Clutter Reduction/Organization

Today's tip:

Pack Rats

Every family has at least one, and some have several. While, of course, one can organize 10,000 things (check out a museum if you don't believe me), it's a heckuva lot easier to only have to organize 5,000 things. It's also, inevitably, cheaper (storage, whether in the form of storage lockers, storage furniture or even larger homes or home additions, is expensive) and can even be safer (less combustible materials about). Plus, and not to be morbid about this, but going through a packrat's affairs when they are ill, incapacited or deceased, is an exceptionally burdensome chore.

It's hard to say why some people are packrats, and they'll give all sorts of reasons. If you want a packrat to cut down on possessions, you'll need to address protests head-on. E. g.
* I may need this someday - Then we'll buy another one then.
* I want to keep it for sentimental reasons. Then we'll take pictures, or you'll choose a few sentimental things. You don't need to be surrounded by sentiment. Besides, don't you want to have the opportunity to have new stimuli, and create new sentiments?
* We have the room. And we should use that room for current things that we use, plus sometimes it's nice to have room and not use it at all.
* I still love it. Okay, then keep it, but you probably don't absolutely love everything. Are there a few things you no longer love as much?
* I still need it. Great! But do you need all of these things?

Sound familiar?

This doesn't need to be a battle, and it need not be a black-and-white, all-or-nothing struggle. After all, it's not like the packrat's going to be left with nothing once organization/clutter reduction is completed. And, perhaps s/he can keep a lot of his/her things, so long as they are stored better or more neatly or perhaps offsite. But piles of dusty possessions scattered everywhere? That's a situation that needs to be changed.

Here are a few strategies, which may or may not work. Tailor them to your situation as required.
* I may need this someday . Try storing the item(s) offsite. You don't need to live amongst items that are being saved for a rainy day. Make sure the packrat is well aware of the costs of storage and, if possible, s/he should be paying for it.
* I want to keep it for sentimental reasons. Since these items tend to be very personal, they'll need to go somewhere private. Whether that is onsite or offsite will depend upon volume, size and space considerations. And, they'll crowd out other personal items that need to be used, such as medications, undergarments, etc. Be sure that the packrat is well aware that s/he might be making it hard to find the things s/he truly needs. The packrat will need to take responsibility if love letters from decades ago sit on top of medication, the medication can't be found, and then it isn't taken.
* We have the room. This is really going to depend on what the stuff is. Some items may be repackaged so that they can be stored but still give something of an illusion of room (e. g. in a case or on a shelf or in a trunk, rather than strewn on a table).
* I still love it. Try repackaging the stuff. E. g. placing photographs into albums, or books and framed photos in a case or on a shelf. If the articles aren't too personal, they can be displayed for all to enjoy.
* I still need it. Make sure that items that are used regularly are kept at the forefront, so that they can be readily found and used.

* If possible, the packrat should pay for any additional storage or storage items (when it becomes a dollar issue to keep a bunch of old ticket stubs, most people think twice).
* If possible, the packrat should be required to clean the kept items, and not allowed to just let them gather dust (when it becomes a time and labor issue, many people think twice. It's when they can just keep dusty piles of junk and let them sit in their own dust that people think it's a good idea to packrat. The trick here is to go against inertia.).
* One strategy is to not permit a new -whatever- until an older -whatever- is discarded. E. g. let's say the packrat keeps dozens and dozens of sweaters. If s/he wants a new sweater, then an older one must be discarded. It doesn't matter which one, but the packrat has got to let go before taking in something new.
* Another strategy is to require the discarding of a certain number of items per week, until the packrat's personal area is far less cluttered. Probably no more than five items should be required. Be sure to lay down the ground rule that parts of an item count as parts and not a whole. E. g. a pair of socks counts as one item, not two, and a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle counts as one, rather than 1,000.
* There are people who secretly discard items that packrats have accumulated. I've never liked this strategy, as inevitably it will lead to a serious conflict. What the packrat needs is a sense of control and the mysterious loss of items goes against that 100%. I believe it's generally better to involve the packrat in the decluttering/organizing process.

