Unfuck Your Habitat

Unfuck tomorrow morning

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:01:00 -0400

Wash the dishes in your sink
Get your outfit for tomorrow together, including accessories
Set up coffee/tea/breakfast
Make your lunch
Put your keys somewhere obvious
Wash your face and brush your teeth
Charge your electronics
Pour a little cleaner in the toilet bowl (if you don’t have pets or children or sleepwalking adults)
Set your alarm
Go to bed at a reasonable hour

So I don’t know if you guys remember the testimonial that made me cry like a baby, but I was...

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:23:29 -0400

So I don’t know if you guys remember the testimonial that made me cry like a baby, but I was beyond thrilled to get a follow-up in my FB inbox today. Anonymized at the author’s request.

Hey, remember me?

I wanted to let you know that I took the lessons I learned from cleaning your way and applied them to other things in my life.

I started working on tiny little goals every day that add up to big change over time. I never truly understood how all those little changes add up to something so big until I started cleaning the way you taught me.

I started working out for the first time in my life around December. I started with ten minutes of stretching a day, that’s it. Now I work out 5 times a week. I’ve lost 50 pounds and put on a lot of muscle… I track my progress and the trends I see over time are really encouraging. 6 months ago I got winded walking to my car. A few weeks ago I went on a 6 hour hike with my friends. My next goal is rock climbing.

I started volunteering with a community outreach program a few months ago. I wanted to put my new-found health to use and get out of my own head. The other volunteers were kind and accepting and helped me get over my social phobias, an unexpected bonus. They have encouraged me to start looking for work and so many of them have volunteered as character witnesses and give me heads-ups when possible jobs pop up. I didn’t plan on working so soon due to health and emotional problems, but I feel ready now. Watching the little bits and pieces we do at volunteering adding up to make a better community is really beautiful beyond words. Working with other people with problems bigger than my own keeps my own life in perspective.

I would have never looked at things the way I do now if happening upon your site hadn’t catalyzed me to do so. I am, for the first time, proud of who I am becoming.

To think, it all started with cleaning my vent hood.

Thank you. I wish there were better words to say it.

Y’all are making me feel feelings. Don’t tell anyone. My reputation as an emotionless hardass robot is at stake here!

youstarttorunjustasimhavingfun: Before & after! Out sink...

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:23:27 -0400

youstarttorunjustasimhavingfun:

Before & after!

Out sink gets dirty so fast. I never knew this until I moved out. I guess Dad cleaned the one at his house a lot. I never noticed. Anyway, I’m going to try to keep on top of it.

I also cleaned the bath this morning, but I didn’t take photos of that.

All I used was baking soda, white vinegar, & a sponge. & some water. I also used a little caustic soda to clean the drain. :)

Make your bed!

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:00:47 -0400

Excuses are boring.

intercats: inspired by today’s earlier post about emergency...

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:32:59 -0400

intercats:

inspired by today’s earlier post about emergency unfuckening — and partially by actual necessity for emergency unfuckening — i decided to finally start putting my apartment back together.

here’s some fun backstory: so my bedroom furnace has been inexplicably stuck generating slight heat since winter. here in the upper midwest, we were still in winter coats not two weeks ago, but despite today’s lovely greyness in the upper 50s, it’s starting to get problematic, especially since my century-and-a-half old ex-bakery of an apartment is not exactly breezy and cool and well-ventilated. but the idea of my landlord coming into my place to look into it sent me into such paralytic paroxysms of shame that i’ve pretty much just been sucking it up. it’s the usual story, really: between getting laid off recently and ongoing major depression, i have pretty much nothing but time, and have spent precisely zero percent of it making my home a place i like being (or doing much of anything but drinking, writing, and bored self-pity).

this morning, i made the delightful discovery that the weird intestinal grinding sounds coming from my refrigerator were in fact indicators of a bigger problem, as it apparently no longer, you know, works. this obviously brought things to a crux: while i might be willing to endure a bit of the gates of hell licking at my bed while i sleep in the name of apathy and shame, i actually do need a working fridge, like, fast.

