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Yay for Adulting! Podcast - Episode 7 - Spring Cleaning, pt 2
19 Plays2 months ago
Spring cleaning part two goes beyond supplies and into the real-life barriers: motivation, decluttering decisions, outdated cleaning rules, and realistic “good enough” standards. Lisa and the Yay for Adulting multi-generational panel talk cleaning soundtracks (music, movies, podcasts, or silence), whether people tend to toss or keep, the rules they grew up with but no longer follow, and how to clean in a way that actually fits real life.
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Transcript
Preferred Cleaning Soundtracks
00:00:02
Speaker
Quick question. What's your go-to cleaning soundtrack? Music, podcast, this podcast, or silence? And then what's the vibe?
00:00:14
Speaker
Oh, my go-to is smooth jazz because it keeps me relaxed when I get frustrated about not being able to do something or want to do something or want to pass it on. It's like, that's okay. Just add it to the list and keep it moving. Okay.
00:00:31
Speaker
this My go-to soundtrack, as with most aspects of my life, is a random horror movie on Tubi. it'll provide It'll provide brief visual stimulation. I can look up because all of those movies after a while are all the same. They're all hitting the same beats. I'm not missing any critical plot points.
00:00:55
Speaker
And I need the background noise. If it's music, I'll stop and there'll be an impromptu dance party. If it's silence, I'll just get into my own head and then it won't get done because I'll think of the other 20 things that I have to do.
Soundtracks & Productivity
00:01:10
Speaker
So it's it's a horror movie that just gets put on in the background on medium sound and then I don't have to worry about paying attention to it. And then I can also keep track of time because we're running about 87 minutes a piece and I know if I'm into the third movie that I'm spending way too long in the office cleaning. Yeah.
00:01:29
Speaker
So my cleaning soundtrack is like an upbeat hip-hop party DJ mix, which there are a ton on YouTube. So just throw it on. And I use them so much, apparently. Like now when I open YouTube, they're all on my feed, new different DJs. Yeah, they all come up. It's smooth jazz too. Yeah, but it really helps. Even one is called Sunday Cleaning.
00:01:55
Speaker
which is, you know, just a big positive odd music. So that will keep me going, put that in the background and I'm good to go. For me, it's either silence so I can just like talk in my head while I'm just running through things and just think about random ideas while I'm just, while my body's just moving, putting things in where they need to be.
00:02:15
Speaker
Or I'll have like some YouTube video playing in the background of some topic that like interests me for the moments or at that time being. while I'm like still moving around just to keep my brain moving as well.
00:02:31
Speaker
Like nothing that I need to truly focus on us and or something I can just drop or pull back from. And I think, do i need to throw this out? Nah, probably not. Like nothing super committal, just, oh yeah, that's a neat that's a neat little thought.
00:02:46
Speaker
Anyway, in moving on.
Spring Cleaning Strategies
00:02:51
Speaker
Welcome back to you Yay for Adulting. This is part two of our spring cleaning series with a multi-generational panel. If part one helped you name what you actually were trying to do, today we're going even more practical so you can start and finish without burning out, probably.
00:03:08
Speaker
Back on our panel, we have... It's Mom, the Boomer. Montalee Gen X. Shannon Gen X. Joseph the Millennial.
00:03:19
Speaker
Thank you so much. All right, let's get into it.
00:03:24
Speaker
So now let's talk about the part that makes people spiral. Decluttering and letting stuff go. Take a deep breath. Cleaning is annoying, but decluttering is personal.
00:03:38
Speaker
This is where feelings show up and then nothing gets done. So for our panel, are you a toss it person or a I might need this for a craft in 2037 person?
Keep or Toss: Sentimental Decisions
00:03:53
Speaker
I feel so called out.
00:03:58
Speaker
Just at me next time. so but
00:04:04
Speaker
Own it. yeah I am a keep it person, but my husband is a toss it person. And sometimes I have to hide things.
00:04:20
Speaker
Because I don't want it tossed. I might need it for sentimental value. I'm probably right not going to use it for anything else, but just to know that I need it. I can't i can't throw that away. So-and-so gave that to me. 40 years ago, need it.
00:04:42
Speaker
So that's best the a dilemma we have. And we all know now. We all know where we get it from. but I make no apologies.
00:04:55
Speaker
You're adults. Own it. I am. I'm a little of both. I do tend to hang on to things. Plastic, cardboard.