Some people will never change their ways (and for some people this is a psychological disorder), but at the very least you may be able to ease some of the clutter. Best of luck!

The kitchen

Today's tip:

Depending upon how much you cook, your kitchen may get very dirty, or it may remain fairly clean, during any given week. However, either way, the last thing you want to be doing is repeatedly cleaning the same surfaces over and over again.

One option is to make as many dishes as possible in advance. Of course purists will get upset, and claim that it's vital to only make food right before it's going on the table. And in some ways, I agree. Reheating food can be a chore and can often dry it out. However, here I'm going to try to help save cleaning time as well as make decent meals (you can tell I'm no gourmet).

A few tips:
* Cut up all vegetables in advance, and then place individual vegetables in plastic zipper bags in the refrigerator. I've found that this works fairly well on hard vegetables, such as cucumbers, celery, carrots, beans, asparagus, zucchini, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and peppers. Don't try it on potatoes, as they'll darken. The cut-in-advance technique also seems to work on mushrooms (you'd think they'd be too soft, but they do all right). Don't try this on fruits, as they will inevitably turn brown. Lettuce and fresh herbs will wilt and turn brown. Tomatoes also cannot be cut days in advance, although you can usually cut up tomatoes hours in advance. In any event, this way you will only be cleaning your countertop, cutting board and sharp knife once per week instead of several times.
* Make sauces in advance. Most will keep, at least for a while. Some, like marinara sauce, may even be frozen (don't believe me? Check out the next frozen Italian entrée you purchase). The trick with a tomato-based sauce is that it will inevitably stain the inside of a plastic container. The way to prevent this is to spray the insides of the plastic container with cooking spray This keeps the plastic from absorbing the tomato color (thank you, Martha Stewart). Milk- and cream-based sauces don't last as long, and I don't recommend freezing them. However, you can make them a few days in advance and leave them in the fridge.
* Cook meats in advance and then freeze. I'm a semi-vegetarian, thereby don't eat beef, pork, veal or game, so I can't comment on how well these meats do. However, turkey and chicken do rather well. One great way to do advance cooking is to make extra barbecue. Divide meat into meal-sized portions and place in individual plastic zipper bags. When you need dinner, just take out the bag! I haven't tried this with fish, and the inevitable problems with fish are that the meat is somewhat delicate and any deterioration will bring up a smell. Therefore, I advise not to cook fish in advance.
* Cook pasta in advance. Pasta can be frozen, but be aware that it gets fairly wet when thawed. Therefore, when thawing, be sure to drain the pasta again. Just like with meat, divide the pasta into meal- or side dish-sized portions and place in individual zipper bags. Make sure it's cooked al dente, as it can get a bit water-logged in the freezer.
* Cook rice in advance and freeze it. Much like pasta, it gets a little wet when thawed, but not as bad. Try freezing meal- or side dish-sized portions with the seasonings already added.
* Some vegetables may be cooked and frozen. The hard vegetables mentioned above are good candidates, except for cucumbers, which darken (you wouldn't normally cook them, anyway). You can also cook peas or corn in advance and freeze them. Corn on the cob may be frozen, but it often turns mushy (you need to flash freeze it, and that's really only something that can be done commercially). However, you can purchase corn on the cob (from a farmstand, perhaps), cook it, and remove it with a knife. Definitely do not freeze fresh herbs.
* Some fruits may be frozen. Usually the best way to do this is to add sugar and then freeze them. Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are the best candidates here, as citrus fruits will become crystallized. Bananas will turn brown.
** Make certain that you clearly label and place the date upon everything you freeze.

Glass surfaces/Mopping

Today's tip:

If you don't have any glass cleaner, try a mixture of white vinegar and water. Spray on (using a plant mister or old squirt bottle that's been cleaned) and wipe off, just like you would a commercial spray cleaner. You might find you prefer this environmentally-friendly solution.

