Managing Your Mess

 "She works willingly with her hands..."  Proverbs 31:13-12

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Five Ways to Use Diaper Wipes

      Even if your kids are potty-trained, here are some reasons to keep a few boxes of diaper wipes on hand.

  1. Keep a box under your bathroom sink to help keep the vanity top free of makeup and toothpaste smudges between cleaning days.  Spiffing up the bathroom every day is a lot easier with disposable wipes than it is to find a rag, spray cleaner over the counter, wipe it down, then toss the hucky rag into the hamper where it might sour before the next wash day.  Diaper wipes are usually cheaper per sheet than disinfecting brands.

  2. Use as a quick-fix makeup remover.

  3. During painting projects, diaper wipes are much more useful than rags.  Paint never comes out of fabric -- it just makes it hard, even after laundering.  Instead, clean up paint splatters and drips with a wipe, then throw it away.

  4. Keep a few in the car for cleaning up those inevitable eating-on-the-go spills and for wiping off muddy shoes.

  5. Carry a few in a plastic baggie in your purse to dab on clothing stains.  This probably won't totally remove the spot, but it will prevent it from setting and make laundering easier later.  Yes, you could carry a Tide stick like Kelly Ripa does, but those things cost nearly $4, way more than a box of wipes!

 

 

How to Survive Living With a Packrat

      Packrats are also desperate to keep track of each and every item they've safely stored away for that potential future need.  Clueless family members often don't even recognize these items as being salvage-worthy.  It's hard to forget the impending doom that fills the house when the resident packrat asks, "Where's that (fill in the blank) that I was saving?"  So, do you call the exterminator if there's a packrat living among you?  Try these humane solutions instead.

  1. Remember the Principle of My Space, Your Space, and Our Space.  Everyone living in the home needs somewhere safe to store special belongings.  Acknowledge your packrat's need to hoard and set aside an out-of-the-way spot to hold his pile, but protect your home's shared and common areas from growing clutter.

  2. Contain the collection properly.  Use sturdy boxes, all the same size, with lids.  Purchase cardboard banker boxes from an office supply store, or use empty copy paper boxes.  Plastic storage boxes with lids will also work (note:  clothes might smell funny if kept enclosed in plastic boxes).  They should be large enough to hold bulky items but small enough to lift when full.  If they're all of similar size, they will easily stack in a closet, garage, or attic.

  3. Label each box--the lid and all four sides--with a large, readable number; use a heavy black magic marker or stickers.  Begin with one and continue consecutively as you add more boxes.  Develop a coding system to distinguish certain boxes; for example, Christmas decorations could be kept in boxes C-1, C-2, C-3, and so on.

  4. Record the contents and storage location of each box and file this list somewhere safe and convenient.  This keeps your boxes neat, without scribbles of what's inside that are later scratched out.  Also, you have an accessible inventory of your "warehoused" items.  If you're building a Family Notebook, print off a Storage Inventory form.   Or, you could use a separate index card per box number.  Update your records as the contents change.

  5. The next time your packrat wants to know what happened to his (whatever), check your records and direct him to the appropriate storage area and box.  

 

Remember to Follow Directions When Cleaning

 

You may be thinking, Well, duh.  I'm smart enough to read the directions on the back of cleaning products!  That's not what we mean--we're talking about these directions: 

     In and Out:  When vacuuming a room, begin in  the side or corner of the room farthest from the door. Vacuum row by row across the carpet, backing out of the room.

     Left and Right:  Don't sling your rag or tools around randomly.  Clean a mirror, for example, by starting in the top left corner and wipe the entire surface by following a wide "S" pattern. 

     Back to Front:  When cleaning a countertop, wipe from back to front.  Knock the crumbs off into the floor.  Remember to sweep!

     High and Low: Since dust abides by the laws of gravity, too, clean the high parts of a room (ceiling fans and crown molding), then the middle (furniture), then the lowest areas (floors). 

     Clockwise.  Move around a room in a clockwise direction when cleaning.  Carry supplies in an apron or caddy so it's easy to switch tools as you encounter different surfaces.  Circling a space once helps you cover everything and you won't tire out by running all over the place!

By using a directional system when cleaning, your efforts will be more effective and you will finish faster.