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getroyalfirst-blog · 2 years

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Cleaning a Mountainous Mess: My tips, tricks, and thoughts on taking back your space.

As a busy college student in her senior year of undergrad I understand the struggle of attempting to keep a clean space. At times it can seem like an insurmountable feat, but I promise it is not impossible. When you live a busy life, it can be easy to put organization and cleanliness to the side, saying “I’ll take care of it tomorrow”, but in reality, we all know that dirty t-shirt we left laying on the floor or used coffee cup sitting on the counter will be there for several days (maybe even several weeks).

I know how a messy home can impact mental health. I often find that when I hit my mental breaking point, my environment is also usually in a state of chaos. I am here to share some of my tips that I have found helpful when finally deciding to attack that mountain of laundry, dirty dishes, and trash that may have piled up over the past busy weeks.

1. Take care of the trash first.

When deciding to clean, it can be overwhelming knowing where exactly to start. In my opinion, the best place to start is with a trash bag. Grab an empty bag and start at your entrance, slowly moving around collecting all items that can be thrown away and doing just that, adding them to the bag. Continue moving around your space, making your way from the front of the home to the back. For now, ignore clothes that might be on the floor, dirty dishes, or items that might not be in the right place. It is important to focus on one goal at a time so that you do not become overwhelmed. The number one reason we let our spaces get so disorganized and messy in the first place is due to feeling overwhelmed, we want to try to avoid this feeling at all costs.

2. Turn on some tunes or other motivation.

Now that you have finished with your first task, you are in the cleaning mindset. I find that once I get started, I feel motivated to keep going. One of the things I enjoy doing to keep me in this headspace is turning on some type of motivation. For me, that motivation is turning on a show like ‘The Home Edit’ or a “Clean with Me” type video on YouTube. Now because I have these on doesn’t mean that I stop cleaning and just watch these videos, instead I use them as background noise and to feel like someone is cleaning with me. This won’t work for all people though; some people might prefer music that pumps them up or an audio book or podcast instead. Find what works for you!

3. Start the dishes.

The next grueling task we will probably be facing (if you are anything like me) is the pile of dishes overflowing out of the sink. Having a dishwasher really helps cut the load in half, so if you have one load it and start it, but don’t stop there. Whatever is left in the sink wash by hand. Do NOT leave it and say “I will get to it when the dishwasher is done running” because (if you are like me) you will not come back to it. Handwash your dishes, dry them, and put them away. It is an annoying task, I agree, but when you are done you will feel so much better. I also think the smell of dish soap is one of the best “clean” smells, it definitely helps keep me in the cleaning mindset.

4. Collect the dirty clothes.

Now you have finished collecting the garbage and cleaning the dishes, the last grueling task I tend to face is the carpet of laundry that collects on my bedroom floor and around my apartment. Go around your space and put all of the dirty clothes into a specific space. This can be a hamper, a laundry basket, or even a designated pile in a corner (if your hamper/laundry basket is overflowing). Once all of the dirty clothes have been collected in a space, sort your laundry into groups to be washed (delicates, whites, knits, jeans, etc.). Once everything is separated, go ahead, and take a group of clothes to the wash, be sure to not have too many clothes at a time though or else they will not get cleaned properly causing you to have to rewash or redry items, causing this to take longer than needed. As one group finishes in the wash, move it to the dryer and start the next group. Keep this constant chain going until your laundry is done. Make sure as things are leaving the drying, they are immediately getting folded or hung so that they do not stay in your laundry basket for days on end.

5. The shovel method.

Since laundry takes time, you will have some down time between cycles. Utilize this time to stay moving. This is the perfect time to begin organizing your items. Now this is another task that often overwhelms people, usually because we don’t have much experience organizing our things. Organizing between the laundry cycles allows us to work on our mess for 30–45-minute spurts and then we get a break from it when we have to move our laundry from washer to dryer; I think this helps to keep the process “bite-sized”. So, what is the shovel method? I came up with this term when I was cleaning a particularly disorganized space. No items had a true home, and it was very exhausting to even think about attacking. I’m talking little to no available counter or floor space, so I attacked this the best way I knew how, at the beginning. I started at the entrance, grabbing loose items and started creating piles. I first had to start with a “miscellaneous pile” just to get a clear space. Slowly, as more space opened up, I started making designated piles. For example, if there are a lot of cosmetic items, then my first designated pile is a cosmetic pile, anything that doesn’t fit that category goes to the miscellaneous pile until more space opens up to create another designated pile. I also do not return to the miscellaneous pile until the very, very end. Once an item it in a pile it stays there. Eventually we will have what is often termed as an “organized mess”. I will not lie, depending on the level of disorganization of your space, this can be a very time consuming and grueling task. Just keep going and remind yourself that there is an end. By starting at the entrance and slowing working your way through a space, I am reminded of snow-shoveling a driveway, hence the term “the shovel method”.

