Getting Ready to Clean Up

Spring is literally right around the corner and with that is the dreaded spring cleaning.

Actually, I don’t dread spring cleaning as much as I’m not exactly sure what to do with all the stuff left over. Like in the days of old, when Christmas meant “some assembly required” and there were always parts “left over,” at the end of spring cleaning there is stuff that I need to do something with.

For example, books. After you’re done reading books and there is little likelihood that you’ll re-read them, what do you do with them? How about videos? You take them all out, dust the shelf and then what? Return them to the shelf? We’re in an age of DVDs after all. Many of us don’t own a VCR anymore. What to do with the old videos?

How about old clothes that are entirely out of style but in pretty good shape? Wait until parachute pants (yes, I do own a pair) come back into style?

Not only is it time consuming trying to figure out what to do with these things, but it doesn’t even take into account the time it takes to actually do the job of cleaning.

One thing I’ve discovered is the necessity to lean on people who can do what you don’t have time to do so you can focus on what it is that only you can do.

Get it? Let me explain.

I’ve discovered that by entrusting people with getting the job done – like having Paul’s Professional Window Washing come do the windows, or J’s Maid Service take care of the house cleaning, for example – I can focus on doing the things they can’t like going through the videos and closets.

To be honest, I was resistant – after all, I can clean the house and wash windows. But while that may be true, the time lost doing those things means that I can’t get to those things that only I can do and in the end I get more bogged down.

Now, as far as what to do with old clothes, SoCal Recycling will collect those donations and process them, giving a portion of the proceeds back to a local non-profit. Bins are located in the parking lot at St. Luke’s of the Mountains at Rosemont and Foothill and Ocean View carwash on Foothill just east of Briggs.

If anyone has ideas about old videos and books, let me know.

  robin goldsworthy