Clutter Reduction/Organization

Today's tip:

If you've been following these tips for the past few weeks, you've cleared away clutter from your winter wardrobe (except for shoes) and have gotten rid of whatever is hopelessly stained, no longer loved or can't possibly fit. Perhaps you've put a little money in your pocket during the Get Rid Of process. And now you may be thinking about spending that cash.

Oh yes, you also have a shopping list, with notes about fabrics and the like, so that you don't make similar errors in the future. Many people go food shopping with a list, but very few people goes clothes shopping that way. Unless you're looking for something very specific (a mother of the bride dress, an interview suit, a swimsuit, etc.), you usually don't consult a list. But that's what I'm going to ask you to do, whether you shop through catalogs or in person or some combination of the two.

But first I'd like you to check out this link:
http://members.tripod.com/trepanrr/index.htm

Or you can check out something like it. The idea here is to a little self-color/figure/style analysis. Even if you don't believe in colors and seasons and the like, it's still helpful in the sense that it may give you some focus. I, for example, am a Spring. This particular site covers colors and also gives some information on dressing figure types (men, of course, would mainly ignore that part) and personal style types (I'm a Natural-Classic-Romantic). I've got an oval-shaped body and a very round face. And, I might add, I've found these characteristics to be true no matter what age I was or what weight I was.

Hence, if I was looking for a wardrobe, I'd be looking for things like:
* a navy skirt suit, somewhat unstructured (to take advantage of my classic and romantic sides, plus to complement my figure and color type)
* loose red sweater (to go with my figure and color type and take advantage of my natural side)
* light grey blouse, perhaps with lace (to go romantic, and to complement my color type)
* light green tee shirt, loose-fitting (to go natural and complement my figure and color types)
* dark green leggings (to complement my figure and color types and go natural)
* pink and red scarf (to go romantic and complement my color type)

You get the idea. I have noticed that this kind of analysis isn't perfect, as I wear peach, royal blue, turquoise and some black to a positive effect. And, I don't always wear things that are that loose. I've found that column skirts look good, too, so long as they aren't too form-fitting. Hence, as I wrote above, consider these to be guidelines and not commandments.

Now, look at your list. Do you have things on it that will work with your color and figure type? Will they work in coordination with the rest of your wardrobe? Very often, people buy clothing in correct or nearly-correct colors because they've learned unconsciously what looks good on them, and what doesn't. So, you'll probably find that you're doing fairly well on the color front. Also, open up your closet. Is there a lonely blouse hanging there that doesn't go with anything? A suit that looks just a little bit off? You may want to consider pitching these as well, and going with something different.

Let's say I had a burnt orange top and it was still in good condition and hanging in my closet. I might want to consider pitching it and going with something either yellow or red or maybe not replacing it at all. After all, this isn't an excuse to go hog wild. If you're getting rid of a bunch of stuff, and you have enough clothes, and you can finally fit everything in your closet, you may want to consider not buying anything new. To some people, that may seem to be sacrilege, but you need to make a needs analysis. Do you really need the item that's been tossed? If it's something that ties a lot of outfits together, by all means, replace it. Did you wear it all the time? Then, yeah, get a new one. But if it mainly sat in your closet, don't bother.

Go over your list again. Is it filled with things that will make you look good and that you need? And does it have a fun thing on it? Great!

Now's the time to prioritize. Let's say you need a new interview suit. Generally, something like that will take precedence over nearly anything else. If you need more casual clothes, you may be able to get by with what you have, but an interview suit really has to look good. If you have a formal occasion coming up, the priority item might be a party outfit. Rank everything in order and rewrite the list in order. Now it should have some detail, such as fabric types. Let's go back to my list and we'll look at it in priority order, with detail.

1 a navy skirt suit, somewhat unstructured, in gabardine. Will be dry-cleaned
2 light grey blouse, perhaps with lace, in cotton or easy care polyester. Will be washed or dry-cleaned. Might be hand-washed or line-dried.
3 loose red sweater, in acrylic. Will be washed or dry-cleaned. Might be hand-washed or line-dried.
4 dark green leggings, in spandex or a blend. Will be washed and dried at home.
5 light green tee shirt, loose-fitting, in cotton or a cotton blend. Will be washed and dried at home.
6 pink and red scarf. Will be dry-cleaned.

Now's the time to go shopping or check out catalogs. Bring your list and you won't buy uncoordinated or wrong-colored or wrong-styled things again.

The kitchen

Today's tip:

In particularly hot weather, the last thing you want to be doing is cooking. Therefore, the inside might be somewhat clean. However, the same cannot be said for the barbecue.

Cleaning details will depend upon whether you have a gas grill or use charcoal. However, for both, the food surfaces are the most important to keep clean. They should be wiped down with a solution of kitchen cleaner and water and then rinsed well. If the grill part is removable, immerse it in soapy water and scrub.

For charcoal grills, you need to remove the ash that accumulates at the bottom of the grill. This will improve the grill's efficiency and keep the air cleaner. You'll also notice the grill smoking less. When you empty a bag of charcoal into the grill, keep the bag and store it away from flame. Once the coals are cold (and you may need to apply cold water to be certain of this), take a metal scoop (you can also use a large spoon which, of course, you would immediately wash in soap and very hot water as soon as you're done) and scoop the cold, spent coals and ash into the bag. Tie the bag with string or duct tape it closed and place within a plastic garbage bag. This double-bagging is needed to prevent any soot from puffing out.

The inside of the charcoal grill kettle should be washed thoroughly maybe once per year. Again, it's just a solution of water and soap, and then rinse well. Be careful not to get soapy water on plants, so you may need to empty the grill kettle inside, in a slop sink. Don't use too much liquid when cleaning, as you'll have to deal with disposing of the liquid. You want just enough to clean it, and that's it. Of course, you'll want to dry the grill kettle well. Don't forget to clean the lid (similar procedure).

