A clean house is more than just a luxury – it is a necessity. That’s right, a necessity. We need a clean house (office or desk) because of all it offers us: efficiency and relaxation. Efficiency, because a clean house means you can find what you need when you need it. It also means that you will spend less time worrying and frustrated over the mess in your house.

A clean house offers relaxation, because clean houses look better, smell better, and feel better – and that’s what makes you relax. A mess everywhere makes us tense. Even hidden messes worry us. What does it take to have a truly clean house? In a word, discipline. No one likes to hear that word anymore, but it’s true.

A clean house takes work, plain and simple. Ironically, the less a house is cleaned, the more work it takes. Yep, it’s true. If you don’t stay on top of your house, the house will be on top of you -- with papers piling up and junk everywhere -- not to mention dirt and grime.

Look around. Is your outer experience mirroring the inner experience? What is your house saying about you and your life? Now, how does your luck improve with a clean house? Think about all the “old” and “unsuccessful” energy that you have in your home.

If you've got dust bunnies the size of Great Danes, it's time to get to work. Dirt and dust equal stagnant and stuck. Remember, a rut is just a grave that's open at both ends. How to get out of your dirty rut? Good old fashioned elbow grease. Here's a quick guide to cleaning your space to get you out of your dirty rut.

1. Go to the bathroom.
Why? Bathrooms that are dirty are germfests waiting to make you sick. Clean it up and you might just feel better or get through cold and flu season unscathed!

2. Take on the kitchen.
This is where you eat so it should be clean. Nothing attracts bugs faster than a filthy kitchen. Make it a goal to give your kitchen a two-hour once over. Spend two hours in there and really clean -- the coils on the fridge, the oven, the floors, ceilings, windows - everything.

3. Head into the bedroom.
When you sleep, you are breathing in

4. Create a paper trail.
To the recycling center that is. Haven't read that magazine? Then you're not going to, so get rid of it. Conduct your own "paperectomy" and get rid of all that paper that's just taking up space.

5. Concentrate in the corners.
This is where everything drifts to... the corner of the bedroom, the corners of the ceilings. Corners are a magnet for stacks of papers. On the ceiling, corners attract spider webs. Clear out every corner you have, including closet corners.

6. Go outside.
Rent a pressure washer and wash the house, sidewalks, patios, and driveways. Pressure washers are a house's best friend. Think of it as an exfoliating scrub for your home. You will love your sparkling house.

7. Head to the top.
Clean off the tops of everything. This includes dressers, tables, counters, refrigerators -- anything with a top. It also means dusting the tops of windows,door trim, and tops of baseboards. Dust just loves to hide on the tops of things.

8. Get steamed.
Once a year get your carpets and upholstery STEAM cleaned. Why steam? It's hot and it's water so it will clean REALLY well without hurting anything or leaving behind any kind of soapy residue. That's right, soapy residue.

Many people get their carpets cleaned or use grocery-store carpet cleaner products only to find they need to do it again and again and again because the carpets get dirtier faster and faster and faster.

Hmmmm.... a conspiracy? No. Just soap that stays behind. And soap is sticky, right? Well, then, that's where all the dirt is coming from: it's getting stuck in all that soap that is left behind from those cleaners. And while you're at it, throw away all your soap-based carpet cleaners.

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter feng shui e-zine and is dedicated to helping her readers develop successful, prosperous, and supportive environments with feng shui. To subscribe, logon to www.redlotusletter.com and receive this special report Fr*ee "16 Feng Shui Secrets for Greater Prosperity."

kweber@redlotusconsulting.com

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