Love Cleaning

I’ve been really into cleaning and organizing since forever. I think I am the one in the family who doesn’t like to keep things. I like to sort things out, donate it or simply throw it away if it’s broken. You ask my parents and my brother and they will be able to corroborate this statement.

I remember one day in my younger days, I cried while mopping and cleaning the house because I was so overwhelmed with the things I saw in my parent’s house. It was too much I couldn’t handle it. Well, maybe it was not much for others, but for my heart, it was just overwhelming. But now that I’m adult (you can say..old enough haha), I know that people live with their own preferences and it might be different with mine, so yeah, I handle this matter better now.

Actually, I just love cleaning and organizing things and find so much happiness in doing it. I never meant to be self-proclaimed OCD because I’m far than that and I don’t want to be called that way because I am certainly not. Sometimes I’m messy and not really giving attention to details. Adrian Monk is OCD, I am not.

Does it Spark Joy?

Years ago, when Marie Kondo’s first book launched, my friends tried to make me read the book. I didn’t even bother to read it because I guess I don’t like people tell me what to do. I have my own way to do things. Turned out, some of Marie Kondo’s methods in cleaning and organizing are just the same with what I’ve been doing these years. I fold clothes, put them in boxes. I organize things, put them in boxes and label them. I like everything in its place and it makes me anxious if it scattered.

One thing that probably differentiates me with Marie Kondo’s method is probably the ‘sparks joy’ things. I don’t do ‘does this spark joy?’ to my obsessions. I just do simple ‘does this still usable? do I still need it? does it fit me?’ Because simply, I don’t like to keep things if it’s not really necessary. I recheck my cupboard every now and then just to check if there’s any clothes or things that doesn’t fit me or that I never use it anymore. I like to give them away. Not really a one-in-one-out kinda person, because sometimes I can many-out-not-even-one-in hahahah.

STOCKS

LEMON’S TOY BOXES

DOCUMENTS: Aircon service chit, letters, receipt, agreements, insurance, warranty, etc.

Recently, one of my friends asked me whether I still keep Lemon’s kindy uniform. She thought I’m a Kondo. I straightly said that I don’t keep it anymore because I don’t have enough space to keep it and that because she doesn’t use it anymore. I donated it years ago as soon as she finished her kindy. You know, living in a small house is tricky, you can’t keep so many things, right? So I gotta be clever in keeping and organizing things.

But I have to admit that I can be very sentimental with letters and gifts. I received so many love letters from my husband, daughter and family sometimes. So I keep them all. Those all sparks joy for me. How about gifts? Well, for almost 10 years living with my husband, I only receive books, underwears (not even lingeries my friend, it’s the daily undies hahah, diffusers and many other things that I need. I think he will never buy me bags and or any other luxury things as a birthday or anniversary gift (although actually, I want it hahahah). So yes, of course, I keep the books, I keep the diffuser because it still works but of course after sometimes, I throw away the undies because it’s already torn. Very practical.

I don’t want to sound like I’m living minimalist way because I’m far from that. But it’s a promise to my self that before I buy anything, I will ask myself: is it really necessary? Is there any place to keep this? something like that.

It works, sometimes hahaha. But you can trust me, I don’t buy things often. I buy coffee often :p

But you know what, I’m happy to see how people love Marie Kondo and how she influences them to tidy up with her method. Weeks ago, my timeline was full of people tidying her possessions after finishing her series on Netflix. I love it! Because … maybe I just love to see people cleaning and organizing.

This cleaning and organizing things has also helped me to get through the lowest point of my life during my first years in Singapore. It distracted me from loneliness and negative feelings. And whenever I finished cleaning, my mind is at peace.

I am Hinched!

Last month, my dear friend Fanny the Bunda Eropa, told me one Instagram account that she said ‘Ajeng pasti suka banget inih!’. The Instagram acc that she meant is @MrsHinchhome. She is a UK Instagram person that media often calls her ‘the cleaning mad women from Essex UK’, hahaha that’s a very strong statement! As soon as she suggested me, I started to religiously watch her instastories every single day just to watch her clean her home! It is soooo relaxing!

