My house is a big mess!
I really need to work on cleaning the house but instead I just wasted half an hour taking pictures of the big mess and resizing stuff for posting here and now I am wasting more time showing everyone out there what a big mess my house has become. The big problem is that it's hard to pick a spot to start when everything needs cleaning!
#1. Our bed, the wife left for another week in San Francisco and I told her not to worry I would work on getting the bedroom cleaned up. Since I plan to change the sheets before next Friday I will not bother making the bed.
#2 Dogs bed. Damn dog doesn't even make her bed, do you expect me to?
#3 Various suitcase from the last 3 trips I took since November.
#4 My side of the bathroom sink is on the right so clearly my wife should have to take care of her side first!
more pictures coming!
#5 Wine bottles I bought while out in Napa and there abouts. Think I'll just drink them before I get around to cataloging them in my computer program and putting them away.
#6 Kitchen table has my sister's computer and another one I found in the trash, hope I can find the parts to get her's running again.
#7 My wife's home office desk. I am forbidden to touch or throw anything away.
#8 Kitchen counter where I keep junk, I really need to sort through it though because I have misplaced some important junk there.
Well since you clearly want some motivation to get cleaning, I will oblige you:
Looking at those pictures makes me physically cringe. I could not spend any length of time in that environment. I would seriously just walk through with a contractor's-grade garbage bag and start throwing stuff away indiscriminately, because that's the kind of person I am--I'd rather risk tossing something important than be suffocated by stuff like that.
Dude. That's a mess. Get to work. Start in the bathroom. It's small. Do it now.
#9 Kitchen sink. I need to empty the dishwasher and then put in the dirty dishes. I'll get right on that!
#10 The dining room has turned into a storage area right now.
#11 My tool bench out in the garage.
I'll repost when I get it cleaned up! Right now I have to get back to work.
Those pictures make me freak out just a little.
I agree with Glatt, start in a small room/or small mess, then fan out from there. This is what works for me when my house gets out of control. I tend to start in the kitchen and work from one end of the house to the other, but I have a small house.
For you, the bathroom would likely be a good spot to start, because most of the stuff in there belongs there. The things that don't, just put those in their repective rooms then walk right back to the bathroom until it is completely cleaned/organized.
Then, move to the next least messy room. As you find stuff there that doesn't belong, put in the room it belongs unless it belongs in a room you have already organized, in which case put it where it belongs.
Eventually, you will get a completely organized house. It has taken me several years to perfect this, but it works for me when my house gets out of control...
GOOD LUCK!
Your house really doesn't look all that bad...I should have taken photos of my mom's house before she moved in with my brother. Oprah material I tell you. Picture a whole house like your garage there. Literally just paths, physically measurable amounts of dust in places, a thick coating of doghair on everything and in every corner. It was disgusting, foul, and broke my heart to see what she had let the house run down to after my dad died.
Chris, thanks for posting these pictures. It makes me feel so much better about our house. I actually have a clear spot on my work bench.
Over the last couple of years we've taken car-loads of stuff to the Goodwill, which has made a big difference.
Oh dude. No way my wife could put up with that. No way. I have one room in the house that is sort of like that but that is it. Wow.
We actually had it all really cleaned up in July when we had a wedding for my son in law at the house. No kidding, every room! But my wife and are hardly ever here and when we are we run in on Friday and out of town on Monday. I was only home about 30 days last year, but this year looks better.
I use a system very much like what LabRat described for cleaning my apartment. The only thing in addition is that I have a PDF checklist made up of all the basic cleaning tasks -- scrub the sink, clean the mirrors, etc -- I need to do in each room. Before I start cleaning, I print up my list and stick it to the fridge. The first thing on the list is to "tidy," which just means to put stuff back where it belongs. Once I've done the tidying for the room, I go box by box on my checklist except for vaccuuming/mopping which happens all at the end. As I complete something, I check it off. When I start to get tired or it feels like I'm not making any progress, it feels really good to be able to look at my checklist and think "Yeah! I've done lots!"
Good luck, Chris!
Chris, that's nothing. Srsly.
I can see huge expanses of floor there. Ours is a bit like that, but with no floor. Well except the little bit in the bedroom I found on Saturday while hunting for a missing library book.
