If there is one proven cure for dealing with uncertainty and anxiety, particularly for those events that are our of our control, it's to take control of something simple. This is why I've been spending my time cleaning, editing and organizing all of the utility spaces in our home.
I tackled some cupboards last week, these were the easiest spots to begin my whole-home mission.
First up was this cupboard that is in the large back hallway outside of our main bath. It functions as a catch-all for bathroom supplies, but it also stores cleaning supplies that I use up on the second floor.
I am a big fan of cleaning and laundry products from The Laundress New York (that's their Surface Cleaner, above, which I like to have around in bulk). When we sold our house last summer I scrubbed the entire house with Laundress products, and then used the home spray to give the whole house their classic scent of the most delicious air-dried laundry.
One of our agents told me that almost all of the potential buyers commented on the cleanliness and the wonderful smell. So, I guess I credit The Laundress with helping me to sell my house!
I use a mop with a washable microfiber pad to do all of the floors upstairs, both hardwood and ceramic tile. Microfiber is especially brilliant on the ceramic bathroom tile
I'm cleaning so much these days that my hands would be positively wrecked without wearing rubber gloves.
 |
| Rubber Gloves | |
|
The Diptyque candles that I love also have the most amazing glass containers. My daughter Gabby told me about this trick: when the candles are finished simply fill halfway with super-hot water and a little dish soap. Check on them a few hours later and the remaining wax from the bottom will be floating on top. Voila, you have a perfect pretty vessel to hold small items in a cupboard.
Those long black boxes, above, are Marvis toothbrushes. I like to have lots around for toothbrush change-outs and for when the Rascals come home to visit.
I buy Q-Tips and cotton make-up removers at Costco, so of course I always have nine million to store. These extra-large glass Kilner jars are just the thing to store them, it's easy to see when supplies are running low.
The first-aid basket also sits in this cupboard. These days it holds a pink wool hot water bottle that I bought in Austria last summer, as well as a cheerfully starred ice pack for nasty bruises and headaches. I keep Tylenol, band-aids, thermometers and Polysporin in here as well.
Next to the first-aid basket you can see a small supply of the symbol of our times: the disposable face mask. I've been sewing some and I think I've finally found the perfect pattern, but I do like to keep some disposable ones around for quick grabs. Masks have been mandatory in our county for nearly a month now, it's just going to be a way of life for some time.
I'm planning to post the pattern and method I've been using to sew them up. Another post down the line: the basement cleaning and organizing that has been keeping me busy and pleasantly preoccupied. It's the ultimate utility area, and holds challenges like mold remediation and vermin control (!).
I hope you are well and staying safe out there.
Love, Dani
