Where to start?

**catnapper** · 04-10-2007, 06:59 AM

Oh boy, I have a chore ahead of me today..... my sister in law is moving in with us sometime this spring (she's going through a nasty divorce and has some meetings with her lawyer before she knows when she can truly leave Florida and come here) anyway, I have to clean out the spare bedroom - completely. She's bringing her own furniture and everything esle for the room. What has become the family dumping ground will actually become a bedroom. Where to start?!?!

You should see this room.... imagine all the junk you have in your house, imagine it ending up in one room. Thats what this room is. Old papers, old books, small appliances, clothes, crafts, you name it. Its a daunting chore and I don't even know which end is up regarding it.

Then once I'm done up there, I have to move on to the basement -- its pretty much the same only thats MY dumping ground for all my artwork, frames, craft supplies, art supplies, tools, clothes.

Big sigh.

**emily_the_spoiled** · 04-10-2007, 08:32 AM

I don't envy you the cleaning task (or the fact your SIL is coming to live with you). Unfortunately there is no easy way to do the cleaning, but I find it best just to start in one corner and work out from there. I need the re-enforcement that I am actually making headway and by watching the clean space gradually "grow" it helps...

**moosmom** · 04-10-2007, 08:40 AM

Kim,

Believe me, I know exactly how you're feeling. When I left MI to come to CT, I took what I could fit into my car. I went from a 3 bedroom apartment to one room. Talk about cramped!!!

Good luck with the project. Sure wish I was close enough to help you out *chuckles, shakes head*..
.
.
NOT!!!!!

BTW, isn't that what KIDS are for??? That's what my parents always drilled into my head. Make them earn their keep, girl!!

**Laura's Babies** · 04-10-2007, 08:52 AM

Hummmm, I am waiting for some good weather so I can clean out my shed. It is so crammed packed full that you have to take something out just to get inside. I have to dot hat so I can then clean out my junk room which is almost as bad as the shed.

I am thinking about having a yard sale with all the stuff!

**Pembroke_Corgi** · 04-10-2007, 10:17 AM

Have everyone pitch in and help! It will make it go by so much faster. Plus, if it's their stuff, they'll know whether or not it can be pitched or it should be saved.

**Taz_Zoee** · 04-10-2007, 10:23 AM

You can always try the Clean Sweep method. It's a home improvement show on the TLC network.
What they do is clean out the room, completely, and put everything on the lawn (or where ever you have space). Then they have 3 areas that the "stuff" must be sorted into. Keep - Toss - Sell Then they have a yard sell with the items that are in the Sell area. In your case you'd need to have the Keep pile in a manageable state so you can fit it somewhere else in your house.
And of course you'd need the weather to cooperate with you as well.

Well, Good Luck!!

**catnapper** · 04-10-2007, 11:31 AM

Well... I've done a great job of procrastinating! I started well. I filled one trash can with stuff just before the garbage men got here. I moved a dresser to the second floor. Then decided that dresser might look better in my room than what I have, so I've been cleaning and rearranging my bedroom all day.

**ramanth** · 04-10-2007, 11:36 AM

LOL Kim! I know the feeling. I get cleaning in one room and before I'm finished, end up cleaning a different room.

**lvpets2002** · 04-10-2007, 12:13 PM

I know do you have a Real Big Super Duper Vacumn?? Just turn it on & suck everything up into it..

Good Luck & let us see when all done.. Before & After..

**catnapper** · 04-10-2007, 04:34 PM

ugh - I feel gross and disgusting and SORE. I already was sore from falling down the steps two nights ago now I'm sore from moving junk piles.

I filled one more trash can and sorted junk into piles -- housewares, electronics, toys, clothes, crafts, etc. I made signs for a yard sale and posted them out where they'll get lots of traffic.

Everything is now in my basement to be moved again Sunday morning for a yard sale. Ugh... the idea of getting up at 6:00 to move everything onto the side yard isn't all too exciting. but I'll be excited if I make $100 like I did last year! And we definately have more stuff this time around.