I don't think you can make that claim without photographic evidence.
yah. I take pics sometimes semi-intending to post them, but beest erases them. Frankly, I'm, not really interested in the criticism, though. I think Chris' house shows he has a life. ...and a well-developed procrastination skill ...like me :D
Chris, that's nothing. Srsly.
I can see huge expanses of floor there. Ours is a bit like that, but with no floor. Well except the little bit in the bedroom I found on Saturday while hunting for a missing library book.
:eyebrow:
yebbut, I spent the last half hour making the cover for the cellar calendar. Way more important than crappy tidying
ok, at least you have your priorities straight.
Damn... I feel better too.
Wait a minute. I don't understand. You mean there are houses that *don't* look like this?
Try to keep in mind that, last I heard, Chris and Mrs Chris were fairly extensively involved in tending to infirm elders on a pretty constant basis.
That still the case, Chris?
No they are dead now but thanks for remembering! Makes me feel special!
OK OK! I did the bedroom first and will post some pics tomorrow. I was up at 4Am to get my wife to the airport so I'm dosing while watching Rachel Ray make something called Shoup or Stewp or something like that, but I just dozed off. I changed the bedding and found all kinds of things in those suitcases that we bought in South Africa and Hawaii and Alaska last year. I filled a huge trash bag with junk, you would be proud of me!!!
Thanks to everyone who posted. I'm really not an old bag man or woman with a sex change!
OK I can understand the clutter and general disorganization. I would be able to stand that.
The kitchen, dude, do something about that! I would have a serious freak out over it. Could ya'll hired a maid to come clean? Once a week even? Kitchen and bathroom only.
Yeah, I usually start in the kitchen... but I don't do one room at a time, I'm totally add about it with stuff going on in 3 or 4 rooms at once. My house is more often messy than not, we're in and out all week and usually focused on a specific task when we're here (homeschooling, making dinner etc.), but generally it can all be straightened and scrubbed in a Saturday.
CLEAN YO HOUSE...fuck yo couch...shit
I am horrified...! This is unacceptable...!
Half those wine bottles are standing upright instead of on their sides! I can hear the corks drying out. And all of them are in nearly direct light! Please, find a dark, cool closet where they can be stored safely.
Oh and also, I have that Dewalt drill bit holder too. And all the bits are in it!!!
Yeah, I usually start in the kitchen... but I don't do one room at a time, I'm totally add about it with stuff going on in 3 or 4 rooms at once. My house is more often messy than not, we're in and out all week and usually focused on a specific task when we're here (homeschooling, making dinner etc.), but generally it can all be straightened and scrubbed in a Saturday.
Im pretty much ADD about cleaning too, I start in the kitchen, then will have to go put something in the bathroom...start picking up in there, wonder off to the kids bedrooms...get distracted...blah blah.
The office is the only room that I allow to be messy most of the time.
Kitchen and dining room are straightened several times a day.
When I was employed, I had a cleaner that would come in once a week and do the stuff I never had time for.....scrub barthrooms, wash floors, dusting etc.
Im seriously anal about floors, there be no mess on my floors!
Dude a clean work bench is a sign of a sick mind.
Wow...and I freak out when my wife doesn't dust or vacuum for a few days! That would drive me nuts.
My house was a disaster area. No clear floor patches greater than 2'x2'. Then about 5 years ago, my catsitter very hesitantly told me that I should hire a cleaning lady, you know, once a month or something...
We went on a massive cleaning spree, hired a cleaning lady to come in every week (we told ourselves it would go to every other or once a month when everything was under control). We got used to a clean, tidy house really fast, let me tell you! Never did go to a reduced schedule.
Since the cleaning lady came on Wednesdays, Tuesday night was our 'tidy-up' night. We each spent about 30 minutes putting stuff away. That's the real key to a clean house, not the vacuuming or dusting. It's all in the organization. Having the nice Polish immigrant lady mop and sweep and scrub was just a major motivator for us putting our crap away at least once a week.
Now that we're in the new house, I'm looking for a new cleaning lady or service. Even though we haven't scrubbed/vacuumed/mopped/etc as much as I would have liked, the house is in good enough shape to have people over (except for all the still-packed boxes, natch!) It got to be a habit in the last 5 years, and I don't want to relapse!
The way I figure it, I'd rather work an hour or two (or three) more at my job (which I'm good at), and pay someone else (who could really use the money to feed her family!) to do what I'm not good at.
