I recently read that the air pollution in our homes is up to 75% greater than that outdoors! Insane! The biggest contributor to this is (drumroll please....) our cleaning products!!
Did you know that chlorine mixed with ammonia (present in many cleaning products) combines to create chloramide - a toxic gas used in WWI???? Yikes!
The easy solution is to use cleaning products that do not contain many of these harmful chemicals. Unfortunately, most of those all-natural products, albeit fabulous, are pricey.
Fear not! There is a much healthier and less-expensive way to clean your home!!!!
You will need a few very simple and very inexpensive items:
Hydrogen Peroxide (I just scored a 32 oz. bottle at Target for like $2!)
White Vinegar
Baking Soda
Lemon Juice
Vinegar can be used to clean just about anything - the counters, floors, windows, sinks, etc.
Want to sanitize your counters, toilets, sinks??? This simple method kills more germs than the popular sanitizing products that are on the market (remember my affection for Clorox Wipes???) - fill one spray bottle with vinegar, another with hydrogen peroxide. Spray the surface with the vinegar first, wipe dry (I love using those yellow car detailing cloths, especially for my granite countertops!). Then spray on the hydrogen peroxide and wipe dry. Ta dah!!! Could it get any easier than this????
Have a clogged drain? No problem! Its nothing a little hydrogen peroxide and baking soda can't conquer! Minus the dizzying fumes that Drain-O creates!
Use the baking soda anywhere you could use a dry-power scrub or where there are funky smells - bathtubs, toilets, sinks.
Use the vinegar anywhere you want shine.
Use the lemon juice anywhere you have stains (try it on clothes too!!).
And there you have it - a squeaky clean and sparkling home sans the harmful chemicals that pollute the environment and our air!!!
To further aid in cleaning your air in the home - keep a house plant for every 100 sq ft. of space you have. Unfortunately, I have a black thumb, so my plants live a total of 2 weeks before they turn to sticks.
Showing posts with label house cleaning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label house cleaning. Show all posts
Friday, September 11, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Elle's Guide to a Gleaming Home
After managing to get my entire house clean (for the first time in well over a year) on Saturday, I declared myself an expert on such matters and decided that you all needed me to impart my wisdom on you. I'd been having a bit of a pity party of late because I just couldn't seem to make a dent in the disaster area I called my home. I'd get one room clean, and by the time I got to the next, the prior room would be destroyed again. I just never seem to find a chunk of time to devote to housecleaning. Part of the problem is I have a pretty big house - 3500 sq ft - which I tell you not to brag by any means, but to illustrate my predicament. The other issue is my obsessive compulsive tendencies which makes me feel like a room isn't clean until it reaches model-home-like qualities. I blame my beloved step-mother who raised me for that (whom I also call Mom, so people are often confused as to whom I am referring, but you get the gist). Growing up, our home was always a beacon of cleanliness, organization, and well...perfection. With 4 kids (and their friends) running around, that was no small feat!
So, pumped up on caffeine and a compliant husband, I set about tackling my house Saturday. I developed quite a methodology that I simply must share.
Step One - Devise your attack plan and get prepared.
* Get a big bucket or tray and put your cleaning supplies in that you will need. In my bucket, I had Windex, Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, Kazaam Tib & Tile Cleaner, Pledge, a coarse bristle scrub brush, a Mr. Clean Eraser, several coarse white wash cloths and several yellow car detailing towels.
* Carry a trash bag around with you to empty the trash cans from each room and to toss random things you encounter.
* Wear rubber or latex gloves!!! This way you can focus on cleaning rather than keeping your hands clean!
* Start from the top floor of the house and move downward.
* Focus only on routine cleaning - save "projects" for later. Carry around a pen and a pad of paper with you to jot down things you want to remember to do later.
* Keep moving at a fast pace and put energy into it - cleaning can be quite a workout! Put on upbeat music and aim to finish each room in 30 minutes or less!
