The Less is More Project: Week 18 - How clean is too clean?

DanBrady, Flickr

Have you ever felt like by the time the house/car/garden is finally "clean enough", the day is done and it's time to go to bed? Worse, do you never really reach the point of "clean enough", no matter how hard you work?

This is yet another manifestation of our obsession with stuff: we want everything to be spotless. 

Decluttering is good, as is keeping relatively clean surroundings. Spending endless hours dusting, wiping, scrubbing and polishing? Not so good. 

In addition, there are a variety of things that do not need to be cleaned at any point in time; in those cases, cleaning can even be harmful. Random examples include power cleaning your driveway, removing fallen leaves from your lawn, wiping your baby's face in between each spoonful of puree, giving a bath to your cat, or using scented wipes on your genitals. Don't do it!

By no means do I consider myself a clean freak, yet I have pressured myself into making sure my house immaculate before I let anyone show up. I know it has sometimes gotten in the way of spontaneity: on a random Friday night, feeling like having some friends over, I will hesitate because I haven't had time to clean. Or I will get in a cleaning frenzy instead of relaxing while I wait for them to show up. Foolish of me. When your friends show up and exclaim "wow, your house is so clean", it might be a sign you overdid it (note to myself here).

Last summer, I became very resentful toward all the weeding work that kept me away from the beach. Eventually I went on a multi-week strike, left the flowerbeds to fend for themselves and allowed myself to fully enjoy the true pleasures of summer. I never regretted it, but I did feel the need to apologize for the state of my garden to impromptu visitors. Why?

When it's not us worrying about the state of our house and property, it's others: I have heard countless stories of well-intentioned parents and in-laws showing up and ending up cleaning their grown children's house while the latter would prefer just enjoying each other's presence. Offering help to young parents is definitely commendable, but it will probably make them feel like they have to join in the hard work when in fact they might simply want to chat with you.

Our obsession with cleanliness not only robs us of our precious time (and money, thanks to all those unnecessary cleaning products we feel compelled to buy, or thanks to the people we hire to do the work), it is also bad for our health and for the environment. The types of products we use and the frequency at which we use them deserves to be questioned. 


Some questions to ponder:

• Does cleaning get in the way of other more meaningful activities? For example, do you refrain from inviting friends over, from playing with you kids, from going on a little trip - or from resting - because the house or garden is not quite up to your standards?

• How often does one really need to wash their hair or their clothes (with the exception of underwear of course) if they do not show signs of dirt and in the absence of significant sweating?

• Are our bodies and houses so dirty that we need to use the strongest detergents, disinfectants and abrasives on them? Really? Or are we destroying our skin's protective oils and useful bacteria, and breathing toxic fumes?

• At what point do we cross the line between preventing common colds and minor odors and giving ourselves cancer?

• What impact does all that cleaning have on the environment? How much water and harmful products do we use, and how much trash do we create (e.g. disposable wipes and other such horrors)?

• Do you sometimes "cover up" problems with strong products instead of actually tackling the underlying issue? For example, do you keep swirling the mouthwash (a useless product) instead of seeing your dentist about that recurring bad breath?

• Do we want to be the "victims" of marketing, which creates a false need for cleaning and beauty products that we could in fact live without?

What is your relationship to cleaning?

For more on alternatives to "traditional cleaning", click here.

WEEK 18 IN REVIEW

Temptations

I succumbed! I bought one piece of clothing I did not really need. It was right next to the one piece of clothing I actually needed. In a moment of weakness, I took both. The price was good, it won't take up that much space, and I truly love it and will wear it a lot... but I still broke my rule, and I'm not proud to report it. I won't bring it back to the store, but I will make an extra effort to get rid of other clothes in an effort to "compensate". Lesson of the week: you can still have relapses five months into a new habit. Vigilance is essential!

What is your weakest area, and what do you do to prevent relapses?


Donations (good riddance)

On the bright side, I am very happy to report that I finally pulled up my sleeves and took care of the one room I was apprehensive about: my home office. Paper is the worst, when it comes to decluttering, because you need to look at every single sheet and read it to assess where it belongs. This is probably where the "touch it once" rule came from: if you file or discard your papers as soon as you receive them, they don't accumulate in piles everywhere! The office now looks like a place where organized thoughts can happen. And I can quickly access any document I need now that I know where everything is.

What room, cupboard or drawer are you tackling this week?


