Tag Archives: cleaning

Two Minutes to Tidy

8 Comments

It is great to feel that the decluttering efforts are really making a difference.  This morning I noticed that the shelf where my recipe books are stored was very grubby and needed cleaning.  It was a simple matter of grabbing an armful of books and placing them on the bench while I wiped down the shelf and then replaced the books.  This took me less than 2 minutes.

2015-02-07 01I have never had hundreds of cookbooks but nevertheless it has taken about 3 rounds of culling to get it to this.  You can read about a previous effort here.

Cookbook shelf

That was about 14 months ago but a few more have moved on since then, too.  I do not miss any of them and have not have occasion to regret my decision to move them along.  Recipes are something that has really been revolutionised by the advent of the internet.  There is nothing you cannot find.  Also, recipes are like clothes – there are definitely trends and fashions.

Do you have recipe books?  Have you reduced your collection?

Not So Perfect

3 Comments

More on the organising theme today.  After reading a couple of the comments on my previous post, I wanted dispel any misconceptions about me being perfectly organised.  That is definitely not the case.  My dressing table is a case in point.

This is what it looked like last night.

IMG_4084

The state of this area has been bugging me for months but there always seems to be something else which was more in need of my attention.  The other thing holding me back was perfectionism.  Why start it if I could not complete the task properly?  I have come to realise that perfectionism is one of my personal hurdles and it has taken many years and false starts to identify the problem and then try to work on it.

I had moved some of the larger items in the last week or so but it was still messy and cluttered.  Some of the things that I moved and put away in their correct places were:

Bone density xrays
Prescription tablets
Repeat prescriptions
Warranty for new phone
Packet of Christmas bell decorations
Plastic container

IMG_4085

What is not evident in the photos is that I have not washed all of the china, changed the doyley nor dusted and polished the timber.  The knowledge that I did not have time to do all of this would be reason enough not to tackle the job, however, last night I decided to just put away/discard the extraneous ‘stuff’ and leave the actual cleaning until another day.

The job did not take long and I felt better once it was done. So what was so difficult?  For me it is overcoming the feeling that I have to do the whole job in one go or why bother.

What are your hurdles and what strategies do you use?

Deep Clean & Dressed For Winter

5 Comments

Today I had a deep clean in our bedroom.  I took the mattress and base off the bed so that I could vacuum properly underneath it.  I turned the mattress when I replaced it.

2013-04-18 01I cleaned the windowsills, cornices and skirting boards.

The valance on the base was washed.

2013-04-18 02The valance was replaced and the bed remade with fresh linen.  I have swapped the light coloured doona cover that we use during the summer months for this one.

2013-04-18It changes the look of the room.  Although it is the same fabric, the darker colour  feels right for the cooler weather.  I have not yet put the feather doona on the bed – we have a cotton blanket and lightweight polyfill doona at the moment.

The weather is still quite warm at the moment but we will make gradual changes as needed.

Make Your Own

6 Comments

I have been busy with some other activities but I have hopefully got things re-balanced since my holiday and blogging will slot back into place.

I have posted the recipe for this cream cleanser before but I thought it was worth revisiting.  I will also add a page at the top of the blog with links to recipes for cleaning products so that the information does not get lost in the mists of time.

Firstly, I assembled the ingredients all 3 of them!

2013-04-08 02And the utensils.

2013-04-08 01Cream Cleanser

1&1/2 cups bicarb soda
110ml dishwashing liquid
30ml eucalyptus oil

Mix all ingredients together to form a ‘Gumption-style’ paste.

Store in container.  I use glass because the original instructions cast some doubt over the compatibility with some plastics.

Use to clean sinks, baths and basins by rubbing a paste over the surface and rinse clean with fresh water.  You can spray with vinegar for added effect.  As always, test surface to ensure it is OK to use.

Combine all the ingredients to form a smooth but stiff paste.

2013-04-08 03The finished product – ready to use.

