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i love a clean home as i am sure you all do. since i have been in hospital several times things began to slide. well now Bothwell is coming over soon and i am desperate to get this place pristine! but i feel overwhelmed, where to start? my plan for today is to get in shower sans clothing and scrub the entire bathroom. any tips for tackling a semi-neglected home and getting it spotless? domestic goddesses where are you?? :wah:

put a CD on that you can sing along to and then just get cracking!

work logically around the room doing bit by bit, take everything off a surface clean it all then put it back and move on

can you come over? :sneaky:

are you paying for the flight?!

actually im a bit of a freak i kinda like housework.... i used to love tidying my room when i was younger, it was time on my own without anyone else around when i could look at my things and put my CD's on to sing along to

Call up one of the rent-a-maid, have them do the heavy cleaning for you LC. Go out to the beach and read a nice book!

*wishful thinking on my part. I'll go with you to the beach!*

pink princess wrote: put a CD on that you can sing along to and then just get cracking!



work logically around the room doing bit by bit, take everything off a surface clean it all then put it back and move on



:D


Select only a few special things to put back on display. Store or get rid of the rest. I have made a rule that i only have 1 or 3 items on each surface (shelves etc) This has cut down on the clutter and made cleaning easier and quicker. In the bathroom..chuck out all the stuff you haven't used for ages...put the rest in pretty baskets or containers to keep it organised.

In the kitchen, only keep essentials on the worktop ...it looks better and is easier to keep clean.....it has taken me 40 yrs of housework to see some sense. we get too sentimental over posessions and spend hours dusting them and moving them around. If you haven't worn it, used it for 6 months donate it to the charity shop or bin it

Bez

tmbsgrl wrote: I am like Pink Princess. I put on a Cd or just the radio and I sing, dance and clean. Seems to get done quicker that way! My daughter and my husband think I am funny. I'll sing in the spoon!! lol :wah:


I loath the job, but what works for me, kick out the kid, and pets and start with one room, usually the smallest and easiest and clean it top to bottom because the success of that one clean room drives me to tackle the next, but you have to be dilligent and complete a room at a time.

Housework SUCKS!!! My sister is a major slob, and when she moved to her new house, she moved all her crap with her, and now her new place was a wreck. One day she got a bug up her ass and decided to do something about it. She cleaned the living room first, and then began 3 piles: One to keep, one to throw away and one to donate. She started at one edge of one room, and every single item got placed in one of the three piles. When an entire surface was clean, it got scoured or polished. Then on to the next area. She was ruthless! Because out of the piles, the stuff to keep had have a place to go, and she figured if the effort of finding a place for it wasn't worth it, out it went. SIMPLIFY!!! Her housewarming present from me was a crap-load of rags, sponges, buckets, cleaners etc. It took 16 months, but they finally got put to use!!

Small incriments, LC. Set a pace for yourself, of say, 30 minutes. Once you've worked for 30 minutes straight, reward yourself with 10 minutes on the computer. When I can't drag myself away from FG, I force myself to get up, get a sinkful of dishes done, and then (only when they're done) do I get to get back to FG, or my book.

I wish I could come help you!!!

lady cop wrote: i love a clean home as i am sure you all do. since i have been in hospital several times things began to slide. well now Bothwell is coming over soon and i am desperate to get this place pristine! but i feel overwhelmed, where to start? my plan for today is to get in shower sans clothing and scrub the entire bathroom. any tips for tackling a semi-neglected home and getting it spotless? domestic goddesses where are you?? :wah:


Great suggestions so far. I vote for having someone (or a team) come in and let them do the heavy stuff. You can always work on putting stuff away and tidying things up.

It will cost some bucks, but may be worth it!

great suggestions here! i like 1. hire someone 2. go to beach :-6 and Bez i just threw out about $938.worth of makeup off the bathroom counter, that i never wore! last year when hurricanes were coming i packed up all my crystal, china, photos, knick-knacks, everything, and it's still packed, so very little clutter. now i've washed all the white stuff, curtains, rugs, bedding, mosquito netting. i even washed all my beautiful perfume bottles that had dust on them. it's true, it's really the heavy stuff worrying me. anyone want to come over, i will feed you lobsters! :-4

Bless your heart.............................You are a working woman AND have been in the hospital. I'm sure your man will understand if the house is not perfectly clean.

He probably wants it to be cozy and comfy more than anything else. And, ofcource, you to be there to make him feel welcome.

Make a list of cleaning goals per day. For example, the bathroom one day, the kitchen another. Go from the top to the bottom, dusting, cleaning, vacuuming...........whatever. As previously suggested, have some groovin' music going in the background. Music to "tidy up" by. Whatever you enjoy listening to. Take short breaks every so often and pat yourself on the back for what you have accomplished. For any big heavy jobs, ask Boswell if he would be sweet enough to help you and do them together (after he has rested some). Then, order a pizza and drink a "cold one"together and just kick back.

along-for-the-ride wrote: Bless your heart.............................You are a working woman AND have been in the hospital. I'm sure your man will understand if the house is not perfectly clean.

He probably wants it to be cozy and comfy more than anything else. And, ofcource, you to be there to make him feel welcome.


I think along-for-the-ride has hit the proverbial nail on the head!

you guys have a wonderful point there! it's ME putting the pressure on myself.

I'm with Bez...if your problem is clutter, get rid of it. Toss it. Donate it. Each thing you throw out or give away is one more thing you don't have to find a space for. It's fast, and it simplifies your life.

409 makes a GREAT all purpose cleaner. All you need is some 409 and one of those sponges with the green tough scrub on one side and the yellow foam on the other.

And a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, those things work miracles.

((((Hey LC)))) You cleaned up yet, ya scruffy pup??:p