Thursday, March 19, 2009

A Cleaning Lady's Perspective

So some of you know that I clean a few homes to make some extra money. Let's call me The Cleaning Lady.

As some of you also know...I love to organize. That does not mean that I am always am organized but I love the act of looking at a space before, purging, organizing, finding new homes for things, and then basking in the after.

That's why I was so glad I caught Oprah with Peter Walsh yesterday for the "Clean Up Your Messy House Tour". Plus they were at Georgia Tech, the hubby's alma mater.

Let's just say that since then I have been looking at my SURFACES differently.

I always seem to concentrate on drawers and cabinets and closets. Nice. But who sees them? I now want to focus on using storage for storage and leaving surfaces clearer. This definitely cuts down on clutter and gives the room a larger feel. As some of you have seen from the Tour of My Home post, we have a very very open floor plan. I need clear surfaces!!!!!!!!

Ok, so back to the point of this. Let me give it to you from The Cleaning Lady's perspective. My least favorite thing to do when cleaning someones home is moving all those little knick knacks! UHHHHHH!!!!!

One of my pals/clients has the most enjoyable home to clean....Janet!
Janet has triplets in the first grade, a husband who works out of town a lot, and she works full time. Its not like she spends lots of time organizing and tiddying up. BUT her home is always clutter free! And no she doesn't stay up all night the night before straightening up.

What do I love about her home?
She only has a few decorative things out and most things that are out serve a purpose.
The surfaces in her home are relatively clear and therefore easy to clean.

So I know what you are thinking. "I don't have anyone clean my house!" but you clean your house. Take it from me. Wouldn't you want to make it easier on yourself?

Try clearing some clutter.
Clearing some surfaces.
Donating/Selling/Trashing some things that serve no purpose or have no sentimental value.

Then clean your home and see how much easier it feels. I am starting in the kitchen!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen! I hate clutter! It makes everything so much more difficult.

I love Peter Walsh, by the way. I admire his no-nonsense approach. I could never do what he does though. I used to watch him on Clean Sweep, and he was always way more patient and diplomatic than I would be. I'd be telling those people, "What is this crap? Just throw it away! What are you thinking?"

I'm pretty sure I'd get fired after the very first day.

momstheword said...

This is a great post. Sometimes, we just get used to doing things without thinking. And a fresh perspective can do wonders and make things much easier.

BTW, love the cinammon recipe. Looks so easy!