Towel OCD

Some of you might want to completely skip this post. Really.

What this habit gives you is a linen closet that looks organized and neat, and stays that way. It also keeps your towels folded in a way that's really easy to drape over the towel bar when guests arrive. 

I am a little OCD about folding towels. This really does come from my time working in a classy hotel. I don't like to see towel 'ends or edges' when they are folded. I do get a strange pleasure out of a linen closet which has perfectly folded towels. I unfolded and folded towels at 19years old until I was able to fold towels in thirds - which I found to be elegant, simple and quick.

See this image? It may as well as be me. I dressed like this the summer I cleaned rooms (and was very happy to wear a uniform thank you!). Except my uniform was grey... I was pony-tailed, with kitten heels and adorable if I say so myself. And yes, this image is exactly how our towels were folded... and how my towels are folded to this day.

My way: Fold a towel in thirds length-wise by folding the edges towards the middle. You get a slim long column. Fold this in thirds again. Done. And it looks great! You also just open one fold to hang it perfectly over the towel rod. Here's a pictorial version of it (you can click the photos to make them bigger if it helps).

The truth is this: no matter how you choose to fold your towels, always fold them in the same way and stack them in the same way. They look neat and un-mussed in your linen closet, the linen closet stays neat and organized, and you never have to 'clean' it.

Supplies Shopping Spree

While parents begin the joyful refrain of 'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year', the flyers list myriads of organizing implements and school supplies, and retailers use their large-volume buying power to get deals on all things back-to-school.

It might be that it's been a long time since a new pack of pencil crayons, a gorgeous new binder, or a shiny pencil case excited you, but you shouldn't lose the excitement for this season. It's the best time for the savvy housekeeper to do some supply-replenishing: you have the widest selection and the best prices of the year. I generally buy what I need for the full year - but the trick is to not go bat-crap-crazy and over-buy so make a list and keep to it. Bring on the happy... go on a spree!

Here are the things I pick up at this time of year:

• A big pack of pens I love using (yes - spending more and getting ones that are smooth and easy-to-use matters)
• A pack of tape - one each for the desk drawer, utility drawer, and 3 for the gift wrap bin
• Note books... for beside the computer, one for TV watching, a little one for my purse... I make notes constantly! 
• Sharpie markers... I love these and the bright colours they come in (and they are great for labeling things) 
• A white board for the mud room (dorm and locker sized whiteboards, blackboards and corkboards are very handy)
• Great travel food containers (for lunches, picnics, storage of all sorts)
• Vinyl pockets for projects (I love these more than I should! All notes, clippings, photos, etc for a given project go into one of these until the project is complete)
• Paper clips
• Staples

Of course, your list will be different. That's the fun of it!

1-Minute Microwave Clean

I hesitate to even post this tip, because I think so many people already know it. However, it's so easy and fast, that even if this reaches one Lazy Housekeeper who isn't already using it, it would be worth it!

Microwaves are infamous for having baked-on-food bits which can take time to scrape and clean. Don't waste your time! Here's the 1-Minute solution with two different recipes:

• Mix 1/3 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it to boiling point. The amount of time will vary with your microwave. Mine is about 2 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes in the closed microwave to let the steam soften all the food, then wipe clean. Your only work is wiping it clean! 
• After many years of using vinegar, I've changed to lemon because I like the smell much better and the cleaning is just as effective. Add two lemon wedges to one cup of water and microwave in a microwave-safe bowl to bring it to the boiling point. Let stand for 5 minutes without opening the microwave for the steam to loosen the food, then wipe clean.

Why is it 1-minute? Because it takes 10 seconds to put a bowl with the ingredients into the microwave and turn it on. You come back about 5 minutes later and use (at most) 50 seconds to wipe the inside clean. How perfectly Lazy is that? 

I have seen some crazy tips on the web for excessive microwaving times. I don't understand why so long would be needed - and you'd risk scalding yourself or breaking whatever vessel you are using. There's also a chance of damaging the microwave elements with some of the 'tips' I saw. What works is the steam... so keeping the microwave closed after bringing the water to boiling point is sufficient.

The hot lemon or vinegar water is very good for de-greasing the stove top, wiping a counter-top, or for pouring down a smelly drain.

An alternative is to buy a food cover for using the microwave - this can be put into the dishwasher if it's dirty. No work! Or, if you prefer, grab a coffee filter (which is clean and food safe) and put it over whatever food you are microwaving - it's cheap, fast and easy.