“Green” Spring Cleaning
“Green” Spring Cleaning
Ahh, Spring. Now is the time to throw open the windows, put on some upbeat music and start spring cleaning. Let’s get started, but let’s do it without harsh chemicals that can harm your body. Many people believe, inaccurately, that the only way to effectively clean their homes is with bleach, ammonia or other harsh, yet common, cleaning products. Cleaning with “green” products is not only effective but can be rather pleasant, due to thier luscious natural oils. If you are not sure if your regular products are safe, visit the Environmental Working Group’s website at: http://www.ewg.org/ to check to see if the ingredients are toxic.
What you’ll need:
∑ bucket, big enough to accommodate a mop
∑ rags, preferably old facecloths or cut up towels (the “tooth” on these really pick up dirt well)
∑ rubber gloves (your hands will thank you)
∑ apron with big pockets to keep cleaning supplies in
∑ microfiber cloth(s) Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Cleaning Pads
∑ low fiber paper towels
∑ magnetic dusters, small one and longer one, with telescopic handle or microfiber mop
∑ mop
∑ vacuum, preferably one with HEPA filter*
∑ natural cleaning products, e.g.: Mrs. Myers Clean Day All Purpose Cleaner or BioKleen All Purpose Cleaner, Mrs. Myers Window Spray, Bon Ami scouring powder and Murphy’s Oil Soap**
Start by choosing one room to clean at a time. Trying to clean the whole house is overwhelming and over-taxing for most people. Put on your apron and fill it with spray cleaners, small dusters and microfiber cloths. Fill your bucket with Mrs. Myers All Purpose Cleaner and warm water. Open one window at a time, and wash the windowsill with the rags and the cleaning solution. Clean windows with Mrs. Myers Window Spray and paper towels (try to clean windows when it is not sunny to prevent streaks).
Next, dust all the small items in the room with the micorfiber cloth and/or small electromagnetic duster (you’ll intuitively find which one is better suited for the job.) Now dust furniture, baseboards, ceilling corners and low areas with the long telescopic magnetic duster or a damp microfiber mop. Afterwards, the magnetic dusters need to be shaken out outside. If you are cleaning the bedroom, you might want to wash the bed linens (put a few drops of eucalyptus oil in the washer machine to kill dust mites.)
Next, clean the floors. Vacuum first—both floors and rugs. I highly recommend a vacuum with a HEPA filter so it doesn’t spew the dust back out into the room as you clean. Lastly, fill the bucket with Murphy’s oil soap and water and damp mop the floors. Using the attachments, vacuum the drapes or alternately wash any curtains. Taking down curtains and rehanging them is a task that is easily accomplished with two people.
Cleaning the kitchen usually takes longer if you are doing a big thourough cleaning. Start by using Bon Ami scouring powder to clean the sink. Next wash down all counters and appliances with Mrs. Myers all purpose cleaner. (If you are feeling energetic, clean the inside of the referigerator as well.) I also use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Cleaning Pads to get rid of scuffs and marks on walls and floors. Use your mop and the BioKleen All Purpose Cleaner to clean the kitchen floor.
Now everything in your home should look and smell wonderfully clean. And no harsh chemicals were used, so you now have peace of mind that you haven’t made your home unnecessarily toxic. Now all you have to do is buy a some fresh flowers or plants and your home should look and feel spring fresh.
*Even though they are expensive to purchase, I strongly recommend buying a decent vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. They clean better and don’t spew the dust and dirt back out into the room as you vaccuum. They are a necessity if you have allergies or asthma. I am loving my Dyson DC-23 Stowaway cannister vacuum. The amount of dust and dirt that it picked up was satisfying and horrorifying at the same time. If you treat and maintain your vacuum properly, you should have it for many years.
**If you haven’t had a chance to try Mrs. Myers natural cleaning products (http://www.mrsmyers.com), you are in for a pleasant surprise once that you do. The products contain wonderful oil essences, like lemon verbena (my favorite), lavender and geranium and effective cleaning agents. The products smell so good and work well that you may find yourself cleaning more often. I have also found BioKleen products (http://www.biokleenhome.com) to smell and work effectively as well. Good old Murphy’s Oil Soap has been around for decades and works well on wood floors. Bon Ami scouring powder has been around for years as well, and contains no harsh chemicals.
green cleaning products that smell lovely
Making Small Changes Can Have a Profound Impact-Part I
When people find out that I am a professional organizer, they often say how envious they are of organized lifestyles, implying that it is impossible for them to have one as well. So how does one change to a simpler, more organized lifestyle? I think that it is best to suggest ways to attain this lifestyle is in a nonlinear series of steps that one takes and eventually embraces. I noticed over the years that when I made one small change and stuck with it, the process seemed to beg for another positive change. Wow.
