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The Clean Thread

JansonJanson Registered User regular
edited February 2010 in Social Entropy++
As any forumer who has visited my apartment will hopefully tell you, I am a fairly clean and tidy person.

But, sometimes you are not feeling well and your husband is a lazy git and before you know it it's been several days since you've had a chance to clean and suddenly the apartment is looking like a bomb has hit it. And when it's winter, and it may be too rainy or snowy for you to want to go outside, a dirty, messy apartment can make one feel pretty miserable.

So let's clean! It's amazing what disgusting things you can find even if (like me) you consider yourself to be a clean person. It can also cause you to dig up something you'd considered long lost or had completely forgotten about. (Once, when emptying the vacuum cleaner, I found a necklace I'd thought I'd lost several months previously).

The benefits of cleaning:

1. It burns calories!
2. It makes the apartment smell and look wonderful.
3. It can cheer you up. Even if you think you don't particularly care about a bit of a mess I generally find people are still made happier by a tidier place.
4. It makes things generally more pleasant for your roommates, significant others, parents or guests.

Here is my apartment as it was earlier tonight. I think I last cleaned Monday or Tuesday.

clean_01.jpg

clean_02.jpg

Yuck!

Ckeaning Supplies

You don't need to spend a fortune on cleaning supplies. Several things will work in every room of the house.

Here are four basic supplies I don't think I could live without:

clean_03.jpg

1. Paper towels. They're perfect for wiping down mirrors and glass without smearing. As they're disposable I prefer to use them on floors and toilets and other places where it seems a little gross to use and rinse a sponge.

2. Magic erasers, or the store-brand equivalent (those shown are Target's). They work exceedingly well on kitchen surfaces, on fridges, stove-tops and bathroom surfaces. They're also great on melamine.

3. Non-scratch pads. Can be safely used on glass, but are also firm enough to tackle pans and grills.

4. A vinegar-based multi-surface cleaner. You don't even have to spend a lot of money; you can easily make your own at home. This is pretty much the only cleaner you'll need, and works on everything from glass to laptops.

Also used, but not shown:

5. Washing-up liquid.
6. A dustpan and broom.
7. A vacuum cleaner.
8. Toilet cleaner.
9. A duster or two. You'll want a finer duster for things like televisions and other smooth and shiny surfaces.

The Kitchen

First things first, walk around your apartment and pick up every glass or plate you may have left lying around. Seal and put away any leftover food, pile all the dirty dishes in one corner.

clean_04.jpg

The kitchen's already looking better. Now we can tackle the washing-up:

clean_05.jpg

Don't have a dishwasher? Not a problem! Washing dishes is actually a really quick and easy job. There's definitely a right way to go about it. Some of the following advice may seem like common sense but it's surprising how many people make it more difficult for themselves.

I'm not a fan of dishwashers anyway. Compare the glass on the left, which has only ever been hand-washed, to the glass on the right, which has been through a few cycles in Mori's parents' dishwasher:

clean_06.jpg

Even the best dishwasher leaves small scratches over time.

Steps for hand-washing dishes:

1. If you aren't washing dishes up immediately after dinner, then leave them to soak for a few minutes first in hot water. Soaking makes washing-up a piece of cake.

2. Get the water as hot as you can possibly bear it. If you have sensitive hands, wear marigold gloves.

3. You've probably heard that dishwashers use less water than hand-washing. This doesn't necessarily have to be true. To start with, fill up your washing-up bowl with only a shallow layer of water. Then, as you rinse the dishes, rinse them over the bowl so you catch all the water.

4. Wash glasses first. These are usually the least dirty items in your pile. Next will probably be plates, then knives and forks and finally saucepans and frying pans. This way the water remains relatively clean and clear until the end.

5. Rinse. Rinse! With very hot water. Not only will this prevent soap suds from marking your dishes, it eliminates the need for drying up (I have a hatred of drying up). The hot water evaporates quickly, leaving your dishes clean and shiny in under half an hour.

