iLOVE: housekeeping

A few people have asked for an update on the Great Cleanse. A couple of people have actually asked to join in the fun, so while you only have a week to catch up your January, I'll kind of do a summary each week of a) what was completed the week before and b) what's on the horizon for the next week.

The last 3 weeks have been very freeing. Not only have I successfully cleaned out and organized my pantry, soup cupboard, fridge, and spice rack, but I've managed to unearth several missing items that were lost in the clutter. The top of our fridge is bare, we have a new shoe tree/coat rack thingy that doesn't block have the kitchen window AND looks pretty, and have decided it's time to officially kill the microwave that since we're not using to heat water for warming up bottles is really just a popcorn maker. Microwave popcorn is bad for you, and I don't even really like microwave popcorn, so adios, microondas! The hot air popper has been unearthed and life goes on.

We've amassed all the papers and odds and ends into one box, which will be sorted out when we get to the Office Cleaning Month. (March, I think.) Before January is out, we have only one cupboard to clean out (under the sink) which is a whole nightmare by itself - a toxic mess of garbage bags, dishsoap, tools, cleaners, plumbing parts, and other miscellany... But I can do it, yes I can...

In total, we've removed about 6 garbage bags full of garbage (handle-less mugs, old tea towels, ancient spices, expired condiments...) and taken a carload of donations in (the old dishrack I bought when I was married to my first husband, the mugs with handles that we never use, the extra 58 bazillion water bottles and travel mugs we never use, the duplicate and/or unused cookie cutters, can openers, garlic presses...) In total we spent about $250 on organizers - canisters and tubs for the pantry, the new shoe/coat stand, a dishrack, and the bamboo utensil tray and spice rack.

We've known since we moved in the kitchen needed renovating. part of what we did was do an Ikea kitchen plan, just to get a more concrete idea of where we wanted to go when we actually started doing the work. We discovered that while we would love to do a major overhaul, the most pragmatic thing to do was to actually just replace what we have with more space-efficient cupboards, and add a dishwasher. In the spirit of moving ahead, we decided to go and look at some cabinets, in person. And while we were out and about we managed to find some bamboo flooring for cheap cheap cheap - enough to do both the kitchen AND the main living room at the cabin, for under $500 including taxes. SCORE!

Moving forward is kind of scary, I admit. It's not just letting go of the past, but making plans for a future that is completely the opposite of predictable and comfortable, which is what the mess and stagnancy provided. The kitchen feels clean and fresh; I have great trepidation. And excitement, too. February is bedroom month, and I'm already looking for the perfect closet shoe-organizer... and Lord knows, if there's something I need help with it's my shoe problem...

To sum up (if you want to catch up) here's a The Method: eliminate, categorize, organize. (seriously, this is the most amazing phrase I've ever heard lol)

Apply The Method to:

• spice rack/cupboard, pantry, fridge, dishes - eliminate duplicates, expired goods, and stuff you can no longer identify. Also ditch the busted, broken, chipped, stained things unless you really can't afford to replace them, in which case, make sure they are washed and put away neatly (you don't have to alphabetize, but you can put your baking good in one place, and your canned goods belong with your other cans instead of mixed in with the instant porridge, see...)
• remove everything from under your sink and replace it with only dish-things, and your garbage/recycling (this one is going to be tough for us... ~sigh~)
• Store the toxic things (silver polish, Drain-o, etc.) in a safer place - in a locked room or on a high shelf in the basement - and put all your bathroom, kitchen, floor, furniture, silver cleaners in the same place, preferably in a storage closet or similar space.
• clean off the door of your fridge except for important numbers; get a corkboard or something to hang your kids' artwork on in your family room or something.
• clean out the junk drawers, baskets, piles on top of the fridge or countertop, and create new spaces for them - put your papers to be filed in a single box, get a jar for your pencils (make it a pretty one - you want it to look nice!), put tools in the garage, etc.

By the end of this week my kitchen will be done save for the major renos. Even after the first week I found it easier to keep it clean and organized. If it worked this well for the kitchen, which gets used more than almost every other room in the house, I can hardly wait to see what happens by March or July let alone December...