Background info… I have been working on going through some old magazines lately. I have magazines literally coming out my ears, as I get quite a few on a regular basis. Some are ones I have cashed in my “points” at an online points program to get a free subscription, and others are those that I really like and want, and actually subscribe to. Either way, it amounts to a lot of magazines coming in the mail. Which I love, but they do tend to pile up. I probably have 2 years worth of magazines piled up around here. 🙄
When I won the “Good Things” book kit from the delightful Barb, I decided this would be the impetus I needed to start working on my mountain of magazines. And it has! I’ve been working on going through my 2 year backlog and cutting out any pages I want to keep and put in my binders.
I ran across an article in a really old copy of “Good Housekeeping” on the “Flylady” the other day. Now, I’ve read for several years about the Flylady, and I know many ladies in the blogosphere have taken her suggestions to heart and had good success. I personally have not, but I find her concepts (get dressed and have your shoes on, shine your sink, 27 fling boogie, etc) very interesting! What really caught my eye though, was a block on the side of the article, entitled “The Great Cleaning Debates”. It’s subtitled “Is there a Right way to…” and apparently they did an informal poll of the Good Housekeeping staff and asked them a series of questions on the “right” way to do certain cleaning and household tasks. I thought I’d pose their questions here and see if we all “stack up” to their findings.
Chime in and let me know your answers to these questions!
Is There A Right Way to …
1) Replace the toilet paper (hang so the paper falls over the roll or hang so the paper falls under the roll)
2) Store Socks (Roll Them or Fold Them)
3) Hang Towels (fold in thirds or fold in half)
4) Vacuum and Dust (dust first or vacuum first)
5) Clean Mirrors (use paper towels or use newspaper)
Oh, and in case you wanted to know my answers! 1) Toilet Paper must go over the top of the roll, 2) roll the edges of socks to keep them together, 3) Towels are folded in thirds, always (that one thanks to my mom), 4) Dust first, then vacuum, and 5) I’ve used both, but 98% of the time, I use paper towels to clean mirrors and glass.
1. over
2. rolled
3. thirds for my bathroom because the shelves are more shallow, other bathrooms get halfs for deep shelves.
4. dust then vacuum (if you dust last you are dusting onto your clean floors)
5. paper towels.
I used to do the flylady thing. I think the most valuable lesson I learned from her was to clear hot spots. I am always aware of my hot spots now.
1. over, over, over !!!!
2. roll my socks and the kids. Hubby likes his folded.
3. Thirds.
4. Dust, then vacuum. Otherwise, it looks like I didn’t vacuum, with track marks all over the carpet.
5. paper towels.
I like the FlyLady’s ideas. I agree with Annie, the hotspots idea is one of her best. She also helped me get some routines in place. Love routine.
The toilet paper must come over the top of the roll.
I fold Dom’s socks. I’ve given up on Shelby’s – she just throws them in a drawer (when they even make it that far!).
I fold the towels for my bathroom in half. For Shelby’s bathroom, I used to fold in thirds so that she can fit 2 towels on one towel bar. Of course, she never puts the towels back on the towel bar. Now I just fold them in half and put them on her bed – the rest is up to her.
I dust then vacuum. Of course I hate to dust!
I use paper towels for mirrors.
Can you tell I’ve about given up on having Shelby’s room and bathroom neat??? I’ve learned to pick my battles with her.
) hang so the paper falls over the roll
2) fold Them
3) fold in half
4) dust then vacuum
5) newspaper
1. Definitley over!!!!
2. Mine get put together and then folded up inside of one. Hard to describe.
3.In half. Dries faster that way.
4. Vacuum first otherwise the dust from the carpet just gets kicked back up onto the freshly dusted furniture.
5. Clean mirrors with paper towels but I’m seriously considering changing that. The fluff drives me nuts from the towels.
Now I feel like I have to go clean. ;v)
A “right” way to do these things or the way we like? Even though we think it’s the right way, the toilet paper, socks and towels are really matters of preference! Cleaning mirrors, might be either way whichever you like……..dusting first though seems to be the “right” way to do that one or otherwise you’re just stirring up dust if you vacuum first. I think #4 is the only one that has a “right” way to do it, even though we all think the others have a right way! Does that make sense?
1. Over!
2. I know “they” say you’re supposed to fold them because rolling them is bad for your socks. I roll them anyway. Easier to keep togther.
3. No clue what the right way is, but I fold in half so they dry well.
4. Dust first so that you don’t scatter it all over freshly vac’d carpets!
5. I have heard of the newspaper thing, but I still use paper towels. Sparkle doesn’t seem to leave much lint, for me anyway.
I’ve never heard of the FlyLady. But you have sparked my interest in finding out who she is. Here are my answers to the poll:
1) Over
2) Put socks together and then folded up inside of one (mine and Olyvia’s) folded together or lain flat (Steve) (I’ll have to take a pic sometime and post it; it’s complicated! lol)
3) I only hang clean towels up and I do them in thirds.
4) Vacume first because when you vacume dust gets in the air and settles on the furniture. Dust after vacumming that way it stays clean longer. lol
5) Paper towels. We don’t get the newspaper.
Well, you made it very easy for me to answer these questions. I can just say “What YOU said!” 😉 Yes, for all of them, but especially #1 — THAT is non-negotiable.
Fun! I have about two years of magazines too. It’s quite embarrassing. I am so glad to know I am not alone! Okay….
1. over the roll – no question!
2. roll the ends down to keep together.
3. fold in thirds please.
