# Drastic Measures



## CFarmerLady

I have never been a good housekeeper. My mom tried to teach me, but I was too busy being a rebelious teenager. I have no good habbits, and it has cost me and my house dearly. We don't have mice, because we have a cat, but that's about the only problem we don't have.

I need help, both to get the house back where it needs to be, and to keep it that way. And to be frank, if I can't develop the good habbits now, becoming a homesteader or a foster parent would really not be a good idea.

So, I'm not a hoarder, but there's quite a bit of clutter. Clean laundry ends up in the floor because the drawers aren't safe any more. I can't keep up with dishes. My refrigerator is the only safe place for food that's not canned. And THEY are everywhere I look. The evil little German cockroach.

On top of them, the dog brought in fleas, the roaches attract cobweb spiders, and my doors won't close correctly, so we have flies, and if we're not careful, maggots.

Some days I want to open the gas lines and light a match.

I just don't know what to do.:sob:


----------



## Laura Zone 5

Drastic measures?
Are you ready for that?
If yes........

1. Stop telling yourself 'can't / no good / no use' etc.
2. One room at a time. Kitchen first. Clean the ceiling first. Use a broom.
3. THROW EVERYTHING YOU DO NOT USE each week in the trash.
4. Empty all the cabinets. Throw away everything that has been exposed to anything non-human.
5. Bleach the inside of the cabinets
6. Put everything in marked containers (flour/rice/ceral etc)
7. Bleach on top of your cabinets.
8. Bleach the walls.
9. Empty all the lower cabinets / pantry.
10. Repeat steps 4-6
11. Put back ONLY the things you use every week
12. Bleach the cabinets inside and out.
13. How many people are in your household? Keep that many plates. Throw the rest away.
14. Bleach inside of drawers.
15. Keep enough silver ware to serve 2 meals, and throw the rest away.
16. Do the same with drinking glasses.
17. Throw away any mis matched tupperware / whip cream bowls etc.
18. Throw away any brick a brack decorations that sit on the counter.
19. ONLY keep things on the counter that you use daily.
20. Pull the fridge out into the middle of the room. Bleach everything behind the fridge.
21. Empty the freezer and fridge, and bleach the inside
22. Throw away all expired food
23. Only keep what you will eat.
24. Bleach the entire outside of the fridge.
25. If you have a kit table that has piles of stuff on it.....go through it and throw the stuff away.
26. Bleach the table and chairs.
27. Hand scrub kitchen floor and baseboards with bleach.

Now it's clean.
It's your 'safe spot'.
Guard this clean room with your life.
If you can't keep up with the dishes, use paper plates and plastic forks.
Take out the trash, daily.
Let everyone in the house know, this is the beginning and the kitchen WILL stay clean.

Attack every room the same way.
I would do your bedroom, next.

ONCE you get the kitchen clean NO FOOD leaves the kitchen EVER.
All food is eaten in the kitchen.
Once your kitchen is done......call an exterminator.
Cockroaches are dangerous.


----------



## KnowOneSpecial

Laura :dance: :clap:

I'm going through a declutter phase now. I'm finding that once I hold something I usually know within 2 seconds if it's something I can keep or something I can toss. I have a large garbage can with wheels that I can take from room to room. If I know that item can't be kept it's in the can and GONE. I'm surprised at how much I can toss or donate. 

I've always hated the Hoarders show where they throw EVERYTHING away, even the good stuff. I have to have a donate pile. I cleaned out my sunroom and the only stuff allowed out there is stuff that is ready to donate. It must be in a bag and ready to go before I put it out there. 

Just remember that your house didn't get like this overnight and it won't get clean overnight either. Just do as much as you can do every day. 


And as for not knowing what needs to be done.....you just gave us a great list of stuff that needs to be done!


----------



## Laura Zone 5

I hate the hoarders show too for a lot of reasons.....

Someones personal hades is paraded before a camera crew and many other strangers before it is plastered on the idiot box we call TV for the world to see.
Watching what mental illness does to a human being is devestating. 
It is not entertainment for me.

The only reason I didn't say "make a good will pile and make a garage sale pile" is because right now she needs a clean kitchen. 
She has an infestation and it needs to go now 
It sounds like her house is pretty out of control, and she needs to take some drastic measures.

For normal 'clutter' and 'collections of stuff' I would totally recommend a 'good will pile, a garage sale - ebay pile' and then a 'trash pile'.


