My friend, Paige, put in an interesting request a few weeks ago. She wanted me to write a post about spring cleaning tips….I found this request interesting because I am probably the worst housekeeper she knows. Okay, if she happens to watch Hoarding: Buried Alive she may see a little worse.
I have tried to combat my problem. Part of the problem is there are many more important things to me in my life besides cleaning: my husband & kids, friends, my work, tennis, cooking, art projects, soccer…the list is endless. There is not enough time in the day to do everything I want to, let alone something I don’t want to. I know there are benefits to a clean home and I do prefer it clean, I just can’t make it happen. If I happen to have the downstairs halfway decent, the upstairs is chaos and vice versa. One of my main housekeeping strategies is to plan an event at my house, so I have to clean so I won’t be humiliated by the mess. One year for Christmas my mother gave me a big hint…she gave me a book titled Home Comforts, The Art & Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson. Well, it’s been gathering dust for some time now. A few years ago I tried flylady.net, an online site that helps the domestically disabled learn to keep house with daily plans and reminders emailed to them. I failed at flylady. Sometimes, I will watch Hoarding: Buried Alive, just to feel better about my housekeeping skills. It also serves as a reminder to me to not let things get too out of control.
Here is what Cheryl Mendelson suggests doing semi annually or annually:
- Wash blankets, comforter, quilts
- Remove out of season clothing from closet, clean and store it & replace with seasonal clothing
- Purge unused or worn out articles
- Clean and polish gems, jewelry, silver, brass and copper
- Clean chandeliers and light fixtures
- Have the piano tuned
- Clean all walls, ceilings and floors
- Clean the basement and garage
- Clean the attic (every two years)
- Wax the furniture
- Vacuum Books (who knew people do this? – architect mom)
- Move and clean underneath heavy appliances and furniture
- Shampoo rugs and upholstery
- Clean lampshades
- Empty and clean all closets, drawers and cabinets. Dusto or wash china, crystal, knickknacks
- Wash blinds, miniblinds and shades
- Wash curtains and draperies
- Organize and/or store photograghs, dvds, cds, etc.
- Pay taxes and make official filings
- Organize household business records, & throw away old ones
- Review Insurance
- Update household inventory
Phewff! Good luck Paige!
Here are some other spring cleaning resources for Paige:
Now, we all know the benefits of a clean house…but have you ever heard of the benefits of a messy house? I have come up with just such a list.
Benefits of the Messy House
- Healthier children. It is a proven fact that children that live in messy homes, especially with lots of dog hair, have better immune system and less allergies.
- Creative children. A little paint here, a little paint there – no problem in the messy house.
- Burglar-resistant house. Burglars will find your house not as attractive as your oh-so-clean neighbor’s house and will of course target their house first.
- More family time. Why scrub the toilets when you can be playing checkers with your kids?
- True friendship. After your friends see your house and they still stick around, you know they are true friends.
- Helping womankind feel better about themselves. After leaving your messy house, your friends will mutter under their breath, “My house isn’t so bad….<insert name>’s house is one hot mess!”
- Medical cures. Harvest your own mold from your refrigerator to make penicillin. Never leave the house to cure your child’s strep throat. (OK, I made that one up).
Okay, enough on housework.
Now what does any of this have to do with green salad? Well, not much, only that not only am I a bad housekeeper, I am also bad at making green salads. Paige on the other hand is a wonderful salad maker and I know how she does it:
Paiges Green Salad
Ingredients:
- Romaine Lettuce
- Red Leaf Lettuce
- Red Onion, Sliced
- Tomatoe, sliced or baby tomatoes
- Cucumber, sliced
- Purple Cabbage, sliced
- Carrot, shredded
- Avocado, sliced
- Basil, chiffonaded
- Parsley, chopped
- Olive Oil
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Parmesan Cheese
- Garlic Salt
- Fresh ground Pepper
Cooking Directions:
- OK, sorry for the lack of amounts, but just put in what you want….
- Toss all of the vegetables together.
- Drizzle over with some olive oil.
- Drizzle over with some apple cider vinegar.
- Toss salad.
- Sprinkle on the garlic salt, pepper and parmesan.
- Toss again and adjust seasonings as desired.