Oh and also, I have that Dewalt drill bit holder too. And all the bits are in it!!!
get out of my head.
I also have those two wooden screw clamps, but not that jack.
That's a way cool jack. I bought it about 20 years ago at a garage sale and used it to level an old house I had with a peer and beam foundation. It says on the side BUDA 25 Ton Locomotive Jack. You know, you just never know when you need to lift something that weighs 50,000 pounds!
I've always wanted to find an old train and try jacking it up!
Chris, tis true, your house is a mess. And I wouldn't want to live there.
That said - my flat before I left was far (x infinite) worse.
In my defence, I was at the lowest point I have ever been in my life. I hope never to touch it again. But it was a health hazard, and I was living there. It took Dani and I days just to clear the rubbish, with my friend Teri in charge of removing binbags in her VW camper.
As you have already identified it is a problem for you, all I can suggest is what Pie did. If this is a regular build-up, get a cleaner. Sacrifice other luxuries in order to do so. You never want to have cans with maggots in them in your kitchen, or have to hold your breath as you walk through it, or have to sleep on the sofa because the bedroom is full of rubbish.
I'm not saying you will get to that stage (at least not without mental illness) but a clean house is a beautiful thing. It's really taken the sting out of moving home I can tell you.
That's a way cool jack. I bought it about 20 years ago at a garage sale and used it to level an old house I had with a peer and beam foundation. It says on the side BUDA 25 Ton Locomotive Jack. You know, you just never know when you need to lift something that weighs 50,000 pounds!
I've always wanted to find an old train and try jacking it up!
There's prolly one under a pile of something, if you look around. ;)
A previous shot of my flat. In case I came across as harsh.
A previous shot of my flat. In case I came across as harsh.
SG, please tell me that is not a pile of trash in your flat.
It's not. It's a pile of trash in her previous flat.
:eyebrow: Oh, well that makes a difference. :eek:
No they are dead now but thanks for remembering! Makes me feel special!
Oh, man...I'm sorry.
Now get yer ass to work. Your place is atrocious! :D
A previous shot of my flat. In case I came across as harsh.
You should really sort your recycling outside, honey.
My house has pretty much always looked like that. Sometimes better, sometimes worse, but always messy. I've made a great deal of progress in the last couple of years by getting help, making an effort, really thinking about where things go, and decluttering. Some suggestions:
1) Get help. Hire someone, pay your kids to do one room, bribe your friends with pizza and beer. Just clearing enough stuff away to allow people in your house can be a big step and a big motivator. Do something!
2) Throw crap away! Get rid of junk! This will help A LOT. Don't hold on to crap you don't need. Identify stuff you need and then taking it all the way out the door to the trash or Salvation Army.
3) Do one thing at a time: one room, one corner. Clear a path! Progress not perfection.
Here are some resources I highly recommend:
flylady.net. This is a good one, because they have a daily task, and baby steps. A little cutsie, but still good.
http://www.flylady.net/Good on you for getting tidied up chris. I personally can't imagine living in a house that cluttered up. I get annoyed when too much stuff collects on our coffee table, so to have stuff all over the floor would drive me crazy. lol
I like having my house clean and tidy, but I have plenty of time to manage it. I think if I were working full time, we'd have a cleaner come in to do the floors and washing because those are two of the things I like to have squared up all the time as much as possible.
Good luck with the rest of it. I'm looking forward to the pics of the transformation. :)
People who tell you, well, just put stuff away where it belongs, don't understand that most of that stuff doesn't have a place to belong. So identifying and designating a place for stuff to go is a big step, too.
Some things to keep in mind: Store stuff where you use it. Put all your morning coffee making supplies together, for example, instead of in 3 separate places in your kitchen.
That's from Julia Morgenstern:
Organizing from the Inside out.
Another great book for this is
Apartment Therapy: The Eight Step Home Cure. I like some of the concepts in it, such as letting your home "breathe" and how every home needs refreshing after 5 years. and there's a blog, too:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/A lot of people will tell you that if your house is cluttered your mind will be too.
I don't know if that's true or not, but I do know that when my house is messy I can't relax. Also, I have to do a spring clean at least once a year. I usually get a mini-skip and just go through and throw stuff out that I haven't used for the last 12 months. This is particularly good with the shed out the back. Somehow 'stuff' just collects out there. lol (I blame the males in the house)
I think it's true though. You have to have room to move. To live in your home.