Vacuuming

Today's tip:

Perhaps this is an obvious tip. And, if it is, feel free to ignore it.

When vacuuming, use straight passes on the carpet or bare floor. You want to go back and forth along a small area, in a straight line. Once that line is done, move the vacuum over the distance of the width of the attachment and take another straight pass. This way, you'll be assured of covering the entire carpet or floor without duplicating any work.

Dusting

Today's tip:

You might have some unused furniture or unused appliances or equipment, or maybe even unused rooms, if your home is large enough. These areas get extremely dusty because the dust generally remains undisturbed. Rather than spend part of your hour every week cleaning stuff that isn't used, the better option is to cover it.

Grab an old sheet (if you don't have any old sheets, head to the nearest garage or yard sale. Many people sell them, and they can be very cheap. Or, get yourself new sheets and use your old ones) and cover the unused piece of furniture or equipment. If necessary, sew two sheets together to attain full coverage (yes, it'll look a little spooky, but it gets the job done).

Unused beds may be covered with a bed spread (remember those?). Just be sure that the bedspread is fully machine-washable and can go in the dryer. That way, if the bed needs to be used quickly, you can just take the spread off, toss the spread in the wash, and the bed is ready to go. Try not to use bedspreads with deep patterns, such as chenille, as these will get exceptionally dirty.

Unused rooms, of course, can't be covered, but you can close the heating vent and shut the door. This will prevent excess dust from being blown in by the heating system, and will save you a little money, as you won't be heating or cooling the room. If it helps with airflow, though, you might want to install a fan in that room and keep the door open in order to let the air flow through. This all depends upon the configuration of your home.

Bathrooms

Today's tip:

A lot of the cause of dirt and smell in a bathroom (apart from the obvious) is the fact that the area gets and stays damp every single day (or certainly no less infrequently than every other day). Water sits on the walls, collects in the drain, condenses on the mirror, etc. And water is a very powerful solvent. After all, the Colorado River carved out the Grand Canyon (over time, of course).

So, you want to dry out your bathroom and prevent the water from eating away at the grout and giving a loving home to water bugs, mildew and mold. Here are a few options:
* A fan to blow the humid air out of the bathroom. Although it will bring the dampness into other rooms of the house, these larger rooms ventilate much better, and so there is less chance of accumulation
* Keeping the bathroom door open to take advantage of central air conditioning (a/c tends to have a dehumidifying effect)
* Using a dehumidifier bucket (the crystals you can buy at the supermarket). Be sure to open the bucket only after a shower, as otherwise the steam from a shower will quickly use up the crystals' absorptive powers
* Baking soda sprinkled in the shower and sink and near the drains to mop up excess water
* A squeegee on bathroom walls and/or shower doors (if you have these) to bring water down to the drain
* Taking shower curtains off and drying them in the dryer (if they are dryer-safe) and/or letting them dry on a clothesline
* Wiping down walls, sink and tub with a dry rag or paper towel
* Wrapping or wiping down a sweating toilet

Trash day/Outdoor work

Today's tip:

Many communities have water restrictions. However, you can usually use what's called grey water to water your plants or wash your car. Grey water comes from the waste water generated by washing dishes or clothing. Given that it's going to end up in the ground, you should be using a biodegradable soap if you're going to be gathering grey water. Check with the manufacturer of your washing machine to determine how to hook up the drainage to a cistern. Don't forget that hot water isn't good for plants, so you may need to let it cool. And, standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, so you shouldn't leave it outside. A better solution (which will be cheaper for you, anyway) is to select whatever temperature wash you want in the washing machine, but a cold water rinse.

As for dishwashing, the easiest water to collect is from hand-washing or rinsing. Simply keep it in a basin for use on your outdoor plants. Dishwasher rinse water is often extremely hot and generally cannot be diverted to a cistern, as usually dishwashers don't lean against walls. Hence, there is no good access to the outdoors. You can, though, collect whatever water accumulates in plastic containers in the dishwasher, let it cool, and use that for your plants.