00:05:08
Speaker
i hang on to greeting cards, notes, There's stuff that I have for work, so I have piles of sticky notes that are are in order, but there are still piles of sticky notes.
00:05:23
Speaker
And but then i also have receipts because receipts end up in the bottom of bags or in pockets. And because i also partially do receipts for a group that I'm a treasurer for, i have to make sure that I'm not throwing away potential receipts that we could use for tax purposes. So I tend to throw all those into a box and then go through them later.
00:05:49
Speaker
But that's why my office is full of bins. and little boxes because there are there are there there might be important stuff in all of them I just haven't gotten to them yet I wish I was more of a toss it person but I'm not and it's ah It's hard for me to purge, even when we moved.
00:06:15
Speaker
And I thought we got rid of a lot of stuff, but we still have a lot of stuff. it's it's It's hard to let go. um One is like, yeah, I'm going to wear that one day. And it hasn't been worn in like three years.
00:06:29
Speaker
But I'm going wear it one day. I can't get rid of it. Or the sentimental value of things. Yeah, it's hard. So as much as I want to do the whole like put things in the and, you know, figure it out. Are you going to donate and recycle or sell or whatever?
00:06:47
Speaker
Everything to me would be put in the keep for later bins. So that's something that I'm constantly working on trying to get better because it's hard. Because it's just, there's only, in downsizing the house, there's only so many places you can put stuff.
00:07:02
Speaker
And clearly there are things that are in a box that have been in a box for like two moves. Things like that, like, okay, really have to take a second look at. But yes, it is hard to to get rid of some things, but I know it's it's and it has to be done. It has to be done.
00:07:18
Speaker
So that's that's my goal for this year's spring cleaning. I'm going to do better. I think I'm mostly a tossed out person a good portion of the time, except for two specific categories of things.
00:07:30
Speaker
Sentimental value things and electronics that like that, especially cables. I will always hold on to cables. ah Even if I don't know what it goes to, because I know for fact, the moment I throw it out, the thing that it went to will pop.
00:07:44
Speaker
You're going to find it. Without fail. Yep. Without fail. I have two bins of cables. Yeah, I think you only have like one box of random electronics somewhere in the guest room.
00:07:59
Speaker
I think it might be one and a half. One electronic in the other part. Y'all have a problem.
00:08:08
Speaker
There's no judgment. Not for many of us. All right, now we're going to go a bit deeper into generational stuff.
Modernizing Cleaning Routines
00:08:21
Speaker
Because some of our cleaning rules are inherited rather than chosen. Every generation was handled a different set of cleaning rules. And some of them were helpful. And some of them were kind of, some of them were just overly stressful.
00:08:35
Speaker
ah So tell me, what is a cleaning rule that you grew up with that you now think is unnecessary? a couple of rules. My mom used to iron everything.
00:08:49
Speaker
everything. But I hang it up and hopefully in a couple of days the wrinkles will fall out. I have a little corn steamer i if necessary, but I hardly ever iron.
00:09:07
Speaker
But the other thing is, now this goes way back She used to wash the blinds in the house. She would put them in a tub of water and wash them and hang them up to dry.
00:09:25
Speaker
She would wipe them down so they wouldn't drip, and then she she'd wash them. they were always clean, and they had you know they would collect dust.
00:09:39
Speaker
So...
00:09:42
Speaker
As soon as she saw some dust in the tub, they wouldn't know. him wow Yeah. Well, ironing, I did a lot of. And washing blinds.
00:09:56
Speaker
And now, I pass. I don't sweep and mop the kitchen floor every night. Which is something that we did. Cleaning the kitchen. Cleaning the kitchen.
00:10:12
Speaker
Which included sleeping and mopping the floor. And I don't do that anymore. i mean, he does the dishes. The dishes get done.
00:10:26
Speaker
And the floor will get swept. But again, it's there's just two of us and then the cats. So usually all we're sweeping up is a cat toy or or any number of the 20 million twist ties. I don't know where Ralph is finding.
00:10:44
Speaker
And we're not, you know, there's food doesn't get dropped on the floor. I'm not dropping, you know, Cheerios or or flour. So the kitchen floor just gets done with the other floors usually about once a week. Well, it'll get a good sweeping.
00:11:04
Speaker
and then and then I have a swifter that I'll i'll go over the floor with. So I don't I don't sweep them up ma the kitchen floor every day.
