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Minta

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Oct 14, 2007
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Well we did a major unexpected purge the past 2 days and have more to do tonight and tomorrow. I am so sick over this ... UGH. Well We learned a very hard, tiring and time consuming lesson .. Never store pet food in the garage! We used to buy cat food and dog biscuits in bulk, full up the container in the house and store the rest in plastic totes in the garage .. Yeah no more. Unknown to us until it was too late we had an infestation of indianmeal moths in the garage and they got into the extra cat food in and the box of dog biscuits. There were larva worms all over the place. We spent most of Sunday killing what we could see on the floor, walls and ceiling .. the surge in warm humid temps lately helped eggs hatch much more quickly. Spent all of last evening into the night throwing out a lot of stuff including all my disposable foil pans, packs of holiday themed napkins .. yup those little suckers were inside the unopened packs of napkins, my boxes of trash bags, freezer/storage bags, foil etc. They even infested my ice creamer maker ... into the trash bags and out to the curb they went. 4 black yard bags full so far and I am sure I will add another 1 to 2 bags tonight,. I have a couple rubber maid storage cabinets and a huge free standing metal shelving unit that I kept all these on in the garage. Everything else in and on those cabinets/shelves got washed including the cabinets and shelves. I also made a spray of water, vinegar and peppermint oil and sprayed everything down.

We still the other half of the garage that was away from where the pet food was stored to check tonight. We did spot check those areas last night but didn't see anything but I plan on dragging the rest out of the garage to really check them tonight. Thank fully the only food stored in the garage were canned goods and jars. Had the kids wiped them down last night but you better believe I will be out there daily .. well more like 4 times a day to check for any more of those little suckers.

SO I need to start restocking what I had to throw out and find other places in the house to store them especially the paper goods, foil, and the storage/freezer bags. I have a few ideas of where to store them but that means I need to redo half my kitchen/pantry cabinets.

Thankfully this morning when I checked the garage I did not see any moths or larva anyplace. I guess the bright side is after this we will have a very clean garage.
 

Miss JoDee

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Minta, so sorry. I guess knowing that in the end you will have a cleaned garage that won't need doing when it is week 14 of the HHP. ((hugs))
 
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Lana

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Oct 13, 2007
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Another bag of trash out. Have 6 rooms done and down to mine. It will take time because you know I have been in there working but with doing other rooms stuff went in there. Would love to get it done yet while off but.... Plus more places in my room getting taken over with hiding gifts. We have 4 bedrooms and they are all used
 
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Minta

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Thanks everyone. Filled up 2 more black trash bags tonight. Still found about 2 dozen of those little suckers in the garage but they were scattered and I will take 2 dozen compared to the hundreds we have killed since Sunday. Still have about a 1/3 of the garage left to go through but the further away from the point zero the less we find so hopefully by this weekend they will be all dead.
 

Miss JoDee

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I did go through 2 bins today and cleaned the laundry room. One of the bins had our music in it. CDs and Cassettes. DH will have to go through them before I donate the ones no longer wanted. Most belonged to the kids and old. I did keep the Christmas ones of course. I can see progress. Tomorrow the dreaded craft room, It must be done... so I can start sewing.
 

Miss JoDee

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Well, I was hoping to spend the day decluttering in the craft room when I remembered the new stove and refrigerator are being delivered tomorrow so I need t prepare for that. So change of plans...Kitchen deep clean instead.
 
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Minta

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Well I had been debating if I wanted to throw out my waffle maker and panini press as they had been in the garage near the infestation area. My DH told me to let him know what ones I want for Christmas and he will get me new ones along with a new ice cream maker so into the trash they go. I am so paranoid about any of them still being alive inside them and bringing them into the house. I tossed out a small tote this morning with fake flowers and old toys in it as there were a few of those little suckers in them. I think by the time I am done will have tossed out more then half of the stuff in the garage which some of it was way over due.

We are picking up a small wood jelly cabinet tomorrow night for the dinning room. I will move my vases, punch bowl and few other small dishes from the kitchen cabinet to it and when I restock my paper goods (plates,cups,napkins) I will store them in there too.
 