2013-04-08 04The quantities in the recipe are perfect for the jar I choose to use.  You can adjust to suit your own needs.

Bi-carbonate of soda is an amazingly versatile cleaning product and whole books have been written about its uses.  Here is one that I also used on the weekend.

We had some grubby marks on the light-coloured carpet near the doorway of our bedroom.  I placed about a teaspoon of bicarb on the carpet and gently rubbed it into the stain.  I vacuumed it immediately and the stain was gone!  It was like magic.  It would naturally depend on the type of marks but this is definitely worth trying before resorting to carpet cleaning.  As always, check for colour fastness on an inconspicuous spot before use.

What bicarb tips do you have to share?

Now……..The Fallout

2 Comments

Did you get sucked into Click Frenzy?

Was it a success or total disaster?  I guess it depends on your point of view and whether or not you were involved.  Now for the ramifications.  Check this news report.

My day was much more sedate.  I did some paid work from home and then spent some time cleaning my living room.

When I decide to clean properly I remove cobwebs and dust from the cornices, clean windows, skirting boards and the floor as well as dusting and polishing the furniture.  It is a big task but definitely worthwhile when it is finished.  I also cast a critical eye over all of the ‘stuff’ and make sure it is still current and relevant.  I did toss a couple of things but generally everything I have here is useful and/or loved.

2012-11-21 01I have not completed the whole room yet but here is the shelving unit which is all done.

Chemical-Free Cleaning

2 Comments

As promised here is a recipe for one of the homemade cleaning products that I use.  I found the recipe on the internet some months ago and have adapted the quantities to suit my needs.

It is simple to make.  You need only basic utensils.

Only 3 ingredients.

Cream Cleanser

1&1/2 cups bicarb soda
110ml dishwashing liquid
30ml eucalyptus oil

Mix all ingredients together to form a ‘Gumption-style’ paste.

Store in container.  I use glass because the original instructions cast some doubt over the compatibility with some plastics.

Use to clean sinks, baths and basins by rubbing a paste over the surface and rinse clean with fresh water.  You can spray with vinegar for added effect.  As always, test surface to ensure it is OK to use.

I use this paste and a soft cloth to clean my Neoflam frying pan.

You should never need to buy Gumption, Jif, Ajax or similar ever again.

The eucalyptus oil gives the added bonus of relieving any head cold symptoms while you do the housework!

I will have another recipe tomorrow but in the meantime feel free to share any chemical-free/homemade cleaning tips.

A Thorough Clean

1 Comment

I have managed to get most things back in order since we arrived home 10 days ago but the bathroom has been neglected.  The toiletries that we brought back were unpacked but had not been sorted and put away.

2012-09-26 01This afternoon I finally had time to give the cupboard a thorough clean.  I took everything out and sorted through it.  There was not a lot to throw out but it was good to make sure that everything went back in the correct place and a couple of sample size containers of shower gel have been put in the shower to be used up.

I also cleaned the shelves as it was several months since they were done.  The mirror and basin were cleaned as well.  Of course, one thing leads to another and while I was standing on the chair to reach the top of the mirror I noticed marks on the ceiling.  These appeared to be insect spots and while not really noticeable I decided to clean them as they would only get worse and more difficult to remove over time.  The Duke had painted the ceiling in a semi-gloss paint in an attempt to reduce the chance of mould growing and this made it quite easy to clean the ceiling.  A damp cloth was all I needed and the ceiling is looking as good as new.

Here is the freshly cleaned and organised vanity unit.

2012-09-26 02I also tidied up the drawers and even took some photos but you are just going to have to believe me on that one as I am having issues getting the photos to the blog.  I hope it comes good before tomorrow.

All I used to do my cleaning today was some warm water with a drop of detergent and a couple of clean cloths.  I try to minimise the chemicals that I use and during the next week I hope to share some of the alternatives that you can use.