With this precious Instagram account discovery, I realized that sharing your cleaning routine on Instagram is totally fine! So I started to share mine, also. I remembered when I first shared stories cleaning my bathroom, one of my friends replied: ‘hah, lo bersihin kamar mandi juga, Jeng?’. I laughed so hard at the question. If you never share it, it doesn’t mean that you never do it, right? Haha.

I admit I have mbak part time that comes once a week. She helps me setlika (because it is obvious that I don’t like setlika!) and also deep cleans the house. Other than that, I do cleaning myself, every day.

Since then, I have received so many DMs asking for my every day’s soaps, chemicals and tools that I use for cleaning. Also, they started to share theirs too. That makes me happy!

Before I share mine, please bear in mind that almost all the cleaning products that I will mention is not cruelty-free (the ones in BOLD is cruelty-free). They tested their product on animals, and I’m not proud with this. You know, sometimes the one with no nasty chemicals and or cruelty-free are not the strong one. Lame excuse I know but I promise to myself that I will gradually change the products. Some of the cruelty-free brands are for example; Tesco, Mark and Spencer, Method, Eco and Meyer’s. I have already started with Method and Eco, will change the rest of them one by one. Pinky promise!

So, here I share my cleaning stash:

BATHROOM

1. Clorox Mold and Mildew Remover
2. Magiclean Bathroom
3. Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner
4. Dettol Surface cleaner
5. Dettol Anticeptic Germicide
6. Dettol Antibacterial Spray

KITCHEN AND THE WHOLE HOUSE

1. Mr. Muscle Glass cleaner
2. Pledge Floor Care (buat lantai parquet)
3. Dettol Kitchen
4. Method All Purpose, It’s plant-based and free animal testing. Mantep.
5. Pledge, untuk mebel kayu
6. Cif cream
7. Febreze fabric refresher

The powerful Clorox Disinfecting Wipes!

LAUNDRY

1. Vanish Fabric Stain Remover
2. Comfort Ultra softener
3. Clorox bleach
4. Eco Store laundry powder, no nasty chemicals, no animal testing (Naning made me buy it)

MICROFIBER CLOTH

1. Microfiber Cloth, 4 packs, each cloth for each specific usage, Kitchen, Bathroom, Glass and All Purpose. A plus:  It has a label on each cloth!
2. Magic White Eco Cloth Washing up Pad. I use it for sink and many other surface.

Additional:

The groceries from RedMart just came this morning, I bought Method Stainless Steel Polish, Scotch-Gard Rug and Carpet Protector, Bounce Linen Dryer Sheets dan my haul from Batam yesterday was Wipol and Domestos! Also, I just ordered some Zoflora (Mrs. Hinch made me buy it) to traveller from UK via Airfrov. It will be delivered next week. Can’t wait!

Oh, I also like my house smell good. It is no secret that I have so many types of home fragrance. Saking sukanya dan selalu ngestock pewangi buat di kamar, dulu waktu hamil malah jadi sama sekali gak suka sama wangi-wangian, memang kalo lebay suka gak bagus hahaha. Always remember Vety-Vera-Wishdom guys, yang sedang-sedang saja!

Ok, here are some of them:

1. Health Land Aromatic Diffuser, I bought it in Bangkok
2. The famous Tentrem Hotel Lemongrass Oil
3. Fresco Farfalla Diffuser
4. ArtisanGarden.sg soy wax melts
5. Invictus SPA spray
6. The Body Shop Linen spray
7. W. Dressroom Perfume
8. Aesop Deodorant, yes, it’s actually a deodorant spray but because the smell is nice sometimes I just spray it to my pillow hehehe.
9. Deep Sleep Pillow Spray, got it from Fanny, she brought it directly from Belgium. But now, you can find it in Sephora
10. Granhand Marine Orchid spray, Woro gave it to me and I like them so much that I ordered some more directly from Korea.

Okay, I guess that’s all. I’d like to see your cleaning stash too! Provide your blog/post link in the comment or simply nudge me via DM.

Happy cleaning!