There's this new show on TLC. Yes, it's another of those DIY reality TV shows. I don't know how I got hooked on home decorating shows, but somehow it happend. Damn you Trading Spaces!
So, right, the new show....It's called Clean Sweep. Since I'm a Trading Spaces addict, I've been seeing commercials for the show for quite some time. And for quite some time I've been thinking, that it wouldn't be very interesting at all.
I was wrong.
I'm not the most organized person in the world. In fact, I think somewhere on my computer I've even got pictures of the clutter that usually surrounds me. If I can dig them up I may even post one or two. Because when compared to the people that are on this show, my clutter is positively tidy. So, maybe it's a feel good thing. "Holy shit, look at that mess. I'm not nearly that bad." Or something.
At any rate, the show goes something like this.
Welcome to so and so's house, they are complete and total slobs and are in dire need of help, because they are just so slob-like they can't possibly sort this out all on their own.
Enter Clean Sweep Team. The team seems to consist of one organizer, one decorator, one master carpenter and several underlings, one hostess, and several general labourers. And the homeowners. The team tackles two rooms in the house. Generally it's a bedroom and a living space, but not always (I imagine that the homeowner has some say in which rooms get fixed).
So, the entire crew picks up everything in the two rooms and dumps it outside on the lawn. (I'd like to see what happens if it rains) So, now the lawn looks like a tornado has gone through town. The organizer and the homeowners then have to dig through all this crap and decide what they keep, what they throw out and what they sell in their yard sale.
So, the homeowners put a zillion stupid things that they don't need in their keep pile, throw out practically nothing, and put a decent amount of things in the pile to sell. I swear, one man put bowling balls in the keep pile. Bowling balls that he'd bought at another yard sale for $1 a piece. Does anyone in the family bowl? No, of course not. Obviously the organizer then digs through their keep pile and makes it a whole lot smaller than the way the homeowners left it.
Meanwhile, in the house, the decorator and master carpenter are going to town on the rooms. Generally the idea is to create more storage, because obviously these people have a problem, they collect junk and lack a place to put it. The rooms I've seen so far have all been really gorgeous when they're done. Both decorators (there are two that switch off) are really good.
So on day two the homeowners have a yard sale. The host has each of them pick one thing of their spouses that they hate, and then puts those two items up as a prize. The homeowners have a contest to see who can sell the most stuff at their yard sale. The winner gets to keep their item and the loser..well the loser loses of course. And their item has to go with the rest of the leftover junk to charity.
I'm sure the experience really helps the homeowners out. But really, the entire thing makes me laugh. Why is it so overwhelming for someone to sit down and dig through their junk? Honestly, it doesn't strike me as something that can be so terrible that you require an entire team of people to come in and help you out.
Nonetheless, the show is strangely compelling. I'm enjoying it, a whole hell of a lot more than I ever expected to.
Posted by Michelle at September 18, 2003 12:05 AM | TrackBackI absolutely love this show. I've been watching it for about two weeks. I am getting help from flylady.net to conquer my clutter and get my home in shape (she's fantastic by the way if you've never looked her up) and I feel so much better about me, my home, my finances, my relationship. It's amazing how clutter robs you of your energy and dulls your mind. This show gets me jazzed up and I generally spend time going through massive paper clutter while I watch.
Posted by: Pat at October 27, 2003 07:51 AMI love Clean Sweep. I love the work Valerie Bickford does with her team. She is so creatuve and fun to watch. I've gotten a lot of good ideas for my home, especially my 'office' and bedroom. Please show more segments with Valerie. I hope the show contuinues forever.
Posted by: Millie at October 27, 2003 08:06 PMIf you ever wanted to help someone I need it bad. I am 58--59 in Jan. and need the help of your show to do me over. I don't know if you ever get to Maryland, but you need to come fast and in a hurry. Love the show. Watch it on the job and when I am home. My husband saw your show for the first time and he said call them now. We need them.
I work to jobs and when I get home I am to tired to do the things around the house. So, if you ever come this way please make me the first in the area.
I hope you know that I am in need.
Posted by: Wilda Boykin at December 3, 2003 07:56 AMLove the program. Lots of great ideas on decluttering. Just moved from a 4 bedroom house into a one bedroom apartment and I have stuff everywhere. Do you ever do any programs on apartment living decluttering? Wish you would.
Posted by: jcsm at January 2, 2004 01:59 AMhow do u get an the show?
Any idea how to audition for the show? My house certainly could use it. Please let me know how! Love the show, help!
Posted by: Linda at January 3, 2004 10:44 PMlove the show wish some one would come and get our "stuff"in order.My husband is a major pack rat,my basement is full.He won`t even let me get rid of my own stuff.His office does`teven have walls, only boxes.How do you solve this.
