Out Of Chaos

A smart person who really wanted a simple life, would not have light colored carpet. She especially wouldn’t have that cream colored carpet if she has five cats in the house! In fact, she would not have those darned cats!

I didn’t tell you that I was a smart person…did I?

I can’t get rid of my cats! They are “family.” But, they sure are rough on the carpet. Mine are litter box trained, and very good about using the box instead of the floor. However, they are not very fastidious about getting the tiny bits of litter out of their paws before they leave the cat room. Those tiny bits of litter get ground into the carpet and make a stain.

Then, there is the issue of the occasional cat barf. I can’t even think about it! Just my luck that they won’t go hide behind the sofa to throw up. They get right in the middle of the family room to do their business, so the whole world will see the stain they leave behind. I’m probably lucky they don’t throw up behind the couch, because I would never find it.

I think success at removing stains on the carpet depends mostly on how quickly you find it and how fast you can dash. I’ve tried blotting the stain and washing it with just plain water. I’ve tried various carpet stain removers, but they are certainly expensive and not always efficient. Yesterday, I noticed some older stains and decided to try club soda.

First, I brushed the carpet to remove any loose matter. Then, I vacuumed the area. I sprinkled a dab of that club soda on the stained area and scrubbed at it with a clean, white cloth, and ran the vacuum over it again after it dried. Actually, it worked pretty well, although there were a few places that I had to treat more than once.

Maybe plain water would have done the job, but I was pleased with the results of the club soda. I plan to keep some on hand, because I found some other uses for club soda. And, I thought it was just for mixing with Scotch. I had no idea it was so versatile!

I wish I hadn’t chosen light carpet. I can’t afford to replace it with a different color; I’m pretty much stuck with what I have. Next time, I’ll know better. If I install carpet again, my choice of color will be “Dirt.” Better yet, I’ll have a cement floor with a big drain in the middle, so I can just hose the place out!

Tags: Floors, cleaning, simplified life // Add Comment »

The telephone rings, and it is your nightmare (at least it is, if you don’t have a home that looks like it belongs on the cover of “House Beautiful” magazine). The one person you would least like to have see your home at it’s worst is on the other end of the line.

It could be :

• Your fancy friends from the city, whose house is always spotless, because they can afford a housekeeper.
• Your mother-in-law, who always gives your house the “white glove test,” because she knows she should never have let you marry her sainted son.
• The new preacher and his wife, from whom you would like to hide your “sins.”
• Anybody else who is on your list.

“Hi there,” they say, “we were in the neighborhood and thought we would drop by to visit in about an hour.”

Breathe deeply. Don’t let the stress get to you. If saying, “This is not a good time,” or “How about we meet down at this cute little coffeehouse downtown” are not options, then you have an hour to tidy the house.

It can be done!

FIRST: Remember that when a person comes to the door, the first thing they will notice is the odor scent aroma. You probably don’t think your house has a “smell,” but it does. You are just accustomed to it. Don’t assault your guest with unpleasant smells.

1. If you can open a window to let the house ventilate, do so.
2. Got cat litter boxes? Empty them, and sprinkle some baking soda on the litter.
3. Empty the trash cans and the recycle bin. A sprinkling of baking soda can work wonders here, too.
4. Put a lemon in the garbage disposal, run hot water, and grind it up.
5. Give the toilets (the ones that will be seen by the guests a good swish with the toilet brush, and wipe the seat, sides, and lid with a disinfectant wipe.
6. DON’T spray the house down with air freshener (not everyone appreciates that odor, either).
7. INSTEAD, put a cinnamon stick, or a tablespoon of cinnamon, in two cups of water and boil it in a pan on the stove. It will smell as if you have been baking all morning.
8. OR, light scented candles in various rooms of the house (wait until just before the guest’s arrival)

SECOND: Tackle the clutter in the rooms that they will see. Don’t worry about bedrooms. You can close the door (if your mother-in-law sneaks a peak, she will deserve whatever she sees!).

• Grab a large garbage bag and a clothes basket (two if necessary)
• Start at the front door, and work your way into rooms in which the guest will go. Along the way, put trash in the bag, and anything that doesn’t belong in that room into the basket.
• If you will put a dust mitt on your hand as you work, you can easily swipe any large dusty surfaces (only worry about eye level and below).
• Once it’s gathered, find a closet to hide it, or put it in the garage.
• If there are dishes in the sink, put them in the dishwasher (if there are too many, put them in a basket and put them in the garage…just don’t forget them, because the roaches won’t!)

THIRD:
Vacuum the high traffic areas (and, if you have pets, vacuum the main seating area so your guests don’t acquire a coating of pet hair). Fluff the couch pillows. If you have dirty windows, pull the shades and turn on some soft lighting.

