gaia
New Member
Joined: December 2008
Posts: 5
|
Post by gaia on Dec 6, 2008 17:37:42 GMT -5
I am so far gone I don't know where to begin. Is it better to do it all in one marathon session?
|
|
|
|
Post by fluffernut - now Jannie on Dec 6, 2008 17:41:37 GMT -5
When I have the energy,I clean in one fell swoopp, crisis cleaning I call it. I'll do that if I have guests coming over. A lot of it involves carrying junk from one room to another. I have a big closet I can hide things in. I remember once, DH took the kids away on a Saturday for the day, to spend time with their cousins. I cleaned the whole house, top to bottom, and it was wonderful! I am now older and have health problems, I can only do a little work every day. So now I think it's better to just do what you can, and keep going, do a little every day.
|
|
|
|
Post by Script on Dec 6, 2008 17:56:03 GMT -5
I would like to share something I was taught by a fitness professional for whom I worked. He was a ranked master's triathlete and ONE TUFF GUY. I asked him for some training secrets (I was a middle-distance road runner), figuring he would know all kinds of special insider tips. He had run marathons by the dozen; coached other ranked runners. He had ONE word of advice: Consistency You may very well be able to clean your house in one fell swoop of marathon screaming banshee madwoman insanity. But to KEEP it clean needs consistency. |
|
|
|
Post by messymimi on Dec 6, 2008 17:56:29 GMT -5
If you can hire a Dumpster (called a tip in some parts of the world), that would make a marathon session easier. The question to then consider is, would you be motivated to maintain, or would you burn yourself out doing the big clean up, and not feel like doing anything for a while afterward? If you marathon clean, then slack up, sometimes the mess grows back with lightning speed.
Some people do better with cleaning one area, practicing keeping it that way for a while, then spreading that clean area out. This builds up the good habits that keep squalor from growing back. A good place to start is to make a habit of always keeping the sink and counter area around it clean, or your bathroom, or making your bed and cleaning your night stand. You pick the place that would inspire you to have it done and stay that way.
Still others like to just pick up a bag and start bagging trash for a certain number of minutes a day. Or go through the house getting all the laundry into one place.
If you are that far gone, a marathon might make you tired, cranky, and disappointed as you seek for it to be perfect overnight, and that seldom happens. In fact, the old "If you can't do it right, don't do it" is the cause of much trouble for many of us. We can't do it right (someone else's idea of right, which usually means perfect), so we don't do it at all.
Some of us list in the Accountability Partners or Working-in-Threes threads in Listzilla. Some start personal list threads, to keep themselves motivated and see what they have accomplished. I prefer going to the chat room and challenging for 15 minute intervals, during which time I clean, then come back, report what I did, and chat a bit more. Repeat as long as I am able.
Each of us is different, so only you can answer what would work best for you.
The important point is to start. Start something, somewhere. It will snowball.
messymimi
|
|
gaia
New Member
Joined: December 2008
Posts: 5
|
Post by gaia on Dec 7, 2008 6:42:42 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice. I've decided that I will start with one room and stay with that room till it's finished. In the past I would pick up a little in the kitchen...wander to the living room and pick up a bit, etc. I think if I at least have one room clean I'll feel better. It's 6:40am right now. I hope I still feel as motivated in a couple hours when I can get started and not have to worry about waking the downstairs neighbor!
|
|
|
|
Post by dayeanu on Dec 7, 2008 8:33:38 GMT -5
I'm proud of you for starting. I don't think the maraton is a great idea, either. My place is a huge mess, and I couldn't clean it even in a marathon, so I'm doing one small area and maintaining it.
I am anxious to hear how you come along with it. Please keep us all posted.
|
|
|
|
Post by fluffernut - now Jannie on Dec 7, 2008 9:05:42 GMT -5
I got up at 7 today, had some coffee, then I quick-cleaned the kitchen. I loaded the dishwasher and started it running, sprayed down and wiped all the counters, and I Swiffer-mopped the floor. It looks and smells nice! I'm done with the kitchen and it's only nine o'clock.
|
|
Blackswan
Banned
Joined: October 2008
Posts: 6,388
|
Post by Blackswan on Dec 7, 2008 12:25:54 GMT -5
I think if you do clean that one room, and only focus on maintaining that for about a week, you will experience a huge change. A mind blowing change, just from something so simple. I always read on here that the key to fixing this whole thing was maintaining, and that you should just do one thing at a time, and then add to it. I never wanted to do that because there was just so much to be done, who cares if the one room was clean? So I marathon cleaned over and over and over, stayed up all night too many times to count, and it never ever stayed that way. No matter what I told myself, what promises i made myself, the squalor always came back.
Then I was desperate. So I decide I would try this silly little maintain thing. I started with my bedroom. I kept it clean for a week, it was so easy, just a five minute pick up every night. Then I added the bathroom and kept both rooms maintained for a week, so on and so forth until now I have a basically squalor free house. It was amazing. There is no way I can really describe the change in words, you just need to find out for yourself. I have a whole new way of thinking now, and it has translated to so many other parts of my life. All from just keeping my room clean that first week! Try it, don't waste all that time doing marathon cleaning and never really learning the true concept of squalor free living. I wasted nine years that way.
