There are many ways that having a decluttered home and embracing the principles of staying decluttered can simplify your life. I have discovered the freedom that decluttering has added to my life and I would like to share that with you.

• Time – At the very least, you will waste less time maintaining your home simply because it has less in it. The less you want for things the less time you will spend working toward and obtaining them.
• Money – It is much simpler to track where your hard earned money is going when you reduce the number things you waste it on. The less you spend, the less you need to earn to stay ahead of debt. As you know I have reached a stage where I can give up my part time job in order to concentrate on some self discovery and some of that is due to the fact that I am no longer spending like I used to.
• Choices – When you have fewer things to choose from it stands to reason you narrow your choices saving time and mental energy on decision making. Making choices from large quantities of clothing, toiletries, crockery, linen etc steals small chunks of time out of your daily routine.
• Getting Organised – Having fewer things creates a situation where it is simpler to get and stay organized. You will find it easier to keep things together that belong together especially if you have limited space. This will make it easier to find things when you need them and save even more of your time.
• Celebrations – I like this one. How complicated have celebrations become with the retail onslaught that we face these days. A wedding is about witnessing the union of two people not about getting $20,000 in debt. Christmas is supposed to be the celebration of the birth of Jesus and I guarantee you most people don’t give that a second thought any more. I, for one, find it so much more enjoyable to simplify these occasions back to their base elements namely the theme, the  joy of being together, heartfelt good wishes and perhaps to share a meal. It really doesn’t have to be any more complicated than that.
• Shopping – Everyone of the issues above is somehow related to this topic. Shopping less will save you time and money, not to mention the hassle of trying to find a park at the shopping centre, fighting the crowds and walking from store to store looking for the best price.
• Thinking – As Isabella pointed out in her comment yesterday – I find I am much calmer now that I don’t spend so much time trying to work out where things are or spending time staring at piles of clutter saying to myself “I really should clean that up”. Clearer surroundings give you a clearer mind – less time worrying about the mess, less time trying to remember where things are in the mess and less time procrastinating about cleaning up the mess. Makes me feel tired just thinking about all that mind clutter.
• The Process – Even the act of decluttering can be as simple as spending ten minutes each day to find something and set it aside to be disposed. If you approach it thinking it is a mammoth task and try to complete it as quickly as possible then you will likely loose heart well before you are done and learn nothing from the process.

I am sure there are other ways in which decluttering has simplified aspects of your life. Please leave a comment and share your personal experience with us all. The more we share the benefits we have realised, the more likely we will all keep on task.

ITEM 285 OF 365 LESS THINGS

A few more old travel books for the donation box.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. Wisdon – Hopefully I gather a littel more every day.
2. Public Transport – I wasn’t up to walking to work today so I caught the bus for the first time.
3. That I didn’t have the trouble my daughter did getting to work today – On her forth attempt she found a way out of her neighbourhood that wasn’t cut off by flooding.
4. Bed – I am looking forward to falling into it tonight.
5. My voice is starting to come back- Maybe tomorrow I will be able to meet a friend for coffee and a chat without getting a headache.

With fear that lately I have started to sound like some of the nuns I remember from my school days, preaching hell and damnation day in day out, I thought I might write something a little more upbeat today.

I’d like to point out the joy that can be found in decluttering your home. This joy can be appreciated from day one, not just at the end of the journey. See if you can identify with the joy of…..

• A Fresh Start – It is never too late to begin a new phase in your life. Cut yourself some slack and don’t dwell on the past. Acknowledge the things you got right and learn the lesson of your follies but either way do not dwell on the regrets, just enjoy the fresh start you are making.

• More Space – It really does feel good as the clutter starts to disappear and you begin to feel the freedom of the empty space growing around you. This feeling can be appreciated from the very first item and increases over time. Take a moment to focus on that freedom with every little piece of clutter you choose to remove and the process will be one filled with joy rather than dread.
• Less Maintenance – It stands to reason that the fewer items cluttering up your home, the easier it is to keep your surroundings clean and tidy. Every item you remove is one less thing you need to maintain in any way whether dusting, cleaning or storing. Also house cleaning will be simpler if there are fewer items to be moved in order to access the surface under them such as benches and floors. And ya gotta love that!

