Cleaning And The Meaning Of Life : Simple Solutions To Declutter Your Home And Beautify Your Life

I have a professional cleaner every two weeks and I don’t care who knows this.  For me it is pure heaven to come home and see the subtle, and not-so-subtle, changes to my home after she has done her magic.

That does not mean that I never look at books that promise to make cleaning easier, quicker and, yes, even fun and rewarding.  Cleaning And The Meaning Of Life : Simple Solutions To Declutter Your Home And Beautify Your Life by Paula Jhung (2005.  ANF 648.5 JHU) goes beyond mere cleaning and tidying, and gives us ideas for organizing our homes and our lives so that we either pare down the cleaning or at least make it more “enjoyable”.  She says her approach is “more preventive than prescriptive.”

As you leaf through the book, you will see that she is spot on about her approach.  She covers everything from pets, children, junk mail, bursting closets, storage strategies, dusting, and something called “The Kama Sutra Of Cleaning” which I will leave for you to read.

She zeros in on our Astrological Cleaning Style in a section devoted to our approach to life according to our zodiac sign.  Mine says I “have a deep need for order, which is challenging since [I am an] avid collector of everything”.  My professional understands this and uncomplainingly cleans and tidies all my little collections of eye candy.

One of the delights of this book, whether you clean, declutter or whatever after reading it, is the quotations sprinkled throughout in very whimsical cloud balloons.  For instance, did you know Gilda Radner’s approach to fashion?  “I base my fashion sense on what doesn’t itch.”  This is in the “Master Shopping” chapter where we learn how to buy wisely to avoid clutter.  Clutter is portrayed as bad and should always lead to cleaning out and vowing to do better.

 For me decluttering can lead to eating chocolates found in the back of the cupboard and reading a book retrieved from under the bed while snuggled up in a cozy duvet waiting to be aired (while getting no decluttering done).

What’s under your bed? 

>> Find this book in VIRL’s catalogue

Taken with permission from Gloria Novak’s “Good Reads in the Library”