I got a jump on organizing and decided to start somewhere quick & easy – cleaning out the cleaning supplies. (Oh, the irony of having to clean and organize your cleaning supplies!) But, I figured it would be a job that would take about 30 minutes and I would fly through it. I don’t have to try things on or weigh the sentimental value of bottles of toilet cleaner. Sort, consolidate, and done. If you missed my February challenge, you can read about it HERE.)
Well, it ended up taking me two hours!
I knew that things were out of hand because of the crammed cabinets under each sink, in the laundry room, and the kitchen, but I didn’t know the extent of it until I spread it all out over my kitchen table. It was way more than anyone needed for one house and there were so many products I never used in addition to the half-empty bottles.
I started the process of cleaning out the cleaning supplies by gathering the products from each floor and bringing them to the kitchen table…
After just bringing down the products from the upstairs bathrooms, I knew this would be a bigger undertaking than I anticipated!
Once I emptied out the two other bathrooms, the laundry room, and the kitchen, the entire table was full.
I shared my spread on my Instagram stories and the comments I received were so funny. Some wondered if I had so many cleaning supplies because I liked cleaning or if I had so many because I bought them, but wouldn’t actually use them. I also had several people trying to sell me miracle one-bottle-does-everything cleaning products, but I politely told them I clearly don’t need to buy any more cleaning supplies at the moment!
I think there were a few factors that contributed to the chaos…
- I would often start using a new bottle of cleaner before another one was empty. This resulted in half-empty bottles of cleaner stashed all over the house.
- I do like cleaning and trying new cleaners, but I almost always end up going back to my tried & true favorites, and the product I was testing sits unused.
- I did do a bit of cleaning-product hoarding when cleaning supplies became difficult to find. I would snap up several bottles of something, fearful I wouldn’t be able to buy it again for a while. (This was a little silly and proved to be unnecessary.)
- I keep cleaning supplies under each bathroom sink and in other rooms (like the kitchen and laundry rooms) where those supplies are used. With products spread all over the house, it’s easy to lose track of what I have. I needed to create a system, so I only keep one of each cleaner I need in each room and store the extras in the same place. I’ll then know I need more when the surplus storage is exhausted.
- I receive freebies and promotional items from ordering supplies as a customer, but also to use and review as a blogger. I don’t want to get rid of them because I feel like they are useful, but the truth is I only use them in some cases. In other cases, they languish in my stash of supplies.
Once the cleaning supplies were gathered, I worked on consolidating them.
I refilled all of my glass bottles and mixed any half-used plastic bottles of cleaners and soaps. (Just a note: When you’re doing this, make sure you’re only mixing cleaners that are compatible. Mixing bleach with certain other cleaners can be very dangerous! If you’re unsure, look it up first.)
As I said earlier, it took me two hours to sort and consolidate all of the cleaners and I ended up filling an entire laundry basket with empty plastic bottles to recycle! It was quite the production.
Each bathroom got an all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, toilet cleaner, toilet brush (stored in a mason jar), and a hand soap refill. Each bathroom with a tub also got a tub cleaner and scrub brush for the tub. (I have found that I don’t use the dedicated tub and tile cleaner very often, so I’ll finish using it and then not buy any more.) The boy’s bathroom got a container of Clorox wipes, so they can clean things easily themselves between mom’s thorough toilet cleanings. (I think you know what I’m talking about!) The master bathroom got a large bottle of vinegar and a jar of dishwasher tabs for cleaning the jetted tub.
Even what I put back feels like a lot, so I’m going to use what I have and be more mindful of the supplies I buy in the future. Since I use a steam cleaner for a lot of bathroom cleaning jobs, I really don’t need as many bottles of cleaning supplies as I feel like I do.
All of the spaces are so much better! I can see what I have clearly and everything is where I use it to make cleaning easier and more efficient.
Here are some of my takeaways from the experience of cleaning out my cleaning supplies; some mental notes I made for myself…
- Buy the same tried-and-true cleaners if at all possible. Consolidating would’ve been so much easier and quicker if there was more uniformity among my supplies. It’s also just neater and tidier all around. I had some uniformity, but having it in every product would’ve made this process a little faster. I realized I use the same cleaners over and over again and the ones that weren’t my favorites and go-tos sat unused and sometimes unopened. This means skipping the promotions for seasonal scents, etc.
- Have a list of the items I want in each bathroom and on each floor. I made the list I shared above and it was so helpful to know what I needed where. I found I was tucking supplies into bathroom cabinets that didn’t need to be there.