it still obviously needs a lot of love, and realistically probably always will; by the nature of the apartment, with its lack of storage/counter space/actual closets etc, it can’t not be a bit ramshackle, and i still haven’t figured out how to get to the growing pile of refuse that falls into the narrow abyss between the cabinets & appliances that i can’t move, and oh god the floor should be scrubbed, and — but it’s starting to look a little more the level at which a normal person would look around and be like “ew, you really should clean your apartment” versus just staring in silent horror.

not sure precisely how long it took; did the big things in a couple 20/10s, like retrieving yesterday’s laundry from the basement, putting it away & making my bed with clean sheets, collecting and washing dishes (and you know you’ve got issues when shit like making your bed and washing dishes are Big Things), and then scrubbed random surfaces in between… i dunno, what the fuck it is that i actually spend my time doing.

not pictured (trust me — you’re welcome): refrigerator before/after. to the great shock of absolutely nobody anywhere, the fridge needed, um, a little straightening. while there wasn’t so much mold or rotting things as i feared, i’ll never un-see the way the unidentifiable ooze that has streaked both sides dripped down like horror-movie blood… shudder.

veritasrose: Totally unfucked the bedroom for the first time in...

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:41:57 -0400

veritasrose:

Totally unfucked the bedroom for the first time in years!

beingspartan: Desk Unfucking! A year ago before I started...

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:51:27 -0400

beingspartan:

Desk Unfucking!

A year ago before I started seriously unfucking the rooms of my house and routinely maintaining them, my desk would barely have space for the tablet and keyboard and my buggy whip arms. I’d be working while trying to hold back two landslides of paper and folders and who the hell knows what else.

Fridays are supposed to be “office unfucking days” but I’ve been neglecting it for at least Six weeks. And I’m damn proud that the “before” photo is as bad as it got…it used to only take two or three days to get to that state. :)

Last year I finally cleaned all the shit out of the old filing cabinet and started using it for its intended purpose. Now all my papers have homes of their own when it’s time to file and it only takes a few easy minutes to rid the desk of a stack. (More on that at a later time.)

It’s been a battle, but the writing instrument collection has been successfully won. ALL pens, markers, pencils, etc. were banded together and stashed in the under-desk drawer. Instead of anticipating what I might use in the future and starting out with 30 things in the mug, I took each implement out as I needed/used it and put it in the mug when I was done. A few times of doing this every Friday, and I soon learned what I used every week: one pencil, one ballpoint, one gel point, one highlighter, and a few colored Sharpies. That’s all, folks. If I need anything else, I know where to find it and in the meantime, I don’t have to fumble through a forest of pens in the mug to find the one I want.

For all those little scrap notes floating around on the desk, I started a small “random information” notebook so I can jot down the info I want to keep and toss the paper.

The only knickknacks I have now on the desk fit on the iMac base: two lucky cats brought to me back from Japan by a friend, personalized brass knuckles given to me by a client (don’t ask…), and the sparkly cluster of pyrite I brought back from a trip (which I’m using as a paperweight…so it’s practical AND pretty.)

The clearing, dusting, wiping down, filing, and putting back of everything took 25 minutes. If I had kept up my weekly Unfucking, it would’ve only taken that long to do the whole room, including vacuuming and mopping!

poetryslut: Before/After Unfucking my front yard! Wow!

Thu, 23 May 2013 22:09:46 -0400

poetryslut:

Before/After
Unfucking my front yard!

Wow!

Unfuck tomorrow morning

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:01:06 -0400

Wash the dishes in your sink
Get your outfit for tomorrow together, including accessories
Set up coffee/tea/breakfast
Make your lunch
Put your keys somewhere obvious
Wash your face and brush your teeth
Charge your electronics
Pour a little cleaner in the toilet bowl (if you don’t have pets or children or sleepwalking adults)
Set your alarm
Go to bed at a reasonable hour

arcticwildfire: A quick update on the major summer room redo....

