I have been thinking
about spring cleaning our house for a few weeks now and I have procrastinated about
getting started. So my intended method of attack is to declutter and clean out
cupboards and draws first and then go through the whole house and wash walls
and skirting’s, vacuum, mop and wash the windows. The worst thing is that I
often want to clean at the most inopportune times i.e. midnight; rather than at
a normal hour.
I wanted to start at
one end of the house and go through room by room. I have now nearly finished
the kitchen and have managed to fill two banana boxes full of stuff to sell/get
rid of and things that do not belong in the kitchen. I have 5 cupboards left in
the kitchen and then I just need to wash down all the outside of the cupboards
and do the benches. At some stage I need to do the oven, but that might have to
wait until the weekend.I have included some before (photos on left) and after (photos on right) to show you my pantry and second draw of shame. The pantry looked like I had just gone shopping and thrown the food onto the shelf.
Then I will move onto
the dining area and lounge. There is a bit that could go from the lounge
including DVD’s and CD’s we do not want and also some other bits and pieces. The hall is pretty basic and just needs a
painting hung and the walls washed and touched up with paint. Oh blast….and the
hall cupboard needs to be cleared out to make more space for storage.
The bathroom is
pretty much completed as I did the cupboard and draw a few weeks ago. So all it
really needs is the walls and ceiling wiped down.
The bedrooms are a
little bit more complex and I think that I might leave them until last as there
are quite a few draws and two wardrobes to sort out. The spare room cupboard is
completely packed to the gunnels with so much stuff and I am cringing just
thinking about it.
The study seems to be
the “holding” zone for everything that has been removed from the rest of the
house. I need to go through my books one last time, then sort and file our
paperwork and finally clear out the cupboards of unnecessary stuff.
Honestly, I cannot
believe how much “stuff” we have accumulated over the years. I do sort things
often, but seriously it just keeps creeping back in. I hate taking things to
the dump, so I would rather items find a new home where they will be loved and
used instead of sitting unused in the back of a cupboard.
Also, there are
things that Mark will not let me get rid of that I hate, so I just have to find
better places to put them. I do have a process of dealing with this and I will
often say to him “do you want to keep item 1 or item 2” knowing full well that
he will never, ever part with item 2. It is naughty, but it seems to work.
I think I might have
to write a list to keep myself on task. So the plan for the long weekend is:
1. Finish the kitchen
2. Sort out the “stuff”
into three piles 1. Give Away. 2. Sell on Trade Me and 3. Throw away.
3. List things on Trade
Me
4. Start (and finish)
the rest of the house Lounge, Hall, Bedrooms (sigh) and study
5. Mark to wash the
walls and ceiling in bathroom and to do all the “touch” up painting
6. Wash windows inside
and out
Are you spring
cleaning or decluttering? What is your
process?