• Guilt Relief – We generally carry a burden of guilt for every item associated with the waste of money involved with its acquisition and lack of use. For every one of these items that leaves our home there is a relief from that guilt so long as we have learned the lesson of needless waste.

• Giving Back – Whether we sell items to grateful buyers on eBay, donate items to charity, give items away to friends and family or find a way to recycle them there is an good feeling that accompanies that action. Focus on these good feelings and it will spur you on in your quest.

• Appreciation – You will find that you have a higher appreciation for the items you choose to keep and their role in your household.

• Being Environmentally Responsible – For every unnecessary item you don’t purchase and for every item that you liberate to someone who might need it, you are doing a small deed to save the environment. For every item that is manufactured there is a cost whether in natural resources or carbon emissions, so the less you contribute to the supply and demand of these products the better hope there is for our planet’s survival.

• Simplifying -There is more to this topic than the title implies. I will elaborate in a separate post tomorrow but rest assured there is plenty of joy to be found by simplifying.

ITEM 284 OF 365 LESS THINGS

A few more odds and ends for the donation box

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. Sick pay – I couldn’t work yesterday as it is a bit hard to sell furniture without a voice.
2. Freedom of choice – This is something we take for granted in Western society.
3. Roast dinner – They are so easy to make and so yummy to eat.
4. Art – This is something everyone in my family enjoys and can share the interest.
5. Kisses – They really are the cure for everything.

Today’s post is a follow in from yesterday elaborating on vanity the offshoot of pride.

I have wanted to write this post since half way through my recent vacation. All those people lugging those huge suitcases on and off trains, planes and automobiles all, I can only guess, in the name of vanity. As I have mentioned before my husband and I managed our entire one month vacation with one half empty backpack each weighing about 12 pound. So I can only assume that those other couples were carrying a lot of stuff they just didn’t need.

How much of your clutter can you contribute to vanity? You know the items in your home that serve to 1.) Remind you and others of your achivements 2.) Enhance your attractiveness to others. I have made a list of items below that come under one of both of these headings.

Souvenirs – Quite often these are pointless nick naks that only serve to collect dust and waste space in our homes. If we are to be honest we place these items on display so that any person entering our home might see them and are envious of the places we have been. We rarely look at them ourselves and think “yes that was a really good vacation”.

I have seen cars where the rear window is so cluttered with stickers of the places its occupants have been that they could barely see out when reversing. Why do they find it necessary to advertise?

I have done it myself with a piece of jewelry I have that when people say – “Isn’t that a lovely necklace?” I have proudly answered – “Yes, I got it in Venice”. How obnoxious.

Beauty products – this one of course belongs in the second category mentioned above. Why do we continue to waste our hard earned dollars on face creams, make-up etc all in the hope of disguising the beautiful people we are. Sure we all have visual flaws we would rather cover up but how much effort and expense does that cost us each day. Couldn’t we get by with a little tinted moisturizer, a lipstick, mascara and a brow pencil? Do we really need fifteen different shades of eye shadow, two different bronzers, a separate face cream for morning, noon and night, six shades of lipstick…need I go on.

Be who you are, know when enough is enough and only use enough products to enhance your natural beauty. The beauty we should be most concerned about is the beauty within that should outshine anything on the outside. No amount of product is going to make you attractive to others if you have lost your inner beauty to vanity.

Fashion Items – This one belongs in both categories. Above all else clothing should be practical and comfortable. It is best to find the styles to suit your particular type of beauty and go with that. Following the latest trend whether it suits our shape or complexion is wardrobe clutter in the making and usually not at all flattering.