Defrosting, Dusting & De-bugging

2 Comments

Today I defrosted the small freezer.  Since it is only the size of a bar fridge we take it out on the verandah and let the ice thaw without any added assistance.  I pack all of the contents into the camp fridge and set it to ‘freeze’ so there is no problem with anything defrosting.  The freezer lives in the office so I took the opportunity to give the room a good clean.

Here is what I did:

  • Cleared the desk of some random papers
  • Sent some emails which related to the paperwork which was then discarded
  • Threw out a pen which no longer works
  • Wiped down the bookshelves and desk
  • Clean mould off door and architraves
  • Cleaned the windows
  • Washed the flyscreen
  • Removed the light fitting and washed out the residue of bugs
  • Wiped lemon oil around the cornices and corners to deter the spiders
  • Wiped down all of the computer items
  • Vacuumed the keyboard
  • Cleaned power points and light switches
  • Vacuumed and washed the floor

2012-05-07 01While I try to keep the house in reasonable order most of the time, I do find it good to give one room a good clean from top to bottom.

2012-05-07 02How do you clean?  One room completely or do you tackle all of the vacuuming or perhaps clean every light switch in the house?

47 & Falling

8 Comments

After weeks of very humid weather we finally have some respite.  We have a hygrometer which sits on the bench between the kitchen and dining room and when I got up this morning it was 47% relative humidity – that is about half what it has been recently.  During the course of the day it fell even more to 33% at one stage.

This may not seem particularly exciting to those of you you are not living in humid, high rainfall areas but believe me, it is exciting when your lounge chairs look like this.

2012-10-03 01The back looked worse – if that is possible.

2012-10-03 02They have been getting worse over about a week or two but it was no point in cleaning them while the weather was so wet.  In fact The Duke could not work out how it go so wet the other night – the rain does not blow in – until I pointed out that both of the chairs were completely wet simply due to the humid conditions.

Today I cleaned both recliner chairs and the 2 seater sofa.  I have a small jar with about 100ml of olive oil and some lemon essential oil.  The lemon oil is because I like the aroma and also it is supposed to be a spider deterrent.  I am not sure how effective that is.  I added 5ml of clove oil to the mix and then with an old t-shirt wiped, rubbed and polished for a couple of hours until I had all of the leather cleaned, free of mould and gleaming.

Here are the ‘after’ photos.

2012-10-03 03And the back.

2012-10-03 04I also keep a spray bottle with 5ml of clove oil diluted in 500ml of water.  Using this and a clean cloth I also cleaned all of the kitchen cupboards and kickboards as well as quite a few of the door frames and skirting boards.  Keeping the mould at bay is a never-ending battle in this climate so I make the clove oil a regular part of my cleaning routine.

If you are interested in more information about reducing the humidity in your home as well as the use of clove oil you can type ‘mould’ into the search button on the right-hand side of the blog and you will find all of my other posts that deal with this issue.

Finally, if you are concerned about humidity in your home I would strongly recommend purchasing a hygrometer.  It is a real eye-opener to actually know what the humidity reading is.

How Do You Clean?

10 Comments

Do you clean all like things together or do it room by room?

From an efficiency point of view I suspect that it makes sense to do all of the sweeping or clean all of the light fittings.  On the other hand , I like knowing that I have completed one room.  An example is the bedroom – I may strip the bed then remove any cobwebs, wipe the windowsills, clean the lightshade, clean mirror, dust and polish furniture, vacuum the carpet, remake the bed with fresh linen – and it is all done.

Anyone who has been reading this blog for a while will be aware that the office is the unofficial dumping ground here and getting it the way I want it is a struggle.  Since the weather has been miserable today I have stayed indoors and continued to work on this area.

I am very pleased with my achievements so far.  Here is the desk.

2012-03-04 01Another view of the room.

2012-03-04 02Finally, the pile of stuff that I have yet to sort and find where it is going to live – either in this house or elsewhere.

2012-03-04 03Wish me luck!