----------



## Ceilismom

Laura Zone 5 said:


> Drastic measures?
> Are you ready for that?
> If yes........
> 
> 1. Stop telling yourself 'can't / no good / no use' etc.
> 2. One room at a time. Kitchen first. Clean the ceiling first. Use a broom.
> 3. THROW EVERYTHING YOU DO NOT USE each week in the trash.
> 4. Empty all the cabinets. Throw away everything that has been exposed to anything non-human.
> 5. Bleach the inside of the cabinets
> 6. Put everything in marked containers (flour/rice/ceral etc)
> 7. Bleach on top of your cabinets.
> 8. Bleach the walls.
> 9. Empty all the lower cabinets / pantry.
> 10. Repeat steps 4-6
> 11. Put back ONLY the things you use every week
> 12. Bleach the cabinets inside and out.
> 13. How many people are in your household? Keep that many plates. Throw the rest away.
> 14. Bleach inside of drawers.
> 15. Keep enough silver ware to serve 2 meals, and throw the rest away.
> 16. Do the same with drinking glasses.
> 17. Throw away any mis matched tupperware / whip cream bowls etc.
> 18. Throw away any brick a brack decorations that sit on the counter.
> 19. ONLY keep things on the counter that you use daily.
> 20. Pull the fridge out into the middle of the room. Bleach everything behind the fridge.
> 21. Empty the freezer and fridge, and bleach the inside
> 22. Throw away all expired food
> 23. Only keep what you will eat.
> 24. Bleach the entire outside of the fridge.
> 25. If you have a kit table that has piles of stuff on it.....go through it and throw the stuff away.
> 26. Bleach the table and chairs.
> 27. Hand scrub kitchen floor and baseboards with bleach.
> 
> Now it's clean.
> It's your 'safe spot'.
> Guard this clean room with your life.
> If you can't keep up with the dishes, use paper plates and plastic forks.
> Take out the trash, daily.
> Let everyone in the house know, this is the beginning and the kitchen WILL stay clean.
> 
> Attack every room the same way.
> I would do your bedroom, next.
> 
> ONCE you get the kitchen clean NO FOOD leaves the kitchen EVER.
> All food is eaten in the kitchen.
> Once your kitchen is done......call an exterminator.
> Cockroaches are dangerous.


I love this checklist, and would only add: step 2 needs to be "open a window".


----------



## Laura Zone 5

Being a bit OCD comes in handy when 'cleaning' a room.
Yeah, it can be 'overkill' but there is no such thing as too clean? 

I start at the ceiling and work my way down.
I forgot to add "Scrub the walls". Especially around the stove where food splatters.


----------



## CFarmerLady

God.

I'm sitting here bawling. Not because I think I can't do it, or because I'm afraid of it, but because no one has ever taken the time to give me sound advice before. They just look at me in disgust and refuse to come over. Thank you for not being like that.

So, the grocery list needs bleach on it. I don't have any right now. I can sweep the ceiling and go through the fridge today, though.

I might keep posting to this thread, let ya'll know where I am in the process.

On the bug note, I don't have money for an exterminator, but I've heard good things about diatomaceous earth. Would it be enough, or do I need to start saving for the exterminator?


----------



## backwoods

I'd attack the bug problem immediately! Go to the dollar general and get a big bottle of roach spray or 3. Bugs are there because they have FOOD. Remove it, and store all washed silverware and dishes inside sealed plastic bags. Bugs are especially drawn to electric appliances, so be sure to move the fridge and stove, clean thoroughly, including the wall, floor, & back & bottom of appliances. Then spray. Spray all baseboards thoroughly. Keep the floors cleaned of crumbs, countertops too, and keep all trash sealed and remove daily. Good luck, it'll take some time, but you CAN do it! Inlist the family's help!


----------



## mekasmom

Fly Lady... Go visit the site and start with baby steps. Keep your sink shiny first. After you master that you can add some more. A step at a time, line upon line, precept upon precept. Don't worry about the whole thing right now. Just take one baby step. Keep your sink shiny.
You don't need to do 150 drastic measures. Just start with one thing.
FLYing Lesson: Shining Your Sink | FlyLady.net
http://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/


----------



## Maura

Find a cleaning woman. Have her come in twice a week for two hours each time. The two of you will tornado the kitchen to begin with. Between her first and second visit, keep the kitchen as clean as you can. Her second visit, attack the bathroom. If she has any time left, she should go into the kitchen again. Now, you are learning to declutter two important rooms with some body who has seen really really dirty houses, and someone who can help you to make decisions. You have a buddy.