Sure we want to look nice and presentable on all occasions but let’s face it we don’t need to spend a fortune on designer clothes in order to achieve that.  That kind of extravagance is akin to those souvenirs I spoke of earlier only worn to impress whether they suit us or not or whether we can really afford it or not. High prices don’t always mean better quality either.

Trophies – I have spoken about this one before because I have a shelf full of them that my husband thinks we should keep but I think are just a boast from ancient history. The newest one is ten years old and the oldest probably dates back to when I was 15 (30 years ago). What do they achieve? To tell people that I was good at something once and they should all know about it.

Am I proud of those achievements? Pride is a funny thing really isn’t it, should I be proud or just thankful that I stumbled upon a sport that I was reasonably successful at due to the physical talents I was born with? You will never perform well at anything that you don’t have the natural physical or mental capacity to achieve in. So when you do achieve is that something to be proud of or something to be grateful for?

Think about these things when you separate your clutter from the things that you are keeping and ask yourself why. Why do I feel I need to keep this item and why do I acquire such items in the first place. Sometimes decluttering requires a bit of soul searching as does being consumer conscious in the first place.

ITEM 283 OF 365 LESS THINGS

One or two of these were souvenirs I had collected years ago the others were golf prizes of my grandmother. I hate cleaning silver and I won’t forget my grandmother if I don’t own these so they are going in the donation box. Maybe they will find a home with someone who will appreciate them.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. Someone to cuddle when I have bad dreams.
2. Spices – I like my food to bite back.
3. Eyeglasses – I just took mine off to clean them and couldn’t read a thing in this screen without them.
4. Good friends – ones who don’t mind that you have to cancel the dinner date you made with them at the last minute because you still can’t talk.
5. My life – Because some people don’t even know where their next meal is coming from or when it will be.
   

Pride     Envy    Gluttony   Lust    Anger    Greed   Sloth

If loosely translated you could associate five of the seven deadly sins to clutter. This may seem a bit like hitting below the belt but sometimes that’s what it takes to make people realize the error of their ways.

Pride – otherwise known as vanity is a sure trigger to the collection of numerous unnecessary items. How many things do we buy just because we want others to see how trendy, clever, sporty, rich, beautiful… that we are. We don’t use these things in the privacy of our own home, we just want the world to see we own them. Let me give you some examples – Prada/Coach/Guess handbags, the latest apple iPhone, updated sport equipment, expensive jewellery, and trendy clothes. Not one of these things is a necessity and soon enough is no longer “cool” either and out we trot to update, leaving the previous items to languish in a cupboard somewhere.

Envy – How often do you see that person I spoke of above sporting the latest and greatest and feel that nasty thing called jealousy rare its ugly head? So out you go and follow suit buying the same things to keep up with the Joneses whether you can afford it or not. This is a direct route to a house full of guilt clutter and huge credit card debt.

Lust – although truly related to lust of the body there is no doubt you could also draw a parallel between that and lusting after the pretty, shiny, trendy, latest and greatest products available on the market. Shopping certainly satisfies a desire to make yourself feel good even if like any carnal act the satisfaction doesn’t last long before you are out there again seeking more of the same.

Greed – the desire for material wealth and gain pretty much speaks for itself. It is really just a combination of all of the above.  No matter how much we have we always want more.

Sloth – the avoidance of physical or spiritual work. This is a two part sin that once overcome can be our salvation. First of all, once we have accumulated all that stuff to satisfy the other four weaknesses, we become too lazy to deal with it. These possessions start to pile up around us and we are either paralyzed by our guilt or just can’t be bothered to do what needs doing to move them on, and before you know it you are drowning in a sea of stuff. We have neglected to work on our spiritual or mental wealth and given in to desires that won’t sustain us in the long term.

Fortunately, there is a cure. If you take the time to do the spiritual or mental work required to rid yourself of the desire to constantly have more, keep up with the Joneses and be something you are not then you will find you no longer need all these material substitutes for true satisfaction in life. Discover the things in your life that are dragging you down and substitute them for things more spiritually or mentally satisfying. Maybe it is your career, a relationship or physical neglect that you are not happy with. It isn’t always easy to identify or solve the problem but it is certainly worth the effort to try and the benefits when you succeed.