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:18:46 -0400

arcticwildfire:

A quick update on the major summer room redo. My drawers have never really had any organization and, until I found UFYH, shirts were stacked horizontally. No more of that. Now I know what’s in my drawers. This one is Virginia Tech and fandom shirts. My drawers are wider than 2 columns of t-shirts but not wide enough for 3 so I’ve taken the center for shirts folded a little smaller. With a hole for a few that haven’t made it from my apartment yet. One drawer in a war-zone of a room after moving back home.

Make your bed!

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:00:48 -0400

Excuses are boring.

Unfuck tomorrow morning

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:01:16 -0400

Wash the dishes in your sink
Get your outfit for tomorrow together, including accessories
Set up coffee/tea/breakfast
Make your lunch
Put your keys somewhere obvious
Wash your face and brush your teeth
Charge your electronics
Pour a little cleaner in the toilet bowl (if you don’t have pets or children or sleepwalking adults)
Set your alarm
Go to bed at a reasonable hour

UFies help! Cat pee.

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:05:18 -0400

ailbhe-leamy:

We’ve done the enzyme outdoor neutralising smell spray but there’s still a faint whiff. We can’t afford a new sofa. Would an in-room air freshener jar help, or just smear allergens on top of pee?

Team Cat Pee, what say ye?

Emergency cleaning: Unfuck your whole house in the shortest time possible

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:00:57 -0400

So, your landlord/parent/home inspector/favorite movie star is dropping by, and your place is a disaster. You don’t have much time to clean it up. You’re in emergency mode. Let’s get started.

Don’t panic. Panic leads to fear, fear leads to procrastination, procrastination leads to the dark side. You can do this, but you have to stay calm.
Unlike maintenance cleaning, we’re not looking to completely unfuck one space at a time. Instead, we want to decrease the overall mess in stages, spread evenly across the whole area that we’re concerned about. If you think your home is at Level 10 filth, we want to bring the whole thing down to a Level 9, and then down from there. One really clean spot in an otherwise messy home is not going to be helpful here.
Get prepared. You’ll want to shut the computer down (or turn the modem off if you need your computer to play music). Trust me. Get your music going. Gather up trash bags, your vacuum and mop, some rags or paper towel, sponges, and other cleaning supplies. Use what you have on hand. Don’t get distracted running to the store and spending an hour browsing cleaning supplies. A multi-purpose cleaning concentrate or a jug of vinegar will be just fine.
Breaks are very important. Depending on your time constraints, work in 20/10s (20 minutes working, 10-minute break) or 45/15s. But take breaks because otherwise you’re marathoning, and marathon cleaning is no one’s friend. Keep hydrated, don’t forget to eat, and check in with yourself frequently to make sure you’re physically doing OK.
Make your bed. This will be your home base if you get overwhelmed or need somewhere clear to take a break.
Start with the garbage. Going from room to room, throw out anything that is obvious trash. Once you fill a bag, take it out. Repeat as many times as necessary.
Move on to dishes. Gather the dishes from all over your house and bring them to the kitchen. If you can, start them soaking in a sink of hot, soapy water or start loading the dishwasher. After the dishes are all in one place, spend one 20/10 getting started getting them under control.
Now it’s time for your flat surfaces. Countertops, tables, dresser tops, etc. Clear them off and wipe them down. Don’t get distracted in too much sorting and organizing. We’re in crisis mode here. There will be time to get in-depth once this is all done. The same applies to cabinets and closets. Unless you have reason to believe people will be opening closed doors, leave these alone for now.
Attack the floordrobe and shoe pile. Get your clothes either put away or in the hamper. Start a load of laundry if you need to, but keep in mind that laundry and dishes have three steps: wash, dry, and put it away, goddammit!
Get random stuff up off the floors. If something is trash-worthy, throw it away now rather than just move it around a bunch of times. Otherwise, put stuff where it belongs.
Take another 20/10 or 45/15 to catch up on more dishes, if needed.
Head into the bathroom. Pour some cleaner in the toilet bowl, fill the sink with hot water and cleaner, and either spray the tub and shower with cleaner, or fill the tub up with some hot water and add cleaner and let it soak. Put everything away that’s out and shouldn’t be, clean the mirror, counters, and toilet seat. Sweep or dry mop the floor. Wipe down the sink and tub/shower, and give the toilet bowl a scrub. Mop the floor.
Sweep and mop the kitchen floor.
Vacuum everything you can, and sweep everything you can’t.
Walk outside of your house (don’t lock yourself out, please). Walk back in and see what catches your eye first. Go and deal with that.
If you’re being inspected or your landlord is coming in for repairs, spend time on whatever area they’ll be focusing on.
Give the whole place one more once-over and pay attention to anything you’ve missed so far.
It’s an old trick, but if your place is a little funky-smelling, put a pan of water on the stove on low heat and add some citrus or cinnamon or vanilla. Don’t leave it unattended or forget about it.
Take a shower, put on something clean, and eat something.