Washing the dishes for two people for one to two days usually takes 4-5 minutes if I follow the above steps. I'd take longer to load and unload a dishwasher.

The magic erasers? Look how shiny they make the stove-top, and after Mori fried chicken and got grease all over the top, too:

clean_08.jpg

Floors are usually a three-step job.

1. Sweep up any bits of food, hair, or other miscellaneous things that you may have dropped onto the floor. It's surprising how much there can be. I last swept the floor Monday and it's now only Friday, and I've spent maybe five minutes in the kitchen myself:

clean_09.jpg

2. After that, a mop will still pick up a considerable amount of dirt:

clean_10.jpg

3. I still find the best way to clean the edges of a room is to just get on hands and knees and use good old-fashioned elbow grease (and paper towels and windex). Now the floor is looking pretty clean:

clean_11.jpg

Clean out your fridge and cupboards occasionally!

Things I have found in the past:

1. Mouldy Kool-Aid in the fridge. I didn't even know Kool-Aid could get mouldy. I assumed it was too full of chemicals (it certainly tastes too full of chemicals).

2. Dead ants. Hundreds of them! Sometimes, no matter how clean or tidy you are, you get ants.

3. Hostess cakes (eugh, I hasten to add that I do not eat any of the products in this list, which is probably why they went unnoticed by me) all squished together in a bag.

4. Congealed fruit-loops at the bottom of a tupperware container. All the sugar had gone all gloopy.

Living Rooms/Bedrooms

Easier to clean than bathrooms or kitchens. Dusting and vacuuming is usually all that's required. I detest dust. Having white bookshelves and furniture is both a blessing and a curse. It's all too easy to see the dust, but at least it prompts me into action!

The trick in these rooms is knowing where or how to store things. Some tips:

1. Hang clothes up where possible. Certain things are better stored flat (i.e. woollen/cashmere sweaters), but in general hanging is not only quicker and easier, it makes clothes easier to find, and it saves on ironing. If you hang clothes up while damp, or straight from the dryer, you'll rarely ever have to take out an iron.

2. Things on shelves can start to look messy very quickly. Keep books and DVDs straight by using bookends or DVD box sets and heavier, thicker books as makeshift bookends.

clean_14.jpg

I'm also a huge fan of boxes and bags, of both the store and the zip-lock variety.

For example:

clean_15.jpg

The black box in the entertainment centre contains screwdrivers, pencils and pens and things like batteries, all split into zip-lock bags for easier searching.

The red box contains jewellery boxes and make-up.

Loose papers are easily stored in box files.

By Mori's computer I keep a bag full of all the small cables he uses on a regular basis:

clean_13.jpg

Not the best solution, but it'll do in a pinch.

Sometimes you just don't have anywhere for things to go. I'm a big fan of chairs in these cases.

clean_12.jpg

Until I have a bigger apartment with room for hat boxes and rows of hooks for bags, the chair will do. At least they're off the floor and aren't getting crushed in the closet.

The Bathroom

Bathrooms sure are pesky things. Is it just me, or are they easily the dustiest, dirtiest room in a house? I hate how often a bathroom needs to be cleaned, and how the dust is three times thicker than on my bedroom shelves.

Many people's least favourite job is cleaning the toilet. I think that's actually my favourite part of cleaning the bathroom, because it's the easiest. The trick is to use the blue soluble tablets in the tank. It keeps the inside of the toilet bowl clean for you, and only a quick scrub is then required. The seat doesn't take long to wipe down, and toilets don't attract mould in the way showers do.

clean_16.jpg

Who doesn't like a bit of blue?

Anyway! Clean! Or don't.

Janson on
«134567

Posts

  • ChicoBlueChicoBlue Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Oh, that's just toilet cleaner.

    Here I thought that I had forgotten to flush!