Here are a few suggestions that I find have helped me immeasurably.
• Make your bed and put away your clothes first thing in the morning. You could do this while your coffee is brewing. It just makes the room look so much better. Consider choosing bed linens that are less fussy. Putting your clothes and accessories away before bed is also a great idea.
• Wash dishes or put them in the dishwasher. If you have time, do a quick clean of the counters and sink. I have found that 
using Mrs. Meyers dish soap and counter top spray (I love the lemon verbena ones) makes these tasks more appealing. Dirty dishes in the sink–it just stinks–and not just literally.
• At some point in the day, spend 15-30 minutes going through your home, and putting stuff away or in its right place. You can use a kitchen timer to time yourself. Put coats in the closet. Mail in the mail container (see www.harmoniouslifedesigns.com/tips for a suggestion on how to manage your mail if your mail always winds up on your dining room table in piles.) Cereal boxes, coffee, crackers etc. back in the cupboards. Newspapers in the recycling bin. Toys in their containers. If you don’t have “homes” for certain things, schedule some time to come up with a system to find these “homes” so everything can be put away.
These simple and quick routines can easily become your daily habits and lead to a more clutter-free home. And who wouldn’t want that?
January’s Free Organizing Tips
As we look toward a new year, January would be a good time to start some organizing projects. In the professional organizing industry, this month is known as GO Month—as in Get Organized Month. I don’t think that you need to go crazy and do a huge overhaul in one weekend. Instead, carve out some time and begin some small organizing projects around the house.
• Now is the time to go through linen closets and thin out any excess. I am grateful to announce that The Home Goods Stores in Massachusetts is accepting any gently used linens (sheets, towels, blankets and comforters) this month, January 11-25. This is fantastic opportunity since most charities do not accept linen donations. To find a store near you check out this link: http://www.homegoods.com/
• During the holidays, many of us may have acquired new small electronics. It is important to keep track of all our gadgets and their accessories. Label chargers and other accessories with a small piece of masking tape identifying their respective components (e.g. charger for Sony camera). It would be wise to keep a folder (large plastic one with dividers would be best) for all the manuals and warranties.
• Assign spots for “mobile” items such as keys, phone, iPod and sunglasses. Try a tray for most items on a small table (by the door) and add some hooks for your keys. Also try leaving a large basket by the door for things that need to leave the house (e.g. library books, Netflix returns, dry cleaning drop-off.)
• Want to keep that hallway filled with boots looking neat and organized? Try using thin cork tiles (Quartet 12”x 12” Cork Tiles) from Staples on the floor. I usually line up all 4 along the wall to keep melted snow off the floor. Of course you could also use these cork tiles as bulletin boards, which is their original purpose.
• Clean out and organize your junk drawer and your top drawer on your desk. Having these project(s) accomplished will inspire you to attempt other organizing projects. Check out this website for inexpensive drawer organizer: http://www.stacksandstacks.com/outlet/index.html
or the http://www.containerstore.com/
Did you happen to find some old glasses in those drawers? You can donate them to the www.GivetheGiftofSight.org
• Paper Management: Start gathering out information from your 2008 folders and prepare your 2009 folders. Examples of these would be “Credit Cards”, “Bank Statements”, “Insurance”, “Utilities”, “Auto Insurance”, “Auto Maintenance”, “Medical”, “Tax Info”. I find the best system is to use the classic hanging file folders with tabs in a small file cabinet. You can add the tabbed manila folders as subfolders inside the hanging ones. There are also some great portable filing systems if you don’t have a filing cabinet.
Good Luck with these and other organizing projects!
Maureen Nuccitelli
Harmonious Life Designs.com
Finding the Balance Between Collecting and Having a (Almost) Clutter-Free Life
how do we "collect" and still be free of a clutter nightmare?
We all love to collect things, whether it is our silk scarves from places that we have visited, shells picked up at the shore, or antique collectible teacups. And some of our collections are not so clearly defined as a “collection”. For instance all those Victorian Home magazines or old tools from your grandfather are items that have emotional attachment or that you just can’t bear to part with. But what is an organized or attempting-to-be-organized person to do?
