Now some people may not be familiar with the term spring house cleaning. There is a pattern here where people give their house a thorough cleaning in the spring. Major dusting is done. The walls may be washed. Clothes closets are cleaned out. You get the idea.
Last spring was the first time I participated fully in house cleaning. I admit I wasn't happy about it, but it has to be done.
So there's some bickering during the house cleaning season.
Now we've been trying to downsize for maybe 10 or 15 years. Yes, we've got rid of things but there's still an enormous amount of stuff left.
That's where the bickering comes on the cleaning. The Micro Manager complains that it's a big job. I threaten to go on strike . Why? Well there are many things in the house that are unnecessary in my humble opinion.
We have too many nick knacks and stuff hanging on the walls.
So what did I do yesterday? I went around and counted all things attached to the wall or ceiling and all things set on a table, desk or floor. I didn't count necessary things like radios, knife sets, bread boxes, micro waves, toaster ovens etc. I counted 238 of these objects. Now I know that two of the bloggers I follow will have many times more of these objects. They probably have more than 238 Christmas ornaments. Ornaments are their hobby.
It's just that the house cleaning job would be much easier without all the clutter.
Who does spring cleaning?
Who has more than 238 objects? Maybe I'm just a whiner to complain about the situation?
See any nick knacks her besides me?
Well... if you counted 238 items over the whole house that might not be too bad. Some people have collections and hobbies, etc. You get gifts from people or grandkids make things for you. Okay, excuses, I know. Spring cleaning is a necessary evil. We need to downsize a lot but we both have emotional attachments to various items and that gets difficult. The pictures you show do not look cluttered at all. Actually, now that I think about it my hubby and I are cleaning out a closet together tomorrow. Usually it is just me doing closets. I'll let you know if we both survive!
ReplyDeleteGood luck on the downsizing. It's a losing game.
DeleteYes I probably have more that 283 things on the walls and collecting dust. I cleaned some kitchen cabinets yesterday...yes we spring clean or winter clean...and yes I have lots of "stuff" to get rid of.
ReplyDeleteI think that instead of cramming the cleaning in the spring that it should be spread out though the year.
DeleteI hear you about clutter. I've been trying to get rid of excess stuff for years. For one thing it would make cleaning much easier and for another it would relieve someone else of having to get rid of my stuff some day. Somehow I don't seem to make much dent in things though a cousin who recently visited thought I'd made some progress. Maybe progress is more visible to outsiders. Best of luck with the cleaning and the downsizing.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter teasingly says, "What fun I'll have throwing all your junk away."
DeleteHi Red,
ReplyDeleteMy mum has often talked about being expected to help with spring cleaning during school holidays. It ruined her holidays as a child!
Ornaments are such a pest to clean around and then you also have to clean the ornaments themselves. It's a drama so I have declared that my kids should never buy me any pointless decorative stuff, first it has to be cleaned and then you have to dispose of it
You forgot to say that you have to put those wonderful gifts on the wall before you clean them and throw them away. cleaning in the old days was much harder.
DeleteWell I never thought that one morning I would be wandering round the house counting my pictures etc. I'm pleased to say that I don't have anywhere near your figure. As for spring cleaning I started on Easter Saturday. I've lived alone for nearly 20 years so there is only me to do the work anyway.
ReplyDelete...and you don't argue with yourself about how and when to do things.
DeleteI don't have the slightest urge to clean the whole house in spring. I have never understood that habit. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree it's a bit hard to understand. It's not the way I would do it.
DeleteIs it ever hard to downsize!
ReplyDeleteI suppose I should do spring cleaning, but I don't. It was necessary in the old days of fireplaces... but?
Old days? Yes, spring cleaning made sense to clean up all the coal dust etc.
DeleteI've got to clean our windows. Now that I have better eyesight after the cataract surgeries, I see so many things that need cleaning! :-)
ReplyDeleteWindows is another big job.
DeleteIn the very first comment, Bonnie said, “Some people have collections and hobbies, etc.” I had to smile about that. So, Red, you won’t be surprised to hear me say 238 doesn’t sound like too much. And in your photos it does look like you still have plenty of wall space for more items. My suggestion for spring cleaning is to divide up the stuff and let the one who wants to keep it, clean it. As for me, it’s a love-hate relationship … I love the stuff but hate dusting it!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like good deal. I would keep very little. I'm not at all sentimental over things.