- Keep the surplus together in the same spot to “shop from” and resupply when it’s out or running low. This will (hopefully) prevent me from running out of something in one bathroom and then feeling like I need to buy more.
As a little bonus, I found some project supplies hiding among the cleaners…
I had purchased some beeswax, resin, and oil to make my own beeswax food wraps…
…as well as a bunch of rice to make a lavender & rice hot/cold pack. I set those supplies aside and those projects are going to happen in February!
In addition to cleaning out the cleaning supplies, I have started sorting and purging the clothes in my wardrobe so it’s only filled with clothes that fit properly, I cleaned out the freezer, and I started scanning family documents. It’s a big job, so I’m going to keep this basket by my scanner and just do a little bit each day. Some of the letters are dated from the mid-1800s! I want to scan and share them with other family members who might be interested.
Included are a bundle of my Opa’s letters to his family during WWII, postcards from my great-aunt Marian (who traveled extensively) to my Oma Marian, and many other treasures I’ve yet to discover I’m sure.
Now, I sort of cheated and started cleaning, organizing, and purging before February started, but it is a short month and there is a lot to do. For those doing this challenge with me, have you gotten a head-start on any organizing projects?
I started a little early……I have had old check book registers and tax papers and medical files for 33 years! It was more sentimental than anything as to why I was keeping everything….the check book registers were like a timeline of our married life from planning our wedding until today. BUT, I did it, I purged mostly everything up until the past 7 years….only keeping our very first check register and pay stubs (those went into my hopechest…which is the next to clean out 🙂 )…….on a roll. Feels good.
Good for you!!
I once had the very same scene on my kitchen island – crazy! I decided that I would try the supplies-in-a-bucket-to-carry-around method and liked it soooo much better than having separate supplies in each room. Took up way less space and I kept a grip on inventory. Isn’t it funny how in different seasons of life in a house certain things work, and then suddenly they don’t! It’s feels so good to stop something that isn’t working and start something with promise. Yay, you
I used a bucket for supplies at our last house and it worked well, but I only had 1 1/2 floors and 2 1/2 bathrooms. This house has three floors and four bathrooms, so it’s more practical to have supplies in each bathroom. I know what I have now, though, and will let my supplies thin out a bit before buying anything else!
I went thru the file folders in the desk and a separate file cabinet…purged unnecessary papers, bills, etc. Started to shred and now am down to the last pile! Next project is to go thru my pictures and wall decor, decide what walls to hang them on, and then get them hung…this hasn’t been done since I moved in to my new home.
Well, this is one problem I don’t have to organize. I only use soap, water, baking soda, and vinegar for my house cleaning. I also just carry the stuff from room to room.
Same! I only have one tiny tote that I use for the whole house. I store it under the kitchen sink and it has baking soda and a bottle of thieves cleaner and paper towels. I keep a large jug of vinegar on the pantry floor. That is it! I use a steam mop for the floors. I probably spend about $10.00 a year on cleaning supplies that’s it! And my house is not full of toxins!
Wait a minute! You making your own beeswax food storage?!!!
Oh do tell! Can’t wait for the info! ?
Yes! I’ve been wanting to make my own beeswax food wraps. So, I’ll do it this month and will share the process and recipe I use.
I love the shelf over the sink. Any links for that?
I don’t have a link, but it’s from Hobby Lobby. I believe they still carry it.
Dishwasher pod for the jetted tub? Can you elaborate?
Sure! To clean my jetted tub, I drop a dishwasher tab and pour in about 1/2 bottle of white vinegar into the tub as it’s filling with hot water. Once full, I’ll turn on the jets and let it run for about 10-15 minutes. This cleans and disinfects the tubing, etc. I’ll then scrub the tub as it drains and rinse it with cold water.
How often do you clean your jetted tub this way?
Once every two weeks.
So please, could you explain how you clean your jetted tub with vinegar and dishwasher tabs??
I just explained it in the comment above and I’ll do a blog post on it!
Marian with animals in your home I am sure you are aware of using certain products around them. You mentioned that you use a steam cleaner. Since my cats are on the floors and always licking their paws I do not use anything on the floors except water in my steam cleaner. I need to tackle my cleaning supplies next.
I have been organizing and cleaning like a madwoman for the last few weeks. For me the giant pile of “how on earth did I accumulate so much” was of hygiene supplies like the travel size shampoos, conditioners, and lotions from hotels. I spent an entire afternoon getting as much out of each bottle as I could and consolidating them into larger bottles. I also discovered a few half full bottles in the other bathroom and they were consolidated as well.