ITEM 282 OF 365LESS THINGS

The last of the travel keepsake clutter has gone into the recycling bin.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. The lessons I have learned from this decluttering experience – without them I would still be making the same wasteful mistakes.
2. Email, text messaging and blogging – because when you have lost your voice you can still communicate.
3. My husband – he likes to be the knight in shining armor.
4. The gift of hearing – all I can hear right now is my computer whirring, my fingers tapping the keys and the clock ticking but I still know what a gift my hearing is.
5. Bird song – I especially love to hear the magpies warbling and the kookaburras laughing.

More of the local flora from my walk last week

Five great comments from over the last week

There were so many great comments this week it was hard to choose.
Annabelle on day 275 – …Just releasing our own selves from the darn ‘project’ is freeing on its own… Read more
Jude on Day 276 – This didn’t inspire to try them… Read more
Di on Day 277 – I am so glad you started the “5 Things I am Grateful for Today” section… Read more
Amy on Day 278 – …too many people put pressure on themselves to go fast.. Read more
Jo on Day 280 – …You can get rid of the oddest things – I had an electric frypan… Read More

Five Post I have enjoyed from other blogs this week

Finding me in France – I case you weren’t moved to read through this blog that I suggested last week I have plucked out one post full of great advice for life to share with you. Perspective
Tiny Buddha – Tiny Wisdom: On Leaping
Om Freely – On Miscommunications
Be more with less – How to live in the land of enough
Art of minimalism – Insane productivity Thanks to Betty Jo for bring my attention to this link. Also please check out this link included in the post – 3 dirty words change the world.

ITEM 281 0F 365 LESS THINGS

More keepsake clutter for the garbage. It’s not much but every little thing counts.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. Automatic Washing Machines – I remember as a child using the old round machines with the wringer on top and having to rinse by hand. No no no I never want to go back there.
2. Cold Tablets & Ibuprofen – yes you guessed it I have the dreaded lurgy.
3. Leftovers – I know I’ve used this one before but whne you feel rotten it’s nice not to have to cook dinner.
4. Flickr – it is so easy to download pictures to share with you on my blog.
5. Discovering an episode of Big Bang Theory that I hadn’t seen before.

As promised above are some of my flower pics.

There has been one item in our home that has been there tormenting us for three years. This otherwise harmless item is pictured below for you amusement…

Like I said it looks harmless enough and yet it has been a constant source of clutter torture for far too long.

The lamp has been assembled then dismantled then all the wiring pulled out of it then assembled then dismantled then assembled again. Our intention, when we brought it home to Australia from the USA, was to rewire it and continue to use it in our new home. USA runs 120 volts while Australia runs 240 volts if you were wondering why there was a wiring issue but I digress. We got as far as pulling all the wire out of it and then decided we weren’t skilled enough or certified for that matter to rewire it.

It has occupied space in the living room, in the garage, under the camphor wood chest and finally the garage again where we see it every time we drive in. It has not been decluttered before now because I was still considering getting it professionally rewired. Needless to say that just hasn’t happened. I think I knew long ago that it would cost more to rewire it than it was worth and we don’t need it anyway.

Yesterday I decided to call a halt to the clutter torture and listed it on Freecycle. I honestly described it as needing rewiring but that I thought all the parts were still there, and hoped someone could use it rather sending it to the trash. It lasted about 10 minutes before someone claimed it and by lunch time today it was gone.

Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we hold on to the things that irritate us every time we look at them when it is that easy to be rid of them? I love Freecycle, it is a wonderful way to pass on our unwanted stuff.