You can do this. It’s overwhelming, yes, but it is not impossible. You just need to do it. You have a list. You have directions. You have a whole bunch of Internet strangers who have been there before and who are cheering you on. You can do this, but you need to get started.

Why are you still here? GO. START. NOW.

theshadowsonmywall: thanks to exam season, my room has gotten...

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:14:08 -0400

theshadowsonmywall:

thanks to exam season, my room has gotten pretty messy.

taking a break from revision, and considering the fact that i’m moving out in two weeks and need to start packing, i decided to do something about it

since i’m in student accommodation, i don’t have access to a hoover and therefore the floor is still pretty unpleasant. but not bad for 30-45 minutes work.

detectivebuttcop: i cleaned my room and washed my sheets...

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:23:37 -0400

detectivebuttcop:

i cleaned my room and washed my sheets today.

Make your bed!

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:01:01 -0400

Excuses are boring.

Unfucking the windows

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:42:11 -0400

lulasaurus:

…9 months later.

In August last year I wrote this ask. You can tell when summer in Seattle happens based on the time of year I’m compelled to do this. Well, needless to say I didn’t do it then. I was too cowed by the grossness. But today I was inspired. Turns out all it took was a magic eraser, a warm bucket of water and a rag.

Read More

ancelyne: Drain volcano time! Ate my lunch and washed up the...

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:51:11 -0400

ancelyne:

Drain volcano time!

Ate my lunch and washed up the dishes. While I was washing I noticed a bit of a smell coming from the sink, so while my dishes were drying I got out the baking soda and vinegar to have fun with science.

I did actually push the baking soda down in a little bit with my fingers in the regular drain and dropped it all down through the rubber flaps on the garbage disposal side, but that was after I took the pictures.

Then comes the foamy explosion of science and cleaning. One of the pieces of lemon peel that I keep in my vinegar to make it smell a little less like vinegar (Thanks to whichever member of Team UfYH I got that tip from!) fell into the drain, but I just sent it down the garbage disposal and ground it up since it could only help with the smell.

Then since there was baking soda and vinegar residue, I scrubbed the sink itself a bit while I listened to my science explosions bubble on down the pipes.

Yay! Sometimes cleaning is fun!

toppriorities: Above: at 12pm [in the hot sun] Below: at 6pm...

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:09:41 -0400

toppriorities:

Above: at 12pm [in the hot sun] Below: at 6pm [my son and I chalked up the cement]
My mom has a tendency to throw anything on the porch. Luckily, I like cleaning.

I had difficulty draining the punching bag’s base, but wiping shoes, trash can, and kid toys and throwing stuff away was easier. I left some flat planks and white marble tiles on the left side of the porch in the grass because I don’t know if she still needs that for renovating the bathroom.