Quick and Clean

Correction from my last post: not that it matters much, but the red kimono top is actually by a label call Pink Dice. It's apparently sold only in small, expensive boutiques and occasionally on eBay. Good stuff, unlike the other brand. Now on to today's post...

Here at "Hot Off the Sales Rack," you'll find ways to save. Saving isn't about just money, but also time, sanity, and the environment. Here are a couple of quick ones that I needed to get out of my head:

1) Since I've been so busy lately, I've neglected to clean my house. I finally couldn't stand the sight of my room and decided to spend an hour cleaning things up. Boy, what a difference it makes. I felt a whole lot happier and so much more refreshed. I'm surprised by the power of visual cues have over my psyche. If that's what it takes to become productive on studying or doing paperwork, then clean. That said, limit yourself to an hour, because cleaning can easily become an excuse to procrastinate.

2) My many trips to Target also resulted in many plastic bags. I usually save plastic bags from my shopping trips, but I've accumulated so many that I had to start throwing the old ones out. However, I'd never throw out Target bags for a couple of reasons: 1) they're sturdier than the standard grocery store bag; 2) they're huge. I use them for wastepaper baskets. Large bags from Ikea and Ross are also good to have in case I run out of large trash bags.

3) Here's some "toilet humor" in a different sense (you've been warned): cleaning the bathroom is not fun, but it has to be done. This applies particularly to the toilet (for obvious reasons). If you're really pressed for time and don't want to scrub, wait until it's time to shower. Coat the toilet bowl with the cleaner, hop into the shower, get out, and flush. No need to scrub, but it's long enough for the chemicals to do the job and not quite long enough such that you'd forget about the toilet after walking off. However, make sure your bathroom is well-ventilated, since chlorine vapors can't be good for you. For regular maintenance, do it once a week or every 2 weeks.