KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

VJsmum

Clytemnestra wrote: »

Bettie - this might be too big a step to take, but what worked for my son was to redecorate his bedroom. We moved everything out, and when the room looked really nice he realised he didn't want to put all the old tat back in it, and went through everything, getting rid of a lot. He was rather younger than your son though (14).

It is difficult when they insist that everything is precious.

We did the same - when DD left for university the two children swapped rooms. So each one needed to be cleared - i was given permission to chuck anything that was pure rubbish but the rest was piled up and they went through the pile and thought about each thing (pure KM style, but they didn't really know it). Even I was quite suprised just how much they agreed to lose.

YorksLass

GQ - I really feel for you with your plumbing problems. We also live in a block of flats, ground floor, and often have issues with blockages but alas no such thing as Rodding Points for us (these blocks were built in the early 1960s so I doubt they’d have been thought of back then).

The last time our bathroom sink blocked up (DH checked, not the U-bend at fault), the plumber had to remove a service hatch in the airing cupboard in our bedroom, drill a hole in the communal waste/sewerage pipe and yank out the gunk. Then he realised he didn’t have any sealant with him to replace the service hatch, so had to come back the next day to fix it :doh:. Was it our blockage or someone above? Mmm :think:

Our toilet also backs up sometimes because the outside sewage drain (shared by 8 properties) gets blocked by the roots of a willow tree (what numpty thought it a good idea to plant one of those near a water source, I wonder?). Bring on the cavalry of professionals to cut the roots back, pump out the drain - cue the appearance of wet wipes and other nasties. :mad:

The kitchen grates get blocked up by grass clippings and leaves and that’s easy enough to sort without needing a plumber – a regular check/clean does the job. Not for my neighbour though, as she never thinks to check hers and puts fat/food debris down her kitchen sink. And yes, I have told her the do’s and don’ts, many, many times. The irony is her OH is a plumber so I’m sure he will have told her too! :wall:

Hopefully your contractor will have a successful rodding session tomorrow. Not sure why you should have to foot the entire bill though?

MMF007

Drains - I was visiting an elderly neighbour a few weeks ago and she said she had to get the drains excavated to clear a blockage and the guy picked out a pair of knickers, which, she admitted, she had flushed away. Why, oh why, would anyone do that?? And here's me thinking people got older and wiser!!

Marie-go-round for today - 3 wire coat hangers. One client was disposing of them, another client is very short of trouser hangers, so I transferred the items from one to the other

Busy with work today but had an unexpected break when one of my home help client's asked if we could just go out for a drive, to see the countryside. Happy to oblige

Will drop CS bag off tomorrow, after i select the 'too big' tops to add in.

Hope everyone enjoyed a day off / some sunshine / something joyous.

PollyWollyDoodle

:rotfl: unfortunately people seem to think of toilets as a free waste disposal system and think that the waste magically disappears. If you've ever toured a sewage farm (surprisingly interesting!) you'd be a lot more cautious about what you flush away - even so-called 'flushable' products. In fact they should make it a compulsory part of primary school education.

I'm Kondoing some outstanding sewing projects today, both things I'm doing for someone else and really want to get out of the way so I can put the machine away.

greenbee

PollyWollyDoodle wrote: »

:rotfl: unfortunately people seem to think of toilets as a free waste disposal system and think that the waste magically disappears. If you've ever toured a sewage farm (surprisingly interesting!) you'd be a lot more cautious about what you flush away - even so-called 'flushable' products. In fact they should make it a compulsory part of primary school education.

If you run your own sewage treatment system you become a lot more careful about what goes into it...

'Recycled beer', digested food, TP, water and the occasional pot of off yogurt. Anything else upsets the bacteria.

I own a system that is shared with 5 neighbours. Who now understand that coffee grounds/food/wipes etc DO NOT go down the toilet. Unless they want to get a big bill - we can't attribute them to an individual, but even if the costs are split, the moaning is pretty spectacular. We are also having discussions about the couple of people who have water softeners, as the salt reduces the efficiency of the system. And the environment agency are pushing for people to move to phosphate-free cleaning products as the river is consistently failing the phosphate testing.

MMF007

Today I kondo'd lots of blue, lilac and purple paint at art class. We painted a bluebell wood. I really LOVE pretty colours

Just had a late lunch but must dash off now to do some chores. It is lovely having the afternoon off!

oceanspirit

Been clearing more papers off my desk and the reading pile a few a day and at last (after two years or more) seem to be making some progress. Need to keep up the habit so it doesn't get out of control again. I know this will make such a difference to my life which is why I've kept plugging at it even though it's been a really slow process.

Always used to keep on top of paperwork and it was very alien to me to be in such a mess so I can't wait to be completely sorted out and up to date.

Took some of OH's books up to local NT property bookshop at the weekend and he's slowly clearing out his flat, getting rid of a few things on the way.

Charis

Thanks greenbee for that useful info.

greenbee wrote: »

And the environment agency are pushing for people to move to phosphate-free cleaning products as the river is consistently failing the phosphate testing.

Things must be getting worse . The problem with the leading brand of environmentally friendly cleaners is the cost. Last time I tried them I wasn't impressed with the results. Have they got any better in the last few years?

I did make a discovery when I washed one of my granddaughter's pale pink dresses with an irremovable orange babyfood stain. Nothing would shift the stain, even my trusty Vanish bar. As a last resort I folded it with the stain uppermost and left it on my south facing bedroom window sill. Magic! The chemical dyes in the dress didn't fade but the stain vanished. I've since used the trick on a washing up brush that was a vivid orange after cleaning a curry saucepan. I washed it, with hot water and washing up liquid, without success. I stuck it in a flowerpot holder on the windowsill and forgot it. A few days later the stain had gone. I've done the same with those plastic food holders that stain so easily. It may only work for food stains, but it does the trick

I notice that they now advise us to wash clothes at thirty if possible. That's almost ten degrees colder than blood heat, it used to be called 'tepid'. Even 40ºC won't shift grease stains. Whilst trying to convince you of the magic of the new improved products, a new line of stain removers is now being marketed by at least one of the major brands, which makes extra money for the company while they try to convince you that you are helping the environment.

greenbee

I manage to get everything clean with eco-friendly products. Ecover washing-up liquid, ecozone DW tabs (halved), ecover/ecozone and vinegar or soapnuts in the WM. Bio D laundry bleach. Steam mop, method bath/shower spray, vinegar spray for glass & limescale, eco toilet cleaner. E-cloths. Probably some elbow grease too. And I have builders almost permanently in residence...

VJsmum

greenbee wrote: »

I manage to get everything clean with eco-friendly products. Ecover washing-up liquid, ecozone DW tabs (halved), ecover/ecozone and vinegar or soapnuts in the WM. Bio D laundry bleach. Steam mop, method bath/shower spray, vinegar spray for glass & limescale, eco toilet cleaner. E-cloths. Probably some elbow grease too. And I have builders almost permanently in residence...

same - use ecover / method for most things. My only exception is using persil for my white wash - though I am not sure i need to.