September Declutter Strategy, 2024

[Harriet]

Welcome! If you want an area to be easier and faster to clean, it helps to get clutter out of the way or organized first. Some (like me, for instance) like to watch the Focus schedule to declutter a room in the week before it comes up for cleaning, so that surfaces are ready for efficient cleaning.

A special Anniversary! Today is the TENTH Anniversary of having the Cleaning Focus Forum available to us in our ORGANIZATIONAL TOOLS AND SKILLS section of our board. First thread is always just the calendar, then "About", with the reasoning behind working all year long a little at a time to keep our homes clean, the brainchild of our Indiana, as she says "several years" before. Then her cleaning notes, then the fourth thread for explaining an important feature: "Maintenance" weeks, which allow for minimal cleaning in the time before and during the traditionally busy time beginning with Thanksgiving, US.

Here is the 2024 Calendar

Each week/room in the cleaning schedule is listed, with the idea also being that DECLUTTER is helpful in the next week's room or area, because then it's easier to be ready for cleaning.

[Nancy]

Today I"m on the ball with this I have three books set aside I"m done with and can let go of yea!
Luv having progress on the first day of the month don't you?

[Nancy]

Check Shoes / seasonal swap out declutter
I'm checking tread on shoes as I move them around to vacuum.
I tossed some that were not worth keeping another year.
Foam jobs like sandals lt. touq. blue.
Dr. Scholl's / Birkenstock knock offs past their prime and hurt my feet both went in the trash this month yea!
Another pr. in a bit when the hot weather stops I've replaced whit half size larger one will go too.

[Harriet]

bathroom week on Focus Forum here has most things done as far as cleaning, including fingerprints of the electricians all around the doorknob. Still need to get the floor cleaning better (the tiny tile).

office/other declutter has been happening in advance of cleaning next week, but it could always take a LOT more than a week, lol.

Shoes - Nancy, I am wearing right now some work shoes (all black lace-ups) that I notice have actually lost some stitching. That will not stand up to winter at all. My plan is that a new pair I've been saving in the box goes into service with the very next rainfall, so that the autumn finds me with dry cozy toes. So, these old ones really need to get tossed when that happens.

I'll switch soon from my gray nicer, slim Sketch ers to navy ones for winter and hope that's all I'll really need for going out and looking reasonable until spring. Best for dr's offices, especially. I just hang on to old "dress" shoes because I wear them so seldom, why replace. My "Sloggers" galoshes are the best purchase I ever made - I think they'll last for decades, lol.

bedroom slippers are still doing fine, but next time I'll try "mules" again I think. So easy to slip into. I have had this thought - bedroom slippers should be LIGHT colored so that you at least have a chance to see them when you awaken at night. Mine right now are dark and they just blend right into the floor until I turn on a light, so I'm often finding them by luck alone!

[Nancy]

I am thinking I can possibly get the tote of tools about of here if the guy down the street is interested. Things like non power tools from trucking. I cannot lift it but could bring it up one at a time or possible with two people. I will ask after I get the rig back.

[Harriet]

It's been storage week for decluttering and now going into cleaning. I have made a short list of things I'm struggling to find as far as the storage we did when we arrived here. Still missing 3 things that really bother me. Hopeful.

I hope that fellow is interested in some of the large things you don't need, Nancy.