Today is cleaning day

[nanette1985]

I'd post before pics but I can't find my camera, and who really cares anyway? Two bedroom apartment with boxes and junk piled around For various reasons it's gotten out of hand.

My teenager is out of town until Tuesday. I'm not going near his room, of course.

My plan is to start by gathering as much stuff as I can that gets thrown out and, well, throwing it out. Then, gathering important paperwork into one place, for filing/sorting later. Then, trying to figure out places for stuff that I'm going to keep.

In other words, I don't really know what I'm doing. I'm not one of those naturally organized people.

Okay, I'm starting.

 

[biggestmuff]

Don't forget to make a sandwich for him.

 

[Gibsons]

Clean from the top down.

 

[se7en]

I would probably pick a small area not a whole room and start there. One little area at a time and just make piles for trash, dirty stuff, or things to go to storage as you go. I prefer to do it this way as opposed to just say gathering up all trash items first or something.

 

[JDMnAR1]

Originally posted by: se7en
I would probably pick a small area not a whole room and start there. One little area at a time and just make piles for trash, dirty stuff, or things to go to storage as you go. I prefer to do it this way as opposed to just say gathering up all trash items first or something.

Yep, segment it out into more manageable chunks or you can get overwhelmed and/or frustrated if you don't see tangible progress towards completion.

 

[rasczak]

Originally posted by: JDMnAR1

Originally posted by: se7en
I would probably pick a small area not a whole room and start there. One little area at a time and just make piles for trash, dirty stuff, or things to go to storage as you go. I prefer to do it this way as opposed to just say gathering up all trash items first or something.

Yep, segment it out into more manageable chunks or you can get overwhelmed and/or frustrated if you don't see tangible progress towards completion.

yes.

 

[Slimline]

Just tell your son you will buy him a xbox/ps3 game to clean up the house

 

[nanette1985]

Holy crap, I just went through a few boxes of my kids' school papers. Am I a horrible parent for throwing it all out? I kept a few of the cute things like my daughter's failing arithmetic papers from first grade - she's a math teacher now.

Also found a baby card for my teenage son with a $100 EE savings bond. Which appears to now be worth $136.80. Good for him. I could be an even more horrible parent and not tell him, and keep the money myself. Now you know how the parental mind works.

It's nice incentive to look at everything in the boxes before junking it.

 

[txrandom]

I wouldn't want my parents to go throw my old stuff. Something that is meaningful to me may not be meaningful to you. Just tell him to clean his room.

 

[nanette1985]

Originally posted by: txrandom
I wouldn't want my parents to go throw my old stuff. Something that is meaningful to me may not be meaningful to you. Just tell him to clean his room.

This was the stuff that the school sent home to parents. You're right, I wouldn't want to go through my kid's own stuff.

 

[se7en]

Originally posted by: princess ida

Also found a baby card for my teenage son with a $100 EE savings bond. Which appears to now be worth $136.80. Good for him. I could be an even more horrible parent and not tell him, and keep the money myself. Now you know how the parental mind works.

.

Consider it a payment for cleaning.

Not enough this is true but still something is better than nothing.

 

[Elganja]

hire a maid

 

[SilverThief]

Its cleaning day here as well. Just finished steram cleaning the carpets and upholstery with The Rug Doctor.

 

[Arcadio]

I always listen to techno/trance music while cleaning up my apartment.

 

[nanette1985]

Originally posted by: SilverThief
Its cleaning day here as well. Just finished steram cleaning the carpets and upholstery with The Rug Doctor.

Awesome. I'm trying to clear things off the floor so that I can deep clean that too.

 

[nanette1985]

Originally posted by: Arcadio
I always listen to techno/trance music while cleaning up my apartment.

That's worth trying. I'm finding that having golf on the TV is a good idea. I'm not a golf fan, so I don't really care about it, but I don't hate it. Doesn't distract me from the work at hand.

 

[DainBramaged]

Personally, I'm a 70's and 80's disco man when I'm cleaning. Nothing like the sexy sounds of Kool and the Gang and Donna Summer.

 

[KingGheedora]

Make a list of everything you need to do, then start doing it. I like to make a list first and then smoke before starting. Play some music or some DVR'ed tv in the background. The list keeps me on task and the high makes the menial tasks more bearable.

Speaking of which, I need to get going on my own chores. Peace.

 

[wiredspider]

Originally posted by: princess ida
Holy crap, I just went through a few boxes of my kids' school papers. Am I a horrible parent for throwing it all out? I kept a few of the cute things like my daughter's failing arithmetic papers from first grade - she's a math teacher now.

Also found a baby card for my teenage son with a $100 EE savings bond. Which appears to now be worth $136.80. Good for him. I could be an even more horrible parent and not tell him, and keep the money myself. Now you know how the parental mind works.

It's nice incentive to look at everything in the boxes before junking it.

find camera, take pictures, so you'll at least have a digital copy of the stuff

 

[nanette1985]

Originally posted by: wiredspider


find camera, take pictures, so you'll at least have a digital copy of the stuff

Great idea, thanks.

So, I switched to disco, great energy. Now I have a headache - but from the dust and mold, which I'm allergic to. Break time. I don't feel like I've gotten much done - but the pile of garbage bags and stuff to take to recycling is huge, a good sign. And you should see the heap of papers I get to put thru the shredder (I love shredding papers).

Time for allergy meds, fresh air, a change of scene and then back to work.

 

[wwswimming]

don't forget to hold your breath if you end up spraying some gnarly substance in an enclosed space.

Tilex might work but it's not good to breathe.

save your lungs for the good stuff.

if much dust is involved, i break the task up into pieces cause i'm a sissy about breathing dust & smoke & stuff.

 

[oogabooga]

hey i'm cleaning too!

Remember to hydrate if it's hot in your area.