Three Tips for a One Time, Big Time Cleaning Spree

One time, big time. After a year of constant traveling, housecleaning had become a very optional task for me. I only sweep in search of misplaced keys, or when my allergies act up, or when I’m expecting visitors. Organizing my files and stuff happens once in a blue moon.

Earlier this June I was forced to confront the horror known as my bedroom. The last time I really cleaned and sorted before this was… uh oh. So how did I create order out of utter chaos?

Three Tips for a One Time, Big Time Cleaning Spree

1. Empty all storage spaces: drawers, cabinets, plastic bags, paper bags tupperware containers, shoe boxes, overflowing tabletops, under the furniture, nooks, crannies, etc. Expect things to get worse before they can get better. My room looked like this:

2. Sort, cluster and label. After dumping everything on the floor, I dug in with a vengeance. Sorting made me realize that I have more books than clothes and that I am guilty of killing acres of trees in pursuit of my graduate studies. I also had a walk down memory lane when I found six years’ worth of QT journals. Ah, the stupidity naivete of youth.

Then, I grouped similar items together and put them in reasonable locations. For example, I put my books and school supplies inside the tupperware containers to keep dust away, while techie stuff like cables and discs went into my computer table drawer. If I rarely used them, they were stored in hard-to-reach cabinets. Putting labels is also important so that I won’t have a difficult time looking for things in the future.

Here is just a tiny portion of my book pile. I really need bookshelves:

3. Be ruthless. If I haven’t used it in a year, I usually throw or give it away. Especially for clothes: I am resigned to the fact that my waistline has zero chances of shrinking further at my age. I also rejoice in the fact that there are some things I do not have to live with anymore. Like Stat exercise sheets, advertising leaflets, bags with holes and broken zippers, worn out shoes, old newspapers and empty Coke bottles.

At last, after an overnight cleaning spree, my room looked like this:

A place for everything and everything in its place. For now. =)