Friday 23 March 2012

The inconvenient entry cleaning

I remember having this same problem in last spring clean. The problem being that I have an issue with A's stuff. We have separate boxes for mittens and such in the entry for me and for A. I have very few items of clothing in the entry atleast compared to A. He has about triple or quadruple the amount of clothing stored in the entry than I do. When I've done the cleaning and washing of my things I feel that I've just scratched the surface, but I cannot go through his things. Firstly I don't want to, those are his things and secondly I have no idea which items he has used that need washing and also I'd like him to go through them and donate the things he does not use, but that seems impossible for him. You should have seen him last year when I almost forced him to go through the boxes. It was so slow and he found use (in his mind) for all of them and explained to me where he has got it and how important the thing might be in the future. It was so hilarious but also frustrating to me.

Also I'm afraid this spring clean came too early this year, I think that was the case last year too. I washed some of my scarves and such (more about that later) and then realized that I cannot do the grand switheroo from winter stuff to lighter stuff, because it's actually still very cold at times. Now I cannot put the washed items to the storage and I must use them and maybe wash them again before I move them to storage later. That is a bit dull.

Well anyway my plan for the cleaning is following

Vacuum the entry and the vestibule
Take the carpets outdoors and give them a beat
Polish shoes
Wash the down jacket and put it in the deep storage CHECK
Declutter and wash items from the mitten/hat boxes CHECK
Declutter and wipe the umbrellas and the umbrella stand
Wipe shoe racks
Declutter and organize the drawer unit CHECK
Organize incoming papers
Empty outbox

And again some before pictures. There are four doors plus two openings to other rooms, so it's quite a tricky space. Here is a tour.  Clockwise, starting from the entry closet.





Here under is the vestibule. It's located right behind that door with a window you saw in the pictures before. 


I have one box where I have all extra mittens, scarves, hats mixed up all together. Then I have two baskets on the top shelf of the entry closet. On the last ones I keep things I use on the season-to-date, on the other one are more neater pieces of clothing and on the other one are outdoors gear and pieces I use in the garden or when doing dirty work. I went through the boxes and decided to wash most of the pieces, which was a bit dumb decision like I stated earlier. I washed the darks and the lights separately with wool cycle in the washing machine. I almost threw in with the dark ones the red scarves I have. I thought that since those have been washed before that the reds wont dye the darks. I'm glad I didn't though and washed them by hand.


It looks like I had killed someone and I'm trying to wash away the evidence or that I'm bathing beetroots. The redness is just overwhelming.

I also washed my down jacket, I used the wool cycle on that too. The wool cycle on our washing machine is very fast only 30+ minutes so I was able to wash three loads in one evening. After the down jacket had dried I folded it in a box and placed it on the top shelf of the clothes cabinet in the bedroom.


The last thing I've done so far is to go through the stuff in the drawers, well I used most time on the top one and just quickly decluttered the other ones. In the top one we keep some keys and locks, extra reflectors, foreign money and also A keeps his sun glasses there.


I found atleast five reflectors to throw away, but most stuff is actually needed. Except that I found there seven sun glasses, but A claimed he uses them all. I picked a box for them and put them all on the same place. Otherwise it was just rearranging things.


I need to continue the cleaning over the weekend. I haven't really done much yet.

4 comments:

  1. My, someone has a lot of shoes. That's astonishing.

    I'm finding it a bit early, too, this year--but last year I found I was stuck inside when the eather did it's quick change--only a couple more weeks. Perhaps e could do the entry later on in the season, next time. That might be better. (Or just do the inside/outside switcheroo when you do the clothes.)

    Dealing with other people's clutter is so frustrating--but it may be worth it to go through that stuff with A again. After all, ask him, did you wear it this year? Even if he chooses to keep more than you want, I bet he'll let go of something. And next year, when you go through it all again, it'll be two years since he's worn something. Don't give up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep certain someone definately has lots of shoes. Some of those in the pictures are mine of course, six pairs of them.

      I think moving the entry cleaning just a few weeks might be a good idea, but springs are never similar. Maybe it should be flexible. Hmm I don't know.

      I already did talk to him and he did promise to look through the boxes. You are right any progress is good. I wont give up, but I know I will be frustrated many times on the process.

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  2. I Alana's trick, or anyone else's for that matter, works in getting A to get rid of his clutter- please let me know so that I can start trying it on my husband immediately!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He has changed a bit, he is not as impossible as he used to be. From the simplify 101 classes I took some time ago I learned that leading with example is the best way. It is a slow process, but there has been some results. Also for A it's better if I point out a single issue, lets say shoes in the entry closet, and then he has something spesific to do. It seems to be of no use saying that he has too much stuff all over. That will be just dicouraging for him. Atleast that has worked with A.

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