Most people don’t realize this, but our stuff takes up space, time and energy. We need to understand this very vital fact. For instance, anyone who is a fashion maven (i.e., “collects” clothes) knows how much time and money is required to keep, clean and maintain all her clothing. She will spend money on washing, dry cleaning, buying storage items, investing in high-end closets and possibly hiring a professional organizer to sort and maintain order with all her clothing. The hours spent switching wardrobes when seasons change can really add up and take away time from other endeavors. This is just one example of how our stuff takes up so much of our resources and our precious time.
As much as we love our stuff, how can we keep our stuff yet still have an organized and (almost) clutter-free life? The best way to evaluate the right balance is to take regular inventory of our possessions. Sometimes it is time to let things go. This does not mean that one has to throw things out in the trash. Many times people bemoan the fact that extraneous items in their home still have value. This is true. How about letting someone else have these “valuable” items?
The latest trend is to refer to recycling things as to “repurposing” them. That black Anne Klein miniskirt that you wore so chicly just a few years ago would look dynamite on some one else. Those 20 extra mugs and plates could make some college kid happy that he is not eating off of paper plates.
There are so many organizations and regular folks that could benefit from having your stuff. And landfills would become less full. This pertains to everyday household items as well as clothing. There are numerous ways in which to recycle or repurpose. You could have a tag sale, a fashion swap, donate to charity or offer items on freecycle.org. If you have a large collection of books, you might want to ask yourself if you are really ever going to have the time to reread books given the long list of books that you still want to read. There is the great website for donating books called gotbooks.com. Another great charity is Dressed for Success, an organization dedicated to helping women re-enter the work force. You could donate your gently used professional clothing that you no longer need or want so that other women have a good start in their new life.
When you let some of your items go back out into the world for some one else to use, you allow space to free up in your home. You could fill that space with other items that you want to collect or you could enjoy the zen moment of having a little less stuff for the time being.
Clear Your Emotional Clutter So You Can Clear Your Physical Clutter
Recently, I was teaching a class on clearing one’s emotional blockages before attempting to clear the physical clutter, when one of the class members inadvertently drove the point home. She explained how easy it is for her to go her mother’s house and organize it from top to bottom, yet is totally stymied when it comes to her own home. This woman, like so many others, has several emotional issues that prevent her from getting organized and having the life that she wants. But where do you begin in attempting to deal with the emotional baggage?
First, it is important to identify the actual organizing challenge. So let’s start with woman named Nancy. Nancy is having problems with organizing her basement. After her father passed away and her mother moved into a small condo, many of her parents’ possessions, some heirlooms and some just junk, wound up being stored in her basement. This area was never a picture of organizational heaven, but now it was truly an impossible room to navigate through. But as much as Nancy wanted to organize and clean it, she would always find something else to attend to on her to-do list. Why could Nancy maintain order in the rest of her house but could not deal with this situation? Well when prodded about her feelings, Nancy admitted that she resented her family for dumping everything in her basement. There were some resentful feelings about her being the responsible sibling and always having to attend to family needs. She also had some other unresolved feelings about her father’s passing and her mother’s new limited lifestyle. And on top of everything else it didn’t seem that her husband was aware of her emotional minefield or was that concerned about the mess in the cellar.
The key to Nancy’s organizational situation was her buried feelings of resentment toward her siblings and husband and guilt about her parents. Well this was a start. It was recommended that Nancy try using a simple technique called the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) that helps unblock emotions that we tend to bury or overlook. This simple technique of tapping of the body’s meridian points is easily explained and demonstrated at the website www.emofree.com. Gary Craig, the founder, offers advice and help for free (there is a cost if one wants to order the instructional DVDs.) for dealing with various issues.
Basically, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) is the tapping on the body’s meridians to release negative energy blocks. The EFT site explains why this tapping (releasing) works by stating: “The cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body’s energy system”. You can download the entire manual for FREE. I have found this technique to be very effective and simple and I have personally used it on a number of varied situations. Once you learn EFT, you can do it in a matter of minutes. I find that it is best to practice in front of mirror.
So you want to deal with your own situation but don’t know where to begin? First, identify your organizing challenge. Then identify the emotion(s) behind it. Sometimes it is necessary to break it down into steps because the situation could encompass various emotions and layers. Then practice some rounds of EFT. There are no negative side effectst o this technique so it can only help. If you are having trouble getting started, there is an amazing article on the EFT website by Figen Genco entitled: The 9 Phases of Organizing with EFT.
Learning to deal with our underlying emotional blockages and to develop our consciousness will help us deal with our clutter and be able to live the life that we desire.