So far, I’ve reorganized/purged the 2 bathrooms, under the kitchen sink, the front door closet, the back door closet, and the basement storage room.
Oh yeah! Just with free samples, trying a new product, etc. that can get out of control!
Womens and homeless shelters in our area love these samples.
My problem is that faced with a basket of empty plastic bottles (especially spray bottles) I would not be able to get rid of them! You just never know when you’ll need something like that, right?
Ha! I get that mentality, but there is no way I would need that many bottles! Maybe keep one or two really great bottles and then recycle or donate the rest!
I started purging in January. It’s something I like to do every year. It’s had an added component with the California wildfires of really sorting through and not just tossing things but taking extra measures for things I’d hate to lose. Your basket of letters and such is something I’ve been working on. I’m slowly scanning my favorite things. I’m also learning to let go of some of those awesome pre digital photos that we all saved because you only got 12-36 photos per film canister, so no photo was ever thrown away.
I also love to go through my magazine clippings Pinterest can’t convince me to toss. I love looking at how much my style has not changed. In a world that seems to be pushing fads, I’m pretty steady. I do like more than one look, but overall, my likes are consistent.
I was just talking to my mom this morning about a home for sale with beautiful bones that had tubs of stuff everywhere, and looked like perhaps an older couple lived there beyond their years of being capable. My favorite thing is to sort through things and sorting through a (clean) hoarder’s home would be a thrill. Both the thrill of the hunt and the thrill of sorting. For now, I just have to be content with my own hoard to sort through.
I sorted through my photos a few years ago and yes, there were so many duds on a roll of film! I just kept the good photos and sorted them by year.
My Oman kept so many things and I loved looking through her attic. I have a lot of beautiful pieces that I hauled out of boxes that no one else wanted.
I would love to clean up that house! I like to organize!
Oh my goodness, I started this weekend too and exactly where you did with all those cleaning supplies. Plus while I was down there I cleaned all the lower cabinets and base boards. Under my sinks looks so organized and actually smells better too. Got rid of old cleaning products (not used) and combined same product bottles into one. Created a shelf for all the new duplicates for replacement, so I can check there first instead of just buying more and more. It felt so productive already. Call me crazy, but it feels good.
Yes, we are on the same wavelength and yes, it feels so good to have the supplies tidy!
I am just starting to clean house, I have not been well for several months and everything has gotten away from me. I thought of hiring someone, but didn’t want anyone else to see this mess! I have my cleaning supplies in a carrier to take with me, and I find it very helpful.
You have beautiful decor in your home, and I am hoping to find the blue and white checks, large and small, to finish my guest bedroom. Can you please give me a source?
If you’re thinking about the fabric in my living room and eating area, the large check is called Check Please and the small is called Zippy. They are both in the color Lakeland by P Kaufmann.
Glad you’re feeling better! Don’t let the mess discourage you. Just take it one small space at a time and you’ll get there. You have to give yourself a lot of grace when recovering from an illness, etc.
Marian,
I am envious of your ability to declutter. My husband hangs onto so much more than I am comfortable with. One of the compromises of a 50+ marriage, I guess. My list of cleaners is quite short.
Soap for washing dishes (we do not have a dishwasher),
Baking soda for sinks, bathtubs. the flat top stove top, and any grimy areas, Hydrogen peroxide, but it is rarely used
Rubbing alcohol for washing windows,
Laundry soap and “oxy-clean” type product for clothing. We hang out clothes, so do not need any dryer sheets.
Vinegar for preventing hard water spots, and to use with soda if a drain is sluggish
Salt to use with vinegar to the copper bottom of some of my pans
Toilet cleaner
Hand soap which I buy in a pump bottle, but then dilute and put in a foam-type pump container to make it go further.
I am thrilled to hear that you have so many historic documents from your family. After my mother died 11 years ago, I typed up her 50 years of diary entries and gave the transcripts to my siblings as a Christmas gift. My great-grandmother’s 74 years of journals were scanned and transcribed and the electronic copies of the scans and transcriptions were sent to many family members just a few months ago. It was a 5 year project, recently completed by approximately 5-8 family members spread from Oregon to West Virginia, from Minnesota to Kansas. The result was 5000 pages of scans and 3000 pages of transcriptions and supporting pages including a glossary, introduction, genealogy records, and pictures, etc. It was a huge undertaking, but oh so worth it. Actually, my second cousin who possesses the journals and scanned them lives in Rochester, MN! He would scan them and email the scans to others who did the transcription. Those were sent back to Rochester and he arranged the transcriptions and other information into 9 volumes. After all that work, I chose to have the typed work printed and bound. They, along with my mothers diaries are treasures. Good luck with your undertaking!