Step Two - Realize that its gotta get a whole lot worse before it can get better! Meaning, you're going to have to make a mess before you can clean up the room. Don't worry about keeping things neat - focus on cleaning.
* If its a linens day, strip all the bed sheets and towels at the start and throw them in the washer while you clean.
* When you go into a room, take every item that does not belong in that room and throw it in the hall and forget about it (for now). Then put everything that does belong in that room away. Everything should have a home - any wandering items get thrown in the hall and dealt with later.
* Then clear all surfaces and put the items on the floor.
* Moving around the room in one direction, use a yellow car detailing towel and pledge and dust all furniture. After you dust a particular piece of furniture, then dust the items that belong on them and put back where it goes. If you encounter glass, use a different detailing towel and Windex to clean it.
* Clean everything as you get to it, don't back-track. Say you reach a window, clean the window sill and window ledges.
* After the room is dusted and cleaned, make the bed with clean sheets.
* If you haven't done it in at least 3 months, go around the circumference of the room one more time and clean the baseboards with Pledge and a detailing towel.
* Finally, use a disinfecting wipe or Lysol spray and disinfect the light switches, door knobs, telephone receivers, mouse/keyboard, etc.
Step Three - Bathrooms.
* Remove all bath mats, shake out on carpet/floor outside. Nothing should be on the floor. Sweep bathroom out to the exterior floor.
* Remove all things from the counter tops and from inside bathtub, set outside. If you are feeling super ambitious, remove the shower curtains and wash. Every few months, I wash my white shower curtain liners with bleach to keep them looking new.
* Squirt toilet bowel cleaner in toilet. Then use bathroom cleaner and spray down sink and counter and inside of tub and shower walls. These cleaners work by chemical activation, so leaving them sit for a minute works better than using elbow grease.
* Return to toilet and clean. I use the disinfecting wipes because that is my preference. Don't forget the exterior and the pedastal portion that has an odd way of getting filthy! Once that is cleaned, use your toilet brush to clean the bowel and rinse by flushing with the brush still in the water.
* Use coarse dry wash cloth to wipe down sinks.
* Move on to the tub and using the same wash cloth, wipe down shower walls and exterior of the tub. Then use scrub brush with some water to scrub the inside of the tub and any surfaces that things sit on that accumulate gunk. Rinse with water.
* Use Windex and detailing towel to clean all mirrors and metal surfaces like toilet paper rings, towel bars, faucets, etc.
* Use Lysol or disinfecting wipes to clean light switches and door knobs.
* Re-stock toilet paper, bath towels, hand towels, hand soap.
* Grap you mop and mop your way out.
* Clean anything that sits on the sink counter like cups, tooth brush holders, etc. These get dirty quick. Once floor is dry, replace everything to where it goes. You're done!!!
Step Four: Kitchen
* Clean out fridge - throwing away anything that is expired. Wipe down shelves and remove bins and shelves and handwash in sink real quick if necessary.
* Unload dishwasher, reload with any dirty dishes in the sink. Hand wash turn plate from inside microwave real quick.
* Take anything that is on the counter tops that does not belong in the kitchen and throw in hall. If it does belong in the kitchen, put away.
* Clear off all counters, placing things on the floor like cannisters, spice-racks, etc.
* Clean inside of sink until it gleams. If you really feel in the mood, disinfect with bleach! Clean faucet while you are at it.
* Spray all countertops with your preferred cleaner, use a detailing towel and polish until they shine. Replace countertop items.
* Use Windex and detailing towel to wipe down the exterior of all appliances. Also clean inside microwave.
* Sweep floor.
* Mop floor.
* Use disinfectant to clean door knobs, light switches, etc.
Step Five: Hallway
* Now is the time to deal with all the crap you threw in the halls. Put things away that have a place to go.
* If an item doesn't have a place to go, find a new home for it. Rubbermaid bins are your friend!
* Dust all wall hangings, clean glass with Windex.
* Clean baseboards it it has been a while. Don't forget stair banisters and railing too.
Step Six: Vaccuum entire house, moving from the top down. Use your hose attachments to suck up any cob webs you find along the way.