For a gas grill, there won't be much of an ash problem (there may be some food ash from food that dropped). However, you still want to clean away charring from the inside of the lid and inside of the bottom. Check your manufacturer's instructions as they may recommend a particular soap. Do not disassemble a gas grill. And, of course, do not attempt to clean the gas tank or the gas lines. What you want to do with the tank and the gas lines is take them to wherever you get the tank filled. Have it checked (this is important) by a professional. If there is any question of rusting or denting, have the tank replaced. Gas lines that are cracked should also be replaced.

At the end of the summer, do the cleaning (and checking, if you have a gas grill) again, and then cover the grill and you're done until next year.

Glass surfaces/Mopping

Today's tip:

Another hot day, so another quick tip. And, if you don't have a fireplace, feel free to ignore this one. Fireplace doors are one of the smartest investments you can make - they radiant far more heat than an open fireplace and they protect your home by keeping burning, popping embers inside the hearth, rather than on your flammable rugs (or on you or your family).

The problem is, they're a pain to keep clean.

You'll need cleaning cloths or paper towels or rags, and glass cleaner. Plus, make sure you're wearing a short-sleeved shirt or tank top (I've gotten soot on long sleeves, and that's tough to get out). Before doing any cleaning, look at the fireplace doors carefully. They should have a hinged mechanism wherein you can open them up completely, instead of halfway (as usual). But, be absolutely certain you can put them back to their original condition after you're done. If you can't, then don't try to open them up all the way, as you can ruin the door assembly that way.

If you can open up the doors all the way, the process is simple - just clean like you would a window and then put the doors back the way they were. However, if you're unable to open the doors up completely, the process is slightly trickier. Here's where you get to test how amidextrous you are, as you use your left hand to wipe the left side, and your right hand to wipe the right side. Close doors when finished, and be certain to wash your hands and fingernails thoroughly (as I wrote above, soot is tough to get out of fabric, so you don't want to be touching your shirt or pants with dirty fingers).

Vacuuming

Today's tip:

It's very hot here, so the tip will be brief. In such a heat wave, unless you have central air conditioning, you're just not going to do such a hot job with the vacuuming. That's all right.

Now's the time to grab the hand-held and just do a quick touch-up.

Dusting

Today's tip:

It happens to be extremely hot here again today (it's supposed to be hot for the next few days), so the topic is fan blades and air conditioning vents and filters.

Of course, all of these items become dusty when not used. And that dust blows right into the air when they're taken out and used.

To clean fans:
* Unplug the fan (very important)
* Remove the cover. Usually it's just held on by clips; sometimes it's screwed in place. There are some fans wherein this step is impossible.
* Soak cover in a solution of water and mild soap. If any of the engine is attached to the cover (fans come in all sorts of odd configurations), you won't be able to immerse it. Instead, clean by wiping with a paper towel or rag covered with cleaning solution
* Clean fan blades by wiping with a paper towel or rag covered with cleaning solution
* Dry off fan blades and cover
* Replace cover
* Dry your hands thoroughly (very important)
* Plug the fan back in

To clean the air conditioner vents and filter
* Unplug the air conditioner (again, this is important in terms of preventing a shock)
* Remove the front cover
* Remove filter and soak in a solution of water and mild soap
* Dry off filter and put back on air conditioner
* Remove sealing strip (you'll probably need to have the unit out of the window in order to be able to do this)
* Soak sealing strip in a solution of water and mild soap
* Dry off sealing strip and put back on air conditioner
* Taking a rag or paper towel dampened with (not soaking in) cleaning solution, wipe the exterior of the air conditioning vents
* If the air conditioner can be reached from the outside (e. g. it's in a first-floor window), do the same for the outside air conditioning vents (yes, they'll get dirty again). If the air conditioner cannot safely be reached from the outside (e. g. it's in a second floor window), skip this step

Not only will these steps reduce the amount of dust flying around, they will also increase the efficiency of fans and air conditioners.

Bathrooms

Today's tip:

In extremely hot weather, you want to do this job quickly, but you still want to do it. After all, smells are magified by heat and humidity. Essentially, you want to start early, and get in and out as fast as possible. That generally means a less than thorough job, but cleaning an un-air-conditioned bathroom is no fun.

Grab a rag or paper towel and soak with cleaning fluid (you can also use a special cleaning cloth where the cleaner is already on the cloth). Wipe the sink, paying particular attention to the faucets. Wipe down the toilet, and pay particular attention to the flush handle. Swish inside the bowl with a toilet brush and cleaning fluid. Clean the tub and/or shower faucets, but don't get into cleaning the tub or shower. However, you do want to wipe the shower or tub dry, as humidity will encourage the growth of mold and mildew.

Of course, there are other things you could do, but this is bare minimum stuff we're talking about.

Now, go get some iced tea and don't worry about cleaning....

Trash day/Outdoor work

Today's tip:

Except for big lawn and leaf bags, and tall kitchen garbage bags, you really don't need to purchase trash bags. Rather, simply use the plastic bags provided by the supermarket.

Be sure to store extra garbage bags underneath the one you're using (this goes for smaller trash cans which use the grocery bags, and your tall kitchen trash can, but not for the outdoor can). Therefore, once you buy a box, empty it and toss it out. The only trash bag boxes you should have are lawn and leaf trash bag boxes.

For papers, use either paper bags or simply tie the stacks of newspapers together with twine or string. Check with your local recycling regulations, as there might be a specific way you need to prepare paper trash. If not, either use twine or use paper bags from the grocery store.