Make the phone call, tell the person that your house has gotten totally out of control and you can't do it yourself at this point. A person who is a professional cleaner is not going to bad mouth you all over town. If she did, she wouldn't have any customers. Ask what she will charge. When she comes over she will be able to estimate a time line with you. I know it sounds expensive, but it will be money well spent. Once things are under control she can come in once a week for one hour, or whatever you need.

I've never been at the point you are, but I recently hired a woman to come in once a week for an hour and it is really nice to have that help. I don't feel so overwhelmed. Many hands make light work.

Good luck and let us know how things are going.


----------



## Maura

_Sidetracked Home Executive_ is a wonderful book for the less than perfect housekeeper. She takes you step by baby step to help you organize your home. It has helped a lot of not so good housekeepers. You'll want to do the major steps of decluttering and cleaning right now, but the book will help you keep things from becoming a disaster again.


----------



## Laura Zone 5

CFarmerLady said:


> God.
> 
> I'm sitting here bawling. Not because I think I can't do it, or because I'm afraid of it, but because no one has ever taken the time to give me sound advice before. They just look at me in disgust and refuse to come over. Thank you for not being like that.


Oh now.....YOU CAN do it.
Once you start, it will become a mission......once you get this kitchen clean? You will be frothing at the mouth to get at the other rooms!!

I wish I lived closer....I'd come over and help you get started!!



> So, the grocery list needs bleach on it. I don't have any right now. I can sweep the ceiling and go through the fridge today, though.


Here's how I keep myself on track.
I use a regular note book.
I write down "Monday October 22" at the top.
Then 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
On line 1. I start my list.
I give myself at least 5 things to accomplish, a day.
(Assuming you do not work outside the home) You could do this:
Monday
1. Go to store buy bleach & trash bags.
2. Sweep off ceiling in kitchen
3. Scrub tops of cabinets with bleach water.
4. Wash walls from ceiling to cabinets with bleach water.
5. Pull fridge, clean behind and under. Bleach walls and cabinets surround fridge.
6. Bleach entire outside of fridge.
7. Empty freezer and fridge completely. Bleach inside of fridge.
8. Throw away all expired food.
9. Put good food back in fridge.
10. Throw away one full trash bag of junk from the kitchen.

If you work outside the home, break this list into two parts. 1-5 monday, 6-10 tuesday....etc.



> I might keep posting to this thread, let ya'll know where I am in the process.
> On the bug note, I don't have money for an exterminator, but I've heard good things about diatomaceous earth. Would it be enough, or do I need to start saving for the exterminator?


Do you own the home, or are you renting?
If you are renting, once you get the place cleaned up, have the land lord take care of the bugs.
If you own it, save for the professional exterminator.
Better yet, when you get to rooms that have 'stuff' you do not use, that has value, sell it on Craig's List to generate the cash to pay the exterminator...


----------



## BlueCollarBelle

CFarmerLady, you can do it!

Laura, you should consider writing a housekeeping guide. Seriously. Women like me who struggle with ADHD could use something like the advice you listed above. I know that checklists help me get things done but sometimes making the list is beyond me. That was a great start and you wrote it so clearly!


----------



## backwoods

I started to suggest Flylady too, but was afraid it might overwhelm as well. Laura really does well with the checklist, simple and to the point! Maybe she can post more of those here for who ever needs them???


----------



## Laura Zone 5

backwoods said:


> I started to suggest Flylady too, but was afraid it might overwhelm as well. Laura really does well with the checklist, simple and to the point! Maybe she can post more of those here for who ever needs them???


I am a bit OCD and a smidge ADD .....look shiney........
I found fly lady absolutely overwhelming and majored in the minors.
It works like a DREAM for others.

For me, I found the "top to bottom" approach really worked for me.
That way I touched EVERYTHING from the ceiling to the floor, and by the time I got to the floor.....It was DONE.

Thanks for the compliments!:dance:


----------



## BCoburn

I would love to come help you too--no judgement at all but I know how it can be to feel overwhelmed and you just can't decide where to start on a big project so you don't start at all.