Rebel, people! Tidiness it a waste of time in a busy life. Make sure your trash gets in the bin, and out on the kerb, your laundry gets to the machine before you run out of clothes or it walks there itself, and your dishes get done before they attract flies and you're good. The rest can wait til you retire. Or die. Then it'll be a bonding experience for your kids.
:D
(pur home has been messy for 20 years, and we have nooo problems relaxing :D It's all a matter of state of mind. And mine is certainly a state :lol:)
I agree to a point. But if it's causing you distress, or if you feel things are out of control (never a good feeling); or keeping you from having people in your home, even just to fix stuff or do necessary things, then--make a plan, take some steps. If it's not perfect, so what?
Rebel, people! Tidiness it a waste of time in a busy life. Make sure your trash gets in the bin, and out on the kerb, your laundry gets to the machine before you run out of clothes or it walks there itself, and your dishes get done before they attract flies and you're good. The rest can wait til you retire. Or die. Then it'll be a bonding experience for your kids.
:D
Don't listen to her! She's crazy!!!!
oh yes, distress is bad. but sometimes it's easier to fix your distress triggers than your house.... ;) after all, pets don't care, so it must be a learned behaviour..... :D
Rebel, people! Tidiness it a waste of time in a busy life. Make sure your trash gets in the bin, and out on the kerb, your laundry gets to the machine before you run out of clothes or it walks there itself, and your dishes get done before they attract flies and you're good. The rest can wait til you retire. Or die. Then it'll be a bonding experience for your kids.
:D
I just wanted to post that again because it was so good.
aim for "lived in" but not slovenly
aim for "lived in" but not slovenly
why?
why not aim for the bext you can do given the time and willing avaialable? (you may assume a positive correlstion between distress over mess and willingness)
Rebel, people! Tidiness it a waste of time in a busy life. Make sure your trash gets in the bin, and out on the kerb, your laundry gets to the machine before you run out of clothes or it walks there itself, and your dishes get done before they attract flies and you're good. The rest can wait til you retire. Or die. Then it'll be a bonding experience for your kids.
:D
I love you Monster! :D
God damn! There sure are a lot of people that want to tell other people how to live. If you don't like it, don't let the door hit you in the ass, ya judgmental pricks. :p
What is it with all the pricks around this place this arvy???
They're too damn judgmental.
because lived in is comfortable and slovenly is a health hazard. I would never be comfortable or happy in a too-clean house or a Martha Stewart type house.
because lived in is comfortable and slovenly is a health hazard.
Bah, those clean freaks never build up any resistance... the terrorists will wipe them out in the first wave.
That's why you get your kids to play in the dirt. It's just better if they don't have to live in it. ;)
Clutter (mess) does not equal dirty/unhealthy... that's a connection too many people (my mother) incorrectly make.
But if you have clutter everywhere, how can you clean your carpets etc? The clutter collects dust and dead skin cells and pet hair etc etc etc...and you can't clean it. That's the sort of dirt I think of when I think about cluttered up houses.
That's what the terrorists want you to think.
lol...Oh right. I must have missed that.
1) that sort of dirt won't kill you
2a) the clutter protects the carpet from the dirt....
2b) you move it, duh... (bulldozer-style, quick and efficient)
3) it doesn't get any worse after 7 years.....
That's why you get your kids to play in the dirt. It's just better if they don't have to live in it. ;)
"Every kid should eat a certain amount of dirt." -- my paternal grandmother
Unknown mother at a playground: "God made dirt so dirt don't hurt."
My former husband to mother at playground: "God also made cyanide."
NY Times:
Babies Know: A Little Dirt Is Good for You
In studies of what is called the hygiene hypothesis, researchers are concluding that organisms like the millions of bacteria, viruses and especially worms that enter the body along with “dirt” spur the development of a healthy immune system. Several continuing studies suggest that worms may help to redirect an immune system that has gone awry and resulted in autoimmune disorders, allergies and asthma.
These studies, along with epidemiological observations, seem to explain why immune system disorders like multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma and allergies have risen significantly in the United States and other developed countries.
