"Spring Cleaning" early

[ducks4you]

I don't know about you, but I'M a packrat and a clutterer. This is NOT like canning, buying necessities, storing property stuff that will rust and mold. I have too much of some right/some wrong things. SOOO, I started my Spring Cleaning in September. I'm taking back my house and my property one piece at a time. The first room was our front porch. It's about 12 ft. x 36 ft. It isn't heated, but it has windows to keep out the weather and screens to keep out the bugs. Everything's old, but it all works. I TOTALLY cleaned all of the garbage and unnecessary things out and I put them away in the right spots, too. I used Construction Grade white and painted all of the walls and 10 inch window sills that run around the border, 3 coats. I finished the day after Thanksgiving, so I put up Christmas lights that run around the walls, put a white sheet on the old rectangular metal table, put the ancient silver aluminum fake tree on it, with the moving Mr & Mrs Klaus, and hooked everything to a timer. Now, when I come home I get to see our Christmas lights bouncing off of the white-white walls and all of the windows and I KNOW that it's a clean room. I have our 4 Adirondack chairs set in pairs, facing each other, so 4 of us sit out there and visit if you plug in the electric fireplace. Man, it's the best feeling of accomplishment.
Now, with my new freezer in the basement, I've started on another area. The basement will probably, realistically, take me a month, but I am determined. We're in the snow/ice-storm zone so I can work on my "inside sports" at any time of the day or week, without yearning to work outside. I still have to care for the horses and the chickens, but my ONLY gardening will be "manuring the soil" until at least I start seeds inside in February. I just wanted to post my intentions, and let anybody on the forum who belongs to "Clutterer's Anonymous" know that you have a comrade and we CAN beat this!! Anybody else doing this, too?

 

[miss_thenorth]

I'm not a clutterbug, but i do clean out the rooms on rotational basis. that way I seem to keep on top of the clutter that others accumulate. i think spring cleaning is over rated. Why wait unti spring to clean up. by then, it just gets overwhelming, but if you do a bit at a time, it stays manageable.

Good luck! Best hint I have is don't get emotional with the "stuff". It's just stuff. I have a hifficult time convincing my dh that it is just stuff.

 

[dragonlaurel]

Sounds great. It's amazing how much easier it is to think clearly when a place is decluttered. You don't have a lot of things catching your eye and distracting you.
I started on my closet the other day. Organized the clothes, but I want to work on the rest of it today.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

I do indeed have clutter. Most of it is just stuff that I/We don't need anymore.
For example, I have two juicers. Why? BFF said she had a food processor I could have. When I opened the box, it was a juicer... One is going to Salvation Army, the other stays.

The main thing I need to get working on is reorganization. We have everything everywhere, and not so neatly.

on the garage! and good luck on the rest.

Dl, you are so right! It is sooo much easier to think/breathe/be in a room that is neat & tidy. I sleep better after our bedroom is decluttered/tidied up.

 

[Beekissed]

Currently doing this very thing! More triggered by the need to make space for my mom's stuff, but also to have a pretty house by the time my son comes home and I get company for Christmas.

I always get more accomplished under stress and a time limit, so I set my sights on having the majority of the house organized and painted by Christmas. So far, my mother is the only one getting much done, sad to say. I've had a raging toothache for about 3 wks now and finally made an appt. to go see about it tomorrow.

But....it is nice to know I'm not the only one that lets clutter build up in some spots. My closets are a disaster and my cabinets are stuffed full of inappropriately placed items, my office is a shambles!

I'm a unproud member of CA.....hello, I'm Bee and I have clutter. Lots of it.

 

[dragonlaurel]

Currently doing this very thing! More triggered by the need to make space for my mom's stuff, but also to have a pretty house by the time my son comes home and I get company for Christmas.

I always get more accomplished under stress and a time limit, so I set my sights on having the majority of the house organized and painted by Christmas. So far, my mother is the only one getting much done, sad to say. I've had a raging toothache for about 3 wks now and finally made an appt. to go see about it tomorrow.

But....it is nice to know I'm not the only one that lets clutter build up in some spots. My closets are a disaster and my cabinets are stuffed full of inappropriately placed items, my office is a shambles!

I'm a unproud member of CA.....hello, I'm Bee and I have clutter. Lots of it.

Good luck with the dentist. My hubby is getting ready to have major dental work in Jan. If everything goes well for you two- that will give me some courage.

 

[Beekissed]

I'll tell you this.....I've put it off until this tooth has infected the whole left side of my head and neck. I don't numb at all, so any pulling of the tooth or drilling is agonizingly painful for me. I'm NOT looking forward to getting this done, but I can't avoid it now.

I had to miss work today because of the pain and swelling, fever and chills.

He will give me an antibiotic and send me home...so the pain will come later.....

 

[FarmerChick]

De-cluttering is great for peace of mind and the soul...seriously.

I am not a clutterbug but somehow, thru mystical forces, I seemed to acquire tons of stuff. Ugh

It took me about 2 years total to unclutter the house. Now I have the basics. No more knickknacks can come in. I love my house now where when I had to search thru stuff to find what I needed --it drove me insane. Now everything has a purpose, is used, and nothing is left to sit ever again.

It took a load off my shoulders fixing up the garage, barns and house and closets etc. I took hard action---landfill, recycle to a friend, or goodwill. Every inch was examined and handled and while took forever it seemed, wow, the benefits are just wonderful!

cleaning is SOOO easy now. I love that!

 

[me&thegals]

Clutter stresses me out, so it's not too bad right now. I DO love winter for deep cleaning, though! The house gets let go pretty badly about 6 months out of the year, so I do winter-instead-of-spring cleaning also.

 

[framing fowl]

Ducks ~sounds beautiful to have the lights & tree reflecting off the white! Good for the season & the soul! Keep up the good work