The Joy of Taking Care of Things

Thanks for SHARING!

People of our grandparents’ generation grew up taking care of things and learning how to make things last, a useful skill that can help stretch dollars today.

We honor our possessions when we take good care of them. This quiet January is the perfect time to tackle a few maintenance tasks and take care of the things we already have. 

Fix and Maintain What You Have

Make Something Like New Again

Today’s challenge is to take care of something you already own.

I recently read a post about how to make your vacuum cleaner run better and was inspired to give ours some TLC. I cleaned the filters, canister and hoses, removed the excess lint and hair from the vacuum brush, and wiped it down.

Now it runs like new and does a much better job of cleaning. It didn’t cost a dime, and may prolong the life of the vacuum cleaner, too.

Last year during the JMD I cleaned the individual crystals of our dining room chandelier until they sparkled.

These simple measures for taking care of things are surprisingly satisfying. 

How About You?

You might begin by looking at your cleaning products and pulling out something you haven’t used lately. Floor wax? Countertop cleaner? Car tire spray? See what inspires you, and make something you already own look great again.

Professional window washers can charge $10 to $15 USD per window, but you can clean your own for pennies and enjoy a sparkling view.

Perhaps your garden tools could use a good cleaning and sharpening.

Or maybe you’re ready to delete old computer files, update all the programs, do a disc cleanup, and make your machine zippy again.

Perhaps your bike could use a good tune-up, or maybe you’d enjoy cleaning your wood furniture with lemon scented polish until the surfaces gleam.

Do you have something you can fix, polish or maintain this week? If you accomplish this task, we’d all love to hear what you did over at the Money Diet Community Facebook Group.

You might also enjoy “Use It Up, Wear It Out,” about fixing and repurposing things.

P.S. If you use Pinterest to save ideas, here’s a handy pin: 

A bicycle with flowers in the basket, like new again because of maintenance and taking care of it

 

1 thought on “The Joy of Taking Care of Things”

  1. Right now we have 10″ or more of snow and my joy is the kitchen. I took all my helpers out and gave them a good washing. Some things are not used every day so they can get a bit dirty but I feel so much better that they are nice and shiny clean. Just have to use some and made blueberry muffins. Helps heat up the house and the berries are from the freezer.

    Reply

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