I'm still here....Project Cleanup 2020

Don't worry friends! I am still here cleaning away, just behind now that we are at the end of the school year. Can you believe that even with homeschooling due to the pandemic, school has still thrown me off course! Locker clean out and pick ups, getting final projects done, gathering up school items to get ready to turn in...don't fret though. I am loyal in keeping you up to date with my "Project Cleanup 2020" and how I get my rooms organized and after this virus/children invasion, livable! I will get back on course soon.

Right now, I am currently behind by about 2 weeks. I was due to clean our Game Room, Matlyn/Wynslet's Room and Reiner/Brandis Room a few weeks ago. Why I lined 3 of the hardest rooms with a greater clean out in a row is beyond me. That is a great way to learn for next year though.

I am working on the Game Room which is 2 rooms in itself. See, when we moved in, there was a mother-in-law suite in the lower level. There is a bathroom, 2 bedrooms (Kaplyn's and Cameron/Genin) which are not part of the Game Room clean out, however, there was a kitchen and living room. So, when I say Game Room, it does cover 2 rooms; the Living Room area which serves the same purpose for us, but adding arcade games and a pinball machine. The old Kitchen area is now our Billiards and sport's collectibles area. Tons of dusting and cleaning in this 2-in-1 area so it actually should have been split into 2 weeks and I didn't even think about that at the time. With that said, heading down now to do some more work. Did I mention that the Game Room living area also has the majority of our game consoles and a huge toy box.....yikes!!!

If you don't hear from me soon...send The National Guard!

Project Clean Up 2020...Week 18: Upper Level Bathroom

Woo-Hoo!!!! Upper Level Bath is done and during the middle of the Week 19 "Project Cleanup". How I could not get into focus on this one is just beyond me, but I am happy to say it is finally done!! One thing I learned about this bath, which most of the kids use, is that I am already well aware that I have 5 sons in my mix of 8 kids, but this bathroom really proved it (more than I wanted to know!) Boys pee on everything...yuck!!!! I have always known this as I have to clean 4 bathrooms, but when you are doing the deep cleaning, you notice where else that pee goes....

Needless to say...it is done! Excuse the few Easter decor pieces that are still up. I usually keep decor up a few weeks past the holiday. Here is how I did it:

Going into the bathroom...wasn't sure if I really wanted to do this...

__ Open windows

__ Empty all cabinets Wash inside, replace items neatly. Fill cotton swab and cotton ball jars. Combine bath bombs into one container, discard empty containers. 

__ Clean toilet, inside and out. Remove seat and clean around seat bolts.

__ 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 necessary.

__ Wash toilet cover and rug, if applicable.

__ Scrub toddler potty chair, if applicable.

On the way out of the bathroom...

__ Touch up scratched wood on back of door with wood marker.

__ Clean "show" towels.

__ Scrub down the tub. Walls and bed. 

__ Wash down shower supplies hanger and throw out any almost empty bottles of shampoo or body wash. Throw out small slivers of soap.

__  Replace body scrubbies.

__ Clean liner and shower curtain. 

__ Open drain and clean out, replace drain cover. 

This curtain was so gross! Since it is next to the toilet, my "boys" lovingly peed or let pee splash onto it. All washed and hung back up! 

__ Remove curtain and wash, wipe down curtain rod, replace. 

__ Wipe down each piece of the mini blind. 

__ Wipe down all wood, sills. 

__ Take out screen and clean. 

__ Windex the window. 

__ Remove any cobwebs from corners of inner window.

__ Remove all items in towel cabinet.

__ Examine towels and washcloths. Throw out any with holes. 

__ Throw out old duplicate tooth brushes. Corral together in a cup.

__ Wash outside of cabinets and vanities.

__ Remove all items from inside of tub toy cabinet. Wash baskets. Clean all tub toys. Discard any that are bad. 

__ Clean sink and drain.

__ Shine faucets and knobs.

__ Clean mirrors and frames.

__ Dust down wall decor and shelf.

__ Scrub trash can or purchase new one.

__ Add new bottles of hand soap per sink. 

These specific light fixtures were terrible to clean! Frosted design makes it hard to see what is dirty. There are also little crevices that have to be cleaned out. 

__ Clean and dust down light fixture. 

Added my own items as well...

__ Replace toilet scrub brush.

__ Purchase fresh hand towels.

Onto this week, Week 19: Game Room! 

See you soon! 

Project Clean Up 2020...Week 17: Carport

Kill me now friends! I still have yet to get the upper level bath finished for Week 17. It was too nice of a day to pass up doing the carport which was supposed to be Week 18 so I went ahead and did that first. So, with that said, Week 18 will now be the upper level bath, however, I am still one week behind! If I can get the bathroom finished by tonight, I will be right on track again....come on Dede, you got this girl!

The story behind the carport's current condition....

When we first moved in 15 years ago, they had fresh gravel brought in for the ground. This is where we store our tractor, lawn mowers, weed eaters, etc... and also, the kids' bikes, scooters and sport's balls bin. There are trees just outside that come the fall season, all of the leaves blow in. When the carport gets its cleaning, we rake out all of the leaves. So, this many years later of pulling out any and everything with wheels along with raking the leaves (along with some rock) has finally depleted the gravel....and now it is a muddy mess!!!! Gravel got delivered today and when we have a free day, everything will be removed from the carport and fresh rock put down. We did everything else though, down to throwing out 2 garbage bags of old sport's balls, a few bikes, a table and a push mower.

Here is how we did it...

__ Remove all items from the carport

__ Rake leaves from entire ground area.

__ Pick up any stray garbage that may have made its way in.

__ Rehang all tools; Weed Eaters, Leaf Blowers, Loppers, Hedge Trimmers, etc...

__ Hang bubble mowers and check condition of hockey sticks. Keep those still in good shape, toss any that are warped.

__ Empty out old bin, throwing away flat balls, old baseballs, etc...Toss old bin.

__ Bring in a new bin. Use bin for basketballs, soccer balls, frisbees, etc...Be sure to keep lid on.

__ Bring in a smaller bin for baseball bats and balls. 

__ Remove all tools from holder.

__ Toss any rakes missing prongs or broken.

__ Add a plastic shoe box bin to hold weed eater string, etc...

__ Toss bikes that are in bad shape. 

__ Line up bikes in an outward position to avoid tangles.

___ Throw out any cracked sleds. 

__ Move bikes in need of fixing to the back. 

You can see in the final photo what I mean about the ground. Gravel coming soon and I can't wait! Hoping to get that bathroom finished today and to put up another blog and then I will be right back on track. Lets see hands for those who think I do it....hmm....

See you soon! 

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!