“What a child is doing when he puts things in his mouth is allowing his immune response to explore his environment,” Mary Ruebush, a microbiology and immunology instructor, wrote in her new book, “Why Dirt Is Good” (Kaplan). “Not only does this allow for ‘practice’ of immune responses, which will be necessary for protection, but it also plays a critical role in teaching the immature immune response what is best ignored.”
NUFF SAID
Looks like Grandma Dallas, born in 1899 on a farm in the foothills of North Carolina, and never educated past grade school, scores! :D
Hmmm...nowhere did I say kids shouldn't be exposed to dirt. Mine were and they're as healthy as horses...cept the ones with horse flu. They're not doing so well. I digress though.
Kids should get outside and do all that stuff kids do including stepping in dog shit etc. I don't agree with the trend these days to keep kids 'clean' all the time. I disagree with those antibacterial hand soap things you can get these days. I think too many mothers stop their kids from exploring their environment for fear of 'germs'.
That being said, I stand by my reasons for keeping a clean house. :) Outside is where kids should be exposed to dirt. Not inside.
Woo-hoo, just interviewed and hired a new cleaning service. Aaahhh. A clean house, and more dollars into the local economy.
Woo-hoo, just interviewed and hired a new cleaning service. Aaahhh. A clean house, and more dollars into the local economy.
What is the cost of such a service? My wife has been requesting that I hire someone.
Depends on how often you want them in, how big your house is, number of kids and pets, how detailed the work is.
We're paying $85/week for a 2,200 sq.ft. 4-br 2.5bath. They spend 4 (wo)man-hours per week. They supply the vacuum, mops, etc but I supply cleaning chemicals, paper towels, etc. They are insured and bonded.
If you go really under-the-table, I'm sure you could do much cheaper.
Gotta agree with Ali, my house is by no way spotless, its clutter and messy...but not dirty.
Dirty is for outside, Im happy for the boys to get filthy, but they dont need to bring that inside and live in it.
Even cavewomen used to brush the dirt outside :)
That said, when I visit people, I dont care if THEY choose not to believe the same.
My BFF loves me visiting, because I subconsciously start cleaning her kitchen and floors.
Dude, your house is not a big mess, it is all kinds of fucked up. I thought my house was bad, but next to yours, mine looks like a wafer fab.
Hire Clodfobble to go through there like Grant went through Richmond.
If someone cleaned my house I'd be homeless.
NY Times: Babies Know: A Little Dirt Is Good for You
NUFF SAID
Maybe it's just me... but I think long before we point to clean bathrooms as a cause of autoimmune disorders, we might consider the cluster fuck of toxic chemicals, genetically modified antigens, and heavy metals we inject into said immune systems under the guise of 'preventative medicine'. Just a though. ;)
Let science be the judge.
Science doesn't happen without cash, and unfortunately big pharma has more than I do.
You'd be amazed at what these new epson printers can do.
Let science be the judge.
I'd support that. The science doesn't appear to be happening though.
Just an update.
I changed the linens on the bed and made it up nice.
I unpacked all the suitcases
I did 7 loads of laundry
I not only cleaned the bathroom I put in a new toilet!
I filed away about 150 CDs and about 70 DVDs and Videos
I drank as much of the wine as I could but I still have work to do there.
I cleaned the kitchen and did several loads of dishes.
:D :D :D
Just remember chris - No springsteen till the whole house is clean!
Just an update.
I changed the linens on the bed and made it up nice.
I unpacked all the suitcases
I did 7 loads of laundry
I not only cleaned the bathroom I put in a new toilet!
I filed away about 150 CDs and about 70 DVDs and Videos
I drank as much of the wine as I could but I still have work to do there.
I cleaned the kitchen and did several loads of dishes.
:D :D :D
Item #6 inspires one to complete the other items.
Well done Chris!
Update photos please.
I can appreciate this struggle.
Keeping a house clean with two little randomizers like we have is a lesson in futility, yet I do my best even when it isn't good enough for some of our family member who feel compelled to clean everytime they come over. Still I think I do pretty good all things considered and when I fall behind I simply start in the kitchen and work my way around the house. I do feel like I clean the same messes 3 or 4 times a day and despite my daughters attmpts to help ... I still find myself doing most of the work. IF the kids make big messes involving liquids I generally make them clean it up... then I take over when they've given it their best effort... just so they take part in picking up after themselvs. Flint and I can be just as bad as they can I'll admit. Flint seems to have a real problem getting clothes INTO the hamper and bottles INTO the recycling. My problem area is the kitchen.
