Project Clean Up 2020...Week 16: Lower Level Foyer/Stairs

Alright everyone, remember how I was behind? Still am by one week (this is week 16, but should be on week 17) however, it is all cleaned out and done!

See how it is was done....here we go....

__  Dust light fixtures

__ Wash walls and trim

__ Wash doors, knobs and switch plates

__ Wash furnishings. Launder any pillows. 

__ Clean or replace entry mat, if applicable.

__ Sweep and scrub (or vacuum) floors

__ Reseal grout lines, if applicable and necessary.

I also added my own cleanings...

__ Wipe down each spindle of the stair railing.

__ Go through kid's DVD's. Sell or donate those no longer watched. 

__ Rearrange decor on shelves to change things up.

__ Dig out black fabric cube drawers you got a few Christmas' back and put to use! Ready to organize a lot of the kids' small sets of toys.

__ Add a fresh piece of wall art or decor to the walls. Reattach any that had fallen.

__ Add a light in an area with a plug so the overhead light doesn't have to be used as often.

__ Use a Shop Vac to really get each crevice of the stair carpet.

__ Remove all items from the art wall to wipe down and ready for the next art projects. Keep cards along ledge until Easter decor is removed.

Have to get the Upper Level Bathroom done (week 17) and then will be back on track for the week ahead which is week 18. I may be able to get it done in only a few days time and then I will be back...fingers crossed! 

See you soon! 

Project Clean Up 2020...Week 15: Laundry Room and Purse

So...I'm behind!!!!

I just finished the laundry room so I am a week behind considering that I should have already done the lower level foyer and stairs this week. Well, quarantine, believe it or not can screw things up even being at home. I could have sped through it, but I wanted to do it right so...here we are!!!

Here is how it was done...

Don't forget that I already did a week a where I cleaned all large appliances so I did not have to clean the washer or dryer since they were already done. 

__ Open windows

__ Wash windows and window sills.

__ Take out and wash window screens

__ Wash cabinet doors

__ Wash inside cabinets

__ Wash laundry sink, shine faucet, clean drains.

__ Wash switch plates

__ Wash walls and trim

__ Wash doors and door knobs.

__ Wash floor registers and other vent covers.

__ Sweep and wash floors.

__ Reseal grout lines, if applicable.

Some of my additions...

__ Dust down wall decor

__ Wash all jackets hanging from hooks.

__ Go through items hanging. Anything no longer wanted, sell or donate.

__ Get new basket for laundry supplies

__ Clean out all baskets on shelves

__ Wipe down shelves

__ Tighten knobs on closet doors

__ Go through decor and sell or donate any unwanted items.

__ Toss any filled notebooks

__ Go through restaurant menu folder and toss any outdated menus

__ Go through return address labels and separate into seasons/holidays.

__ Wipe down organizer and stack everything back neatly.

Purse:

__ Dump entire purse

__ Throw out all garbage; old receipts, non-working pens

__ Sort items into sections; wallet and store card holder into one section, makeup into center section and keys, photo holder into last section. 

__ Wipe down outside of purse if wipeable.

I can wait to get busy and back on track. Hopefully you will hear from me mid-week on the next task and then I will no longer be behind. 

See you soon!! 

Project Clean Up 2020...Week 14: Recipes

Whoever thought that they would need a week to clean out recipes? This mom does! I am a non-conventional mom of 8, guys...As much as I run, you would think that I would hit the freezer for chicken nuggets or pizza rolls every chance I get, but I actually do like to cook and sit down at the table so...quick, but gourmet meals are what I am all about! Did you know that I also have a recipe blog that I have been writing for many years? Check it out at www.dede-kneadarecipe.blogspot.com

With that comes a ton of recipes! Not necessarily cookbooks, but tear outs from magazines, little freebie recipe cards, etc... Where does one store all of those while waiting to use?

That would be a 17"H x 14"W x 11" D trash can. Seriously! Guess what? I have not done any kind of a filing system in years so, you can imagine how many tear outs are in this container. Think about how thin paper is....and this is clear full!!!! 