Many thanks Stacey
(stacey.wylie@sympatico.ca)
anything is great love all ideas!
This show is great. I try to never miss an episode. The ideas are creative and so practical. It is truly amazing what you can do with a complete "mess". I think I might just let one of my rooms get disorganized and get you guys over to work your magic.
Thanks for the entertainment and education.
I love your show. I wonder if you ever come to Canada. It is the best of all the home decorating show; I know because I Watch them all.My problem is that I live in a small apartment on the second floor. We couldn't put stuff outside.The other thing is that any carpenter work would have to be free standing.Keep up the good work;it's inspiring. Evie
cackette1@accesswave.ca
I have just got into watching clean sweep and my mom I live with really needs help on her house. It is a huge disarray. I don't even know where to begin if anyone can help me.
Posted by: Shauna Waite at January 19, 2004 08:45 PMWhat is Clean Sweep's theme song called and who is the artist?! I've been searching the web for about an hour, and can't come up with a thing!
Posted by: Nikki at January 29, 2004 07:07 PMI would love to enter my neighbors for the clean sweep crew to come to this house. I will guarantee this will be there biggest challenge. How do you enter?
Posted by: Darnell at February 16, 2004 12:26 AMDoing any shows in the North Central area? Great idea - could use some help.
Posted by: Lois at February 16, 2004 02:25 PMIf you like decorating shows, check this out:
http://www.benandjohnshow.com/movies/design_in_five.mp4
you need quicktime 6:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
Yes... WHAT IS THAT THEME??? uggh.. I know it's a "sounds like" from something else... but WHAT?
Posted by: Roger McKay at February 20, 2004 06:13 PMHi I watched Clean Sweep and Stacey Dutton had on a shirt with just a drum set on it and I liked so much I had to have it but I can't seem to find it anywhere do you know where I could find one. Thanks!
I wonder do you ever go back to some of these people and see how their places look after a year of so?
Posted by: CoachDon at February 29, 2004 11:13 PMOK, someone MUST know the name of that theme song... it is driving me absolutely NUTS! It is stuck in my head, and I can't get it OUT! HELP ME!!!
Posted by: Phoenix25 at March 4, 2004 10:26 AMYES!!! I have had success... the Theme song is the trumpet fanfare at the mid-point to
JC Chasez - Blowin' Me Up (With Her Love)
This guestion is for Peter Walsh. How come you don't come out to Newfield,N.Y. to do a Clean Sweep? Thanks
Posted by: Liz at March 9, 2004 07:58 PMI desperately need clean sweep....have been disabled since 1989..my basement playroom has colledted tons of stuff and I can't lift or carry. It HAS to go! HELP. I am 78 and widowed... That's different than any other program I have seen. It would be the garage sale of the year and the best thing that could happen to my clutter.
Posted by: Joan at March 12, 2004 10:06 AMWhat happened to Stacey Dutton on the last Clean Sweep? In the episode "It's a Jungle In There" Stacey has been replaced by a new host: Tava Smiley. No explanation, nothing! Just "New Host: Tava Smiley" Any ideas out there?
Posted by: Brian Roberts at March 15, 2004 06:54 PMI'd like to know what happened to Stacey, too. She's great. Will she be back?
Posted by: Wendy at March 17, 2004 04:05 PMI went to the TLC site and looked at their message board area, people seem to think that the show just became too much for Stacey. She apparently has four children, and with rumours that the show may soon start travelling outside of Southern California, she probably didn't want to leave her family behind and never see them.
Posted by: shell at March 17, 2004 05:52 PMThe theme song to clean sweep is part of the song called "blowin me up with her love" on JC Chasez's (formerly of N*Sync) new album: "Synchronized." It comes in about 3 minutes into the song.
I don't know which came first, but it is definately there. Let me know if this helps!
Posted by: Jessica at April 13, 2004 11:16 PMI would like to propose a challenge. My chidren's house is a holy mess. No room to walk or anything else. Can Clean Sweep Help? They live in Decatur, GA. IT would take a bulldozer to do away with their mess.
Posted by: Diane at April 14, 2004 11:50 AMMy friends send me copies of Clean Sweep and other decorating shows on TLC. I'm a sucker for Changing Rooms here in the U.K. I thought Stacey was alot of fun....and now she's replaced? What is wrong with network people? Do they even check with the viewers to see what we think? For Chrissakes we're the ones watching. But no more. Unless you get Stacey back, I'll tell my family in the U.S. not to bother taping. Network people are just like you and me...everything is subjective, remember that.