6. Attacking the piles.

Now you should have several categorized piles and it should make it easier for you to visualize where things should go. Attack each pile individually, so if you have a cosmetic pile, begin with finding homes for those items. Continue this process until all of the piles are gone, leaving miscellaneous for last. Remember, one pile at a time! We want to avoid being overwhelmed as much as possible.

7. Sweeping.

By now you are probably pretty close to organized and should have visible floor space. Now is when you should begin sweeping or vacuuming. If you are someone who likes to mop or use a Swiffer-type device, make sure you sweep with a broom or vacuum first! You don’t want to just wipe crumbs and small pieces of trash around on your floor. Now is also the time for you to wipe down counters.

8. Reward yourself.

It has taken a long time, but you are done. You worked hard, but your disorganized mess should now be an organized, calm environment. Take a seat, have a glass of wine (or whatever you enjoy), and take in your space. Use this time to sit and take in what you enjoy about your space. If there is anything that is glaringly sticking out to you at this time, feel free to fix or change it.

9. Keeping your space.

I like to set rules for myself after I have cleaned my space. When I am done with a dirty plate, I bring it to the kitchen, rinse it, and place it in the dishwasher. Clothes go in the hamper, not on the floor. Shoes go in the closet or on the shoe mat by my door. I worked hard to make a home for my items, I want to try to maintain that as long as possible. I also designate 10 minutes every evening, before I go to bed, to take a look around my space and put things in their homes and to get rid of garbage. One thing I find helpful is a cleaning binder. I have a page for each room in my home, with a list of things to check. For example, my kitchen list has “empty the dishwasher”, wash dirty plates, wipe down counters; my living room list has “fold blankets”, “straighten couch pillows”, “take dirty dishes to kitchen”. I write these things down in a list format, place them in page protectors, and use a dry erase marker to check off the list every night. In the morning I wipe the page protectors clean, and my binder is ready to go again!

I hope you can use this as a guide for your own space, especially if you are feeling overwhelmed by the thought of cleaning and don’t know where to start. It has taken me a long time to figure out what works for me, I understand how difficult and challenging this process can be. With time, patience, and perseverance, your home can be a place of calm and warmth for you, I hope that you can use this as a guide to aid you in your cleaning journey!

#organization #cleanlifestyle #clean #organize #aesthetic

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thisivyhouse · 4 years

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Moss knit pattern pure wool cloths for kitchen

#howiroll #softbox #lighting #cleanlifestyle #diy #knitting

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globalriseofblackpeople · 5 years

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#black people #black community #clean #cleanlifestyle #bath #shower #wash cloth #white peoppe #comedy

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moniqueyelias · 3 years

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leteuphoria-happen · 4 years

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2 weeks clean today.

20200828 ❤️

#sobriety #cleanlifestyle #lesbiansoftumblr #gayandsober #gay #gaylife #homo #lesbian #girlswholikegirls #girlswhokissgirls

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soberlifehub · 4 years

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alaindurone · 4 years

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#Bonjour / #Hello / #你好 #Keepyourtownairclean #Spring #Flowers #Green #Cleantown #Cleanair #Silentlife #Cleanlifestyle #bluesky💙 #春 #花 #緑 #きれいな空気 #自然 #清潔おしゃれで笑顔が素敵な人とつながりたい #緑が好きな人とつながりたい #コロナ対策 #空間除菌 #消毒 #公衆衛生 #静謐 #鎮魂 #ていねいな暮らし #リラクゼーション #iPhone11pro #iPhonephoto (East End of the World) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAy7m0Vh54H/?igshid=x95pj1n396of

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vrikshitfoundation · 4 years

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With rapid urbanisation, India is facing massive waste management challenges. Over 377 million urban people live in 7,935 towns and cities and generate 62 million tonnes of municipal solid waste per annum. A city in this big country, HYDERABAD is turning into a big Garbage dump. The problem is assuming gigantic proportions and the numbers are staggering. . It is known that around 10 million tonnes of garbage is generated in just the metropolitan cities alone like Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Kolkata.

