.
I'm trying to get maintenance done before 4 pm everyday. At least that is my goal. With maintenance done I can get dinner started, we can eat at a reasonable hour, I can wash dishes before it gets late. Hopefully, it's all done by 7 pm when some of my TV shows start. I don't want to drag maintenance out all day.
I'd like to fill in part of my day doing other things. Writing in my journal, try watercolor painting again, genealogy, scanning old photos, doing some scrapbooking, etc., etc. There is more to life than just having a clean house and cleaning all day!
|
|
|
|
Post by cricket on Nov 29, 2012 8:31:18 GMT -5
I am not in maintenance yet (though I would have sworn I was several times.) But I think I might benefit from practicing maintenance.
I do laundry two days a week, usually Mondays and Fridays, and on those days I can't really focus on big projects anyway. I think I will consider those two days my "maintenance practice" days. I'll pretend I am in maintenance and do all the things normal things normal people do to stay on top of things.
Maybe by the time I'm really in maintenance, I'll have it down pat.
|
|
|
|
Post by dayeanu on Nov 29, 2012 10:49:45 GMT -5
CaringFriend, Thank you for the encouragement. Most of the time laundry is not a problem for me. If I get stuck it is because of the following: - I leave laundry hamper at the washer and say: I'll come back and load those in a little while. Bad habit is leaving them there knowing that I have an empty washer to put them in. Procrastination gets nothing done. - I leave a load in the dryer and think I'll get it tomorrow when I wake up. Someone else in the family washes a load and takes the clothes out of the dryer and puts them on top of the dryer. Oh, that sends me into a spiral. The lesson for me is to complete the job. Don't start it if I can't finish it. I'm trying to get maintenance done before 4 pm everyday. At least that is my goal. With maintenance done I can get dinner started, we can eat at a reasonable hour, I can wash dishes before it gets late. Hopefully, it's all done by 7 pm when some of my TV shows start. I don't want to drag maintenance out all day. I'd like to fill in part of my day doing other things. Writing in my journal, try watercolor painting again, genealogy, scanning old photos, doing some scrapbooking, etc., etc. There is more to life than just having a clean house and cleaning all day! Awesome! Cricket - I love your idea of "practicing" maintenance! |
|
|
|
Post by CaringFriend on Nov 29, 2012 13:00:26 GMT -5
Helen, sounds as if you have most everything under control, including your laundry. You have a routine for it. You are doing so well, you are a good role model for others. The reason I commented on children and laundry was to encourage others to follow your example. Your posts are interesting to read and I hoped that folks who can't get a handle on laundry would follow your example, plus what I added.
|
|
|
|
Post by helen on Nov 29, 2012 13:12:33 GMT -5
cricket,
Oh, I'm so happy that you would practice. It really is a way to learn good habits and new technics.
Everyone has their own idea of what maintenance is for them. Much of it depends on where you live, how many people are in your family, do you have pets, your lifestyle.
As an example, here are the things I do for maintenance.
- Sweep everyday. I have no carpet in the house, and I live in the country. My #1 DD has 6 horses, 4 dogs, and 3 birds. The dogs and birds are in her and SIL room next door. I have 5 dogs and 3 cats in the main house. Family members are always going in and out. Dogs shed, cats shed. When you open the door, especially in the fall and winter there are a few leaves that invariably blow in. So, sweeping everyday is a must.
- 3 cats, I clean the cat box everyday.
- I check the bathroom everyday for clutter (brushes left out, hair pins, towels out of place, toothpaste globs in the sink, etc.) I wipe the counters down with a wet one of a Lysol wipe. Scrubbing the bathroom is usually once a week, but sometimes twice.
- Laundry. I do mine and my #2 DD laundry once a week. The rest of the week I try to do at least 1-2 loads a day. #1 DD and SIL have laundry at various times, there are sheets or blankets, towels, dog or cat beds, various odds and ends. I'd rather do 1-2 loads a day than wait and do everything in one or two days. I don't want to spend all day doing laundry.
- Wash dishes. I struggle with this one the most. Breakfast and lunch, everyone gets what they want. But, everyday I cook a big meal. I enjoy having a "real dinner" every night. I don't have a set time for dinner. It's nice when I have dinner before 7pm. It's not to late, I'm not tired and I will feel like cleaning up after dinner. I find that during the day, I do better if I was every dish that gets dirty right then and there. When it's time to start cooking dinner, there are no dirty dishes. When I get in that mood where I'm not keeping up with the dishes, it helps to rinse them and keep them stacked in groups of plates, cups glasses, etc. Leaving them where they are is overwhelming. So, I keep collecting them, rinse them, stack them. When I actually do wash them (I'm thinking to myself, "It's going to take ALL day) I can have them washed and on a towel to air dry in about 30-45 minutes. That is when I have a backlog of maybe 2 days. I do have a non-working dishwasher. Even when the dishwasher was working I would get behind. Having a dishwasher doesn't help you keep up with dishes if you don't have the habit of keeping up with loading and unloading. Dishwashers in this case, only HIDE the dishes and help to promote your bad habit. When I am in the kitchen I wipe down the kitchen counters and check the refrigerator for spills.
- Kitchen Trash, I take it outside everyday after dinner. There are several advantages for me to taking the kitchen trash out everyday. 1- It's not heavy, 2 - It doesn't get stinky, 3 - The dogs don't get in it and strew trash everywhere, and 4 - It never ends up overflowing and spilling onto the floor.
- Mopping, I had this on my list for everyday. Lifting that heavy mop bucket out of the sink was killing my back. I need to rethink this one. Either use the kitchen sink (that's a long way to walk to the back of the house, or have one of DD lift the bucket from the sink and I can scoot it along the floor, then have them empty it for me.
So, everyday for me is sweeping, cat box, bathroom, laundry, dishes, wipe kitchen counters and refrigerator, kitchen trash and mopping.
Cricket, find what works for you and your household.
|
|