Once you get started and you have a clean room, it is like a new hobby and it feels so good having that clean area that you want to move on and do more! Also, when I have a horrible project or job to do that I keep putting off, I promise myself that I will work on it at least 15 minutes and that is all that I have to do THAT day. Once my 15 minutes is up, I can quit the project for THAT day and not think about it at all again for that day. Next day, get up and put your 15 minutes in and you are done for THAT day. I usually do this for a few days and then, I get over 50% done and just say, to heck with it, I have come this far I am finishing so that I don't have to think about this project again. I just got through a horrible chore that I really hate using this method. Also, when I know that I only have to put 15 minutes in, I usually do it early in the morning when I have the most energy and then I have the rest of the day to forget it ha ha

May I recommend boric acid for the cockroaches? I moved into a rental one time that had roaches and got a recommendation for BA and it really worked. Plus, it is not that expensive. I just kept a can open under the sink and before long the roaches were eradicated and I didn't need an exterminator.

Good luck and I look forward to hearing of your progress. May God bless you with energy and resolve to complete this task and Jesus be by your side!


----------



## OUVickie

I read the FlyLady's "Sink Reflections" and another book about cleaning and organizing hotspot zones. They were great and truly helped!!

Even if you aren't a Hoarder, the new book out (got it at the Library) called "The Hoarder in You" helps you to understand yourself and different levels of "cluttering" which is truly helpful and not at all about the blame game. 
I've been reading all the books about cluttering/decluttering that I can get my hands on and they are so helpful.

The FlyLady's books are the biggest help to me, because I can declutter and clean anything in 15 minute sessions. And it helps that she keeps telling you not to get sidetracked by "perfectionism". 

The most important thing for me was just getting started and not beating myself up when I can't accomplish more than one or two things in a day. 

Hang in there, you can do it!!!!


----------



## CFarmerLady

Thought I'd give ya'll an update. Today is payday, so I bought bleach and Raid roach spray, a package of scrubber sponges and a cleaning bucket. I swept the ceiling and started on my pantry area. The pantry is an old book case that sits with it's back to the side of the fridge. I cleaned, scrubbed and sprayed the top of the fridge and the first three shelves, and am now taking a lunch break while the spray dries. I'm throwing contaminated stuff away as I go. The bugs like onion powder but not onion salt. I think they don't like the salt. Anything that's sugar I'm having to throw away, with the exception of the two unopened bags of brown sugar. They also didn't get into the bag of potato flakes, for a wonder.


----------



## Kristinemomof3

As far as the fleas, vacuum, vacuum and vacuum. Everyday and take the bag/vacuum outside when you aren't using it if you can, you don't want more fleas to keep hatching. Vacuuming will be the best way to help get rid of them. If you have a close friend to help you clean, that would help deter expenses.


----------



## OUVickie

CFarmerLady said:


> Thought I'd give ya'll an update. Today is payday, so I bought bleach and Raid roach spray, a package of scrubber sponges and a cleaning bucket. I swept the ceiling and started on my pantry area. The pantry is an old book case that sits with it's back to the side of the fridge. I cleaned, scrubbed and sprayed the top of the fridge and the first three shelves, and am now taking a lunch break while the spray dries. I'm throwing contaminated stuff away as I go. The bugs like onion powder but not onion salt. I think they don't like the salt. Anything that's sugar I'm having to throw away, with the exception of the two unopened bags of brown sugar. They also didn't get into the bag of potato flakes, for a wonder.


CFL - I keep my sugar in an airtight container and my flour and cereal are kept in the fridge. This keeps all bugs out of the food. I found the plastic containers at the Goodwill store for 99 cents each. 
Make sure you pitch all your food scraps outside in a compost heap away from the house. If they aren't in the trash, you won't have bugs going after them.
I use Boric acid sprinkled in the back of the cabinets and under the appliances and Raid roach traps in the back of my cabinets and in the corner of my countertops behind my small appliances and such. Peppermint oil - straight - will help deter bugs too. 
The cleaner you keep your kitchen and bathroom, the better it will get. I try not to leave dishes in the sink overnight. 
If you find holes in your walls, where mice and such come through, stuff SOS pads in there. It will usually kill whatever eats it. 
And if you get the chance - spray the bug repellant around the outside of your house on a regular basis. It keeps them from coming inside.

Just a few suggestions that will hopefully help. I've had the same problem before, so I know it can be overwhelming when you're trying to get a handle on it.