DeleteHi Red, Follow-up ... You know how sometimes someone will say something that plants an idea in your mind? I think it's a characteristic of really good teachers. And you are one of those, so I'm just saying thank you. Well, this post got me thinking ... I didn't do a deep clean in my little collection room last year and the dust has built up. So, the credit here goes to either you or your Micro Manager for setting me to work today to clean this room from top to bottom. I've been working on it all day. Dang, it looks so much better! I can't wait for my Micro Manager to get home tonight to see what she thinks about it. Yes, yes, I'll tell her where I got the idea and she may want to send you a gift of some sort. I'll let you know. One more thing ... You say you, "I'm not at all sentimental over things." All I can say about that is you are a very lucky man! John
Deleteoh my... This scenario is all too familiar. I been trying to downsize for several years now. At the present rate 2049 should complete the task. As to spring cleaning the 7 inches of snow yesterday buttressed my argument to defer the process till next fall...:)
ReplyDeleteYou have very sound reasoning when it comes to cleaning. You might get lucky have a good storm in the fall with 7 inches of snow.
DeleteRed, this is so funny. Bless you for helping with the cleaning. I probably have more than 238 things on the walls and sitting around. Sometimes I feel like there are 238 deer heads and turkey tails on the walls!! and sometimes I feel like rolling the wheelbarrow into the living room and hauling out 238 pieces of stuff! I do most all the cleaning with no help. You are a good man!
ReplyDeleteWell, thanks. It's just getting too tough for the Micro Manager to handle on her own.
DeleteI've heard it said that fall cleaning makes more sense because it gets all the summer dust and dirt out of the house before we close everything up for the cold weather. But I never have time, spring OR fall, to clean the whole house at once. And yes, one of the reasons is all the stuff we have. It makes any kind of cleaning, even the everyday kind, far harder that it should be.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, the pictures you show don't look cluttered to me. I like to see some pictures and ornaments because it looks too bare to me otherwise. There is a balance, and it's probably different for everyone. Your fireplace is beautiful, by the way.
I don't like the spring cleaning binge. It would be better spread out through the year. The fireplace was for our 25 th anniversary.
DeleteI imagine a lot of houses would have around that number of nick nacks hanging about.
ReplyDeleteFrom my viewing , I think we have too much. Remember, I'm cleaning.
DeleteI have the same issue as you do, and I can tell you, only because I've been told this myself: yes, you are whiner to complain about the situation.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll bet that I can tell you who accused you of being a whiner!
DeleteI did a lot of decluttering in January and February, as part of my "reduce" goal. But I do recognize myself in your post. Yes, I am a collector and there are things on my walls and sitting about. Some are seasonal and they go away into storage when not displayed. everything has its place and if I run out of places, I know it;s time to get rid of something.
ReplyDeleteI have never done spring house cleaning. We, both of us, clean as we go. Keeping house is a shared job here.
Yes, in retirement cleaning and cooking should be shared.
DeleteEvery time we've moved, we've gotten rid of things. Sometimes I think moving every couple of years would be great for de-cluttering :)
ReplyDeleteWe collect a lot of things in our homes over time and it's hard to get rid of them afterwards! But judging from your photos, you seem to have a lot of empty wall space, so maybe it's not too bad.
I will take that seal skin, a treasure from teaching I assume
ReplyDeleteYes, I do spring cleaning. The Writer is recruited for some jobs, all of them above 6 feet as a matter of fact (that's as high as I can reach). And yes, we probably have more than 238 extraneous dust catchers, too. I think 238 is a rather conservative number unless you are just starting to keep house. So count your blessings, Mr. Hiawatha!
ReplyDeletewhen i was back in my village i used to see people doing yearly cleanings and many of them doing the cleaning after each six months
ReplyDeleteeven the clay houses were repolished with new layer of clay.
yes either we do our two big cleaning after each six months and best of it is the new color to house so each single corner shines again