Volunteers reported that they fo In a statement, a volunte und huge amount of plastic and P er voiced out that uja material. 'People pray at home and dump religious items in the lake'. To add above, it was seen that the waste picked at the end of the dr 11:00am, was not even a fraction of what gets into the lame. Students who spent their weekend, trying to undo what fatal ive at harm was being caused to mother Earth were sadly able to reach just the borders of the lake. The drive came to an end with volunteers trying to raise awareness for the callousal harm being inflicted on the water body by the residents nearby. Joining the t eam, MLA Sudheer Reddy and Corporate Bhavani Praveen came near the site where the volunteers worked. They assured to meet the requirements for the cleaning drives in the future. Volunteers personally noticed after a few weeks of cleaning the lake that, ab 2030% of waste regurgitated back every week. out Change couldn't be brought on a large scale as the residents were adamant on not helping. Instead it was said to be a waste of time .

When it comes to waste management and proper disposal in India, n othing is quite right. Central Pollution Control Board in its recent report which was released in 2009 indicated that solid waste is produced in large amo unt in the country every year, of which less than 20% or only 12 tons are treated. This means that the remaining 52 million and 80% goes untreated. The key to efficient waste management and disposal is to ensure proper segregation of waste at source and to make sure that the waste goes through proper means of recycling. Then reduced final residue is then deposited scientifically in sanitary landfills. It is very often seen that lakes and water bodies are dumped with waste which is difficult to extract back and recycle. Waste in the form of solid waste is dumped and it floats on the surface of the water body posing threat to the Marine life.

We at VRIKSHIT believe in the objective eel happiness living within the envi of cleaning is not ronment. For us, saving out motherland is a survival truth just to clean, but to . We join hands together to protect what is left of our planet so that the future is not wiped out before it's time for a curtain call. Recently, we tried doing our bit to save our motherland by con cleanliness drive on 23rd February 2020 Sunday. ducting a In the midst of a suburb in Hyderabad, The Saroornagar lake had become a dump yard for the colonies and residents nearby. A group of 13 volunteers came together with an aim to clean up as much waste the same. and to spread awareness for It was a tough call for the day, as the mass number was meagre but the task was tedious. With the help of sanitary gloves, Masks, Baskets and other equip ment, the day was kicked start It was seen that the s at 8:00am. anitation and cleaning of water bodies has slowly become an uphill task.

Few gave their valuable suggestion how to go on with further drives and helping in spreading awareness. The spirits of the volunteers were thrown off the boat when locals fed negative response for the same. Wrapping up, one notable detail that most of the volunteers proposed was the LACK OF AWARENESS in the locals nearby. Students from all over Hyderabad came together to clean Saroornagar. Had it been few local residents and societies joining hands, it wouldn't have reached to this extent.

There goes a saying by Dalai Lama "Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of an individual can have farreaching effects While it may seem small, but awareness creates a ripple effect of small things as extraordinarly.

Article credits: Maria Abdul Aziz

#environment #nonprofit #cleanliving #cleanlifestyle #swachbharatabhiyan #cleanindia #swachhbharat #ecofriendly #greenindia #hyderabad #vrikshitfoundation

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upliftingpro · 4 years

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Hi guys! Due to apocalypse I'm thinking of all these great ways to show you more of what I do and not so much makeup looks only! Soooooo..... Here's a picture of my current Creation Station. All of my bulk essential oils, herbs, oils, waxes, packaging and ready to go product is all right here on one of these 2 shelves. Mostly bought in bulk and stored in my precious collection of mason jars. 💜 . . . Part of the UP mission is setting and example of suitable and minimalism lifestyle that can be productive, fun and innovative. Currently I share a room with my creation station, literally all the clothing, precious belongings and entrepreneurial tools I own in one space with no walls (and with another person too!). I operate my whole operation out of this space and am even currently expanding to new products! . . . Even though I have very little possessions and feel constantly stacked on top of myself with projects, this has led me to have fuller experiences and put more intention into the few things I DO and OWN. This also essentially means a low overhead allowing me to grow my business free of big bank loans and start up costs, ie reasonable product pricing for those who really need chemical free and plant based products. 😉 . . . You can do so much with exactly the space and things you have if you learn to live creatively. Hope this time of solitude and slow down has opened your creative side. How do you foster sustainable practices in your life? How had COVID-19 changed your thinking about sustainability? . . . #makeupart #makeupisart #portlandsaturdaymarket #cleanliving #cleanlifestyle #smallbusiness #entrepreneur #itsthelittlethings #lovewhatyoudo #mtshasta #sandyoregon #plasticfreebeauty #zerowasteliving #zerowaste #motherearth #simplicity #minimalism #slowandsteady #selftaught #chemicalfree #crueltyfree #vendorlife #vegan #handmadecosmetics #madeinthemountains #madeinoregon #madewithlove #madewithintention #intentionalliving #bethechange (at Sandy, Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-S58O7h9SN/?igshid=1mibkswk70dao

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