Cleanliness, Money, and Time

Keeping things clean will save us a lot of time and money. I don't mean organized, I mean actually clean - wiped down, disinfected, scrubbed, etc. We throw out a lot of money getting things new when all they need is for the things we have to be cleaned.

A new car is an example. Many people like the idea of a new car because it's so fresh and clean - and you get that bouquet of off-gassing polyvinyls. In all likelihood, our new car will in six months from now look like our old car, with the coffee spilled in the crevices of the seats curdling and fermenting.

The effect we get from buying new can be attained through renewing. Cleaning a car ourselves or, in a far second, getting the interior thoroughly cleaned will make us feel like we're getting a brand new car. The same applies to other things: cleaning our cellphones, dusting our TV's and computers, touching up the paint on our walls, steam-cleaning the carpets, etc.

Cleaning has a second money and time-saving benefit: we turn up a lot of the things we thought we lost and were going to have to buy again. Enjoy your spring cleaning!