Now that our fall schedule is under way, I really needed to dust off my day planner and start making some lists of things I dropped at the beginning of the summer and was ready to pick back up again, so I worked on that some last week. I scheduled meetings and cleaned out my inbox and took care of some paperwork. It felt good to be sitting at my desk again, ready to dig into ideas and opportunities.
But before I could really get going, I needed to do some serious cleaning. My fellow neatniks will understand that it’s really hard to get focused work done when the state of your home is below your cleanliness tolerance level. Those who get it, get it. Those who don’t, think we are a little crazy. Maybe we are. But, we will be crazy in a clean house, thank you very much.
One area that really needed to be cleaned was the living room. We hang out in there a lot and it has a main traffic path running through it, so it took a beating this summer with kids running in and out of the house regularly. We’ve also had some sleepovers and birthday parties and other gatherings that added to the wear and tear.
So, I took the time to give the room a thorough cleaning. I dusted everything, cleaned the fingerprints and dog-nose-prints off the windows, and removed all of the sofa cushions to vacuum under them and give them a once over with the vacuum as well. It was amazing what I found under the cushions…
I get the Nerf dart, but what is the flosser thing doing there?!
I also vacuumed all of the pillows and then moved all of the small furniture out of the room, so I could vacuum and shampoo the carpet.
This was what really needed to be done. The light carpet was starting to get a gray tinge along the traffic path. Even with a “no shoes in the house” rule, shoes still sometimes make it past the foyer or laundry room. I’m guilty of that, too. And, Sebastian is great about not wearing shoes in the house, but he also runs around outside barefoot.
Knowing this would be an issue, we bought a carpet cleaner when we moved in, so I used that to clean the entire carpet (that wasn’t under heavy furniture), focusing on the traffic path.
Whenever I use this shampooer and I’m dumping brown, gritty, hairy water into the utility sink, it reminds me why I don’t like carpet! All of the stuff that gets trapped in the fibers gives me the heebie-jeebies. I would put hardwoods in the whole place, but I am in the minority in this household. The boys like wrestling and laying on their bellies when they play games or read books and Jeff likes the comfiness and warmth under foot.
So, I’ll just give it a good shampooing a few times a year and try not to think about it the rest of the time! I do admit that it is comfy, though…
Anyway, I did this right when they left for school in the morning, so it would have all day to dry. It was a gorgeous day, so I opened the windows and put a small fan on it to help with the drying process.
And the room really did seem to sparkle when I was done.
It looks bright and fresh and squeaky clean.
You know, I hung those pictures there shortly after we moved in and I thought the curtains would fill more of that wall, but they didn’t. I think it’s time to move them (or at least straighten them!)
I gave a few others rooms a really good cleaning as well and then did a general cleaning in the rest of the house. It was therapeutic for me and, for some reason, cleaning gets my creative juices flowing. It almost always leads to furniture scooting, rearranging accessories, and/or new project ideas.
Oh, and for those who have been asking, I am still planning to try to hone the granite tiles on our fireplace and just see how that looks. I just haven’t pulled out the sandpaper, yet, to give it a try. I will soon, though, and I’ll let you know how it turns out.
You are a whiz! I too am a clean freak and just love the moment when I look around and can’t find anything else to clean. What satisfaction! I, however am not as talented or busy as you. Where do you find the time?? Love your home! You are an inspiration.
I need to do this SOON. Everything goes to rack and ruin over the summer months. It really does help you relax and feel more creative to have the household things in order!
Yes, we just had to let things slide during the summer with the boys home most of the time and friends coming and going.
My girls had their first day today… but they only go for an hour. Tomorrow, it’s just men little brother, and my duster, vacuum and Mrs. Meyers.
I am right there with you… no rest until the place is clean. Yep, might be crazy, but I also like to be crazy in a clean house! ?
And if your like me Marian, I can’t leave for a trip unless my house is clean:/ I love coming home to a clean house
In our new ‘old’ farmhouse we opted for all hard floors throughout as we have two largish dogs and a cat that come and go with their sometimes muddy paws. I have rugs in some of the rooms that I can swap around or replace when they get too tatty.
Maybe you could have the best of both worlds – your hardwood floors but covered by a very large carpet rug? Boys have a place to lay, hubby’s feet are cosy and you can replace it easily when needs be & they are not very expensive if you get the carpet people to edge it for you as no laying required.
My only regret having hardwood floors? We opted to install them ourselves – my knees are still recovering but the pain is dulled by the money we saved!
“We will be crazy in a clean house.” lol, Iove this! I’m not so much about clean as I am about neat – anything out of place makes me crazy, so I truly get it! Your room really does look sparkling now, and I love the arrangement on the mantel. I’m going to copy it this morning. I see Eulalee is still hanging in there, I still love her, no matter where she shines.
I hate carpet, too. When we bought our current house it had carpet everywhere, and I decided to just live with it and let the dogs destroy it/save money for a year before replacing it. Well, that turned into 3 years, but when we finally did rip it out to install wood looking tile it was mortifying how much dirt was trapped beneath it. Like a little race track around the dining table and the beds. Eek!
You cleaned the carpet!
