Survey #202 Response from Em
| What project or task do you most closely associate with the phrase “spring cleaning”? What challenges or difficulties does this activity present for you? | I think of spring cleaning as a deep cleaning, where windows are open for fresh air, carpets, curtains, and bedspreads are washed, and every bit of staleness from having the house closed up all winter is replaced with freshness. The difficulty of accomplishing this is lack of physical strength as well as clutter burying (i.e. protecting) dust. |
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| What positive or negative feelings or memories does spring cleaning evoke for you? | Mother kept the house so clean that spring cleaning was just about the same, except that the windows were open and clean, chilly air was filling the house. We'd have to put on jackets, but afterwards, the house smelled as nice as sheets that had been dried outside on the clothesline. Traditionally, spring cleaning was to rid the house of fireplace soot and the dust generated by the straw that was put under the carpets for warmth, so I've always thought spring cleaning meant washing walls, windows, and carpeting, along with airing the house and washing every surface that was exposed to air during the winter. |
| What question would you like us to ask the members of The Clutter Fairy community? Your submission may be related to clutter, organizing, productivity, or any other topic of relevance to our audience, whether we’ve covered it in a past webcast or not. | When I ask how to stay organized with rowdy pets, I need answers beyond storing the food near the dishes, hanging the leash near the door, and tossing their toys into a basket before bed. My little monsters flip full jars off the counter if I am called to the phone, scoot water dishes across the kitchen, splashing water all the way; open cupboards to chew through packaged baked goods; flip books, crystal, sculpture, even lamps and antique dolls off tables and shelves; open closets to climb to the top shelf, shoving the contents to the floor, blocking the door; raid and scatter the contents of the trash can if there is anything in it with the faintest whiff of something edible on it; raid the Thanksgiving table before the guests can sit down; open twist top gallon jars; chew off plants, frequently dumping the soil in the process, which is often into the kitchen sink; and later barfing up the leaves on the cleanest, most expensive surface available (or on tax returns); scramble any freshly made bed; turn rugs as large as 6 x 8 into people trippers by burrowing under them; pee into large pots holding tropical house plants, kicking soil onto the floor; flip important papers and bills into the trash; make off with hair pins, barrettes, toothbrushes, socks, jewelry, and full rolls of toilet paper (which end up shredded, covering more than one room); rewrite documents on the computer, or turn on videos; then spend the other 90% of their time asleep or cuddling on my lap, proving that they adore me. I have solved many of these problems, at least temporarily, but cats are creative. What creative ideas do we humans have to protect ourselves? |
| What’s your favorite sign that spring has arrived? | There is a special gray of a stormy spring sky behind the tangy chartreuse and deep pinks of tree buds that is a color combination exclusive to spring, and is accompanied by the smells of snow-cleansed earth. That means spring has arrived. |
| Here’s your chance to ask Gayle and Ed any question you’re curious about. It need not be related to this survey’s topic(s). | Do your siblings have the same organized or disorganized tendencies that you have? |
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