Wow! What a labor of love to scan and transcribe all of those documents!
Thanks for sharing your list of cleaners, too! 🙂
I wondered if this would happen when you wrote previously about keeping cleaning products wherever you use them. The KonMari method recommends storage in one spot of the house only, which means it’s more work to get the cleaning done, but avoids the overflow of bottles. I like your strategy of the one storage place where extras are kept on hand. I started using a system like this recently and it really takes out the stress of having too much or finding out I am completely out! Thank you for making organizing shots look so lovely. As soon as I don’t have a one-year-old tracking my every move, it’s time for us to reorganize.
I think when you have a smaller home, keeping everything (like cleaning supplies) in one place makes sense. When you have three floors and four bathrooms, I don’t think it makes sense. I like being able to spray and wipe down a mirror quickly or know that there is a box of trashbags on each floor, so I can empty the trash on my way up or down the steps. I can see the advantage of the extra exercise, but I don’t need it when I’m cleaning this house! I need to make it easy!
I started this morning on our laundry room, the cabinets and 2 closets in there. Lots of piles, junk, and organizing, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. My label machine was working hard! It will take another day or two. I recently painted the room and put in a new floor. I’m determined to get everything organized before I add the “pretty!”
I can just imagine that scene! 🙂 It sounds like you’re making some great progress!
I started with the coat closet at the front of the house. I have 2 cats and they have a lot of stuff they no longer use, which I stored in the front hall closet. A cat bed (never have used in 5 years ) and a cat scratcher went on our FreeCycle site and was gone in a few hours. Also, got rid of telephone books. Why was I saving these? Found a hood to a jacket that I got rid of last year.
Well done! It is so funny the things we save. I have so many boxes of old iPhones that I need to get rid of!
Hi Marion, I really enjoy your blog. Of course I love the contents but wanted you to know another reason. I can see your contents. I mean your color of type is dark enough to read. There are so many bloggers that use such light type it causes eye strain
Thank you for being mindful of the people who read your blog. Thanks again.
Thanks! We actually recently made it darker so it’s easier to read. 🙂
Yes!!! to the print being so easy to read!!! So many use the gray font which in the past I would have liked but after dealing with serious vision issues over the last 2 years (resolving with time) I have a whole different attitude about it, along with frustration with all the small print used on food packages for the cooking directions. So thank you for the great font and many more thank yous for the great content.
Wow! The “after” looks great. I did the same project last summer and could not believe how much more room I had in my kitchen sink cabinets. I also bought shelving to organize what I did keep, and the results make me happy every time I open those cabinets, many times a day.
I’m looking forward to seeing your beeswax wraps!!
I started a little early and have been working one room at a time. I find I waste a few hours just sitting and admiring the completed room, if feels wonderfully calming.
FYI, homeless shelters love the travel sized toiletries you have to discard. Also, men’s Sox are the most sought after item.
Dear Marian,
Thank you so much for your inspiration! I am certain that this post will get me to start my cleaning and tidying. 😉
In the meantime, I wanted to let you know that I am joining your “no spend”, month of contentment. Thank you for challenging all of us.
Happy February!
Kristin Fisher
I am a major organizer and cleaner. So I have two questions:
1. How could you ever put those bathroom supplies on your kitchen table!!! I saw those under the rim bottles of toilet cleaners….no, no, no…not on the table!!!!
2. I love to organize with those plastic baskets too…….But those labels HAVE to come off!!! No to stickers!
I am known as the family germaphobe and anal detail person……Don’t mean in any way mean to offend….Honest!!! Love you blog and long time reader.
This is so funny! You must’ve missed the post on cleaning toilets when I showed I clean with my bare hands. I am just not squeamish about germs, but I am very clean. I wash my hands a lot and I clean a lot. Of course, I cleaned the table afterward. 🙂
I need a foto of the toilet brush in a mason jar…just can’t picyture it ?!
I actually use dish brushes, so they have a smaller head and slightly shorter handle. I just feel like I can maneuver better with them.
