It's that time of the year--

by jodi marneris

March 2023--Cleaning. Cleaning up. Cleaning out.

Is there a difference? Absolutely.

When you are cleaning something—it could be washing, dusting, sweeping or straightening. Cleaning up infers there was some kind of a mess. Dog tracked in footprints, someone spilled a drink, toys left strewn about the floor and so on. Hey, it could even mean a shower and change of clothes--in which case means you clean up well. :)

But cleaning out—well that’s a whole new adventure. And, it's usually accompanied by a few garbage bags close at hand.

We’re getting into the time of the year infamously known for spring cleaning. It’s a tradition dating back 3,000 years in Persian culture called, khaneh tekani, which translates to “shaking the house.” It was believed that sweeping up dust and removing clutter from one's home would prevent ill-fortune in the upcoming year.

DISCLAIMER: While most blogs give you pointers and offer expert advice, this one does neither. I don't have anything to offer and I'm not an expert. Instead, this post is to share some interesting stories from others who have discovered treasures while cleaning up and cleaning out.

I “clean” on a regular basis. I “clean up” on an even more regular basis (thanks to my dog—and when we go out! ) I “clean out” more than I care to admit. Sometimes it’s because I’m a habitual saver and sometimes it’s because an overwhelming urge comes over me to feel organized.

“Spring cleaning is my favorite way to find out if I’m a hoarder.”

In 2020, we sold a house we had lived in since early 1987 and boy did I “clean out.”

Here’s only a small sample of what I found.

• Large envelopes full of papers from all three of children’s early school days. Stories they wrote, pictures they drew, math papers, and so on. Trophies, ribbons, plaques from their recreation and travel sports teams, certificates from when they were named student of the month.

• My kids’ christening outfits, along with their favorite Ninja Turtles sweatshirts.

• A replica Chicago Bulls championship ring commemorating the 91, 92 and 93 world championships.

• An assortment of Fannie May trinkets when the company announced it was closing.

• Ceramic figurines of little ducks and bunnies made by our former next-door neighbor in Michigan.

• A purple fanny pack bearing the the Orland Park village logo.

• The pillow our ring bearer (nephew who is now in his 40s) used in our wedding.

• The box from a “soft bonnet” hair dryer. Remember when we put a big bonnet over our heads to dry our hair? There was a long tube attached to the bonnet and a little machine that plugged into the wall called “Lady Dazey.”

I’m not at all sure why I held onto these things. I’ll admit there were some sentimental feelings attached and I had hoped my children would be excited I kept all these things and would want them. They weren’t. And, they didn’t.

“I think I have an urge to get up and clean the house. Wait—no. False alarm.”

I do, however, take solace in knowing I’m not the only one who held on to and later "discovered" a menagerie of treasures.

Like Pam L. who came across a 60-year-plus bottle of a topical antiseptic that belonged to her parents. “I found some mercurochrome in my linen closet a few years ago. I still have it! I don’t know why, but I can’t throw it out,” she said.

“The mercurochrome would probably kill what ails ya’ or kill you,” she said.

<Note to Pam: The FDA banned mercurochrome in 1998 due to its mercury concentration. But, that being said, there’s a used vintage bottle on Etsy going for $31. Nice return on an 83-cent purchase!>

Pam also just found the hoop her mom wore under her wedding gown in 1955. “It poofed out her dress like Scarlett O’Hara."

Then there’s Jan B. who came across something about which she had long forgotten.

She got married in 1973. “We had a small wedding --under 100 people--but did manage to invite some of our college friends. Our friend Tom brought Bonnie, a girl he had just started dating a few months earlier. Tom and Bonnie somehow caught both the garter and bouquet when they were tossed,” Jan said.

She recalls the years passed but they kept in touch with Christmas cards and only met in person once again. Jan and her husband divorced in 2001. The following year Bonnie passed away, and Jan went to the wake.

“Eventually Tom and I started spending time together, and one day I was helping him clean out his basement. He called out, ‘Look what I found.’ It was my wedding bouquet- Bonnie had saved it. I never thought I would be divorced. And when I knew Tom in college, I never thought we would be married. It’s funny how things work out!”

“And in the words of Jonathan Goldsmith (Dos Equis Most Interesting Man in the World) I don’t always clean my house but when I do, I even sweep the floors.”

I thought I held the record for finding lost treasures when cleaning out, but I’m going to say Shyla K. beat me.

She and her husband just got back from Germany where they cleaned out a three-flat apartment building with a basement. It was her where her stepfather spent 60 years of his life.

“Did we find any surprises? Heck yeah!,” she said.

“First of all, my stepdad had a thing for tools. We found buckets full of screw drivers, hammers, files, grinders, drill bits and wrenches in every size and shape. There were lots of electric tools as well. Tools we had no idea what they were for. Rick did a phenomenal job sorting through it all.”

They also came across Mason jars of jam from 1982. “The strange thing was that there weren't any lids on the jars only plastic wrap secured with rubber bands. The rubber bands disintegrated as soon as the jars were touched. The jam was hard as a rock! I think it's safe to say he forgot about them,” Shyla said.

A few other interesting pieces they found included a vase made of a missile shell dated 1910 and an old railroad lantern.

In Germany most homes do not have closets in the bedrooms. They have pieces of furniture called Kleiderschranke (wardrobes). Shyla said there was a bit of space next to the wardrobe--about 12 inches wide that had shelves.

In there, they found leftover wallpaper and a box with gauges of steel. "It must have been a learning tool to measure thicknesses of steel and possibly to give a visual. My stepdad was a tool and die maker."

"The other odd thing we found was a basket with red kidney beans. I asked if anyone wanted chili for dinner. I had no takers! I have no idea how old they were. Who knows maybe they were used to absorb odors?”

Most of the tools and various other items were given away to family, friends and neighbors. “My cousin works at a school. She sent the caretaker to the house to see if the school could use some of the tools. He came in a small car thinking there wouldn’t be much to take. He had to go back a get the trailer to take things that could be used in the classroom and for maintenance,” she said.

Shyla said it was bittersweet to find out bits and pieces about her stepdad, Ingo, that they never knew. “It does my heart good to know that a little or rather a lot of my stepdad is spread out throughout his town, a town he was born in and lived in for most of his life.”

“Spring cleaning is like a treasure hunt. You never know what you’ll find.”

Tackling spring cleaning or any kind of cleaning out is a huge endeavor and usually done best when you just...

take it one day at a time…

Read another!