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Post by imamess on Feb 8, 2016 5:55:03 GMT -5
so i have some questions about what is maintenance when you're not in maintenance. obviously, dishes and defending gains. i still have so many bad habits: would hanging up clothes or putting away groceries, filing papers, opening mail, etc be considered maintenance; things like that? Hi CC. I'm going to jump in here, since I consider my living room and kitchen to be almost in maintenance. I think maintenance is just what you said, washing and putting away dishes, hanging up clothes, putting anything away, sweeping/vacuuming/mopping floors, dusting, and as Script says 'tiny tidies'. To me, maintenance is whatever it takes on a daily basis to keep a clear area clear. In the weekly goal thread, my goals are to tidy my coffee table and kitchen table daily, sweep every other day and mop once a week. These are things that I need to do to keep my public areas in maintenance. I already have the dishwashing thing down, I think. I've cluttered everything up for so long that it's just hard for me to pick things up every day.
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Post by mynicehome on Feb 8, 2016 11:58:52 GMT -5
Scooping and vacuuming done.
creativechaos, I would definitely consider any of the tasks you mentioned as maintenance. You go!
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Post by 1rarebeautifuldove on Feb 8, 2016 17:33:08 GMT -5
creativechaos I have tons of bad habits when it comes to this too. I consider maintenance exactly what you said. Washing the dishes, picking up the clothes and shoes, (read that as the clothes that I simply left where I changed and should have picked up immediately or hung up in the case of a jacket, shoes that didn't need to be left in the family room), dusting a shelf, taking out the trash and recyclables,... I am learning to be mindful of things like to not simply leave an empty bottle on the counter, but rather to rinse it right away and put it in the bucket to be taken outside, this makes it a little trickier to add up time, but knowing that I need to be being accountable for 2 sets of 10 minutes also helps me to get going. Sometimes it can be a gray area when it comes to de-hoarding and maintenance - taking out trash is really part of maintenance, its a normal part of living. So even though it gets into dehoarding because there was trash, empty packaging, etc. left on the table - leaving the table cluttered, it really is part of maintenance. Since if the table was totally clear, that empty battery package would not get lost in the pile of clutter on the table, it would be the only thing and only take a few seconds to toss in the trash. Today I got the filled grocery bags of trash into a big bag, yesterday I washed the dishes right away after dinner. I rinsed out the bottles right away and put them in the bucket. In a few minutes, I'll take the bucket outside. I also picked up some trash and papers today. It was well over 20 minutes.
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Post by mynicehome on Feb 9, 2016 15:16:41 GMT -5
Tired today but scooped and half-swept the floor. Cleaned the bottom sliding windows in the kitchen and I've decided that wiping them every day will be my new maintenance task. There are always nose prints and slobber on them from the dogs and wiping them daily will only take a literal minute or two. Glad I thought of it - thanks grasshopper and 1rarebeautifuldove! Have a great day!
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Post by grasshopper on Feb 9, 2016 21:16:48 GMT -5
I'm back. 2 day lapse. That's ok. I'm still getting the hang of this. I did 20 min today. Laundry, dishes, recycling. I think I will try to make up for my lapsed days with 40 more minutes. I'm on chat if anyone cares to join.
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Post by 1rarebeautifuldove on Feb 9, 2016 23:06:44 GMT -5
I got some stuff picked up from around the house, put some clothes in the bedroom, (not all the way to the closet, but at least they're not in the family room). Also, I gathered up some trash. And I dusted a little bit. And I tossed some junk mail. So definitely getting caught up on maintenance.
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Post by jean on Feb 9, 2016 23:34:37 GMT -5
I washed at least 4 sinks worth of dishes and put them away. Picked up some stuff off kitchen counter, not cleared yet though and took some stuff out of hall that didn't belong there. I also threw in a load of laundry and threw out three cats. They came back in though.
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Post by Di on Feb 10, 2016 0:31:19 GMT -5
For me, maintenance is keeping the laundry done, the bathroom clean, the dishes done, my bed made, clean sheets once a week, the floors swept and mopped, the living room and bathroom company ready. Of course not everything--everyday. Daily: dishes, sweeping a floor, making my bed and something with laundry. Weekly: mopping g a floor, disinfecting a counter, scrubbing bathroom, and mopping floors....not all on the same day.. I think I spend 30-45 minutes a day on maintenance, but I'm slow!!!!
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Post by mynicehome on Feb 10, 2016 22:33:42 GMT -5
Hi jean! Funny thing about cats...they keep coming back! Sometimes with new friends! I wish I had their maintenance routine...wash, eat, sleep, go out, come back in....
I must admit to neglecting my scooping and vacuuming today. I had a busy morning out of the house. I'll definitely be back at it tomorrow!
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Post by grasshopper on Feb 11, 2016 0:12:24 GMT -5
Good job everybody! This challenge really is challenging me! In a good way.
I did my 20 min today. Cleaned up living room floor. Kitchen clean up. Put clothes away. Took out garbage and recycling. I also did probably an hour on work email maintenance.
I have started in on the basement. It is a huge job. It will be extra important to keep things maintained up here while dealing with the disaster down there.