5 things I am grateful for today

1. Neighbours – they are great for lots of things but especially for lending us their stuff to try before you buy our own.
2. More bang for your buck – A muffin and a cappuccino is one thing – a home cooked muffin dusted with icing sugar, butter on the side with a garnish of sliced strawberry with a cappuccino just seems like better value for your money even if it is the same food.
3. One pot meals – so simple yet so yummy.
4. Another glorious Spring day
5. Digital Kitchen Scales – mine are no bigger than a small paperback but so functional.

Before we get into the practical side of today’s post I just want to make a comment about germs. I am not a “germaphobe” by any stretch of the imagination. I believe you don’t build up any immunity to them unless you are exposed to them. In fact I think that chemical companies thrive on putting the germ fear into people with their ridiculous advertising campaigns (don’t even get me started on that rant). I use microfibre cloths because I like to effectively clean my house without using too many chemicals. The fact that they do such a good job of eliminating such a high percentage of germs is just a bonus.

Now back to my usage of microfribre cloths/mitts…

Microwave Oven – Damp MF cloth

• wet your MF cloth and wring it out so it is damp
• place the damp MF cloth in the centre of the microwave oven turntable
• Set the oven for about 30 seconds on high (1000watt models) and press start.
• The object is to heat the cloth just enough to cause the moister in it to steam up your microwave oven. (It doesn’t take long. You may need to experiment here to get the right timing; more or less depending on the power of your microwave.)
• Once the 30 sec + is done leave the steaming cloth to do the work for about 5 minutes. DO NOT open the door.
• Once the 5 minutes are up open the microwave and wipe it out with the now warm cloth. The steam should have softened any stuck on food from all surfaces and it should wipe away easily.

Floors – Microfibre Mop (I use a Sabco mop but I am sure there are plenty of other good brands)

• vacuum the floor (I vacuum all floors hard or carpet in my opinion nothing does a better job)
• Dampen the mop pad
• Mop away to your hearts content

I only rinse my mop once to do my entire shiny white tiled floor. You may need more of less depending on size and whether you have kids, pets etc. The mop I use has a scourer attached for those stubborn spots.

Eye glasses – Nearly all prescription eyeglasses come with their own case and MF cleaning cloth.  Sometimes I use eyeglass cleaning solution but most of the time I use the steam from my breath.

Computer/Television screens – MF cloth water spray bottle

• Fold the MF cloth to fit in your hand
• spray a fine mist of water on one side of the cloth
• gently wipe the screen
• now gently wipe the screen with the dry side of the cloth
• NEVER spray the water directly onto the computer/television screens

Face cleaner/Exfoliator – MF cloth and water

• Check out this web site for some great info on this item. I don’t endorse this product and have never used it. It was just the first choice I found when I Googled microfibre exfoliator. It had so much information I thought they deserved the credit for it.

Dishes –I must confess I use a dishwasher for the bulk of my dishes but for those I wish to clean in a hurry I use a small damp MC cloth to wipe them clean and a larger more absorbent cloth to dry them with. I use this method for all of my good chef knives because they shouldn’t be put in the dishwasher.

Cleaning walls – MF cloth and water spary bottle

• spray a light list of water on any dirty stops
• wipe over with the MF cloth

As Odette pointed out in her comment on this page;  Mr. Clean Magic Erasers made from microporous foam are the best things for spot cleaning walls. They act like super fine sandpaper and can remove crayon, magic marker, grease etc with ease.

How Microfibre Works

Don’t be fooled by the smoothness of microfibre. You will notice when you wipe a MF cloth against a dirty surface you can feel the resistance caused by the grit and grime. That is the microfibre doing it’s job attaching itself to the foreign objects on the surface. Keep wiping and when the cloth moves smoothly across the surface you know the job is done. The little fibres get into every tiny fissure to give you a fabulous clean.

Cleaning your MF cloths and mitts

I usually accumulate dirty clothes over a week and then wash them separately from my other laundry. If you don’t want to do this make sure you wash your MF cloths and mitts in a laundry lint bag otherwise they will fill up with lint and be useless for dusting and cleaning glass.