Step Seven: Finishing touches
* Make one last walk through the house and look for anything you've left behind to do.
* Use your Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to wipe marks off walls as you go.
Step Eight: RELAX!!!!!!!!! You did it!!!
I know this SOUNDS like a lot - but it really isn't bad once you get started. The key is to KEEP MOVING. If you feel sluggish, push through! It helps to have a spouse or partner to work with you, or to keep the kids distracted! If you have little helpers, give them a towel and a spray bottle of water - they'll be in heaven! Don't stop until you are done. I started at about 12:30 on Saturday and finished completely at 6:45 p.m. Ace helped some. There is NOTHING like a clean house!!!
Now, the next challenge is to do a little something every night to keep it this way!!!!!
PS - Head over to Bennett's Journey to see our pictures from the March for Babies we did this Sunday!
So, pumped up on caffeine and a compliant husband, I set about tackling my house Saturday. I developed quite a methodology that I simply must share.
Step One - Devise your attack plan and get prepared.
* Get a big bucket or tray and put your cleaning supplies in that you will need. In my bucket, I had Windex, Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, Kazaam Tib & Tile Cleaner, Pledge, a coarse bristle scrub brush, a Mr. Clean Eraser, several coarse white wash cloths and several yellow car detailing towels.
* Carry a trash bag around with you to empty the trash cans from each room and to toss random things you encounter.
* Wear rubber or latex gloves!!! This way you can focus on cleaning rather than keeping your hands clean!
* Start from the top floor of the house and move downward.
* Focus only on routine cleaning - save "projects" for later. Carry around a pen and a pad of paper with you to jot down things you want to remember to do later.
* Keep moving at a fast pace and put energy into it - cleaning can be quite a workout! Put on upbeat music and aim to finish each room in 30 minutes or less!
Step Two - Realize that its gotta get a whole lot worse before it can get better! Meaning, you're going to have to make a mess before you can clean up the room. Don't worry about keeping things neat - focus on cleaning.
* If its a linens day, strip all the bed sheets and towels at the start and throw them in the washer while you clean.
* When you go into a room, take every item that does not belong in that room and throw it in the hall and forget about it (for now). Then put everything that does belong in that room away. Everything should have a home - any wandering items get thrown in the hall and dealt with later.
* Then clear all surfaces and put the items on the floor.
* Moving around the room in one direction, use a yellow car detailing towel and pledge and dust all furniture. After you dust a particular piece of furniture, then dust the items that belong on them and put back where it goes. If you encounter glass, use a different detailing towel and Windex to clean it.
* Clean everything as you get to it, don't back-track. Say you reach a window, clean the window sill and window ledges.
* After the room is dusted and cleaned, make the bed with clean sheets.
* If you haven't done it in at least 3 months, go around the circumference of the room one more time and clean the baseboards with Pledge and a detailing towel.
* Finally, use a disinfecting wipe or Lysol spray and disinfect the light switches, door knobs, telephone receivers, mouse/keyboard, etc.
Step Three - Bathrooms.
* Remove all bath mats, shake out on carpet/floor outside. Nothing should be on the floor. Sweep bathroom out to the exterior floor.
* Remove all things from the counter tops and from inside bathtub, set outside. If you are feeling super ambitious, remove the shower curtains and wash. Every few months, I wash my white shower curtain liners with bleach to keep them looking new.
* Squirt toilet bowel cleaner in toilet. Then use bathroom cleaner and spray down sink and counter and inside of tub and shower walls. These cleaners work by chemical activation, so leaving them sit for a minute works better than using elbow grease.
* Return to toilet and clean. I use the disinfecting wipes because that is my preference. Don't forget the exterior and the pedastal portion that has an odd way of getting filthy! Once that is cleaned, use your toilet brush to clean the bowel and rinse by flushing with the brush still in the water.
* Use coarse dry wash cloth to wipe down sinks.