Posted by: C. Princi at April 28, 2004 02:31 PMI love Clean Sweep, but miss Stacey. I understand that the show may be moving outside California, but she was wonderful for the show. When and if Clean Sweep comes to Atlanta, GA, I have the perfect canidate. She is my sister and has fours crambed into one. Her son's room has toys from when he was a baby and he is now 6 1/2. I can't take it anymore.
Posted by: RF wilson at May 4, 2004 12:23 PMStacey was so great. The show really revs me up to get my own mess moving...out the door that is.
Does anyone know is Stacey will return? Tava is nice, but a wee flashy for this viewer
Posted by: J V Waites at May 18, 2004 02:45 PMI really miss Stacey, Tava is a Stacey want a be.
When shows change hosts I wish they would put on their web site what happened.
I too miss Stacey, she was extremely charismatic and I think Tava just doesn;t have the energy. Stay really carried the show from segment to segment, but Tava Smiley doesn;t really keep it afloat.
Posted by: Elisabeth at May 30, 2004 05:09 AMI want stacy back I really liked her she went with the show really well. Please bring her back?
Posted by: bert at May 31, 2004 10:29 PMStacey was just as much a part of Clean Sweep as the organizers. She was the "yard sell fairy". It's just not the same. You could of at least gone with someone original instead of a copycat.
Posted by: Christine at June 2, 2004 11:33 PMWhat every happened to Stacey Dutton, -She really made the show the success it is today. Tava tried to act the same way as Stacy - but cant hold a candle to her. Please be straight will all her fans and tell us why she is not on the show any longer. Thanks
Posted by: jill24 at June 6, 2004 02:03 AMFrom a man's perspective Tava is a definite improvement over Stacey. Tava can sweep me clean anytime.
Posted by: Jeff at June 12, 2004 07:53 PMFrom another man's perspective.....Bring Stacey back! Stacey is the best!
Posted by: JohnMichael at June 21, 2004 04:15 PMDear Clean Sweep
I am disabled, and live with my down syndrom son. I realy need your help.
I watch your show every time I can catch it on.
It is the number one show to watch from my view point.
I wish u could come to Tn. and see my home.
I live in a moble home, and have no space for every thing I own. I moved here to be closer to my brother so he takes me to my DR.s .
I moved from a 4 bed room doublewide, to a single 3 bed room. It is not easy to do much with more stuff than u have room for.
I am 48 yrs. old and I have had 20 surgers in the last 5 yrs. So I guess u see why I am writting to u, hopeing I may have a chance on
receving your help.
My bed room needs help realy bad,and so dose my living room.(truth be known I need help on every thing, but I would be ever so happy just to get any room done). I know I can dream and hope maybe u may pick me, but if u dont, I will still always watch your show, because it is realy great. (and no, I am not sucking up).
I think your crew is great. Like I said, I cant lift things, but I can sit and go through things,
My son is strong, and he can be a lot of help.
I have been meaning to write u every sence I first seen the show, But I have been in an out of the hospital so much latey, I have not had time for much of anything but watching TV.
Well, I will close this letter, and maybe some day u may just show up, and that would be the greatest thing an old lady could ever have happen
to me.
Keep up the good work, Hope my dream comes true some day, I realy do.
Thank u for reading my letter,
Your show is the greatest and it is time to watch,
Sothanks to all and have a great day.
One of your fans,
Linda Everett and son Allan.
I miss Stacey. Will she be back? What about Shelley? Love the show. Husband gets mad because I sit in front of the TV and only watch TLC.
Tava is a lightweight, trying too hard. She's mostly just irritating. Stacey is the best. She really brought a charm to the show that is sadly lacking since she left. And as far as the "man's point of view", she's a Major Babe.
I miss Stacey too, and I haven't seen Shelley lately - I hope she is still on the show. She and Peter are both very good and I like their different styles.
Posted by: Ramona at September 10, 2004 10:05 PMStacey made the show. Tava is Stacey Lite.
Posted by: mary at September 20, 2004 06:38 PMPlease get Stacey back on the show. Tava is not the type of host for this show. Tava is more of host on some "teen scene" MTV show. Not that she is a bad person, or bad host, she seems like a very nice person, but she simply does not fit.
Some friends of mine in Tampa and myself got together and did a local poll in the Tampa area about Stacey being replaced. We actually got over 1200 responses. 93% wanted Stacey back.
Randy in Tampa
Posted by: Randy Hill at October 6, 2004 10:00 AMI just heard JC Chasez's song and flipped out when I realized the Clean Sweep theme is in there. In fact, I thought Launch Cast was being sneaky and playing an ad for the show in the middle of the song. Glad to know I am not alone in picking up on that.
Posted by: michelle at October 24, 2004 05:41 PM