----------



## Wildfire_Jewel

I have BTDT but our problem was flies and since I am awful about procrastinating about dishes, I am very embarrassed to say - I HAVE had maggots in the sink. Since maggots are one of the few bugs that REALLY gross me out - I freaked and bleached EVERYTHING! Needless to say, I keep my kitchen a bit cleaner but still not up to what "normal" people probably consider clean. We at one point had fly tapes hanging from the ceiling throughout the house - including the kitchen - and that just was so embarrassing if someone stopped in unexpected and we didn't have time to pull them down. We have no idea WHY we had such a problem with flies. When they removed the siding on the west side of our home shortly after we bought it, underneath (in February) was COVERED in flies - live ones. We always joked that there must be dead bodies in the attic that attracted them all (but there is no smells). After several years of fly tapes in the house and a couple bug bombs - we FINALLY seem to be mostly fly free
Housekeeping will NEVER be my strong point - I have other qualities that I think more than make up for it but I try to at least keep the kitchen and the "girl cave" presentable since that is where guests are going to be. I gave up on my actual family room and what is supposed to be my living room - I have RC planes hanging from the living room ceiling as well as a double desk of computers covered in papers and other electronic paraphenalia. In the family room I have to live with the 25+ year old sectional that my husband REFUSES to get rid of (it's from his parent's family room from when he was a teen!!) which is stinky and sagging as well as more electronic stuff and our rowing machine and my son's leather working things. I occasionally give it a once over but they just don't care so I let them live with their messes!
There are multiple home repairs that need to be done but I do not have the skills to do them however I am going to learn - my husband just never seems to get around to them - leaking faucets and toilets. Which has ruined the base cabinets at all of the sinks and is ruining the floor around one toilet. Which led to mold......Yeah - my house is a mess too so You are not alone!! Like Laura said - start in the kitchen - that's what worked best for me and them prioritize the rest. Flylady did NOT work for me - I cannot seem to stay on task long enough for some of her things to work (ADD, mild OCD, Bi-polar and anxiety disorder) Keep us updated


----------



## CFarmerLady

So, the food storage area is done. DH surprised the heck out of me yesterday and got in there with me, scrubbing out the fridge and chunking all the crap that was in there.

Then we moved the refrigerator out to get at the wall and floor. :shocked: :runforhills: There were thousands of dead ones and hundreds of live ones. I guess the baits I put out in September did some good, but it wasn't enough. Blech! Now they're all out in the dumpster and won't "bug" anyone ever again.


----------



## bama

may i suggest bengal spray also? it seems to work better / longer than raid for us. the flea spray doesn't last as long as it used to, but it does work, in my experience.

and don't feel alone at all! i struggle daily with a lack of homemaker aptitude. i have had maggots in the house twice. once was a forgotten bag of potatoes. the other, i was seeing just how long it would take dh to take out the trash. . .i haven't tried that experiment again! LOL


----------



## jennytw

How is your cleaning going CFarmerLady?


----------



## tlrnnp67

The bug sprays you buy in the store just don't work very well. Order the good concentrated stuff online and pick up one of those one or two gallon garden sprayers from Wal-Mart or a hardware store (the kind you pressurize by pumping up the handle). The concentrate is pricey, but you only use one ounce of it at a time, so it lasts forever. 

Suspend SC Insecticide

The above kills them now and continues killing them for 2 to 3 months. It is safe for pets and humans. For double protection, it's good to mix it with the following, which interferes with their reproductive cycle, so no more future generations. 

Gentrol IGR Liquid IGR Gentrol

Mix it all up in water in the sprayer, then spray around the perimeter of all of your rooms and baseboards.


----------



## Classof66

We once rented an old farmhouse and worried about moving roaches when we moved. We got lucky tho, we had no travelers, I guess they liked the old place too much. We were in a cold climate and it was winter, so many things were taken outside to freeze. My washer had a florescent light in the back control panel, and the roaches would walk around in there when it was lit. It got rid of them. We did not have very good luck with sprays and had babies, so we had to be careful. I kept things in the trunk of the car until I needed them after we moved. We never had a problem in the new house.


----------



## Sparkie

Boric acid powder will take care of both the roaches and the fleas completely. You don't need to spray poisons in your house.


----------



## puddlejumper007

Sparkie said:


> Boric acid powder will take care of both the roaches and the fleas completely. You don't need to spray poisons in your house.


i buy twenty mule team boraxo , same thing it is in with the laundry soaps, keep up the good work,


----------



## Tinker

Fix the doors, to keep more bugs from coming in, also to save on heating & cooling.

