After reading about the author's theory behind housecleaning (which is basically "You aren't going to change, so your house needs to") I'm stoked about The House That Cleans Itself. This is a revolutionary concept for me, and already I'm feel less horrible about what a bad housekeeper I am. And I simply love that Mindy (can I call the author Mindy please, cuz she already feels like a girl friend?) readily acknowledges her housekeeping was once even worse than mine. I mean, I can't say I've ever discovered wheat growing in my bathroom.So I've whipped out a notebook and - with a little bit of struggle - created a rough floor plan of our house. I've also numbered areas in the house (to determine which gets cleaned first, second, and so on) and very easily decided what my "home base" is. Like many women, I imagine, the place I most hate having dirty and cluttered is the kitchen. If the counters are crowded, cooking makes me cranky. And if the kitchen in general is dirty, I feel icky and start thinking about what a bad housekeeper I am. I've al
so begun cleaning my home base. Um, I admit, it's taking a while to get it spotless and shining. I really haven't given it a top to bottom cleaning since becoming pregnant with my first, about 5 years ago. I should have taken a "before" photo, but I, er, forgot. Suffice it to say the grease build up alone is pretty bad.
So far, I've almost made it around the perimeter of the kitchen, but I still need to clean the ceiling, the refrigerator area, and the small counter right next to the refrigerator, which is, admittedly, a cluttered mess I want to ignore. I'm also working on purging items that don't belong in the kitchen; I have 2 diaper boxes already filled. Among the things I'm sending off to charity are a counter top spice rack (it's nice, but I really want more counter space, and the rack tends to get greasy, anyway) and a bunch of cookbooks I never use.
What is your "base zone" and how is your cleaning coming?
My base zone is also the kitchen. I sit down with a notebook and write out everything I want, or need to do in it. The tops of our cupboards do not reach the ceiling and they catch a lot of grease and dust, mainly because they are above eye level. Out of sight out of mind. I've tried cleaning with a hot soapy rag, but it still doesn't come off. I'd love any advice anyone has for this problem. I've also found that instead of buying wood oil, I can just use cooking oil to polish up my doors. Crazy I know, to wipe grease buildup off then put new on, but it has the same results as wood oil and I believe the shine lasts longer. Our counter top next to the fridge also is a catchall, I try to practice putting things away immediately, but it doesn't always work that way with other family members contributing to the pile. So, I set a deadline for having a clean kitchen and get the girls involved in putting things away. Keep up the good work, Kristina!
ReplyDeleteLoretta, would Windex work to clean the grease? That's usually what I have the best luck with. The cooking oil makes sense to me, since that's what is recommended for wood cutting boards.
ReplyDeleteThanks! The Windex worked. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, good, Loretta!
ReplyDeleteI read the first couple of chapters over the weekend, and it definitely has my mind going! I haven't gotten the notebook yet (one more thing to pick up on my errands this week!), and I'm debating on what my 'home base' is. Like you, it's probably my kitchen, but at the same time, it may be having the entire house's floors vacuumed (if not necessarily mopped.) At first I thought it was my office, and I do feel more in control when things are filed where they're supposed to be and my shredding is caught up, but it's not as noticeable as the kitchen/dining room! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm eager to get started, but I'm thinking some of this may have to wait until after I've recovered from having a baby in a few weeks.
I do know that before I read the book, I'd already started adjusting some of my own habits with the mail, namely taking the junk mail either directly to the trash can, or more recently, to the recycling or shredding containers. If I can deal with just the important mail (bills and personal correspondence), it's less of a headache and takes up less space on my counter!
Liberty, yes I'm sure it will take at least weeks after the baby is born for you to fully implement this program. But you're right that you can start thinking about it now. I really like my floors clean, too, but I ultimately decided having a tidy kitchen was even more of a boost for me, since it makes working in there so very much easier.
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