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Post by mynicehome on Feb 11, 2016 8:20:47 GMT -5
Great day yesterday grasshopper! Good luck on the basement!
Up early and my scooping, vacuuming and wiping the two bottom kitchen windows is done for the day. Off to a good start.
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Post by 1rarebeautifuldove on Feb 11, 2016 11:44:04 GMT -5
Great job jean grasshopper and Di and mynicehome! I cleaned out the fridge of old yucky food, cleaned out from under the sink in the bedroom, and I got the trash out. Yesterday, I picked up the clothes that were scattered around and got some trash together. I've been little by little getting things off the tables. This is a wonderful thing, this 20 min a day!
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Post by Di on Feb 11, 2016 15:22:19 GMT -5
Another maintenance hint: As maintenance is often boring, play games with yourself, try to "beat the clock" as you're walking out the door to go somewhere, see what you can do as you are walking by that will make a visible difference. Last night I was going to a movie with a friend, as I walked out the door through the living room, I put the sofa pillows in place as I passed them, kicked the ottoman (which is on rollers) into it's spot, and picked up a piece of trash that I took with me and but in the outside bin as I passed it. Basically this took no longer than just walking through the living room would have taken. See what you can do "off the clock" so to speak. I wouldn't count this in my daily maintenance because it was about 30 seconds walking through a room. Last night when I came home there was a box on the table, I picked it up as I walked to the kitchen and tossed it -- again I wouldn't count this because it took maybe 10 extra seconds, but it "cleared" the table. As I walk through a room I do something insignificant. This morning my roommate had taken the cats water but left the pitcher on the bar, as I walked by, I grabbed it and as I put my breakfast plate in the DW, I put the pitcher in there too. See what you can do in under 30 seconds as you pass by things in your home. It's become a challenge to me now. It has taught me to SEE tiny messes, and to move things that aren't bad -- but that just aren't quite right. This morning I realized that the table had the Mardi Gras Centerpiece on it. When I put on the fresh tablecloth last night, that didn't even register. So I put the beads in a ziplock bag and put them in the drawer of the curio and I put 2 round crystal bowls on the table. Today I will pick up something red to put in them for Valentine's day and after that I will fill them with colored eggs and that will be the centerpiece until Easter. Simple, but it makes me SEE the table when it's decorated. If there are things that BELONG on the table, --tablecloth, salt and pepper shakers, crystal bowl centerpieces-- then what doesn't belong is immediately apparent. Make it easy for yourself to see the tiny messes.
If you can, clear the vanity in the bathroom. I have a basket with my stuff in it and my roommate has a basket with her stuff in it. The only thing that stays on the vanity is a bottle of liquid hand soap and a footed soap dish with various beach theme shaped soaps. Because there are no toothbrushes, brushes, combs, toothpaste, cleansers, etc on the vanity, it's immediately visible when there is something that doesn't belong there. About every 3rd day, while the water is draining from my bath, I spray the shower surround with scrubbing bubbles and the tub as it empties, I spray the vanity. After I am mostly dried and put on my robe, I used my bath towel to wipe the shower, tub and vanity. It never gets dirty, it never gets mildewed, etc. It's painless and only takes a few extra seconds.. maybe a minute tops. If the bathroom doesn't get dirty, you don't have to spend time cleaning it. I often just squirt toilet bowl cleaner in and walk off and leave it. The next person to use it, flushes it and the toilet (other than the weekly cleaning of the outside and seat never truly gets bad.
Get a pretty basket, buy a pkg of 100 brown or black hair rubber bands, put the bands in the bottom of the basket. Whenever you find a loose cord, (computer cords, phone cords, ethernet cords, DSL cords, surge protectors, extension, ANY CORD) zigzag it and tie it off with a hair tie, drop it in the basket. I also drop in unused USB charging ports, battery charges, etc. This way you will know where you put that cord that you found that you weren't sure about. (in my case it's ALWAYS the camera cord and the battery charger for it.
Make it simple for yourself; eliminate the clutter that is slowing you down, start seeing things that are out of place, keep assigning things HOMES (even if the "home" is a pretty basket of strictly defined miscellany)and when you see things out of place, put them away. Make it easy to PEEP.
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Post by grasshopper on Feb 12, 2016 1:22:46 GMT -5
We're doing great vyas, jean, di and mynicehome! I did my 20 min today. Brought the recycling bin back in. Went through some mail. Loaded and ran the dishwasher. What else? Trimmed my hair. Threw trash away. I can't remember everything I did, but I know I did 10x2!
Also continued working in the basement. It's a slog. Very dirty. Took several loads out to the truck on route to the dump. Took a small chest of drawers to charity this morning. I've been clearing and vacuuming shelves down there. Will need to break out the soap and scrub brush next.
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Post by grasshopper on Feb 12, 2016 14:58:04 GMT -5
I unloaded the dishwasher, started loading it again, and did a load of laundry including folding this morning. I am getting better about mixing these maintenance tasks in with my getting ready for work tasks. So I'm calling it 10 min even though i did not time it. This challenge is really helping me! I will do 10 more min after work.
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