|
|
|
|
Post by AnnieOkie on Dec 7, 2008 13:05:53 GMT -5
Well, I should be working on my kitchen right now, but here I am and I will tell you how I am dealing with my mess. I found this place in August. You can read my introduction or look at my pics in photos. My house was/is very far gone. I did my younger son's room and my bathroom in August. I had one small part of my kitchen under control (able to keep dishes done and cook) and have maintained those areas reasonably. I did my son's room and my bathroom in one weekend. I finally did my living room two weekends ago, with the help of my sons. I am keeping that maintained. I did my hallway one evening this week. I am working on my kitchen this weekend. It seems that the more areas I get done inspire me to work harder on finishing the rest of the house. I could not have done this in one "fell swoop". I work full time and spend about half of my time with my fiance at his house (my ex and I share custody of our boys). So instead of killing myself, and possibly becoming overwhelmed and just stopping, I have done it this way. People say around here, and this helped me immensely.....The house didn't get this way overnight, so I can't expect it to become clean overnight. Good luck to you and I hope you stick with us and keep us posted on your progress. This place can change your life, it changed mine.  Now....back to work! |
|
|
|
Post by Ican on Dec 7, 2008 15:11:29 GMT -5
I got up at 7 today, had some coffee, then I quick-cleaned the kitchen. I loaded the dishwasher and started it running, sprayed down and wiped all the counters, and I Swiffer-mopped the floor. It looks and smells nice! I'm done with the kitchen and it's only nine o'clock. Good for you, Fluffernut!  |
|
|
|
Post by notsomessyshell on Dec 7, 2008 18:58:22 GMT -5
Way to go on your progress so far!  I always went for the marathon ones. And they never worked for me. I could never get it all done. I would get discouraged and it would get even worse. I have been doing the one area at a time method. I got my kitchen table cleaned off. I kept it clean and added the rest of the kitchen a bit at a time. Now my kitchen is clean. I have 2 more cabinets left to do and then it will be clean from floor to ceiling. I have been adding a little in the living room at a time. I see that this is working more for me than any other method. |
|
|
|
Post by CaringFriend on Dec 7, 2008 22:33:30 GMT -5
The only things I ever did in a "marathon" were the refrigerator, oven, and things like that. Usually it's a project that I've been putting off and finally decide to tackle. However, once tackled, I make up my mind that I never, ever want to have to do that again! That's when I focus on that area and come up with ideas for maintenance. One job like that was a solid layer of white cat fur on the end cushion of my medium blue living room sofa and my burgundy recliner. Finally figured out that covering each with a matching-colored towel that could be removed and washed was an easy solution to the problem. BUT, before that could happen, the current cat hair had to be removed. I used every trick in the book and finally had both clean and clear. OMG, what a job that was! It was also the last time I had to do it. Now I simply replace each towel with another and wash them. (I remove the towels before company comes.) Oven - purchased a self-cleaning when remodeling the kitchen.  Maintenance trick - make sure container is large enough so food doesn't spill over in the oven. If there is even a remote chance, I place the dish on a cookie sheet. AND, since I am not about to scrub the baked-on, boiled-over food on the cookie sheet, I place a piece of aluminum foil just big enough to fit under the dish.  I keep the window of the oven door clean. By doing things like this, I only have to "clean" the oven once a year! Refrigerator - marathon cleaning job of fridge and freezer. Maintenance tricks - placed white dish towels in the crisper drawers to catch the bits, pieces, odds and ends of the fruits and veggies. When necessary, I remove those towels and wash them if needed. Most of the time, they simply need a shake and can be replaced immediately. I also noticed that the top shelves where the beverages are placed, get more spills, splashes, and sticky rings than any other shelf. Solution: place white dish towels on those shelves, too. When necessary, remove and wash. Other shelves in fridge - wipe up spills as they occur. Put a tight cover on everything that goes into the fridge. Another fridge maintenance trick is to organize its contents on grocery shopping day. Also gives me the chance to make note of what is needed. I use Microsoft Calendar to note the last time certain things were cleaned well. I have those notes set up to recur on the same date monthly. When that reminder pops up, I check the area. If it needs a heavy cleaning, I do it. If not, of course I don't do it. I just checked my calendar and the last time I marathon-cleaned my refrigerator and freezer was 7/02/07!!!!!  |
|
|
|
Post by stressedbythemess on Dec 8, 2008 8:53:43 GMT -5
Marathons will not get you into good habits.
However, I will Marathon clean at times- but I have learned to readjust what my definition of Marthon is. Usually I can Marathon toss or organize, but scrubbing just 2 rooms is enough that i'll be worn out for the day so that + any tossing/organizing/picking up is a marathon if the rooms need enough scrubbing.
It doesn't help my habits to let things go a little, nor does it help my habits of getting into maintenance. But it does help me when i've fallen behind and just can't stand it anymore.
Overtime with those AND here, and changing some habits- Things are not sliding back to the point they were. 2 steps forward, 1 step back, many times - but it winds up being progress eventually!
|
|
outofchaos
New Member
Joined: December 2008
Posts: 65 
|
Post by outofchaos on Dec 8, 2008 10:59:32 GMT -5
I tend to do one fell swoop in my kitchen and bathrooms, but a little bit at a time in all the other areas.
My bedroom is one of the worst rooms in the house, and I established a goal of removing 1 bag of stuff from the room every week. So far, I've taken 5 bags of trash out, and 1 bag to Goodwill. I bought a cheapo DVD player with my birthday money, and I hooked it up to an old TV that was in our attic, and I watch old episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer while I clean. It's been working pretty well for me!
|
|
|
|
Post by clearwaterush on Dec 8, 2008 21:44:45 GMT -5
Blackswan said-"No matter what I told myself, what promises i made myself, the squalor always came back."
This is so true. I'm still trying to maintain. It isn't easy and I don't like it much. I'd rather be doing other things. Like painting or crafts.
I guess I clean when I feel like it. Which is in bursts I guess.
|
|