As for the laundry, clean and disenfect the drawers and start using them. If the draweres are infected, the floor is too, so it does no good to throw the clean laundry on it.

Have you tried bug bombs? We have used them a time or 2, and they do help with mild infestation of fleas.

Be sure and really clean all your appliances, including the can opener and micro. 

It is wonderful that your husband is joining in--together you can do this!!!!!!!!


----------



## ChristieAcres

I have only let the housework get completely away from me when going through a lot financially, a symptom of not coping well. I can only claim dust, paperwork piling up, getting a little behind cleaning out the fridge. But can't even begin to imagine the task of cleaning and repairing all that was shared. Since there are reasons behind things getting like this, I hope you will seek counseling.

I went to see a Counselor when I realized I was letting things get away from me. That helped tremendously!!!

Amazing how fast everything can go downhill and how long it takes to clean and restore a home to a reasonable order.

Eating an elephant, one bite at a time!


----------



## valgal

Flylady.com did help me in the beginning. I didn't grow up learning how to be organized at home, but I was at school, work, etc. The Flylady routines helped me to get clean and organized. I am not a member anymore, but I now know what I need to do and when. You can do it! I like the idea Flylady promotes of purging things every day that you just don't need. Really helps!


----------



## FarmChix

If you go to the flylady.com website, she is an inspiration on how to get things back together one day at a time. A lot of my quilter friends used to swear by her site.


----------



## fffarmergirl

Another flylady fan here!!


----------



## soulsurvivor

Any attention you can give to protect your house from rodent/pest infestation is time and money well spent. For me that has to be the first thing done. Otherwise you're just feeding the buggers.

Get a tight seal on the home, exterminate the bugs/rodents, then you can begin cleaning, in that order. All dry pet food/treats goes into a sealed container. All pets are treated for parasites and bathed on a regular basis. 

To further control infestations limit the amount of carpeting, bedding and clothing in the home. Keep all food prep to a specific designated area with covered trash cans/disposals available. Metal or glass food containers are good protection against the infestors. 

Put a Dust Buster next to the remote. With any luck they'll find it's fun to play with in cleaning up their tv snacking mess.


----------



## BKB HOMESTEAD

You are doing great CFarmerLady! You might try a google search on natural remedy for roaches, there are often concoctions (sp?) that use basic household items you may already have. I am working on my spring cleaning now too, and it can be overwhelming! This is my first year spring cleaning since I retired, so I have trouble staying on task because I think I have all the time in the world now! Laura gave you some great advice! I seem to get motivated by de-cluttering. Then I want it clean. It is addictive too, once you get one cabinet clean you just want more! Keep us posted!


----------



## Wolf mom

I really believe things happen for a reason!

I retired yesterday, came home looked around at the things I've let go (clutter - "too tired" & outside stuff) and was so overwhelmed, I took a nap. I've never been to this forum before although have been on HT for a long time. 

Thank you for this thread - and the motivation not to escape into a book but to at least tackle one thing today.


----------



## justincase

bug problems use and I swear by this ( I live in a bug heaven) it is called enforder flea spray 1 year formula it kills EVERYTHING> take the cat out until it dries..use under cabinets and all baeboards and around window and dorrs I use it every 6 months write it on the calander to keep up with it. CLEAN FIRST Like the 1st poster said and kill the roaches. I do NOT have money for an exterminator I use ortho granule bug killer around the outside of the house..water it in the ground. and borax on carpets for all bugs and boric acid and all corners.......good luck. BLEACh BLEACH AND MORE BLEACH. Pine sol atrracts roaches as they hid on pine bark.


----------



## chewie

tempo is great bug killer, and is 'bakery safe' so they claim. no smell, no removing of pets.


