A clean slate. That's my goal. Now that my marriage is officially over and done with, I need a fresh start. When I looked around our house, all I saw was my old life. I saw old memories, both the good and the bad, and all of them hurt. Even the worst marriage - and mine was by far not THE worst - has good memories. But those good memories can sometimes be just as incredibly painful as the bad ones. That's why I decided I needed to gut the house of almost everything we'd acquired over our 14 year marriage, clean it from top to bottom, and make the entire interior a clean slate for my new life.
A Clean Slate is the Only Way to Move Forward
I was a sort of zombie for the first few weeks after my ex-husband announced his decision to divorce me. One day, as I sat on my couch and looked at an end table that I remembered decorating with my husband for Christmas, it came to me. I couldn't move forward until I got rid of the past that was all around me.
So...I got rid of everything. I put everything on the road except for the bedroom set, kitchen table and my china cabinet. Everything came off the walls. I threw out our dishes, everything we'd collected together over the years. I bought a new mattress, new sheets, new dishes, new decor for the walls. Gutting the house was the first step towards my clean slate.
After I got all the furniture out, I started on the work of cleaning. It felt so good to get all the dust, dirt, and grime out of the house.I looked around the house and thought, These are the remnants of my marriage. When these are gone, I can move forward.
Getting to the Nitty Gritty of Cleaning
Cleaning the house from top to bottom was one of the most cathartic things I've done in a long time, and it was made even better because the job was so much easier using my Swiffer WetJet and Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
Oh, Swiffer, How I love thee!
The thing I love about the Swiffer line is that they have an entire selection of sweeping, mopping, and dusting tools for almost every household surface. The Swiffer WetJet - which I love - is an all-in-one system that cleans floors using solutions specially designed to break up and dissolve tough messes. It was so freeing to watch my Swiffer WetJet make my floors all sparkly. It was like I was putting a shine on my own life!
We have cats and dogs, so aside from just regular old dirt and grime that gets tracked in, it was important to use something that got rid of their little paw prints too (and dog drool, and hairballs...you know what I am talking about if you have pets in the home!).
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
I kept the clean slate going with the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I got all the scuffs and marks off of my walls, cleaned my bathroom grout and the shower, and got the kitchen exceptionally sparkly. Its water-activated micro-scrubbers penetrate surface grooves where years of grime gets trapped and removes built-up soap scum, grease, and dirt.
A Clean Slate for Me and for You
That's my clean slate story. What's yours? Hopefully, your clean slate doesn't involve a divorce, but it might involve a move. I'll be using my Swiffer and Mr. Clean products A LOT in the near future as well, as I've recently made the decision to sell my house...I had planned on moving to NYC next year, but now I am not so sure where I will end up - I just know that it's time for me to move on! A 3 bedroom house is a lot for one person to maintain, especially with my daughter recently getting engaged and preparing to move out on her own. Clearly, she will need a big box of Swiffer and Mr. Clean products once she's out on her own too!
According to the Swiffer Cleaning Index, 70 percent of Americans say it’s important to be able to maintain the “clean slate” that comes with moving to a new home. Did you know that 74% of Americans think that a dirty house is the biggest turnoff for a homebuyer – before old carpeting (24%) and ugly furniture (3%)? Clean houses sell, but…64% of Americans think that one of the most difficult times to keep their home clean would be while selling. I better start cleaning and get used to it, huh?
HGTV's Jonathan Scott says tat cleaning is the first step to making a house a home, and he's teamed up with Swiffer and Mr. Clean to educate movers on how to maintain a clean slate and keep their homes looking like new.
Home design expert and “Property Brother” Jonathan Scott hosts a Swiffer and Mr. Clean event in New York, Tuesday, May 17, 2016, to show how easy it is to achieve and maintain a clean slate when moving. (Diane Bondareff/Invision for Procter & Gamble/AP Images)
It's just as important for sellers, as well. As the study showed, 74% of Americans say that a dirty house is the biggest turnoff for a home buyer, and that's even before old carpeting and ugly furniture! The truth is, clean houses sell better. When people walk into a potential new home, they want to see it in all its glory, envisioning the bright, beautiful lives they may lead there. Dirty houses? No one dreams of living in a dirty house!
So whether you're divorcing, moving, buying a home, or just giving your current place a good face lift, a clean slate is the best way to make it happen. And the best way to get a clean slate is with Swiffer and Mr. Clean. I know my house is looking pretty darn nice, thanks to the Swiffer Effect!
Ashlee Simpson Ross, singer, mom and design enthusiast, and home design expert and “Property Brother” Jonathan Scott join Swiffer and Mr. Clean, Tuesday, May 17, 2016, in New York, to show how easy it is to achieve and maintain a clean slate when moving. (Diane Bondareff/Invision for Procter & Gamble/AP Images)
Linda
I bought a Swifter Wet Jet, hung it in the broom closet and there it has stayed. I am getting it out! Hope it helps with the dog hair and dust that accumulates in what seems like seconds! From experience, we pretty much walked out if a house was dirty. We weren't buying fixer uppers so I expected at least minimal clean and no animal smells especially cat. Hope yours sells quickly!
Tamie
I love Mr Clean. The Magic Eraser is amazing.