One Side Effect of Simplifying

When we started to simplify the stuff we had in our home, we started to notice other areas that needed attention. These were areas we had stopped paying special attention to. Areas we weren’t motivated to look after for one reason or another.

 Recycling Bins & Compost Bin

One of these areas for us was the state of our blue recycling bins and green compost bin. Both are kept in our garage and since we recently did a huge garage clean out, (a post coming on that soon) we noticed how sticky and dirty our bins had become. The truth is for the past while, every time I’d return our empty bins from the street back to our garage, I’d look at how dirty and disgusting they were but decided not to do anything about it. Perhaps it was a combination of it being summer time and our green bin smelling quite ripe that lead me to finally take some serious action.

I grabbed my rubber gloves, dish soap, a sponge and our backyard water hose and off I went to scrub these bins clean. It didn’t take long, just a little bit of elbow grease and the job was done.

I’ve now got into the habit of rinsing out our green bin each week and scrubbing both bins with soap and water every now and then when they need it. It feels good knowing we’re doing a better job of looking after these items.

Now, you might think it’s silly to clean your recycling and compost bins but let me say that there’s a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment that comes from looking at something that was once filthy and now extremely clean! Give it a try. You’ll see what I’m talking about.

Our Roomba

When the tools you use to clean your home are no longer clean themselves, then how clean is your house really going to be? As you can see from the photos above, our Roomba’s brushes had seen better days.

We used to use our Roomba vacuum a lot when my son was around one year’s old. He was obsessed with it for a few months by crawling after it and pushing it around. Then suddenly, he became afraid of it. So, we put it away and really haven’t used it for the past two years or so. Luckily our son has overcome his fear of the Roomba and is once again fascinated with this small machine.

I’m so thankful that when we bought our Roomba many years ago, it came with a few replacement parts. We have swapped out the hair filled brush bar with the brand spanking new one and the little sweeper piece with a nice and clean one too.

Now we can enjoy cleaner carpets and floors knowing that the dirt is actually getting picked up.

Your Turn

It’s funny that when you start to simplify your home, you start to notice areas you’ve been neglecting. Think about what areas you’ve been overlooking and what small step you can take this week to turn things around. Share what you plan on tackling in the comments below.

Have a great week!
Jillian