----------



## DoxieMom

Laura Zone 5 said:


> Drastic measures?
> Are you ready for that?
> If yes........
> 
> 1. Stop telling yourself 'can't / no good / no use' etc.
> 2. One room at a time. Kitchen first. Clean the ceiling first. Use a broom.
> 3. THROW EVERYTHING YOU DO NOT USE each week in the trash.
> 4. Empty all the cabinets. Throw away everything that has been exposed to anything non-human.
> 5. Bleach the inside of the cabinets
> 6. Put everything in marked containers (flour/rice/ceral etc)
> 7. Bleach on top of your cabinets.
> 8. Bleach the walls.
> 9. Empty all the lower cabinets / pantry.
> 10. Repeat steps 4-6
> 11. Put back ONLY the things you use every week
> 12. Bleach the cabinets inside and out.
> 13. How many people are in your household? Keep that many plates. Throw the rest away.
> 14. Bleach inside of drawers.
> 15. Keep enough silver ware to serve 2 meals, and throw the rest away.
> 16. Do the same with drinking glasses.
> 17. Throw away any mis matched tupperware / whip cream bowls etc.
> 18. Throw away any brick a brack decorations that sit on the counter.
> 19. ONLY keep things on the counter that you use daily.
> 20. Pull the fridge out into the middle of the room. Bleach everything behind the fridge.
> 21. Empty the freezer and fridge, and bleach the inside
> 22. Throw away all expired food
> 23. Only keep what you will eat.
> 24. Bleach the entire outside of the fridge.
> 25. If you have a kit table that has piles of stuff on it.....go through it and throw the stuff away.
> 26. Bleach the table and chairs.
> 27. Hand scrub kitchen floor and baseboards with bleach.



I am TOTALLY copy/pasting this!! Great tips in here. Thank you for posting! :bouncy:


----------



## bryncalyn

I am so glad that I am not the only one! You were lucky in that your mom actually tried to teach you to clean. Mine did not. In fact I was talking with my husband and told him my parents made cleaning not only a chore but a punishment. My mom didn't have an "office" and her papers would be scattered all over. Heaven forbid she couldn't find a paper she needed. Whenever we had a task or chore there wasn't a "good that is done, now you can go and play, do homework, relax, etc." it was "good, that is done, now go and clean xx." So we quickly learned to dwaddle and make things take much longer than necessary. 

Now I have 2 little ones and the house goes from clean (birthday parties, holidays) to a bit on the grungy side. Right now it is clean and has been for a week. Yea!! Well, except the bedrooms. But still .... clean so someone could walk in and see a little "normal" clutter. 

I don't like flylady. I can't get use to her techniques. I didn't really like Sidetracked Home Executives either. 

Thank you for this post and these tips. I will definitely be using them!


----------



## manygoatsnmore

I used the Sidetracked Home Executives 3x5 card system when I was a stay at home mom and it worked well (many years ago). Now the kids are grown and gone. I have worked night shift with a totally erratic schedule for the last 10+ years, and the card system just doesn't work for me anymore. I have found my house getting dusty, cluttered and out of control. No bugs beyond spiders, cobwebs, and flies (being on a farm, there are going to be flies when the doors get left open). Still, I was getting to the point of CHAOS (Flylady fans will recognize this one - *C*an't *H*ave *A*nyone *O*ver *S*yndrome)! 

Over the last month or so, I've been working my way through my house, one room at a time. I started in a back bedroom, turning it into a walk-in pantry. I built shelves along an 8' wall, floor to ceiling. Under the 1st shelf, I left enough room for 5 gallon buckets, in which I store floor, sugar, water, cat food, etc. The first shelf is spaced tall enough for more 4 and five gallon buckets - more water, flour, salt and sugar storage. The next 4 shelves are spaced far enough apart to hold a double stack of soup cans or quart canning jars and the like. the top shelf holds coolers, with the coolers used to store picnic supplies, paper towels and TP. The shelves are 2' wide (deep?), which means they hold a LOT of groceries. The opposite side of the room is currently lined with various shelving and storage units. Eventually, I may move them to the middle of the room and build more pantry shelves where they are now. The closet has 2 dressers holding extra towels, with more storage on the existing closet shelf and on top the dressers. I have a temporary storage unit (otherwise known as a desk from a bunkbed set) under the window between the walls with shelves - I store extra bags of sugar, canning supplies, etc there for now. The sugar will go into 5 gallon buckets eventually, and I will eventually find a new home for the desk, or return it to the transfer station from whence I found it. I angled a "Gorilla" Rack 5 shelf unit 90 degrees from the end of pantry shelves nearest to the door of the room and use it for water jugs (bottom shelf) and canners, wok, and other cooking items used intermittently (moved out of the kitchen). This forms a "hallway" into the room. On the other side to the "hallway" next to the closet, I repurposed a particle board bookcase - a trashpicked piece, cleaned and painted with exterior paint to protect it as much as possible from any moisture - the enemy of particle board. That bookcase holds shampoo, medicines, and other health and beauty items - anything that doesn't have a purfumey scent, as I don't want my food items to taste like soap! It leaves enough walking room to enter the room without feeling too crowded, while giving me as much storage as possible. I also have can racks mounted on the back of the door, used for things like canning lids. Nails in the uprights of the pantry shelves are used to hang up more items. All of this storage enabled me to move many items that were parked in other rooms to one central location, organized and easy to find when needed. 

