Friday, January 7, 2011

Cleaning and Decluttering Continues

Well this is about day 5, though not consecutive days, of my major decluttering and cleaning project. Today I didn't feel much like decluttering in my bedroom or living area so I tackled some much needed cleaning in the kitchen.

I gave everything on the counters a good wipe down. I also hopped on my mini-ladder and wiped down the upper kitchen cabinets which always seem to collect a lot of grease and grime despite being wiped down almost every other day. I find this aspect of kitchen cleaning quite frustrating and would love to know what others do to keep their kitchen cabinets, stove tops and appliances grime free. Normally I use a mixture of vinegar and baking soda to clean the grime but today I used Orange Lysol.

My galley kitchen is very small. Combined with very narrow kitchen cabinets, I have little room for all the basic things one needs in a kitchen. A lot of things need to be stored on the countertops and it is a constant challenge to keep it clean as well as have enough room for food preparation.

I added the multi-coloured batik cloth to the tray under my coffee pot. It was a gift from a cousin but I had no where to use it until the thought struck me today to put it under the coffee tray.  My calendar looks empty but that is because I haven't added my appointments - yet! LOL
I can now look at fresh fruit, napkins and a pitcher instead of a hodge podge of non kitchen items sitting on the pass through to the dining room.
Believe it or not, wiping down the kitchen took me 5 and half steady hours and it really wasn't that dirty. I did a little re-organizing, collected some kitchen containers for recycling and vacuumed and washed the kitchen floor. Though there is still a bit more cleaning to be done in the kitchen, such as cleaning out the main food cabinet and washing on top of and behind the refrigerator, I am satisfied with the day's work.

21 comments:

Jan said...

That is intriguing that your kitchen gets greasy, I even went out and ran my hand under the upper cupboard nearest my stove to make sure I am not missing grease in my kitchen, as I only wipe down the counter and stovetop and watch that the doors don't get any spills.
Still it is satisfying when you have everything in order.
Hae a good week,
Hugs, Jan

Joyful said...

Hey Jan, my guess is that you have a window in your kitchen that opens to the outdoors or you have a lot more air in your house in general. My kitchen doesn't have a window and there isn't a lot of airflow even in the summer. The overhead fan seems somehow responsible for distributing the greasy grime but that is a guess. You have a good weekend. By the way, did you find any grease?

Jo said...

Well done Penny on a great job in your kitchen. You are so neat it's a pleasure to get a look into your kitchen! I agree with you: in Khartoum we had a window in the kitchen but it was sealed. We also had an overhead fan and I also had to keep the greasy grime at bay on a regular basis. The fan definitely "spread the dirt" as it were. Here in SA I have good airflow and three doors - no window as it's open plan into my office which has four windows and a door. Have a beautiful weekend, my friend. (((hugs))) Jo

Joyful said...

Aw Jo, that's a nice compliment. I do like order and cleanliness though I am not always so neat! LOL If I had a lot less "stuff", things would be easier to clean and keep tidy. You're so fortunate to have so many windows and doors and good air flow. Jan is too :-) ((hugs back))

Diane said...

Well done, looks like you have done a good job. I am trying to de-clutter here in the UK but it is a slow job as I hate throwing things away LOL. Diane

Bossy Betty said...

You are inspiring me to clean! (Stop that! I want to read and play instead.)

Joyful said...

Thank you Diane. I did a good job of cleaning but not decluttering yesterday, lol. I agree that the process is very slow and I've still got miles to go before I rest. Good luck to you with your project. Hugs.

Joyful said...

Hi Betty, I often want to play before cleaning so I get rather behind. So play if you must, lol. Especially with your new cameras. Who would blame you ;-)

Anonymous said...

Just keep at it, and it will all get done. It shocked me back in Sept the amount of stuff that went out our door.

Thanks for stopping by.

blessings,
jilly

Anonymous said...

Hi Joy,
Great Job. I too am decluttering. I love a neatand organized home.
Blessings,
Elizabeth

Joyful said...

Thank you Jilly. I will keep at it. I know eventually it will all be done. Take care :-)

Joyful said...

I agree Elizabeth. A neat and organized home is such a joy to live in. Blessings.

The Professor's Wife said...

I can believe it took that long! It took me 3 hours to deep clean my very small kitchen this week!

Isn't it great to enter a new year with a clean house?

Joyful said...

LOL, I'm so glad you understand. Sometimes I think small spaces require much longer cleaning times simply because one has to move everything around all the time. I read on your blog that you gave your entire apartment a good cleaning in one week. You are ahead of me as I am still sorting and decluttering and then I clean as I finish an area. I am making good progress though and it does feel great to enter the new year that way.

Kilauea Poetry said...

Your cabinets look the same as ours -white too! Well, it sounds like what I need to do..plus the blinds!! I can honestly see how it would take that long just because you see so much detail along the way. I get behind due to my energy level but at least once your going you get sort of a flow. The hardest part might be getting started (the perfectionist side)..bet you have that too- meaning you know what your in for! I haven't tried the orange lysol..must smell nice. Hope you have a lovely Sunday-

Joyful said...

KP yes I think my cabinets are very common, LOL though I haven't seen them much over here. I've been meaning to add a backsplash and change the knobs from pink to brushed metal. It is one of the little renos on my "to do" list. The Orange Lysol doesn't actually smell very much. I find scented Pinesol (the purple one) and Orange Mr. Clean smell much nicer. But then I think all these smells are a bunch of chemicals which I can probably do without. Just that I didn't have any soda and vinegar on hand.

Joyful said...

KP yes I think my cabinets are very common, LOL though I haven't seen them much over here. I've been meaning to add a backsplash and change the knobs from pink to brushed metal. It is one of the little renos on my "to do" list. The Orange Lysol doesn't actually smell very much. I find scented Pinesol (the purple one) and Orange Mr. Clean smell much nicer. But then I think all these smells are a bunch of chemicals which I can probably do without. Just that I didn't have any soda and vinegar on hand.

Joyful said...

Your cabinets look the same as ours -white too! Well, it sounds like what I need to do..plus the blinds!! I can honestly see how it would take that long just because you see so much detail along the way. I get behind due to my energy level but at least once your going you get sort of a flow. The hardest part might be getting started (the perfectionist side)..bet you have that too- meaning you know what your in for! I haven't tried the orange lysol..must smell nice. Hope you have a lovely Sunday-

Joyful said...

I agree Elizabeth. A neat and organized home is such a joy to live in. Blessings.

Joyful said...

LOL, I'm so glad you understand. Sometimes I think small spaces require much longer cleaning times simply because one has to move everything around all the time. I read on your blog that you gave your entire apartment a good cleaning in one week. You are ahead of me as I am still sorting and decluttering and then I clean as I finish an area. I am making good progress though and it does feel great to enter the new year that way.

Joyful said...

Thank you Jilly. I will keep at it. I know eventually it will all be done. Take care :-)

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