Today I started the task of cleaning house now that the kids are back in school! I will feel so much better once it’s done. I’m like you – I can not focus on other tasks (at least not well) when the mess is staring me in the face.
I, too, have trouble focusing and relaxing in a cluttered or dirty home. However, my hubs doesn’t seem to have the same low threshold for clutter/dirt that I do, so I don’t clean or de-clutter as much as I like (that would mean getting rid of half our stuff, and nagging him about dirt more than I do). About once a year, I just can’t stand it anymore, and spend a marathon day or two dusting every.single.thing. (including removing the books/knicknacks from all 6 bookshelves), cleaning the tracks of the windows, dusting spider webs off the ceilings, taking things to “Goodwill” (generic term), wiping the baseboards clean, cleaning off the tops of the kitchen cabinets, cleaning the upholstery, etc. This in addition to under-the-sink cleaning, paperwork de-cluttering, patio-cleaning, etc. that happens several times a year. Last night, after I got hubby to move the fridge so I could clean behind/under it, along with moving the washer and dryer to do the same, he asked, “Aren’t you supposed to do this in April?” He didn’t even notice that I had!
I’m with Rhonda, returning to my clean home after a trip is so relaxing and welcoming!
It’s been previously suggested but either a) embrace hardwood and a nice, thick rug to go over or b) take another look at all-natural carpet options like wool. It’s incredibly resilient, naturally flame resistant, naturally stain resistant (but not stain proof), ages gracefully, but is vulnerable to degradation from UV. Definitely on the spendier side but if majority rules I’d recommend looking into it! Best wishes!
Please say again where you buy your curtain fabric. Thank you
I love your sofa! Where was it purchased?
It’s from Ashley Furniture. They don’t make that model, but they do have similar ones.
Just a note……I wouldn’t be flushing the carpet-cleaner water down the drain without one of those “pop in”
drain strainers. They are life savers. Carpet fibers and dog/people hairs are hard on the plumbing. Not good to flush down toilet either….that is if you don’t want problems down the road .
Yes, good point. I do strain the water and put the grit and hair in the trash.
I love your couch!!!! Where did you get it from?
One of the things I love to do when deep cleaning the livingroom is throw the pillows in the dryer with lavender bags. They are so puffy and fresh when i take them out. I buy the lavender bags at Trader Joes but make my own when the lavender in my garden is abundant. I might add that I do our bed pillows every week when I change the sheets. That first night is heavenly to get in all that freshness. Im old school and hang my sheets out to dry when weather permits.
Oh, that’s a wonderful idea! I’ll be doing that next time!
Marian, You have endless energy but you have great projects to motivate you and they par so well with your business. I am so excited to hear all about your European adventures!
Carpet looks so fresh. Doesn’t it feel good? I can even smell the freshness coming through the blog post. haha I would recommend tossing the water out into your flower bed. I can’t stand clogged pipes. I have a rainbow and I toss the water into my bushes and flower beds. Watching as you get ready for this wonderful adventure called Europe!!!!
Blessings!
Very smart! I do strain it, but then I need to touch it, so I like this idea better.
Depending on the “cleaner solution” used….you could kill the plants or burn them. Sometimes not worth the risk..
Love your home and all you have done to it in such a short time!! Enjoy your trip and your time with your Mom!!
Hi Marian, I sure wish I had your energy! I feel like I need a week off from work just to get up to where I want to be. The carpet looks great and I’m sure it feels wonderful to have accomplished so much today.
Hello,
You use a lot of grain sack fabric can you share your source? I can’t find it locally.
We took our daughter and her 3 littles to MSP at 4am this morning (to go back to their daddy/hubby). After a week of littles running around and no time for even picking up much, I skipped going back to bed when we got home at 7:30 am to clean! It felt SO good. Still needs more done, but the majority is done and I feel so much more relaxed!
I’d Love to know how you like your carpet cleaner. Can you recommend it?
It’s such a good feeling when everyone is out of the house and the sun is shining to do a deep clean. It feels so good before the heavy fall weather sets in. WTG.
Hi Marian, I know they use muriatic (I hope I spelled that right) acid on marble to give it a dull finish, so I’m wondering if it would work on granite. Protect yourself with good ventilation when using. Read bottle. I was told this by a friend in the stone business.
I love everything about your home. You are so talented. I especially love the chairs with the monogram on them. I too have several grain sack pillows that I have made and I also have your chair cushions that I had a seamstress make for me. You are a girl after my own heart. It I should important for a family to have order. Not only does it help you but it also helps them.
Hi Marian, our family calls that kind of deep cleaning “Christmas Clean”. I host Easter and Thanksgiving for my family and always give my house that deep cleaning in the spring and again in the fall before the holidays. Love the feeling after I’m done. Enjoy your trip. Went to Scotland with a few days in London on the way back a few years ago and had a wonderful time. Would love to visit Italy and Ireland. Can’t wait to hear about your adventures
Fun to see your cleaning routine! I’m looking forward to reading how you hone your granite tile surround. I have the same granite counters in kitchen, and would love to try to hone them, to remove gloss and some of the brown color! I had considered hiring a professional since they’re counters, but can’t find anyone.