Having a home for all of these items really opened up my kitchen and nook, enabling me to tackle them, along with the attached utility room. The utility room had one, totally inadequate particle board shelf, meaning I had a lot of stuff sitting on the floor, where I tripped over it daily, or on top the washer and dryer, where it was always in the way. I found the studs, nailed up supports and built 3 rows of storage shelves over the washer and dryer. First row holds bottles for homemade liquid laundry soap, oxyclean, borax, dryer sheets, bleach, etc. 2nd row holds clothespins, the supplies to make laundry soap, and other cleaning supplies. Top shelf is reserved for gardening supplies. It's pretty nice to be able to walk through that room without worrying about stubbing my toes! That also removed more clutter from other rooms as my stores were all over the house.

The kitchen was scrubbed top to bottom to remove flyspecks, cobwebs, and cat fur - my cats are fond of leaping up on top of the cabinets over the fridge and kitchen pantry. Had to mend the top of the cabinets with wood glue where the cats had popped it loose, and it took a lot of scrubbing, but it looks pretty good now! I removed every single item from the shelves, cleaned every shelf, put down contact paper where I hadn't already done so in the past, and only replaced items to which I wanted to have immediate access. I pruned the plastics to a reasonable number for daily use, and I put into storage the plastics that I would potentially need for freezer use or other storage. Everything else went to Goodwill or recycling. I actually have some neat, organized shelves with extra room for future finds!

On to the den, also known as the library. So cluttered with sewing machines, grandkid toys, stacks of books, kindling and paper for the woodstove, and so much more, it was impossible to get to the bookcases themselves! Kind of defeats the purpose of a library, doesn't it? I removed everything I could, finding homes for everything I could in the process and making a nice Goodwill donation pile. I cleaned, and dusted, and sneezed, sneezed, sneezed! Eventually, I painted a couple of the rough bookcases, stacked 2 bookcases on top of 2 others, made additional shelves for some of the existing bookcases so that I could organize and shelve more books, and organized books by author and type. Pens, pencils and art supplies were sorted and organized near the kids' books and at their level. Duplicate books were removed and put in the Goodwill or used book store trade piles. Sewing tables were turned to face each other next to the window, with the 2 drawer file cabinet of medical and first aid supplies (still to be sorted further) next to the shorter one, and the grandkids' toys stored neatly at the end. The smaller TV and VCR/DVD unit were moved from the living room to the den desk and the VHS tapes being kept were shelved above them. Most of the tapes will be burned in the burn barrel, as they are not recyclable and no one takes donations of VHS tapes any more. I don't need to keep 400 tapes for kids that only visit, so keeping the Disney tapes and a few others that I don't have on DVD will be enough. Now that room is useable. I can use the sewing machines, get to all the books (some of which will be going away to new homeschooling homes now that I don't have kids), find my first aid supplies, and the kids can comfortably use the room to play, read or watch TV. 

I still have some furniture to remove from the house, some lumber to use for more shelves, more tools and bits of hardware to sort, and I need to paint all the ceilings and a few walls, but I'm making progress getting my house back to being a home! 

Posted just to let y'all know it CAN be done.


----------



## ne prairiemama

You can do it!!


----------



## KeepingItAtHome

Wondering how you're doing FarmerLady.

I know that for roaches they can live days without food but can't live more than 24hrs without water. When the apartment I was renting had roaches the exterminator told me the most important thing was to keep everything DRY. No sponges on the sink, wet towels on the floor, water in the sink etc... he said to dry the tub and sinks after every use, hang towels and wash clothes up where they would dry quickly, even if they were dirty they needed to be dry. He checked all the pipes for any leaks or condensation and told me to be careful to have a fan on, window open when I showered so the bathroom didn't collect condensation on the fixtures. 
Once I did a really thorough cleaning, safe guarded all my food and followed his advice they were gone. He only had to come twice so in the end it really didn't cost much.


----------