Observations and cogitations

This ongoing reflection on my consumption habits and their impact on my health and well-being, the environment and the economy has me question my intake of animal products. I have been a vegetarian in the past (although not at the moment). From an ethical perspective, being a vegan sounds even more appealing. But it all seems so complicated in a society that gives meat (and dairy) such an important place. 

Any advice?




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The Less is More Project: Week 16 - Mental clutter

Luis Marina, Flickr

When it comes to clutter, a lot of it is invisible: it's in your mind. And by "it's in your mind" I do not mean that you are imagining it. 

Mental clutter can take many forms. 

Mental clutter happens when you own a lot of stuff which, even if it is well organized and stored neatly, still nags you imperceptibly. Part of your brain knows that the stuff is there even if that stuff is put away, and that knowledge adds to your levels of stress. That's one reason why I want to own fewer things. 

Home owning in particular adds to the stress because of all the different things you have to maintain and generally take care of. We recently had to service the water softener. It will soon be time to re-stain the decks. And clean the windows. If we're lucky we'll eventually see the grass and the flower beds, with all the work that it implies. Meanwhile, some of the baseboards need touch-ups. One of the bathtubs could use new caulking. The list is endless, and as soon as you take care of an item, another one pops up! Whether you do it yourself or pay someone else to take care of it... there is always something. Your mind is very aware of that.

Mental clutter also happens when you have a lot of activities, responsibilities, appointments and the like to keep track of. CEOs and working parents are equally familiar with that kind of clutter. No matter how organized you are, and even if you have a personal assistant, everything you have to remember still hangs above your head like a sword of Damocles. That also adds to your levels of stress. This is one reason why I want to simplify my schedule and that of my family members... and learn to say no. Easier said than done.

Where do you think your mental clutter comes from?



WEEK 16 IN REVIEW

Temptations

One of the main topics at my last Minimalist Meeting was photos and mementos (and children's artistic productions). How do we eliminate clutter without completely getting rid of those items that are high in sentimental value? The answer: take a picture (if the item isn't already a picture), scan it, and store it in a safe place. No more thick photo albums, no more dust gathering trinkets, no more boxes and boxes of preschool crafts. If you want regular access to the memories, you can then put the scanned pictures in a digital frame. 

What was my temptation this week, then? Well, I bought an external drive. My music and photos and documents were not safe enough stored on my computer only. Computers crash. An external drive provides an extra safety. So yes, I bought something, but I believe it is a step forward in my minimalist endeavor: for one small object and about a hundred dollars, I can now get rid of a lot of clutter.

There is another temptation in the back of my head, and it's in the shape of a house: nice, big, on a lake, reasonably priced, in our neighborhood. The funny thing, however, is that it's over 4000 square feet. That doesn't sound too compatible with minimalism!

Any tips on how to manage sentimental items?

And how do you reconcile luxury (e.g. a big house on a lake) with minimalism?


Donations (good riddance)

I finally got rid of books! Twenty of them! As is often the case when you are stuck, I got unstuck by asking for help. I had D go through the bookshelves and tell me which books he thinks no one will ever re-read. Now that we got started eliminating books, it doesn't feel so daunting.

My next goal is to get rid of paper. Some documents need to be kept, but I find organizing paper stressful for some obscure reason. I wish I had a magic wand to take care of the piles I have accumulated. Running a business from home is not the most conducive to a minimalist interior. Got to work on it. 

How do you manage paper documents and work-related supplies in your home office?

Observations and cogitations

I have been reading Everything that Remains, by The Minimalists. It's a nice account of what it feels like to experience abundance and then decide that frugality makes more sense. That's where the "voluntary" of voluntary simplicity takes all its meaning. A lot of stuff you have dreamed of acquiring can lose its appeal once you have easy access to it. As a French Literature Master's (and writer in the making), one of my ideas of "making it" was to acquire a Mont Blanc (those luxury pens are a couple hundred bucks a piece). Once I did get one, however, the initial excitement quickly faded. Did I really need a Mont Blanc? Nope.


What minimalist book, article, blog or website have you been reading?

Have you experienced a blasé feeling once you had reached a certain level of luxury?

What did you resist this week? Did you donate or get rid of anything? Did you face any challenge? Please comment below! And...

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The Less is More Project: Week 2 - Gratitude

View from my window in the morning

In the past weeks, I have been reading Nickle and Dimed, the story of a writer and activist, Barbara Ehrenreich, who investigated (by putting herself in the situation) what it's like to live with the minimum wage (which is, at the moment, around $7 an hour in the States and $10 an hour in Canada).