    ChicoBlue on
  • MorivethMoriveth BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWNRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    More like Chico's Poo

    Moriveth on
  • Calamity JaneCalamity Jane That Wrong Love Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    dang

    Calamity Jane on
    twitter https://twitter.com/mperezwritesirl michelle patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatwronglove michelle's comic book from IMAGE COMICS you can order http://a.co/dn5YeUD
  • satansfingerssatansfingers Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    as a forumer who has visited janson's apartment, i am here to tell you she is a clean person

    i've been getting better about cleaning recently. my roommates and i have finally managed to get to the point where one of us does dishes on a daily basis, which prevents awful dishes and resentment from piling up.

    satansfingers on
  • trentsteeltrentsteel Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Get your shit together, Mori.

    trentsteel on
    http://www.botsnthings.com/
    I made a TD for iphone and windows phone!

  • Calamity JaneCalamity Jane That Wrong Love Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    gray's anatomy?

    mori it's divorce time

    Calamity Jane on
    twitter https://twitter.com/mperezwritesirl michelle patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatwronglove michelle's comic book from IMAGE COMICS you can order http://a.co/dn5YeUD
  • Calamity JaneCalamity Jane That Wrong Love Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    unless

    mori them ain't yours

    is they

    Calamity Jane on
    twitter https://twitter.com/mperezwritesirl michelle patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatwronglove michelle's comic book from IMAGE COMICS you can order http://a.co/dn5YeUD
  • BucketmanBucketman Call me SkraggRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    I go through streaks of not caring and then have a weekend where I do nothing but clean.

    Are sponges good for glass? The mirror in my bathroom seems to attract a ton of dust for some reason and paper towels just smear it around. And whats good for my PC monitor? I usually use like a glasses cloth with rubbing alcohol but it smears a lot.

    Oh lords of cleaning, answer my prayers!

    Bucketman on
  • Burden of ProofBurden of Proof You three boys picked a beautiful hill to die on. Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    pigpenpeanuts.gif

    Burden of Proof on
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] regular
    edited February 2010
    The user and all related content has been deleted.

    [Deleted User] on
  • VALVEjunkieVALVEjunkie Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    I live with the most messy people.

    My siblings just don't care, my mom has a bad back(she abuses that excuse to noooo end) and My father was basically raised in a pigsty.

    and I hate cleaning but I do it anyway because I'm the only one that can/cares(my mom bitches about it nonstop I hate it but whatever)

    VALVEjunkie on
  • satansfingerssatansfingers Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    it's amazing how much cleaner my desk looks now that i have a desktop computer instead of a laptop

    having all the cables go out the back instead of the sides helps a lot

    satansfingers on
  • ButlerButler 89 episodes or bust Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Janson I hear all your posts in my head like they're being read by Daphne from Frasier.

    Butler on
  • Calamity JaneCalamity Jane That Wrong Love Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Butler wrote: »
    Janson I hear all your posts in my head like they're being read by Daphne from Frasier.

    "Bethrooms sure are pehsky thengs. Is it just me, or are they easily the duohstiehst, dirtiehst room inna house? I hate how oftehn a bathroom needs to be cleened, and how the duost is three times thecker than own mah behdroom sheves."

    :?:

    Calamity Jane on
    twitter https://twitter.com/mperezwritesirl michelle patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatwronglove michelle's comic book from IMAGE COMICS you can order http://a.co/dn5YeUD
  • BucketmanBucketman Call me SkraggRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    What kind of PC monitor do you have. If its a big ol' glass CRT one, spray a lil' bit of a washcloth or paper towel with some windex and wipe it down

    if its LCD, gently and lightly dampen a cloth and go in circles across the whole monitor.

    I have a big old LCD, I figured since all those cleaning wipes I use to sell at Staples where basically towels wet with Rubbing Alcohol that it was the go to for that.

    Bucketman on
  • WeaverWeaver Who are you? What do you want?Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Rachel, you have clean but you have clutter.

    Weaver on
  • FaricazyFaricazy Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    mori good job on marrying a crazy person

    Faricazy on
  • ASimPersonASimPerson Cold... and hard.Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Damn, this thread is making me feel bad about my apartment.

    I should probably clean the bathroom, but cleaning the shower is such a gigantic pain in the ass.