I sometimes dry my MF clothes in the dryer this seems to fluff up the fibres and add an electrostatic charge making them better at attracting and holding dust. (Thanks for reminding me to add that Odette) Once again I do this separate from my other loads as to not introduce lint from other fabrics.

Value for money

I find that I can usually get at least two years out of each cloth. When you consider how many less expensive and less effective cleaning clothes, paper towel and chemicals  you would get through in that time I think it would work out to be very good value for money.

Buying microfibre cleaning products

As you can see from the few links I have included these mitts/cloths come in all thicknesses and sizes. Usually the packaging will tell you what particular cleaning job they are designed for. I am lucky that my husband jets off to the USA periodically and the only thing I ask him to bring back is a supply of Mf cloths from Target. I am sure there are a lot of other retailers and manufactures out there but I will let you investigate that for yourself as every place is different. Enjo are a party plan company who have some great products but like I said before at 3 x the price I am not convinced that they are any better than other brands especially not 3 x better. Enjo does however do very good demonstrations on how and why to use their products.

*Deanna kindly reminded me to tell you that if you buy MF cloths at taget (in the US) get them from the automotive department. There are so many sizes and thicknesses to choose from and they are a lot cheaper there than in the household cleaning section. Vroom is the brand to look for.

I personally have on hand…

• 2 outdoor mitts (sabco Aust.)
• 2 bathroom mitts (sabco Aust.)
• 2 glass/chrome cleaning mitts (sabco Aust.)
• 2 face mitts
• several 11 inch clothes for dishes (vroom brand from Target USA)
• several 13 inch clothes for dusting/surface cleaning (vroom brand from Target USA)
• several 15 inch clothes for wiping dishes (vroom brand from Target USA)
• several eyeglass clothes
• 1 mop (sabco Aust.)

There is also a rather large stash of extras hidden away in the kitchen cupboard just in case my husband stops taking trips to America. These are definitely only likely to leave my home through natural progression decluttering.

I hope I have given you plenty of information to get you started with microfibre cleaning. Just remember I am not an expert and it is best to do your own research to determine how to use these products and if they are right for your needs. There is an abundance of information on the net. To start with check out Wikipedia for the initial rundown on how they are made and work.

REMEMBER: Rub gently when using microfibre clothes or you will flatten the fibres and they will be less effective.

ITEM 279 0F 365 LESS THINGS

The soccer shirt with it’s pink words that I mentioned on Day 273. I am glad to see the back of that guilt trip.

5 things I am grateful for today

1. Email – it is much cheaper and faster than snail mail.
2. Warm days coupled with cool evenings – such a wonderful combination.
3. Daylight savings – now there is enough light in the evening to go for walks with my husband again.
4. A nice chat with my son – it is not always easy to get a civilized conversation out of a nineteen year old male.
5. Freecycle – it is a great source of guilt relief

I received this email from a lovely lady last week who is just about to begin her journey on the quest to declutter. The email read…

Hi Colleen, I am new to your blog but spent a bit of time reading through some past posts. Betty Jo suggested I come over and I am so glad I did. I am literally just on day one of my journey to declutter but am actually looking forward to it. The serious work will begin in the morning…I already know where I am starting. Thanks for spurring me on. Patty

I am glad Patty has found her way to my blog and is most welcome here. This is the reason I started my blog in the first place. I figured so long as I am learning my way I may as well try to help others along with me and together we could make our homes and our world a better place.

No matter where you are on the journey whether at the beginning, half way along or approaching the finish line the message is the same. Take your time and work at a pace that is comfortable to you. It is not a race to see who can finish first or a competition to see who can end up with the least amount of stuff. It is about reducing the things that are cluttering your life, not giving up the things that you love. It is about learning to resist the urge to waste money and space on unnecessary purchases that will ultimately become future clutter. It can be about freeing up funds that would otherwise be squandered keeping up with the Joneses. It is sometimes about doing the right thing by the environment.