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Miss JoDee

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I have a charity pickup on Tuesday so I want to make sure I can get as much out of the house as I can. I am hoping to send DH out to drop off the numerous electronic items and other miscellaneous items they will take

i did some more sorting of bins. I ended up keeping two different sets of matching frames and have a box of about 25 frames being donated. I am getting very excited to see so much going.

As far as wardrobe week is concerned I did that in early September because the school I worked at was having a used clothing drive. Holiday wardrobe--I have the dress I am wearing to DD(29) wedding or a velvet suit with a choice of a long skirt or pants. DH has a new suit he bought for the wedding.
 
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Ahorsesoul

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I wanted to have a yard sale the end of Aug. Dh had golfing on the weekends so it didn't happen. Now I'm thinking I should just take the boxes of items I have to GoodWill.
 
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sweetpumkinpye

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Minta, so sorry that you have had an infestation. Seems like you have done a great job in getting rid of not only the larvae but some things that were stores in the garage.
I would love for DH to sort through our garage, maybe over the Summer we will get the urge and clean it up.
 
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Miss JoDee

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Oh, Man. It is going, going, and almost gone. I have everything by the front door ready to put out tomorrow morning for charity.IMG-0871.JPG Saturday, we loaded DH car (bigger than mine) twice 1 with broken electronics and the 2nd time Goodwill donations. I have the attic to do yet but most of it toys and college class notes. I need to get that done before Thanksgiving so I can donate to the school holiday shop. DS & Ddil may be shopping my attic for Christmas gift for dgds.
 

Cindylouwho

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Nov 4, 2007
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Minta – oh no!

Purging like crazy over here. Except for the main living room and kitchen area I pretty much have the entire house torn apart. I’m seeing things differently now for some reason. Things that have been in corners for years are leaving. Current number one project is the closet declutter in master bedroom. I think the garage may have to be next because it will create a domino effect once we move the camping gear. And to finish the garage we have to get the hardware so that the doors open and close correctly. Yep- Dominos.
 

Minta

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We are still cleaning out the garage .... Seeing less and less larva but now we have some new moths that have merged from their cocoons. We are checking the garage several times a day killing anything we see. I was big on stocking up on canned goods, jar food etc during great sales and storing the bulk in the garage. This whole mess has me rethinking that process. We did not store any food items that were in boxes or bags in the garage, they were all kept in the kitchen cabinets. Unfortunately in this house we do not have a pantry which is why I was storing the canned/jar goods on metal shelves in the garage. DH feels once we finish cleaning out the garage and eliminate the infestation it will still be good to store the canned goods/jars in the garage. ... me I am still on the fence on that one. I bought a new jelly cabinet from a yard sale and plan on rewashing my plastic store containers and plastic bowls and store them in the jelly cabinet instead of the Rubbermaid cabinet in the garage. I am going to take a good hard look at all the stuff I have in the kitchen cabinets and what is left in the garage and I have a feeling I will need to make some hard decisions and get rid of some more stuff. I already started purging stuff from the kitchen cabinets too. I think I may take a vacation day from work soon and just get at it ... I tend to clean more when DH and the kids are not around to distract me from the task at hand. This whole experience has been a real opener for sure.
 

Myron's Mom

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You all have been so busy and Minta- bugs yuck! Makes my chest hurt for all you have lost and the hard work you are doing. I am so sorry.
I haven't accomplished much just a small bag of clothes to go to good will. I need to do the closet in the guest room and now that the weather has turned cold all my stuff in the big garage.
 
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halimer

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Minta - so sorry you had this mess!

I have 10+ bags waiting for Vietnam Vets pickup tomorrow!
 
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sweetpumkinpye

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Today I tackle the main bathroom. DS uses this as his bathroom. I did it not too long ago so I am hoping that it is a quick fix. If I get time I would like to clean our entrance hall today as well.
 
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AuntJamelle

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Went through winter things and pulled out several items that are too big - in the donation box they go! Also trying to weed out things I never wear because I don't enjoy wearing them - need to stop letting them take up space!!!