FINALLY:
Give yourself a pat on the back! Now quick…go change out of the shirt that sports last night’s lasagna, run a comb through your hair, and swipe on some deodorant. Then, drink a glass of your favorite alcoholic beverage. I promise you won’t notice the dusty baseboards.

Tags: Household Chores Simplified, Quick Cleaning // 1 Comment »

An empty room — and, better yet, an empty closet!

Fibber McGee didn’t have one of those! For those of you who aren’t old-timers, he’s the guy on the old radio show whose closet was a disaster. It was a running gag that any time the closet door opened, everything came tumbling out. The sound men must have had a riot making all the racket for that program. But, when you have a closet like that it isn’t any fun at all.

Empty anything is an uncommon phenomenon in a packrat’s house, but it’s true. The 18 year old moved away to college this weekend and took his bedroom furniture. The room is now a blank slate!

I’m chomping at the bit to utilize this empty space, but trying to go slowly. I don’t want that room to become a clutter repository. I’m hoping to utilize the space to good advantage (and be able to reduce some of the contents of other closets). Yet, I hope to keep the room simple and enjoyable.

It will be a “guest room.” The room that currently suffices as a guest bedroom doubles as “Craft Central.” It’s where I’ve stashed the multitude of supplies for all of my hobbies. Unfortunately, it’s crammed full, so it is neither relaxing for a guest nor serviceable as a craft room. I can’t unfold a weaving loom, because the bed is in the way. Guests trip over the folded loom in trying to get to the bed and get all tangled up in yarn.

I’m hoping to make “Craft Central” a project room that my husband and I can use simultaneously. Right now, if he wants to work on an electronics project he winds up working on the kitchen cabinet. He needs a space where he can close the door on the project for the evening, and be able to pick up work again the next day. Closing the door is imperative because of the five inquisitive cats at our house.

As for the future guest bedroom, I hope to have the bed, a desk (where I hope to do some writing in an area free from distraction), and a comfortable chair. I’m hoping there will be enough floor space for me to practice yoga in that room, as well. Again, I want to be behind a closed door. Have you ever tried to get in the downward facing dog position with five cat butts in your face? Neither have I … but I can imagine it. Sort of. I mean, I can imagine the cat butts, but I can’t imagine twisting my body into this position. Hopefully, this room will ensure that I no longer have an excuse not to practice yoga.

The empty closet is what makes me the most gleeful. I think this is the first time in my life that I have actually tried to plan what will go into a closet before just cramming it full. I’d like not to overload it, because I want guests to be able to hang up a shirt or two. Yet, it will be wonderful to take some of the burden off of my other closets.

First, I have to paint it (white, of course, since it’s dark inside it…white is so dull). I’m thinking that it will be the perfect spot for my off season clothing (and those rarely worn evening clothes). Perhaps I can store my seasonal decorations on the shelves in it.

Oh…and I can put my extra linens, and the stadium chairs, and the guitar stands, and my extra office supplies…

Wait a minute. It’s a small closet. Someone stop me before I become Fibber McGee!

Tags: Closet clutter // Add Comment »

Now that I have been de-cluttering my house for several months, I’ve noticed something alarming. Those empty spaces, where once there stood various knickknacks, are covered with a thin film of dust! My house is one of those that is impossible to dust. Fifteen minutes after you finish, the dust is right back where it began!

Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten rid of all that excess. At least it hid the dust! One thing that I am figuring out is that one should “just say no” to feather dusters.

I know that your Momma used a feather duster, and her grandmother before that. But, think about it for a minute here: all the feather duster does is move the dust around! Have you ever dusted near a window and seen the dust flying in the air as you swish that feather duster across the furniture?

The worst part is that you can’t clean a feather duster. You can’t throw it in the washing machine. You can take it outside and shake it until your brain rattles, but it won’t make any difference. That dust stays trapped in the feathers until you move it over your furniture.

I like to use the Swiffer dusters (they are disposable) and I found a glove that is excellent for getting cat hair off the furniture (but I have no clue where I got it or even what it is called!).

Lately, I’ve taken to carrying a dust mitt with me in my back pocket as I move around the house during the day. Mine is by Scotch Brite, and is very thin (so I can easily dust even the most fragile figurines). The material catches the dust quite well instead of sending it flying into the air. At the end of the day, I can pop it into the washing machine, and it’s ready for another go-round.

It’s handy to have around for when your sister calls you on the telephone. You can dust while you are listening. You know how it is. She talks and talks endlessly for thirty minutes (saying nothing), and all you have to do to hold up your end of the conversation is just say, “Uh huh” every now and then.

Oh wait…that’s my sister.

Well, you probably have someone like that, too. While you are listening to their telephone rant, you can get your whole house dusted.

Tags: Household Chores Simplified // Add Comment »