summer clutter control!

It's a beautiful summer day here in Oklahoma.  The sun is shining, the grass hasn't been burnt to a crisp (yet), and the birds are singing.  It's my day off, and I have a million things to do.  The first line of business, though, is cleaning up the clutter in the house.  It seems that once the clutter is gone everything else simply falls into place. 

Assignment #1:  Attack the kitchen
Why do half of the contents of our houses end up in the kitchen?  I can see an electric drill that was used last weekend being charged on the counter top, earrings from last night on the island,  a shirt over a chair, mail from last week (and I'm being generous there - it's probably from last month), etc., etc., etc.
Step 1: run and hide.
Step 2: ignore step one
Step 3: reread Jeff Campbell's "Clutter Control", "Speed Cleaning", and anything else this first and original cleaning guru has written.  Sadly, this cleaning has to be done now, so I'll rely on my menopausal memory to recall his words of wisdom.

1.  I will gather 3 file boxes and take them into the kitchen. The first will be labeled "stuff to take to other rooms". The second box will be labeled "to give to charity", and the third will be labeled "trash".  The box system works really, really well with me.  It makes my cleaning much more streamlined.  

2. I will actually put the charitable items by the front door so they are not forgotten. I will take the "stuff to take to other rooms" and actually put away the items.  Lastly, I will chuck the trash.  The now empty boxes are ready to carry into the sun porch for the next go-round.

3.  I will clean the kitchen, and I will start at the highest point and work downward. I will also start to the right of my sink and work around the kitchen.  Jeff Campbell taught me (through his books, of course, although the way he writes makes you feel like you're getting a personal lesson), to have an apron with pockets and little loops. I sewed one like he shows in his books - one large pocket for a clipped-in baggie for little trash, one large pocket for a strong scrubber sponge and a soft scrubber sponge, a little pocket for a toothbrush to scrub around faucets, a little pocket for a scraper (although I don't use one - I just soak stubborn spots), one loop on the right side for furniture polish and one loop on the left side for Windex.  I love Windex. Nothing cleans carpets better.  Honest.  I use it at home and in the car.  It's like a little $3 miracle.

4.  I'll sweep and mop - even though the Labrador will have hair descending like fallout each time he walks through.

5. Repeat for each room of the house.

I really have to examine what I have in order to reduce. I, like most folks, have way too many items for ornamentation.  It's time to clear them away - maybe a garage sale??  It sure would be nice to have some extra cash!

Well, it's time to actually begin cleaning!  'Til next time, take it easy and find time for yourself.  

Naj