under the sink - week six - keeping the home fires burning

I tried to think of a catchy title for this post but there really is no way to make cleaning under the kitchen sink sound fun, romantic or exciting.  It is what it is...

"When you think about it, cleaning is really a form of decorating.  All of us have been in ordinary and even humble homes that held considerable charm simply because they were faultlessly clean, just as we've seen the charm of otherwise lovely homes ruined by dingy shower curtains, streaky windows, and scuffed floors.  So dislike cleaning though I might, the only way to make sure your home's beauty shines through is to master the basic task of keeping it clean."  Susan Waggoner, Simple Country Wisdom

I have to admit I have been planning this post for the last couple of weeks but just couldn't muster up the desire to get started.  The thought of removing everything that has been shoved under the kitchen sink for the last four + years seemed a little daunting.  But thanks to you and my commitment to this series I did just that.

Look at all this junk!  I am amazed that it all fit and that I was able to open and shut the cabinets to get to the few things I actually use under there. 

Okay, are you ready?  Here's the list...

Bissell OxGen 2 (for a carpet cleaner I got rid of two years ago), Easy Off oven cleaner, Fabuloso Oxy (I purchased this cheap cleaner at Walmart and was just about knocked out by the fumes, why I kept it I don't know), nearly empty Febreeze, Pine Sol, DIF wall paper stripper, empty gallon water jug (why ????), dried out bleach scrubbers, Blade plumeria air freshener, old oil sock rags, Wrights silver cream, gas grate cleaner, 3 partially used dishwasher rinse aids, bottle scrub brush, plastic grocery bags, sticky out gunk remover, espsom salt (I was looking for that the other day), Kabaam bowl blaster, LemiShine dishwasher cleaner, 2" angled paint brush, 3 bottoms to plant pots, 4 sink plugs in various sizes, 2 unlabeled spray bottles, putty scraper, bottle nipple cleaner, butter knife, soap pump top, old tooth brush, 4 new scrubber sponges, 6 old scrubber sponges, 7 packages of flower crystals, 1 1/2 magic erasers, leather cleaner, hand soap refill, bargain brand dish soap, various disposable gloves, liquid cascade, powder cascade, 2 bags of cascade in pouches, comet cleanser, Lysol toilet bowl cleaner, orange glow wood polish, Murphy's oil soap, Clorox cleaner with bleach, store brand cleaner with bleach, scotch guard, carpet cleaner spray, Raid, 3 market bags, 1 old dish drainer and a partridge in a pear tree!

Seriously...who bought all this stuff?  The first thing I did was purge what I know I will never use and placed it in a box to be taken to the next local toxic recycling event.  Then I began sorting through what is used daily/weekly for cleaning and what has no business under the kitchen sink.

Seldom used cleaning agents went in a small plastic tote to be stored on an empty top shelf in the laundry area and everything else went in the garage where it belongs.

I wiped out under the sink area and reorganized the cleaning tote so that I could just pull it out when needed and carry it around as I am cleaning.  I found pretty containers to house my sponges, packets and pouches and I left enough room for stock up supplies as they go on sale.

I know I use a lot of commercial cleaners.  I have tried to go natural and have found that for me, a combination of both works best.  I use home made cleaner for my windows and floors, which I put in the two spray bottles with new labels, but for the bathrooms and kitchen counters I like a little bleach and a clean smell.  If you know of a good, more natural cleaning product that I can purchase commercially, I am all ears and I will give it a try as things run out. 

I admire those of you who have made the adjustment to all home made products but I think we all have a level of time and comfort that works for our families.

Next up in our series is the kitchen.  You can only imagine how much I'm looking forward that one, right?  In reality, this series has taught me so much about myself, my limits and my comfort levels.  Little by little I am tackling areas of my home that I have been avoiding and I am loving the organization and simplification that results from it.  I hope you are, too.

Till next time...

xo, Patty