    ASimPerson on
  • the cheatthe cheat Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited February 2010
    why would you make this thread? what in the fuck is the matter with you?

    the cheat on
    tKfL2Yd.png?1
  • Calamity JaneCalamity Jane That Wrong Love Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    i like washing dishes by hand in lieu of dishwashin' machines

    they ain't comprehensive, and if you gonna use it anyhow, go ahead and do a light rinse by hand to get anything it may have missed unless you got the most baller dishwashin machine in the world

    Calamity Jane on
    twitter https://twitter.com/mperezwritesirl michelle patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatwronglove michelle's comic book from IMAGE COMICS you can order http://a.co/dn5YeUD
  • JansonJanson Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Weaver wrote: »
    Rachel, you have clean but you have clutter.

    It is a fucking tiny apartment

    things are regularly cleaned out, but I'm not throwing away books and dvds

    Janson on
  • WeaverWeaver Who are you? What do you want?Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Bucketman wrote: »
    What kind of PC monitor do you have. If its a big ol' glass CRT one, spray a lil' bit of a washcloth or paper towel with some windex and wipe it down

    if its LCD, gently and lightly dampen a cloth and go in circles across the whole monitor.

    I have a big old LCD, I figured since all those cleaning wipes I use to sell at Staples where basically towels wet with Rubbing Alcohol that it was the go to for that.


    Don't listen to Karen windex is safe for:

    windows
    mirrors
    eyeglasses
    monocles
    crome
    LCDs
    HDTVs

    Anything you want to get fingerprints off of

    Weaver on
  • Calamity JaneCalamity Jane That Wrong Love Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Weaver wrote: »
    Rachel, you have clean but you have clutter.

    i'd quantify clutter as an excess of unnecessary things

    there's a lot of stuff but everything's in its place and looks ready to use

    Calamity Jane on
    twitter https://twitter.com/mperezwritesirl michelle patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatwronglove michelle's comic book from IMAGE COMICS you can order http://a.co/dn5YeUD
  • WeaverWeaver Who are you? What do you want?Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Janson wrote: »
    Weaver wrote: »
    Rachel, you have clean but you have clutter.

    It is a fucking tiny apartment

    things are regularly cleaned out, but I'm not throwing away books and dvds
    my first marriage was in an apartment that small

    only clutter we had was the cat bringing in dead birds and rabbits

    Weaver on
  • trentsteeltrentsteel Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Janson I've always been very impressed by how clean and interesting you guys' place is even though it is so small. I look at it and want to visit it.

    But I would keep you both awake with my snoring, sadly.

    trentsteel on
    http://www.botsnthings.com/
    I made a TD for iphone and windows phone!

  • JansonJanson Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    TFS's advice is solid, and it's odd that paper towels don't work for you, Bucketman

    I do use windex on my laptop screen and TV, no problems so far!

    Janson on
  • FaricazyFaricazy Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Weaver wrote: »
    Bucketman wrote: »
    What kind of PC monitor do you have. If its a big ol' glass CRT one, spray a lil' bit of a washcloth or paper towel with some windex and wipe it down

    if its LCD, gently and lightly dampen a cloth and go in circles across the whole monitor.

    I have a big old LCD, I figured since all those cleaning wipes I use to sell at Staples where basically towels wet with Rubbing Alcohol that it was the go to for that.


    Don't listen to Karen windex is safe for:

    windows
    mirrors
    eyeglasses
    monocles
    crome
    LCDs
    HDTVs

    Anything you want to get fingerprints off of
    Windex and other cleaners can dissolve special surface treatments on glass or plastic HDTV panels. Don't risk it. Just use a barely damp microfiber cloth.

    Faricazy on
  • JansonJanson Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    trentsteel wrote: »
    Janson I've always been very impressed by how clean and interesting you guys' place is even though it is so small. I look at it and want to visit it.

    But I would keep you both awake with my snoring, sadly.

    I keep Mori awake with my snoring, sometimes!

    And thank you.

    Janson on
  • JansonJanson Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Oh yeah, if paper towels don't work for you a good microfiber cloth should.

