The Best Piece of Advice...

This past weekend I packed my office, cleared out my kitchen pantry, and packed all my serving dishes and stemware. I've sorted my pots and pans and have set some aside to donate to Goodwill. (The stove at the new house has a ceramic cooktop, rather risky with big cast iron skillets). My new bed was delivered on Saturday, and I tested the tranquilizer I'll be using on my cat, Millie. I removed all the artwork and quilts from the walls. The house looks naked and sounds echo-y.  I won't move for another two weeks, and I have had it. Cardboard boxes line the walls of my dining room, living room and practically fill my sewing studio.The liquor is sitting on an end table in the living room because I haven't packed it yet. I had to move it to clean the cabinet where it was stored.

Take a break, you say. Sure, I'd love to watch a DVD, since TV is so crummy, but oops, my DVD collection is already packed.  Bake a batch of cookies.. Oh sorry, the baking supplies are packed too.

Argh! (And it isn't even Talk Like a Pirate Day yet! That's September 19th.)

As I pack I clean the shelf, closet, cabinet, drawer or bin. This reminds me of the best piece of cleaning advice I ever got, so absent anything quilt related to show you, I'm going to share it. Here it is:

If it fits, put it in the dishwasher.

Yeah, I know it sounds almost stupidly simple, but it's true and it works great. You know that glass ceiling fixture? The one in the kitchen that gets greasy and dusty? How about the glass globe in the porch light? The ones that collect dead bug bodies inside? They're almost impossible to clean by hand, but effortlessly simple when you stick 'em in the dishwasher. You know those stacking plastic file trays?  Into the dishwasher they go. Soap dishes, yup. 

Those magnetic plastic bins that hold paper, pens, files? (I use them for pot holders and most commonly used recipes.) Yep, stick 'em in the dishwasher. Plastic baskets used for storage?  Yup, those too. I have a storage thing that attaches to the wall in a workshop that has eight little tilt out plastic bins used for storing small things like screws and picture hooks.

It was filthy when I brought up from the basement, but it looks brand new after a trip through the dishwasher.

So give it a whirl! As you can see it works for me.

OK, back to the boxes...