00:11:15
Speaker
anymore and uh you just unlike the memory for me i that's that's not on me no i do not clean the bathroom floor with a sponge anymore look don't do that just use the little swipper mop not on my hands and knees with a bucket and a giant little giant sponges yes
00:11:44
Speaker
And what I was originally going to say before that I got triggered by that was so there's like knowing when to be finished. Like I always still hear in my head don't have to do it.
00:12:02
Speaker
Don't have to do it. Don't have to do it. Even though it was like almost done. when It's like breaking leaves. Okay. It's like three leaves on the ground, but we haven't did it. So Knowing when good enough is good enough. It doesn't have to be perfect.
00:12:19
Speaker
Every little thing, piece of fur cleaned up or little speck of dust gone. Just know it's clean enough. It's okay. ah Good housekeeping is not coming for a photo shoot.
00:12:32
Speaker
Yes. ah Thank you. That was therapeutic to get that out. Okay. but
00:12:40
Speaker
I think for me, one of the one clean thing that like has changed throughout my experience has been, for i remember for the longest time, like you, we had a like rule like, you know, not to only use the laundry machine at certain hours because like the electricity during the middle of the day would be sky high for like no we're no real reason.
00:13:02
Speaker
I remember that one. I still have rule. Everybody who ignores it That's why keep hearing the laundry go off during the middle of the day Okay. That explains that.
00:13:13
Speaker
Well, guess I'll have to reevalate guess i'll reevaluate that. But also, my time living at the apartments didn't really help that as well. Because, again, that thing was going on like every hour of the day. surprised we didn't get any super overages from that.
00:13:26
Speaker
Oh, I want to amend mine. I don't separate my laundry. Not even reds? I don't have anything that's red. ah ah But everything, everything with the exception of with the exception of towels and hand you know face cloths and laundry, dish cloths, everything goes in on cold.
00:13:51
Speaker
like that. because we Because we have we have evolved business as a society where we don't have to wash our whites separate. We don't have to, you know, the detergents are our our color safe. The the clothes are color safe. Everything goes into the washer. Everything goes in the dryer. The only difference is when I dry, I dry on low heat.
00:14:17
Speaker
and he puts everything in high. So I have to make sure when laundry is getting done ah that I take care of the dryer portion.
00:14:28
Speaker
ah But i I don't wash every, I don't think I wash with the exception of towels, I don't wash anything in hot, everything gets washed in cold and then it gets dry on on the lower temperature, even if it takes a little bit longer, because it helps them last longer.
00:14:43
Speaker
You watch everything on hot, you know, you're going to it's going to fall apart. So you're not going full blast. Yes, because not you're not going full blast and you're not using as much electricity when you're drying on low, even if it is longer. And things are getting dried more thoroughly as opposed to throwing everything in on high heat. Not everything's meant to take high heat when it dries.
00:15:08
Speaker
It may not last longer. And not everything is getting dry at the same time when it's getting dried on hot. Everything getting dried on low... After usually after a half hour, I'll go in and I'll pull out stuff that I know is dry so it doesn't have to stay in there.
00:15:26
Speaker
ah Things like sheets or things like um jeans or sweats will need to be in there a little bit longer, but I would prefer that they be in there longer getting dry than being dry on hot where you might have some damp patches because it's not getting completely dry.
00:15:49
Speaker
Okay. Note to self, stop using high heat. i don't I will because oh yeah someone who tends who has a habit like you know putting like almost like you know a week and a half of clothes into something, yeah putting it on like you know low long makes sense to you know ah for that one so that way everything gets dried out and I don't have like a random wet shirt out of nowhere.
00:16:12
Speaker
so yeah, it's a good good idea. And for me, it's not a disinfectant. I had a suite mate in college that washed everything in hot with bleach and then dried everything on hot because she wanted everything sanitized. And I don't think that's an issue.
00:16:27
Speaker
If you think that your washer is not sanitizing, so you put everything in the dryer on high, then maybe reebo but reevaluate how you're washing your clothes.
00:16:38
Speaker
The heat cycle on the dryer should not be sanitizing. It should be drying. because i mean Because if I could, I'd dry them outside. I'd just throw them on a line outside, but I don't have a laundry pole, so I can't do that.
