Category Archive

Cleaning

Keeping spaces nice and clean.

How to cull your closet, even when you’re a clothes horse

Over the years my collection has burgeoned to the point of a hoard. So I recently did a massive culling of my huge collection of clothing. I managed to rid myself of five bags of clothing. >Here is what worked…

How do you deal with dust?

Much as I love my black furniture, it shows dust at the drop of a hat. Are there any tactics I can use to preemptively minimize dust, so that when I do attack everything with a damp cloth everything will get done at warp speed?

Cranking out laundry old-school-style with hand crank washing machines

Traveling to the laundromat can be time-consuming and expensive. However, purchasing your own standard washer isn’t always an option. And those portable min-washers that attach to your sink are not allowed in rental units. However, there are these small hand-crank washing machines that seem like they could be a viable alternative…

What do we need know about dealing with a dust allergy?

My partner is seriously allergic to dust (yes, he takes allergy medicine, as well as daily medication for asthma control). What can the Homies tell us about their experiences with mattresses and allergies or about air purifiers and allergies? Are there any good products we should know about that can help us deal with dust and allergens in the home?

10 things you can get rid of right now

We have a lot of junk we’re hanging onto because we’re lying to ourselves about why it’s still here. I’m giving you full permission to get it the heck outta your life right now. I’m telling you that your lies are no good here: it’s time to de-clutter that stuff.Here are ten things you can get rid of right now…

Joining the life-changing cult of tidying up: My foray into KonMari organizing

If you are a person who reads the internet, you have probably heard of Marie Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Most people who succeed in reading it, join her KonMari tidying cult. I’m reading the book and feeling inspired to clean. Okay, I read the book because I was inspired to clean and felt overwhelmed by how much stuff I have…

What Buddhism can teach you about cleaning up cat hair

It’s Sunday morning at 7 a.m., and I’m up with unexpected energy. I lay out my yoga mat and sun salute to plank position. And this is when it happens. A tumbleweed of cat hair the size of a small muffin bounces past my face. But here’s the thing: I vacuumed last night! I lunge back into a child’s pose of despair and debate interrupting my practice to vacuum.

How do you combat pervasive cooking smells?

Cooking odors seem to permeate the place, whether or not I close the bedroom doors while cooking. It gets into our bedding, and clothes. We’re pretty diligent about doing the dishes, washing bedding, and cleaning the floor. Aside from opening the windows (impossible this time of year) and turning on fans, do you have any tips or tricks to offer us to keep our home smelling fresh and inviting?