It has been an eye-opener. We all know that poverty exists, but unless we actually witness it on a regular basis, we tend to forget. Even me, the woman who spend a significant part of her childhood in a third world country with parents working in international development.

Now the stupid things I am not allowing myself to buy appear in front of my eyes in all their glorious insignificance. I cannot believe I worried that I could not replace my Chai tea. I cannot believe I thought one year without buying would be long. Looking around me with new eyes, I realize I could probably live for 10 years without any new acquisition, solely replacing what is broken beyond repair whenever that happens (eg. the computer, some pairs of socks, etc.) 

Another realization I came to is that the pride I take in my accomplishments might be misplaced. The American Dream tells us to "just put in the effort, and you will reap the benefits". And so, as many others, I have been patting myself on the back for how well my life is going. We live in a meritocracy, and it's easy to assume that the luxury one affords is a direct consequence of elbow grease. By reading about the people who sometimes have to take on two jobs just to make ends meet, I am reminded that hard work does not equate material comfort and financial success. Nor does it always equate self-actualization, as some of the low-wage jobs are rather uninspiring. Of course, a positive attitude and a good work ethic will rarely come without rewards, and I still value them highly. But let's remember that being born in the right place at the right time is a big part of the equation.  

No matter how you approach it, either by reading, by volunteering or in any other way, get acquainted with the situation of the less affluent. Chances are you will have a renewed appreciation for what you have. You might even decide to share more, by donating money, things or your time.


WEEK 2 IN REVIEW


Temptations 

I had to go to the post office. It is situated in the grocery store. Normally I would have found something - anything: food, cosmetics, office supplies, ... to buy. Probably not a big purchase, but something. This time, however, I walked straight to the post office desk and back. Even buying food was not an option. Groceries are not my responsibility anyway - we realized early on that they cost less when D is in charge, and since he seems to enjoy grocery shopping more than I do, I happily handed him over the task many years ago.

A similar situation occurred when A's teacher asked for a large quantity of Popsicle sticks for some "engineering" project. Since I do not own that many Popsicle sticks, I had to go and make the purchase. I cannot begin to tell you how many tempting items I saw on my way to the art and craft section of "the big store I won't name". I had to take a couple deep breaths. In the end, I realized it was easier if I did not look at the displays whatsoever. 

The kids' basketball team took pictures in the Fall, that they are now selling us. I had to by one, right?

A got a set of bow and arrows for Christmas. The kids have been using it daily. One arrow just broke. My first reaction was to tell her to not worry: we would get her a new arrow. But she said "It's okay, mom, I still have 2 other arrows". Pfiew!

So my only purchases of the year, up to now, are Popsicle sticks and my kids' basketball team picture. Who would have thought?


Donations


Good riddance - the things that are in too bad a shape to even be donated: 

I got started on cleaning my office. Oh, how I dread that kind of cleanup. Any other room is fine, but the office? It takes forever as I feel the need to re-read every single sheet of paper before I decide to toss it or keep it. I really need to learn to apply the Touch It Once rule. File papers right away. Don't let them lie on top of your desk indefinitely!

I still have to go through my books, but I am aware this will be a gradual process. A year should be enough to complete the endeavour.

Observations

I realized that:

• (Well, actually, I already knew that.) The kids have too many clothes, and instead of providing them with a wide array of choice, it puts them in a state of anxiety whenever it's time to get dressed. I'm sure if they only owned a few pieces for each kind of weather/activity, as opposed to having overflowing drawers and closets, morning routine would be more peaceful. Let's work toward that.
• A lot of the things I own, I did not buy. I received. Not necessarily as a present, but rather as a "donation" from someone (older family member, most of the time) who did not need it. I have to learn to say no, thank you.

Cogitations

Does owning good quality items conflict with an ideal of minimalism, I wondered as I put on my winter gear for my 15-minute walk to work on a -28 Celsius (- 18 Fahrenheit) day. But since we have made the choice of not getting a second car (D uses the one we have for his longer commute), I realized that the winter gear I own is my means of transportation. It has to be in good working order. Especially in such hostile weather conditions. That being said, I do realize that some people who need it do not have appropriate winter gear. 

The answer to "Can you make your own Chai tea?" is a resounding YES. I already had plain tea and all the spices: ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. I add turmeric for its health benefits. 

View from my other window in the late afternoon.

What did you resist this week? Did you donate or get rid of anything? How did that make you feel? Please comment below! And...

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