00:16:53
Speaker
Right. But I don't think drying everything on hot to keep it sanitized ah is the most efficient use of your logic. they should Yeah, they should already be cleaned.
00:17:07
Speaker
Mm-hmm. So when, like, when you're outside all day and you come in and you smell, like, outside, like, that smell... Don't the clothes smell like that when they're drying outside? Do they have that outside smell?
00:17:21
Speaker
that most'll talk about i think your I think your outside smell is is partly your you're your own body, which is not bad. that's just um That's just how it is.
00:17:33
Speaker
But that's that's your body. right Even the cats smell like outside when they when they come in. They smell like outside. I mean, I don't know what your outside smells like. I mean, maybe your outside is, you know, wildfires and and pollution. but well mine But here, I don't know. I don't know. ah Outside for me is.
00:17:56
Speaker
It's I mean, it's just it's just different. Right. It's not bad. It's just smells like outside. Well, it's probably a little different too. ah Back in my day,
00:18:11
Speaker
but
00:18:14
Speaker
perfect we used to hang everything up outside and it would make it fresher. Especially when the sunshine hits it. murder Yes. and course this was This was in the South too when it was hotter longer.
00:18:31
Speaker
Oh, yeah. But whenever she could, she would hang, we would hang clothes outside. And not being down the street from a Burger King makes a huge difference.
00:18:42
Speaker
Oh, I said there was a time when we were ah living down the street from a Burger King and the the the dryer was broken at our apartment complex and we didn't want to haul everything to the nearest laundromat so we'd dry them outside. But when you're that close to a Burger King, everything smelled like Burger King.
00:19:04
Speaker
ah So that's that's one of those lessons you learn. Then you put them on, it's like, why do I smell like Burger King? And
Realistic Cleaning Standards
00:19:10
Speaker
then that's why. so
00:19:14
Speaker
So now we're going to talk about spring cleaning for real life. Just regular everyday, day-to-day living. Because real life doesn't always give you a free Saturday or unlimited energy and a perfectly organized pantry and or bathroom cabinet.
00:19:34
Speaker
So what does good enough look like when you're busy and tired and you're cleaning people, partners, electronics, are otherwise engaged?
00:19:49
Speaker
Well, I guess as things are picked up and put somewhere other than all over the top surface of something, enough where you can work, you know, do it it do what you have to do,
00:20:09
Speaker
in the kitchen or in your office, as long as there is a neat space for you to work, it's good enough for me. at the end of the day,
00:20:23
Speaker
when I've done all of my little crafting or done my writing, i need to make sure that my desk, if nothing else, is ready because I have to log into work at 10 minutes eight the next morning. So I make sure that my immediate workspace has been cleared off. So that means throwing away spare bits of wood or making sure that the mouse is available And the the keyboard is back on on the countertop.
00:20:57
Speaker
And my my headphones are are reachable. Unlike the beginning of this session where I had no idea where they were and they ended up being wrapped around one of the table legs. I have no idea why. that's my...
00:21:10
Speaker
but i want to so that's my that is my good enough for me is is every night I make sure that my workspace is ready and available with my work but notebook handy so I can start ready to work first thing in the morning For me, i guess I would categorize between like what is gross and can make somebody sick versus what's just decluttered and looks bad and unorganized. So first so prioritizing the things that are gross and can grow stuff. So the kitchen, making sure the dishes are clean and put away or in the dishwasher or cleaning the sink whatever. The bathrooms are are clean.
00:21:56
Speaker
So those are the priorities. Everything else can wait. So that that's that's my good enough. I'm going to get sick.
00:22:06
Speaker
My priorities are can I lively walk from point A to point B without tripping over something? And are the things that need where I usually put them in iki and easily accessible?
00:22:22
Speaker
Those are like my two things I need to focus on or that count as good enough. do as Can I see the floor beneath me? Cool. do i need Do I need to worry about tripping over anything? anything No.
00:22:34
Speaker
Awesome. Can I easily grab my backpack or my keys in like in ah in a spot that i know that I put them every other time I get a chance to? Yes.
00:22:45
Speaker
Awesome. Good enough. Back to the basics.
00:22:52
Speaker
All right, adultlings, that's part two. If you're listening and thinking, I still didn't do this thing, this is your reminder. Pick the smallest version of it and call that a win.
00:23:03
Speaker
One bag, one timer, one corner. Progress over perfection. We'll see next time.