I've spent the last two days deep cleaning and purging my kitchen cupboards and the pantry. I still need to tackle the oven, my least favorite job in the whole world! I started with the pantry and baking cupboard. I threw away or recycled old stuff, are my kids the only ones who put back empty cereal boxes? Then organized the remaining food. Next the appliance cupboard where I took everything out, wiped out the cupboard then put everything I rarely use in the back and things we use the most in the front. Onto the tupperware/bowl/pots and pans. I pretty much just took everything out, wiped it out, then when I was putting things back I stacked them according to size. Once again I put everything I rarely use in the back. If you have those fabulous cupboard with drawers that roll out, count your lucky stars! From there I did the cups, dishes, and then I tackled the drawers. Have you ever noticed how gross the silverware container gets? I don't know how it happeneds, but the divider that holds my clean silverware gathers all sorts of crumbs. Gross. Everyone has different drawers and cupboards, but the idea is the same. Take everything out, wipe out, put back only the stuff you use and like stuff together so you know where it is. Don't forget to wipe down the outside of the drawers and cabinets too, especially around the handle. I also have containers to separate things within the cupboards or drawers, like a little basket for seasoning packets, a basket for cookie/cake decorations etc. In the drawers you can find awesome dividers in all sizes so you can put your spatulas in one, wooden spoon's in one, measuring spoons in another, etc. It isn't hard to find the right size for your needs and they can be pretty cheap. Have fun!
Something gross happens at my house; I have a door that leads to the basement. A lot of tween aged boys play in my basement. Occasionally I'll put my hand on it and it is sticky, and textured, with what I really don't want to know. I really, really don't! I get out my trusty all purpose, disinfecting cleaner and rag and clean it off, both sides and around the knob on the sides of the door because I'll notice fingerprints. Then I see the bathroom door, it looks highly suspicious as well, so I clean that. Then I'll move from room to room inspecting door knobs and doors and cleaning them as needed. You know what is so close to most door knobs? A light switch, they get really gross too so I wipe those down as well and before you know it all my door knobs and light switches have been cleaned, then I see the banister... 
One day I was walking up the stairs and noticed my white banister had black streaks I thought the paint might be wearing off, but it wasn't, it was filth! What ever makes white banisters have black streaks, once again I really don't want to know the details. Is this reminding you of the book "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie?" That is what it feels like, one thing leads to another and some days if time permits I'll end up cleaning the baseboards and outlets too, but let's leave those out of this post. There has been so much talk of the importance of hand washing to prevent the spread if H1N1, the common cold, influenza and worse. So why not take the time to clean the things we all touch multiple times a day, door knobs, the area around it and light switches. They are such small areas and you know the places in your home that are used much more than others. You can get it done fast, or get the kids to pitch in! In college during "white glove" inspections we used to have to use a Q-tip to clean the edges, if they are that bad go for it, or take off the light switch and clean it and the part that sticks through the plate, just don't shock yourself! Once they are thoroughly cleaned it will be that much easier to maintain. Have fun...
Does this picture gross you out? Sorry about that, this is a picture of a microwave that had never been cleaned. Would you believe me if I tell you I have seen worse, I have. I was invited to a luncheon this summer and as I walked by the microwave I noticed the glass was textured, cloudy and kind of a weird gray color.* I don't think it had been cleaned, ever. When I was first married I mentioned to someone I was cleaning the microwave, and she asked, "You clean the microwave, I've never thought of that before." She said she cleaned her microwave that night and I know she has kept it clean since! 
Microwave's get really gross, food tends to explode, especially when children are involved in reheating there own food and don't use paper towels to cover it up! They are relatively easy to clean, if you keep up on it, say one or two times per month. It is best to clean up big spills quickly because it gets harder to clean the longer it stays in there. Start by filling up a microwavable bowl with water, I use my 4 cup Pyrex, then either squeeze the juice of one lemon, or put 1 TBSP of lemon juice in the water. Microwave until boiling, usually about 4 minutes. Don't heat it too long or the water explodes and your microwave door will burst open, it's happened to me! Then by using a wash cloth everything should wipe off pretty easy. Ta Da, a clean microwave on the inside and out! 
My darling four year old loves to help! In her jammies of course, 
I googled home organization and there were over 23 million hits, crazy. I sorted through the first couple of pages and found some really great information on HGTV. These are my thoughts, the above picture is beautiful, stunning really. I love all the labeled, color coordinated storage items. If I lived all alone, or ran a military base for a home, my home office area would look just like that, but I don't live alone and I don't run a military base.
The last thing you want someone to think when they walk into your home, is "What is that smell?" Right? Sometimes I walk into the house after being gone all morning and it smells like the last two meals, imagine BBQ chicken and syrup, so gross. I try to keep the house smelling extra good with my product of choice, but there are tons of other products on the market, choose whatever works for you. Hopefully, by emptying the garbage's, keeping up on dishes and laundry your home will smell fresh and clean. Unless you cook fish or bacon, I don't think there is any help for that!
The eternal battle between parents and children, cleaning their room. Ryan's dad would get a huge black garbage sack and just gather everything in it, put it in the garage and if the boys wanted something they would have to dig it out. Will Smith said on David Letterman that he told his kids it's his house and he is just letting them live in it, therefore they have to keep it clean. At the end of the day we can threaten, yell, beg and plead but what works at getting the kids to keep their rooms clean? I have no idea! I haven't figured it out yet, but I do have some tips that help my kids keep their room mostly clean, mostly organized, and me, mostly sane.
Growing up we always removed our shoes upon entering the house. My mother has made up many different signs trying to figure out the most polite way to ask visitors to remove their shoes. I once saw a vinyl sign on someones door that said "Loose the Shoes," I'm still trying to figure out if that is funny or not. Everyone in my family knows when you go to someones house you remove your shoes, it's just what we do. At one point my brother had hospital booties for those people who opted not to remove their shoes. My Grandpa was having heart trouble and he drove himself to the hospital because he didn't want the EMT's to drag mud in on his freshly cleaned carpet, no kidding. That obviously was highly frowned upon, but now you know where I get my craziness from, it's genetic!