Whatever it is to you, don’t give up, chip away at it everyday even if only for 10 minutes. It’s about the journey, not the destination, and everyone at 365 Less Things is here to help each other. All you need to do is ask for advice, encouragement or even a shoulder to cry on when you get frustrated and discouraged. There is as much helpful advice in the comments from my readers as there is in the posts I write so please check them out as well.

So, welcome to any new readers and to those who have been with me for a while I really appreciate your support and input. I felt it was a good day to reinforce this message not only to you all but also to myself and wish you all happiness in your decluttering.

ITEM 278 OF 365 LESS THINGS

The last item from the Day 273 search through the laundry cupboard

5 things I am grateful for today

1. Kind words – these can bring sunshine on a rainy day.
2. Kind deeds – done with a good heart for no reward.
3. Kind intentions – even when misconstrued are still what they are.
4. Kind people – the deliverers of the above.
5. Ability to forgive – when kindness is absent

Just a quick post to prove to you that I do practice what I preach even when social convention challenges me to have second thoughts.

This weekend we took a trip interstate to be involved in a birthday surprise for my husband’s mother who will turn seventy later this month. The main object of this surprise was for all her four children to be there with her in one place at one time for the first time in seven years. As she made a point of mentioning during the celebration, this may well be the last time it happens because it isn’t easy to orchestrate with all four children living in different states/territories with the complication of two being in the military.

Tempting as it was to come up with a nice gift to commemorate the occasion, regardless of the fact that there really isn’t anything she needs, I decided to be practical. To be honest spending almost $1000 for three airfares, a hire car and accommodation was more than enough of a gift but I came up with a good alternative to arriving empty handed.

She has sent me the odd comment on my blog about decluttering my craft items without consulting her first. So in the spirit of that and in keeping with what I do and say here at 365 Less Things I put together a collection of paper crafting  supplies – paper, album, embellishments and magazines and gave it to her as my gift. She was very pleased with my selection while I was very happy to lessen the mileage on my craft supply guilt trip.

ITEM 277 OF 365 LESS THINGS

The collection of items given to my mother-in-law minus the magazines that were decluttered in a previous post and were sitting in the garage waiting to be sent to the thrift store.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. Decluttering – when I visit homes that feel to me to be full of clutter and return to my own mostly decluttered home it is like a breath of fresh air.
2. Families that get along – sometimes we take this for granted but after a happy week-end with family – cousins, sisters, brothers, parents and in-laws – all getting along happily together I feel quite grateful to have been and continue to be a part of it.
3. Rain – even though it can put a damper on outdoor activities, it just freshens up the city and makes it feel clean again. It we seem to get just enough of it here to keep my garden alive without having to water it myself.
4. Good quality toilet paper – can’t you encounter some really poor quality toilet tissue in public restrooms. Also it is easy to tell that no thought what-so-ever goes into where most TP dispensers are mounted on the wall in these restrooms.
5. The opportunity to help – the joy of helping others is arguably more satisfying then the relief of being helped yourself.

As promised last week in one of my comment replies I am writing about microfibre cloths today. Now I am not intending to do any investigating of this but just write about how and what I use them for and why I think they are so great.

One of the main reasons I use microfibre is to cut down on the amount of chemicals while keeping a clean home. I am of the understanding that microfibre can remove up to 99% of germs off any surface using just water so that eliminates the need for disinfectants just for starters.

What I use my microfibre clothes for

Washing the Car -  I use and Microfibre Outdoor mitt, a bucket, hose and water.

• Rinse the car off with the hose to remove excess dirt and to soften bug crud and the like.
• I fill the bucket with water to dip the mitt into.
• Once the mitt is wet I commence washing the car using the usual plan of top to bottom ,  starting on the roof, then the glass, then one panel at a time rinsing with the hose as I go the remove the loosened grime.
• I will use a large absorbent MF cloth to wipe the car dry when I am done.
• No Shampoo required.

