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Post by disorganizeddragon on Apr 6, 2010 14:50:21 GMT -5
What one thing--besides money to hire a maid, a bigger place to live, a fairy godmother that could sprinkle magic dust (as opposed to the other kind we all have so much of) which would make your home clean and organized, etc.--would make it easier for you clean and/or declutter your home? I have approximately eleven million loads of laundry that need to be done. You know the little informational boxes that now appear on your credit card statements, the ones that read something like, "If you make only the minimum payment of X dollars, it will take you 84 years to pay off your card in full?" Well, if there was a sign like that posted over my multiple piles of laundry, it would probably read "If you do only two loads of laundry a day, you will be 96 years old before all the clothes are clean and every piece of underwear is clean at the same time." Laundry is one of my biggest headaches. I know if I had a washer and dryer in my apartment, it would probably cut the clutter on the floor of my bedroom by a third, if not more. Schlepping baskets full of clothes to the laundry room, or worse yet, the laundromat, is tiring, time-consuming, and expensive. I could have bought nine laudromats by now with all the money I've ever spent in laundry rooms, etc., but very few reasonably priced apartments in my city have washers and dryers or even washer-dryer hookups, so I'm stuck. Consequently, I find myself fantasizing about having my own washer and dryer the way other folks probably dream about having an expensive car, flashy jewelry, or a handsome servant that does their bidding. (Of course, I'd probably just end up having the handsome servant take all my clothes to the laudromat for me. I'm hopeless. ) So, what one thing would make it easier for you?
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Post by peppermint66 on Apr 6, 2010 14:58:11 GMT -5
Time management.I am having to relearn how to manage my time, around taking care of a baby. Before baby came, I did what I wanted, when i wanted as far as cleaning goes, Now I have to plan things around feedings, nap time, playtime and so on. So , learning new time management skills is the one thing that would really benefit my cleaning efforts.
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Post by DJ on Apr 6, 2010 16:23:08 GMT -5
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Post by Peach on Apr 6, 2010 16:55:36 GMT -5
Physical energy -- to be like the Energizer Bunny who appears to be happy and energetic all the time.
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Post by fluffernut - now Jannie on Apr 6, 2010 17:03:18 GMT -5
I'd like to just remove the clutter, and have someone else (a "partner") do the dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, wipi9ng,etc. I don't like doing both.
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Post by Script on Apr 6, 2010 17:38:15 GMT -5
I have intermittent problems with nail biting/skin picking. I am sooooooooo much better than I was 5+ years ago, but not perfect.
If the skin on my hands were tougher, I would have an easier time. Even with lavish amounts of creams/oils and total abstinence from OCD nail biting, my hands and nails REALLY suffer from any kind of housework. I do not garden at all, period amen.
yes, I wear rubber gloves. No I never put my hands in water. Yes, I have tried Bag Balm and every other heavy-duty cream/gel/oil/cuticle repair. The only thing that helps is Ceaseless Vigilance.
The skin-nail-problem is hugely exacerbated by *winter *dust *central heating
Unfortunabely I live in an old dusty house that is too dry in the long winter. For a variety of reasons, we are no longer able to use a free-standing humidifier (we tried this for years and it caused other problems.) We have hot water radiators, so cannot use a central humidifier. aaarrrggghhhh
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Post by skatters on Apr 6, 2010 17:39:29 GMT -5
Fluffernut, we would get along well... I don't like dealing with the stuff - but I don't mind the cleaning once something is cleaned up.
What would help me out? I like the idea of not having wall to wall carpeting. But I think what I need most, is routines. Routines so that I can do things mindlessly... I want to be there. I spend more time dreading the chores than actually doing them.
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Post by moggyfan on Apr 6, 2010 18:09:41 GMT -5
Washer & dryer, yep. Uh-huh. Weary of laundromat trips!
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Post by mellowyellow on Apr 6, 2010 18:31:13 GMT -5
Being at a consistent healthy weight, so that I am not accumulating big and small and in between clothing.
For those who gain and lose weight often, you know how challenging it is to find clothing that fits when you need it, so you tend to hang on to more than is necessary "just in case". And unlike other items/objects, sometimes you really Can't find what you need in your size and height.
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Post by def6 on Apr 6, 2010 20:40:11 GMT -5
I'll take the handsome servant please! But if I can't have that I will take the "Discipline" that it takes to be tidy in my home.
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Post by disorganizeddragon on Apr 6, 2010 23:34:48 GMT -5
DJ, thanks for the recommendations! I'm definitely going to do a little further research to see if I could make one of those work in my small apartment. They're definitely not cheap, but when I think of how much I spend at the laundromat in a year, I believe either one would pay for itself in pretty short order. Peach and Peppermint, amen on time management and physical energy! When I was constantly working, I had great time management skills, but now that I'm not, I feel as if I'm drifting. And my physical energy level just blows! Heaven forbid I actually eat a balanced diet and get more exercise. Who knows what I might be able to accomplish?
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Post by Butterfly on Apr 6, 2010 23:46:13 GMT -5
The best thing that could happen to help me would be to have 100% litter box usage instead of the floors.
I do have physical problems, too, but I can overcome those. I will gradually get everything thing else decluttered and cleaned but the cat poop and urine on the floors is an ongoing problem that I just don't know how to solve. Nothing I've tried, and I've tried everything I've read or heard about or that the vet has suggested, is working.
So, if I could have a one-use magic wand, that's what I'd use it for.
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Post by Serendipity on Apr 7, 2010 2:37:27 GMT -5
I am another who wants laundry facilities in my townhouse. There is a laundry room but it is down a flight of stairs and i have to go backwards down the stairs. I remember a member suggesting the low-tech and inexpensive Wonderwash for small loads and a spin dryer, not tumble but extracts alot of water. I have small loads and not alot of clothes so I would love to do the laundry in my pyjamas! www.laundry-alternative.comThanks for reminding me about this! Also, I need a linen closet and a broom closet. I used to have one large hall closet in my last apt. and i am lost without my closet! I could fit two laundry baskets, one for dirty and one for clean. Most often things don't get put away, especially now that dressers are upstairs and stairs are a problem.
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Post by mish on Apr 7, 2010 5:44:22 GMT -5
I wish I had no stuff. If I had the streamlined, Zen decor I long for cleaning would be a breeze! sigh. 1. wood floors - last year I replaced carpet with wooden floors. Disaster. Now you can see all the dust! Argh. And it's really hard to vacuum/swiffer arounf the junk. And there not quite enough junk to hide the whole floor ( ). 2. maintain the same healthy weight and size. Oh, yeah! If only.... 3. handsome servant.... gee, I'd take a butt-ugly one! Any one! 4. I couldn't survive without my washer and dryer. I use the dryer rarely, however - it seems to me Australian dryers are much less fabulous than American ones. So I only use it in dire straits. But I love having the washer, and I usually do small loads every 2 days or so because that's how much I can comfortably hang on my (several!) clothes racks. Sooooo convenient, and I always have something to wear. Also it's really handy for accidents, like cat puking on the bed at 10pm. But yeah, no stuff would be good. I'm working on it....
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Post by bluefrog on Apr 7, 2010 8:17:49 GMT -5
A cure for arthritis? If i didn't hurt and could stand for longer, I could get a lot more done at once, instead of at three-minute intervals throughout the day. Of course, less stuff, magic dust and a handsome full-time houseman wouldn't hurt. I'm working on the less stuff part, but DH refuses to get into full-time housecleaning.
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