    Janson on
  • WeaverWeaver Who are you? What do you want?Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Janson wrote: »
    TFS's advice is solid, and it's odd that paper towels don't work for you, Bucketman

    I do use windex on my laptop screen and TV, no problems so far!


    My parents are still convinced that they need the "special screen cleaning spray" from the same manufacturer as their screen to keep in clean

    and here I am

    aging prematurely due to stress

    Weaver on
  • ASimPersonASimPerson Cold... and hard.Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Microfiber cloths are great, though I mostly use mine for cleaning my glasses. Nothing else works better than that.

    ASimPerson on
  • Sir PlatypusSir Platypus Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    My room still has trash from the day I moved in.... Back in July or August.

    Who wants to help me cleeeaaaan?

    Also, I need some damn shelf space. Too many games and movies, and half of it is still it my parents' house.

    Sir Platypus on
  • MorivethMoriveth BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWNRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Since we'll soon be able to afford a one-bedroom apartment

    it'll be rad to have all our stuff out in the open on it's own shelf instead of double-stacked like a lot of our stuff is right now

    Moriveth on
  • Airking850Airking850 Ottawa, ONRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    My apartment was very tidy

    until my roommate decided to turn the balcony into his studio and to hang / lean canvases all over the dining room and to pile painting supplies in the living room and half-finish putting new cabinets in the laundry room

    now it is always messy-looking and that makes me sad

    Airking850 on
  • JansonJanson Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    My grandmother taught me how to clean bathrooms when I was really little

    she told my mother 'oh she can clean bathrooms now' and from then on whenever we all had to rally round and clean for guests I was always designated the bathroom(s)

    I hate cleaning bathrooms!

    Janson on
  • WeaverWeaver Who are you? What do you want?Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Faricazy wrote: »
    Weaver wrote: »
    Bucketman wrote: »
    What kind of PC monitor do you have. If its a big ol' glass CRT one, spray a lil' bit of a washcloth or paper towel with some windex and wipe it down

    if its LCD, gently and lightly dampen a cloth and go in circles across the whole monitor.

    I have a big old LCD, I figured since all those cleaning wipes I use to sell at Staples where basically towels wet with Rubbing Alcohol that it was the go to for that.


    Don't listen to Karen windex is safe for:

    windows
    mirrors
    eyeglasses
    monocles
    crome
    LCDs
    HDTVs

    Anything you want to get fingerprints off of
    Windex and other cleaners can dissolve special surface treatments on glass or plastic HDTV panels. Don't risk it. Just use a barely damp microfiber cloth.

    yeah

    if you paid 14k for your tv instead of 400

    use the dick cleaner because you're already a fool

    Weaver on
  • Penguin IncarnatePenguin Incarnate King of Kafiristan Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Weaver wrote: »
    Janson wrote: »
    Weaver wrote: »
    Rachel, you have clean but you have clutter.

    It is a fucking tiny apartment

    things are regularly cleaned out, but I'm not throwing away books and dvds
    my first marriage was in an apartment that small

    only clutter we had was the cat bringing in dead birds and rabbits
    And that wouldn't have been a problem if you stopped collecting them in your pillow case.

    Penguin Incarnate on
  • nukanuka What are circles? Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    God now I want to clean up my room but its nearly 2 am. D:
    I'll have to put it off until tomorrow but then I'll just put it off some more for some dumb reason.

    nuka on
    DS: 2667 5365 3193 | 2DS: 2852-8590-3716
  • trentsteeltrentsteel Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    I just got that cool cloth and the blue bottle spray stuff that they sell for cleaning those Tv's.

    trentsteel on
    http://www.botsnthings.com/
    I made a TD for iphone and windows phone!

  • Calamity JaneCalamity Jane That Wrong Love Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    cleaning a bathroom is very necessary though

    back in washington you had no idea how many pubes i had to clean up

    NO IDEA

    Calamity Jane on
    twitter https://twitter.com/mperezwritesirl michelle patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatwronglove michelle's comic book from IMAGE COMICS you can order http://a.co/dn5YeUD
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