Glass Inside– I use a spray bottle of water and a glass mitt or any MF cloth will do.

• Spray the glass with very little water.
• I usually fold my cloth if not using the mitt
• I wipe the glass clean with one side of the cloth/mitt and polish is dry with the other side.
• No glass cleaner required.

Glass outside – Use outdoor mitt and car washing method

• You can also buy microfibre glass cleaners with rubber blades which I believe are really good for this job. I have not used them though.

Bench Tops, Sinks and basins – 2 microfibre clothes and a little water.

• Spray area with a little water to soften any grime.
• Use one cloth to do the initial clean
• Then the other to wipe dry if necessary

*I can sometime get a little pedantic with these areas and weaken to use a little all-purpose disinfecting spray cleaner but I believe it is really not necessary.

Bath & Shower – Bathroom mitt, MC cloth for drying, water spray bottle and a little all-purpose spray cleaner.

• Once again the spray really isn’t necessary but it does make it easier to remove soap scum
• I just use the cloth and a little water to clean the not so soap scummy areas like around the edge of the bath and outside the shower screen. Much the same method as glass cleaning.
• For the soap scummy areas I spray with the all-purpose cleaner first and then use a damp cloth or the mitt to give a good scrub down then a once over with the cloth to polish off. Remember no to scrub hard as you flatten the fibres and render them less effective.
• I do however use a little mould spray every now again if mould or mildew occur but the best way to avoid having to do this is to have a microfibre glass cleaner with the rubber blade and wipe the shower down every time you use it. Maybe it is time I gave that a try.

Dusting -A MC dust mitt or MC cloth and a spray bottle of water

• All surfaces whether horizontal of vertical get dusty. I dust everything from my skirting boards to the pictures on the walls with microfibre
• Usually I will spray the mitt/cloth with a very light mist of water to help the dust stick.
• Then just wipe over the surface like any normal dusting job.
• You can also buy dusters with extendable handles for hard to get at places including ceiling fans
• I use the same method the clean all the stained wooden surfaces in my home such as the dining table but I will polish them dry because wood and water are not a good mix.. (I also polish these with Cedar oil occasionally).

Carpet spot cleaning– MC cloth and water spray bottle.

• Spray the stain with a little water and wipe stain gently from every direction.
• Wiping from every direction wipes the carpet fibres on all sides
• Switch the cloth around so that you are using clean areas of the cloth as you proceed.
• Use a dry cloth or a dry clean area of the cloth you used to clean with to dry up the area.

*If the stain is stubborn use a oxygen activated carpet spot cleaner. I actually cleaned nail polish off the carpet in my daughter’s bedroom once using this method and even I couldn’t believe the results. I did use nail polish remover to clean off the worst of the spill but I might mention that I found the stain several days after it had happened.

Clothing – I use MF clothes to wipe dust, deodorant and light stains of my clothes in order to get a second use out of them. Especially my work outfits.

• Use a dry cloth to wipe dust off working in one direction only.
• Use a slightly damp cloth for deodorant and stains.
• This doesn’t work on all stains but is good if the clothes are dark in colour.

This post is becoming very long so I will finish here today and do a part II tomorrow or during the week sometime. In the meantime check out the Enjo Website . Don’t get me wrong though this is not an endorsement for Enjo simply because I think their products are far too pricey even if they are good quality but I will talk about that in Part II.

ITEM 276 OF 365 LESS THINGS

The pot holders mentioned on day 273

5 things I am grateful for today

1. Tea – I love a good cup of tea.
2. Other bloggers – Some soothe me with their sensitivity others inspire me with their words of wisdom while Bobbi @ Finding me in France gave me such a good belly laugh on Friday from a post she had written in August about not being well endowed that I almost rolled on to the floor.
3. Affordable domestic flights – Once upon a time we could only afford to drive everywhere and that could take days.
4. Plants – they bring such beauty to the world.
5. Microwave ovens – they make leftover meals to easy to prepare.