What I Learned in 2018 About Cleaning and Clutter

The Best Decluttering Course How to stick your new year’s resolutions

What I Learned in 2018 About Cleaning and Clutter

I always get excited when I learn something new. I figure if it’s something I never knew, especially something about cleaning or decluttering, then it might be something you never knew. And then I can’t wait to share it!

For example, my husband kept telling to run hot water in the kitchen sink for one minute prior to starting the dishwasher. Turns out he was right. Hot water is needed immediately to activate the detergent.

And did I ever tell you that you can you can remove food stains from plastic leftover containers by placing them in direct sunlight for a day or so? Or that a wet Brillo pad cleans soap scum and water spots from glass shower doors faster and easier than anything else I’ve tried? (And no, it won’t scratch the glass.)

In this blog post, I want to share a few things I learned in 2018 about cleaning and clutter.

You may want to say “no” to kitchen sponges – here’s why.

Back when I was writing Cleaning Plain & Simple, I learned that the average kitchen sponge harbors as many as 7 billion germs. Yuck! My advice was to zap wet sponges in the microwave for two minutes to disinfect – and to do this every day. But new research has thrown that advice into question. According to this study:

Microwave and boiling treatments were shown to significantly reduce the bacterial load [but] no method alone seemed to be able to achieve a general bacterial reduction of more than about 60%.
Resistant bacteria can survive the sanitation process and when that happens, they rapidly re–colonize the released niches until reaching a similar abundance as before the treatment. So the more you sanitize sponges, the less effective sanitizing methods become.
In conclusion, the researchers suggest replacing kitchen sponges on a weekly basis in addition to regular sanitizing by boiling or microwaving.

After reading this research, I decided to forgo sponges and now use dish cloths instead. I bought enough so that I can replace the used cloth with a clean cloth every day. Dish cloths are definitely are more economical and eco-friendly option than sponges. Just wash in hot water and dry in your dryer to clean and sanitize. I also recommend replacing your dish drying towel every day. (In case you’re wondering, I use a scrub brush to scrub pots and pans.)

These two common pantry items make cleaning your toilet more fun…

In our traveling home, I can’t clean with bleach because bleach would kill the good bacteria that breaks down solid material in our holding tanks. I recently started using vinegar and baking soda to clean the toilet and oh, what fun it is if you’re a cleaning geek like me! I just pour a cup or so of baking soda in the bowl, then pour in a cup of vinegar. While this combination is hissing and bubbling up, I give the toilet bowl a good scrub and then flush. Job done! I also discovered that the same combination of baking soda and vinegar was all I needed to clean a slow-moving bathroom sink drain. It took a few tries, but then whoosh! The drain was running freely.

How to clear fridge clutter in minutes…

If you’re like many people, you’re storing things in your refrigerator that don’t belong in your refrigerator such as bread and potatoes. I knew about those, but recently learned that I should not be storing fresh peppers or berries in the refrigerator. They actually last longer on the counter! Clear fridge clutter by storing these 30 foods elsewhere. A good rule of thumb is to store foods the way you find them at the store.

How to set the right price for stuff you want to sell…

In my book How to Declutter and Make Money Now, I recommend looking up eBay listings for items that were sold to determine the best listing price, regardless of where you’re planning to sell things. But I just learned about an easier way to price all kinds of items. It’s a used price guide at Statricks.com. A friend of mine mentioned wanting to sell her collection of Waterford crystal bells. I went to the site and sure enough, found listings for all of them. What a fantastic resource! Just remember that a fair price is what buyers are willing to pay and you’re willing to accept.

Two ways to reduce stress by making good on your new year resolution.

“Get organized” and “lose weight” are two of the top resolutions people make every new year. I resolved last year to get to my goal weight – 128 in 2018 – and I’m thrilled to report that I left 12 pounds behind in 2018. And I feel so much happier with myself.

Losing excess weight helps can help boost energy and create a more positive self-image. It can also reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and a variety of other medical problems that can make it difficult to move such as joint issues or back problems – all of which make it harder to declutter your home.

If you want to get rid of excess body clutter, check out the Bright Line Eating program to learn how your brain may be blocking you from losing weight. The book by the same name outlines a simple-to-follow eating program that consists of three meals a day (all real food – no shakes or supplements to buy), portion control, and no foods with sugar or flour. It’s not a fad diet. It’s a way of eating for life. I’ve tried dozens of diets over the years and have to say that Bright Line Eating has been the fastest, easiest and most effective by far. I highly recommend it, especially if you’re addicted to certain foods or have been struggling to lose weight for years.

If your resolution is to declutter your home in the new year, you might want to sign up for the newest edition of Joshua Becker’s Uncluttered course that starts in mid-January. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…this is the best decluttering course I never created! And, nice guy that he is, Joshua gave me a Friends & Family discount code to share with you – enter FF25 at checkout to save 25% off this 12-week email course that will help you clear the clutter and maintain a clutter-free life in 2019. If you’ve taken the course in the past, remember that you can take it again as often as you wish.