The older homes along Second Street and throughout Proctor's established neighborhoods weren't built with modern storage solutions in mind, which means many of us are working with limited closet space and basements that collect everything from old ski equipment to boxes we never unpacked. Add in the iron-rich red dust that settles on surfaces during our dry spring months—a reminder of our mining heritage—and you've got a recipe for cluttered corners that trap that distinctive reddish grime. When winter finally breaks and you're ready to tackle that deep clean, all those piles of stuff become real obstacles. You can't properly clean what you can't reach, and that dust doesn't discriminate between your great-grandmother's china and the pile of magazines by the radiator.
This is exactly why decluttering needs to happen before you break out the mop and bucket. When you remove the excess first, you're not just making more space—you're giving yourself actual access to the baseboards, window sills, and floor corners where dust and allergens accumulate. The process doesn't need to be overwhelming. Start with one room, sort items into keep-donate-toss piles, and be honest about what you actually use. Once surfaces are clear and belongings are organized, your deep cleaning becomes twice as effective and takes half the time. You'll finally reach those spots that haven't seen daylight in months.
Declutter First: The 40% Rule
Professional cleaners consistently report that homes with clear surfaces take 35–45% less time to clean thoroughly. That means a better result — or the same time spent going deeper on what matters.
Where to Start in a Proctor Home
The Kitchen Counter Problem
Proctor kitchens accumulate countertop appliances quickly: air fryers, Instant Pots, coffee systems, smoothie makers. The rule: if you don't use it at least weekly, it goes in a cabinet or out of the house. Goal: one clear strip of counter behind the sink and at least half of all counter space unoccupied.
The Bathroom Surface Audit
The average American bathroom has 17 items on the counter. Ideal is 3–5. Everything else goes in a drawer, medicine cabinet, or under-sink storage. This transforms a 15-minute bathroom clean into a 7-minute one.
Bedroom Floor Rules
Anything on a bedroom floor that isn't furniture is clutter. Under-bed storage with a flat lid surface is the best Proctor solution for extra storage without floor clutter.
The Flat Surface Principle
Every flat surface — dressers, nightstands, coffee tables, bookshelves — should have at most 3 objects on it. Everything else creates visual noise and collects dust.
Room-by-Room Declutter Plan
Kitchen (2–4 Hours)
- Pull everything out of one cabinet at a time
- Group: keep, donate, toss, relocate
- Apply the "last used" test: if unused in 12 months, it goes
- Tackle the junk drawer last
- Clear all countertops; return only daily-use items
Closets (1–2 Hours Each)
- Remove everything entirely
- Clean the empty closet
- Evaluate each item: does it fit, do you love it, have you used it in the last year?
- Return only what passes; bag the rest for donation
Living Areas (1–2 Hours)
- Remove all items not permanently belonging to that room
- Reduce decorative items to "gallery-worthy" only
- Cable management — loose cords are clutter and dust magnets
The Donation Schedule
In Proctor, these organizations accept household goods and furniture:
- Habitat for Humanity ReStore — large items and furniture
- Goodwill Industries — general donations
- Vietnam Veterans of America — furniture pickup by appointment in many markets
Maintaining It
The one-in-one-out rule: every time something new enters your home, something equivalent leaves. Applied consistently, this maintains your decluttered space without periodic purges.
Once you've decluttered, TotalCare Cleaning can give your Proctor home the deep clean it deserves. Call (888) 378-7451 to schedule.