Since I’m on the 2nd day of a three-day weekend, it’s snowing (and there’s no place I need to go. Well, except for the credit union and I can always do that Monday if I decide to wait) and I’ve realized that I’m in clutter hell…it’s time to clean.
First step was the living room:
Got the pile of papers out to the recycle bin: done
Gater the clutter from the computer desk: done
Relocate the random scatter shoes to the bedroom to deal with later in the day: done
Now, the dining room table. The table is always problematic, because it’s right there when I come in the door, so junk mail gets dropped there and then never moves because I don’t feel like dealing with it after work and the typical two-day weekend seems to fly by. I’m now at 99% done with separating the stuff that can be tossed from the stuff that I shred (credit card offers and the like).
Just a side note to the table crap: when I started this job, I had to join the union, which is assocated with the Ohio Education Association and the National Education (Educators?) Association. The amount of junk mail I get from these two places is insane. I’ve set one of each of their mailings aside so that I can try to go online later today and find a way to reduce the amount of unwanted stuff I get from them.
After the table, breakfast. Then, the kitchen, followed by the bathroom and then the bedroom. Then dusting of the stuff (not a lot) that needs dusting, sprinkle the carpets, mop the kitchen and bathroom, vacuum the floors.
I’ve got music playing on the computer - just a random selection of stuff that I can deal with listening to on repeat all day.
Lsura–Good for you! My place is a wreck these days. I left town for the summer, came back just in time to start teaching in fall, and I still haven’t set up my apartment. There are piles of clutter everywhere. Now and then I still have to go into the basement and root through random boxes to find things.
If you were to take a look at my living and dining rooms, you’d think that someone was either moving in or moving out. You’d never guess that someone’s been there for ages, but just felt exhausted and overwhelmed every time she took a look at her apartment and thought of all the work she’d have to do to set it up.
Maybe we should have a thread for everyone trying to clean and organize their places. We could encourage each other and keep each other working on it, even when the task seems completely overwhelming.
Yeah, I’ve been here since September and have yet to hang pictures on the wall and I keep ignoring the two boxes in the bedroom that are still full of moving stuff (to be fair, I had five weeks from job offer to starting date, with the interview a mere week before the offer). Someday, maybe, I’ll quit feeling like I’m just visiting my apartment for a while.
Table is done, breakfast is eaten, dishes soaking. I started in on the kitchen, only to realize that I need more cleaning stuff. Since the grocery is walking distance, I’m going to pop over there - and pick up some vinegar while I’m at it, so I can run it through the coffee pot. When it gets loud enough that it wakes you (after the timer kicks on, before the alarm goes off), it’s time to deal with it.
Why is it that cleaning out other people’s rooms is so much more…interesting than doing your own?There’s all sort of exciting things to find there.Perhaps we should organize a Doper Cleaner Exchange
I’ve found that if I start with part of a room – say, clearing off the table – that gets me started. I go around doing little jobs instead of looking at it as one big job.
I’ve also found that if nothing else, making piles of stuff into neat-looking piles of stuff does huge things for a room.
I HATE CLEANING. But sometimes you’ve just gotta do it. sigh
My problem is I just move stuff.Empty out boxes,then put it into a cupboard.It will then move into the wardrobe,onto the table,into drawers and never get anything done.This time I moved,I went through each box.If I need something,it stays.If it needs something doing with it(phone,letter,visit)it gets done.If its useless,it goes. It’s a lot easier with a pile of boxes in one corner than a great huge pile of stuff in the room.Although it’s very discouraging when you’ve filled five black sacks full of rubbish and there’s still as much stuff as when you began the day…
I’ve cleaned, mopped, vacuumed, shredded, scrubbed and run vineger through the coffee pot (right now I’m running pot 1 of 3 or so through it to get the remnants of the vinegar out of it). The sun has even come out, at least for a minute or two.
Now I have to figure out what I’m going to do with the rest of my day. I’m thinking nap…or lunch…or just going out for a walk.
(You know it’s been too long since your last vacation when a 3 day weekend feels like a huge amount of time to have free and to yourself.)