A closer look down in. I keep this in the garage (excuse the dirt in the crevices) so I don't trip over it, but am constantly adding to it. Did you know there are that many different recipes in the world???

So, did I tackle this in 1 week? No way! Not even close! I need many more weeks if I were to do this and nothing else all day long. I mean, there have to be thousands upon thousands of recipes in this bin!!! I did get a system going though and have been working an hour every evening on cutting them down neatly and filing under what they are. I started with a few of these expandable file cases. 

There are a TON of sections in this. So far, I have used only one file case, but there is another in case I need it. I have sectioned them off the way a cookbook would be...

Brunch, Cakes, Cookies, Salads, Pork, Fish, Beef, etc....you get the drift. It is amazing all of the different sections there can be! This is very relaxing for me so, although it could take years at only one hour per day, I am up for the challenge! 

I am well into Week 15 at this point and that is: Laundry Room and Purse. Since the Pantry was already finished a few weeks back and then the cleaning of the larger appliances (washer and dryer), there really isn't much left so this room should be a piece of cake :)

See you soon! 

Project Clean Up 2020...Week 13: Kitchen

OMG! Next year, I need to designate 2 weeks for the kitchen as this room took so much time (and that was after doing appliances last week!)

You guessed it though....it is finished...finally! Here is how it was done...

__ Open Windows

__ Remove and clean window coverings

__ For each cabinet or drawer: Remove items, wipe out drawer, sort through items for yard sale or donation, place kept items back neatly. Donate or sell unneeded items. Toss anything in bad shape. 

__ Wash and sanitize cutting boards.

__ Sharpen knives

__ Wash cabinet doors and knobs

__ Wipe down oven top and outside of stove and range hood (thorough cleaning of oven/stove was done during last week's Project Cleanup) 

__ Wipe down outside of dishwasher (thorough cleaning of dishwasher was done during last week's Project Cleanup)

__ Wipe down outside of refrigerator (thorough cleaning of fridge was done during last week's Project Cleanup)

__ Wipe down outside of microwave (thorough cleaning of microwave was done during last week's Project Cleanup)

__ Clean crumbs out of toaster

__ Clean kettle

__ Wipe down any other counter appliances (Keurig, can opener, air fryer, blender, wine bottle opener)

__ Wash counters and back splash

__ Remove dust from corners or ceiling. Also, from ceiling fan and pulls.

__ Wash and shine sink. Shine faucet. Clean drain.

__ Dust light fixtures.

__ Wash windows and window sills. Remove window screens and wash.

__ Wash switch plates.

__ Wash walls and trim as needed.

__ Wash doors and door knobs.

__ Wash floor registers and other vent covers.

__ Sweep and wash floor.

__ Reseal grout lines, if necessary.

Towards my largest counter area....

Other jobs added on my own:

__ Sort through hand towels and dishrags. Save any with holes to be used on outdoor furniture. House these in a drawer in the garage. Any that are really bad, toss.

__ Wash all pot holders and oven mitts. Any that are burned, throw out.

__ Wash throw rug and replace.

__ Wipe down flour and sugar canisters.

__ Add new pot holders to hook for spring.

Towards stove area...

__ Remove old towels from stove handle and add new ones for spring.

__ Fill all spice containers and make note of any that you need to shop for.

__ Make sure all cookbooks are still in good shape. Toss any that are not. Stack or line up neatly.

__ Look through counter top utensils. All in good shape, arrange in holder on counter. Toss any no longer usable.

Towards fridge area....

__ Make a list of canned goods, dry goods needed in cabinets.

__ Wash throw rug.

__ Clean out office supplies drawer. Make sure you have a nice separator for pencils/pens, erasers, rubber bands, tape, paper clips, etc....

__ Clean out tool drawer. Use separate containers with lids for different sizes of nails, staples, thumb tacks, etc....

Towards the table/window area...

__ Wipe down legs of table and all chairs.

__ Replace table cloth with a fresh one for spring.

__ Add elements to your normal centerpiece for spring/Easter.

__ Remove wall pieces and dust behind. Rehang items.

Woo-Hoo!!!! All done! 

I set up Week 14 as a resting one after this room. Will be working on organization of my clipped recipes this week. See you soon!