I, too, love the metal shelf/wrack above the sink. I looked on Hobby Lobby, but did not find it. 🙁
I did decluttered closets, drawers, cabinets & all storage areas a few years ago & was so proud that I could place 2 fingers between hangers in my closets. Well that didn’t last of course. Last March I did the process again. Now I started again today as I have realized I kept things I should have gotten rid of. It gets easier each time. I “plan” to do this each winter. It is easier to do closets with the change of seasons & I do a fairly good job of that, it is the dresser drawers next & there will be plenty to go this time around. It feels so good.
I’m on board with both the no spend February and purging and organizing. When my youngest of 3 boys headed off to college in the fall of 2018, our house was way overdue for a clean out. My husband and I were getting a purge plan together when there was a death in the family (my MIL) that was closely followed by a cancer diagnosis, surgery, chemo, 2 additional surgeries and recovery (me). I am grateful to say that I’m cancer free, but the recovery from all of that really knocked me down a bit. I am still gaining back strength that I lost from being so sedentary for 2 years, and am ready to start getting my house in order. I am taking baby steps as there is so much to go through, but that’s ok. This past Saturday and Sunday afternoon, I purged 6 bags of clothes and am still not finished. :-0 Thank you for the encouragement!
That’s so funny…I just bought wax beads yesturday to make my own food wraps. About 5 yrs ago I stopped using toxic cleaners like bleach, windex, and lysol however I do use straight alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to clean glass and other surfaces. I only use vinegar, baking soda or borax including in the laundry. Talk about simplifying and it makes the porcelain and chrome sparkle and also disinfects. For degreasing Dawn dish soap is the best! I can’t tell how much easier less expensive and eco friendly the change has been. Happy Cleaning All!
Please help us stay on track for the no spend month. Daily. Accountability. Creativity. We can do this. Good training ground. Discipline.
I love this time of year when the world is quiet esp during snow days and you can get so much accomplished. My husband thinks I’m crazy and doesn’t understand this “organizing” thing. But I love the satisfaction it brings and I’m loving reading all your stories and the notes from everyone. I’m working on my house and am having fun!! I’m trying for the no spend so I’ll see how it goes. Thanks again Marian for your inspiration!
I started sorting the clothes hanging in my closet, but didn’t have a large blocks of time to devote to it. So I decided I’d take a color section (I sort by type (pants, shirts, dresses, etc) and then by color) of say shirts, put them in a free space on the other side of my closet and just go through them each time I needed to go into my closet. Takes me about 5 min and I fold the clothes and put them in a bag to donate and put away hangers from those clothes when I’m done each time. It seemed like there was still more I was keeping so I went back with small pieces of painters tape and put the tape on any hangers that I was keeping but hadn’t worn in a while, if I take them out and wear them and keep them I’ll remove the tape, if not in a month or so, I’ll take all those out also. Some people will turn hangers around backwards to get the same results, but I couldn’t handle that visual jumble.
OMG! I guess that you are a hoarder. I must have a tiny fraction of your enormous collection, and I am an obsessive cleaner with several floors to care for. I hope all the plastic is recycled.
Oh yes! I recycled a lot of plastic last week! It’s funny, because it didn’t seem like a lot of supplies, but when they were all out on the table, I could see it was way out of hand. I don’t need to buy supplies for a long time!
What are you using to scan your old photos? A regular flatbed scanner like for documents or something special? Thanks in advance.
I have an HP all-in-one scanner that can scan photos in a high-quality jpg format. That’s what I’m using.
Thank you! I’m getting ready to embark on scanning our photos….
I’ve been working on each cupboard, one at a time, but I like your idea of getting all like items together and re-distributing them to their respective rooms. I noticed you have Mrs. Meyers, Iowa Pine, all-purpose spray for counters and such. It’s my favorite so when Target gets it in November I stock up for the whole year.
Great series and it gives me a little push to finish my organizing before Spring! ??
xo,
Karen
Hi Marian
I enjoyed your post, and noted the large pile of paper materials you are scanning.
Please do not store documents and pictures in plastic, my daughter the archeologist/historian [ yes, this is how she makes her living], has cautioned me about degradation. You can research, acid free storage, how plastic degrades items, sunlight/UV blocking etc. She noted we had stored her old Legos in a plastic tote and asked us to drill small burr holes to reduce degradation.
Unfortunately, regret is a large part of hindsight.
Kim
Yes, a part of scanning and organizing these will be buying archival document boxes. I’m adding those to my list to buy in March.