More Cleaning and Organizing Tips
Copyright 2001 by Michelle Jones
(additional reader's tips below)
Cleaning...
* Make a weekly cleaning schedule for household chores, unless
you have toddlers in the house, you can clean an entire house by doing a little
each day of the week. Or, if you're really pressed for time try getting it
all done in one sweep. (No pun intended! :o) The key is to keep at it, if
you go a week without cleaning anything the job will be much harder when you do
finally get to it.
* Save money making your own window cleaner:
3 T. vinegar
3 T. ammonia
2/3 c. water
alcohol and a drop of blue food coloring optional
* Anti-bacterial dish/hand soap:
8 parts dish detergent
2 parts 70% Isopropyl/Rubbing Alcohol
* Keep all your cleaning supplies in one place. Using a
handy caddy or dish bucket works great, you can carry your supplies with you
from room to room.
* Don't waste your time watching the same old commercials over
and over again, get up and go clean something!
Clutter Control...
* At the end of each school year, sort through all the papers
and artwork and save out only the favorites. At the end of 12 years of
schooling you should end up with one box of keepsakes, not 12! And please
don't ask how I know this! ;o)
* The golden rule of clutter control, if you haven't used it in
two years, give it away! Some people even say 6-12 months!
Gift Giving...
* When you see that perfect gift for
someone during the year, go ahead and purchase it, you'll have your Christmas
shopping done by October!
* Consider giving a similar gift for
certain occasions such as baby and wedding showers. This will save you the
time of thinking what to get for the next one, and will eliminate an all
day shopping trip looking for the right gift or store.
Moving...
* Before the movers come, make sure you have a
day's worth of items you'll need in your new home packed all in one box.
Items like snacks for the kids, cups, paper towels, ice cube trays, garbage bags
and toilet paper! Label this box clearly with the words "PACK
LAST," and make sure they know you'll be wanting this box to be unloaded
FIRST.
* Although boxes you pack yourself are generally
not covered under the moving company's insurance policy (you will secure for an
added fee), it is still in your best interest to pack as many items as possible,
and not just to save money. When movers pack you, they pack everything
that might be in one area of a room at a time. This means your sunglasses
might end up being packed with your desk items, or your tennis shoes might end
up with the garden supplies! Two suggestions will help avoid this
problem... have your entire house organized with everything in it's proper place
before the movers come, or pack yourself and make a list of items in each box so
right on the top so you'll know exactly where everything is. There's also
a third option... go ahead and pack everything up, not caring where it ends up,
because you're sure you'll find time to unpack every single box as soon as you
get to the new home! ;o)
Organizing...
* Store spices in alphabetical order so you'll
never have to search for one again.
* Keep a family calendar in the kitchen or some
other central location. Have everyone's schedule in one place and check it
everyday. A large family might want to use different colored markers for
each person's schedule. This is also a good place to keep track of
birthdays and anniversaries for friends and extended family. I use a red marker
for those!
Storage...
* Purchase inexpensive baskets at
yard sales and clearance sales, then use to keep small items organized in each
room, especially great for bedrooms and bathrooms.
* Keeping photos stored in shoe boxes not
only saves tons of money on expensive *photo-safe* albums, it also saves a ton
of space!
Additional Reader's Tips...
* For really big cleaning or organizing
projects, pick a DATE and circle it on the calendar (you might need to
psychologically work up to the date!) - Jenn DeSousa
* Make your own laundry detergent by
using one forth of a bar of hand soap grated, one quarter cup of Arm and Hammer
super washing soda booster and a gallon of water. Melt the grated soap
with a little water on the stove top on low to medium. After it is melted,
add the washing soda and mix it in. Pour this mixture into the bucket and
add the hot water. Mix it all up. Put the lid on and store on you
laundry room shelf. Use about a cup each time you do a wash. - Deann
Curtis
* More
Laundry Tips - Linda Myers
* Share
a
Tip!
My
personal New Year's Resolution this year was to get my entire house
completely organized. If you need to get organized too, or could just use a few
tips, come and join me on my journey!