4. I read somewhere you are to vacuum first so that any airborne dust from the floor can get dusted off after. But honestly, I just do whatever I think to do first!
5. paper towels.
1) Over the roll…I get annoyed if it’s underneath
2) Fold them
3) Fold in thirds
4) Vacuum then dust
5) Use newspaper, it’s the way my greatgrandmother taught me LOL
1. Over the roll
2. Both
3. Thirds
4. I rarely do both at the same time, and my husband usually helps me vacuum, so I don’t have an answer for this.
5. Paper towels and Windex
I match up with you, except on #4. I vacuum, then dust (that’s when I actually force myself to dust…heehee).
I guess the right way is whatever works for you. I agree with all yours except I vacuum first, let the dust settle and then dust! 🙂
I’m with you on all but two-
I do fold my towels in 3rds for storage, but when I hang them I just hang them on a hook, not a rack, so they’re not folded at all, they’re just hanging there kind of like a bathrobe. Does that make sense?
I both agree and disagree with #4. I think vacuuming stirs up dust that lands on the furniture, so I don’t like to dust first. But, sometimes after vacuuming I hate to dust because I also feel like the dust ends up back on the floor. Sometimes I actually do both—I vacuum first to get the floors clean, then dust, then vacuum again real quick to pick up anything that dusting landed there. Gee, I’m probably thinking too much and working too hard when it comes to this! 😀
Is it embarrassing to admit I have more magazines than that? My current goal is to read and pull out sections to save at a rate of 2-3 per day…I did several this weekend and the recycle bin is full…but you can’t even tell that the stack has shrunk…oh well
I agree with you on all 5 points:-)
Ok I’m with you on all 5 questions! I will change the tp in at the office if someone puts in on there “wrong”….problem is I think someone comes behind me and changes it back…hehe
1) Replace the toilet paper (hang so the paper falls over the roll or hang so the paper falls under the roll) Over for sure!!
2) Store Socks (Roll Them or Fold Them) Roll them for everyone but dh – his have to be folded
3) Hang Towels (fold in thirds or fold in half) Fold in thirds
4) Vacuum and Dust (dust first or vacuum first) dust first, then vacuum
5) Clean Mirrors (use paper towels or use newspaper) Paper towels, can’t stand the print on my hands! LOL
TP over the roll
Fold socks
Fold towels in thirds (Takes up less room)
Dust first…then vacuum
To clean mirrors I use coffee filters.
1. over the top
2. fold adults; roll kids
3.towels folded in thirds
4.vacuum, then dust
5.neither–clean mirrors with pledge multisurface wipes.
) Over!
2) Roll them
3) Thirds
4)I’m not consistent with this one. I don’t clean everything on the same day, so it depends.
5) Paper towels
1. I am just happy if someone replaces the roll 🙂
2)fold them
3)1/2’s
4)dust
5) borh
1. Just thankful that it’snot empty!
2. Sock basket and dig to find matches!
3. I prefer thirds, but family doesn’t see it that way! Gggrrr. No class ;o)
4. Ahhh, why bother? It will be dusty again tomorrow and we have a dog to be the vacuum!
5. Breath on the mirror then use my sleeve to clean it!
LOL, have I scared you? Porbbaly wouldn’t want to visit my house, huh? It’s not really that way…most of the time. teehee!
I just started re-reading the FlyLady’s book and have been trying to implement some of her ideas!
For me:
Toilet paper over.
Socks rolled.
Towels in half.
Gosh, never thought about the dusting/vaccuming thing, but I suppose dusting first makes the most sense.
Mirrors…whatever is handy. Washcloth, paper towel, um yes, even toilet paper,( but that doesn’t work so good. )
I second all your answers. What a fun little quiz.
1) OVER!!!
2) Roll them!
3) Thirds, always thirds!!
4) Neither! Okay, i really only do this if absolutely necessary (i.e MIL coming for a visit) and I don’t have a preference on which to do first!
5) Paper towels!
1) Paper must fall over the roll! Oprah even says so! I’m bad about replacing the tp roll in the master bathroom. The holder is so fancy nancy and it’s a pain. David usually does it for me, LOL.
2) Roll the tops together
3) Fold in halves or thirds, depending upon the length
4) Dust first, duh, LOL
5) Clean Mirrors (use paper towels or use newspaper)
1. I have to agree with Amy on this one – if there’s a roll, I’m happy. I honestly don’t care if it’s over or under.
2. I fold mine, but I roll the guys’ socks. If I didn’t, I’d get a hundred questions every morning, “Where’s my other sock?” *grin*
3. Oh absolutely fold in thirds.
4. Vacuum first. When you rarely dust like me? It makes sense. lol
5. Clean mirrors with newspaper? That doesn’t make sense to me at all. Dosen’t the ink smear on the mirror? I use paper towels. Heck, I use paper towels for everything. Even as a dish rag. Why? Because I can’t stand the thought of transferring all of those germs from surface to surface to hands with a dish cloth. It’s more wasteful, but more sanitary in my book.
1. paper falls OVER the roll
2. fold them inside one another 🙂
3. fold in thirds
4. dust first, then vacuum (to vacuum up the dust)
5. use coffee filters.
That was fun, now I need to go clean!!
1. TP underneath so I can tear one-handed. Although if it’s put on the other way, I don’t change it.
2. I roll my socks.
3. Thirds but yet not complaining if someone does them differently.
4. I hate to say, but I rarely dust. And it doesn’t matter which I do first.
5. Paper towels only. I haven’t even heard of using newspapers or anything else besides a cloth.
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