Weekend Doings - Cleaning and Organizing

Much as I'd like to get all my housework done during the work week, so I can relax and do fun things during the weekend, I invariably end up doing much of the cleaning and organizing during the weekend.  This weekend was no different.

First the general weekly cleaning: dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, laundry, bathrooms scrubbed, beds changed, etc.

Then, the deep cleaning and organizing projects.  

This weekend, the deep cleaning was in the laundry area.  My laundry "room" is the size of a large closet: 3-feet by 8-feet.  With two vinyl-coated wire shelves overhead, it does double duty as a storage area, as well.  I cleaned both the washer and the dryer, and then, pulled the dryer out from the wall to clean under and behind it, where there was lint and dust.  Walls wiped down and floor swept and mopped, I pushed the dryer back, making sure the vent hose was not kinked.  I was hoping that cleaning the dryer and straightening the vent hose would help the dryer to work better, but it didn't.  I tried it out, afterwards and the laundry was not as dried as it used to get.  So, it looks like I will need to ask someone to come and take a look at it.  But, at least, the laundry area will be clean when someone does come out to service it.  There won't be a multi-generational family of dust/lint hybrid bunnies behind the dryer!

This weekend's organizing project was the linen closet.  It's one of those projects that I've done several times, already.  I've got it fairly organized, with shelves labeled, etc., but after some time, as things get taken out and put back, it tends to get untidy and then, things get shoved in as opposed to put away neatly, and pretty soon, it becomes messy again.  Sometimes, the piles of bed sheets and towels and table covers just need a quick straightening out.  Every so often, however, things need to be taken out, sorted, refolded, and put back properly.  This was one of those times.

The linen closet has five shelves.  The very top shelf is where I store most of my quilts (handmade by me) and one or two crocheted table covers that were done by my mother and grandmother, which are torn.

The 2nd shelf is where I keep all the bedsheets and pillowcases.  The queen size sheet sets for my bed on one side; the twin size ones for daughter's bed and the guest bed on the other side, with pillowcases in the middle.

The 3rd shelf is all towels.  With space for spare toiletries like boxes of facial tissue, cakes of soap, bottles of lotion, etc.

The 4th shelf has table coverings that my mother and grandmother crocheted.  The majority were made by my mother, but there is one that my grandmother made, as well.  I also keep some knitted items that I have made - shawls, scarves, etc., on one side of the 4th shelf, as well.  Any holiday gift items I knit will be stored there until needed.

The last, bottom-most shelf has more quilts and knitted afghans on one side and all the white sheets I use as chair covers when I have almsgivings during which I invite the Buddhist monks over to a special meal.

I probably still have more linen than I truly need, but it's all nicely organized and neatly stacked.  At least, for now. 

How about you?  Do you have regularly scheduled deep cleaning and organizing tasks in addition to weekly cleaning?  How often do you pull out major appliances to clean behind and under them?  How often do you redo your linen closet if you have one?