Somehow the kitchen being neat makes the rest of the house seem managable. It is a bit tricky however because the boy child is obsessed with our dishwasher and comes running from any corner in the house if I so much as open it.
One trick I've found that helps me real in the mess and disorganization is that I generally keep a rubber made tub handy and as I'm cleaning each room I place in the tub items that do not belong in that room (this is a problem for us because the kiddos carry things from one room to the next just to "mix it up" I'm convinced) then when I'm done I just sort the items in the tub back into their respective places.
I have a chore list for Monday -Friday and I do try to stick to it, though I'll admit I've fallen off track lately... no sense in moping a floor we are replacing Friday if all goes well... so that covers Kitchen entry and bathroom. I've been remiss on the tub as well... not my favorite task and difficult if the kiddos are awake... they LOVE baths and want to take one every time. Vaccuuming can also be tricky because he chaes it and climbs on I while I'm trying to vaccuum.
Right now I have half a load of laundry that needed to be put away like Monday... but haven't managed to finish mostly out of laziness... and exhaustion.
When my energy is good I manage to keep it pretty clean... not OCD clean like some folks think I should be, but clean enough.
Good job Chris! And I second the request for pictures, when you get a chance.
Pooka said: yet I do my best even when it isn't good enough for some of our family member who feel compelled to clean everytime they come over.
I know I have one cousin who is really terrible at keeping her house clean, and she acknowledges that she hates it being dirty and messy, but doesn't like cleaning enough to do it well.
When I go over to her place I invariably do a bit of cleaning, even if it is just around the kitchen area. I do it because I love her, and for me it's no big deal because we still chat and drink coffee or whatever while it's going on.
Maybe your family are just trying to help you out too?
Oh and good for you chris! We really want some pics now though!!!
I know I have one cousin who is really terrible at keeping her house clean, and she acknowledges that she hates it being dirty and messy, but doesn't like cleaning enough to do it well.
When I go over to her place I invariably do a bit of cleaning, even if it is just around the kitchen area. I do it because I love her, and for me it's no big deal because we still chat and drink coffee or whatever while it's going on.
Maybe your family are just trying to help you out too?
Totally... and I do appreciate it, but it is still a little frustrating when the house is actually pretty clean already and I'm doing everything humanly possible at this point. .. I'm just not OCD.
Yes... way to go Chris!
You know what I reckon? If someone wants to clean up for you, just let them. ;) Don't feel bad about it or guilty. You've got little kids. You need all the help you can get.
That's what I reckon. :)
Just an update.
Bah, take off that apron, back away from that broom, ya traitor.
[SIZE="1"]ceptin if it's gonna get ya laid[/SIZE];)
I'd clean this place from top to bottom if'n it meant I'd get laid.
'Cept it's clean already.
. . .two little randomizers . . .
:lol:
Never heard 'em called that before. How totally appropriate, I love it!
Just an update. I got a lot done before returning to Atlanta to remodel the kitchen in my parents house there. Next week I am going to South Africa to be with my wife whom I hope to soon start living with on a more normal basis, however there is something to be said for meeting your lover in foriegn places or airports!!!! No one is at home to see anything left undone and we have a wedding rehersal dinner at our house on April 24th so we will have it all spick and span by then!!!
NY Times: Babies Know: A Little Dirt Is Good for You
NUFF SAID
Maybe it's just me... but I think long before we point to clean bathrooms as a cause of autoimmune disorders, we might consider the cluster fuck of toxic chemicals, genetically modified antigens, and heavy metals we inject into said immune systems under the guise of 'preventative medicine'. Just a though. ;)
We, humans, have lived, thrived even for thousands of generations before the concept of modern sanitation existed. It is possible to be too clean. The current mania over antibacterial *everything* is a symptom of this. Not all germs are harmful. And yet if we kill many many of them with these thougtless habits, but not all of them, which is impossible, we're only helping the strongest survive.
I don't relish that thought that I'm helping influence the natural selection for smarter tougher bacteria. I want some of them on my side too.
Where do you read about outbreaks of MRSA? Hospitals or Skid Row? Everything in moderation, including cleanliness.
I modified "The Moving Rule" to apply to everything, all the time: If you haven't used it in a year (some go for six months), it gets thrown out or sold (to get more stuff!!).