* Move on to the tub and using the same wash cloth, wipe down shower walls and exterior of the tub. Then use scrub brush with some water to scrub the inside of the tub and any surfaces that things sit on that accumulate gunk. Rinse with water.
* Use Windex and detailing towel to clean all mirrors and metal surfaces like toilet paper rings, towel bars, faucets, etc.
* Use Lysol or disinfecting wipes to clean light switches and door knobs.
* Re-stock toilet paper, bath towels, hand towels, hand soap.
* Grap you mop and mop your way out.
* Clean anything that sits on the sink counter like cups, tooth brush holders, etc. These get dirty quick. Once floor is dry, replace everything to where it goes. You're done!!!
Step Four: Kitchen
* Clean out fridge - throwing away anything that is expired. Wipe down shelves and remove bins and shelves and handwash in sink real quick if necessary.
* Unload dishwasher, reload with any dirty dishes in the sink. Hand wash turn plate from inside microwave real quick.
* Take anything that is on the counter tops that does not belong in the kitchen and throw in hall. If it does belong in the kitchen, put away.
* Clear off all counters, placing things on the floor like cannisters, spice-racks, etc.
* Clean inside of sink until it gleams. If you really feel in the mood, disinfect with bleach! Clean faucet while you are at it.
* Spray all countertops with your preferred cleaner, use a detailing towel and polish until they shine. Replace countertop items.
* Use Windex and detailing towel to wipe down the exterior of all appliances. Also clean inside microwave.
* Sweep floor.
* Mop floor.
* Use disinfectant to clean door knobs, light switches, etc.
Step Five: Hallway
* Now is the time to deal with all the crap you threw in the halls. Put things away that have a place to go.
* If an item doesn't have a place to go, find a new home for it. Rubbermaid bins are your friend!
* Dust all wall hangings, clean glass with Windex.
* Clean baseboards it it has been a while. Don't forget stair banisters and railing too.
Step Six: Vaccuum entire house, moving from the top down. Use your hose attachments to suck up any cob webs you find along the way.
Step Seven: Finishing touches
* Make one last walk through the house and look for anything you've left behind to do.
* Use your Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to wipe marks off walls as you go.
Step Eight: RELAX!!!!!!!!! You did it!!!
I know this SOUNDS like a lot - but it really isn't bad once you get started. The key is to KEEP MOVING. If you feel sluggish, push through! It helps to have a spouse or partner to work with you, or to keep the kids distracted! If you have little helpers, give them a towel and a spray bottle of water - they'll be in heaven! Don't stop until you are done. I started at about 12:30 on Saturday and finished completely at 6:45 p.m. Ace helped some. There is NOTHING like a clean house!!!
Now, the next challenge is to do a little something every night to keep it this way!!!!!
PS - Head over to Bennett's Journey to see our pictures from the March for Babies we did this Sunday!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Patience (With Yourself) Is a Virtue
So...I declare this "T-shirt Week"!! I've come across a few fun t-shirts lately that have inspired some blog topics, so each of my blogs this week will feature a new t-shirt. Go ahead, tell me how corney that is - I can take it!
I recently discovered an online store called Faith Baby that sells Christian-inspired clothing for kids and babies, and saw this t-shirt, which I think would be PERFECT for Carter:
If you can't see the writing, it says "be patient. God is not finished with me yet!" Of course, this t-shirt is intended for toddlers, but I could sure use one adult-sized for me!!!
So, I last left you all gloating about my grand plans to clean my house top to bottom. Oh boy did I have big plans! I arranged for Ace to take the boys and leave me in peace and serenity for SIX straight hours Saturday. Surely, that is long enough don't you think? Back in the day before frugality hit me, I had a cleaning lady come once every two weeks and it took her like 3-4 hours to clean the house. If she could do it, so can I! Right? WRONG.
In six hours, all I managed to get done was the family room (but boy was it disgusting), the exterior of the kitchen (didn't get inside the fridge, cabinets or pantry), the half bath, and the foyer. PATHETIC. I swear I only took one 10-minute break the entire time to pump too. What the heck is wrong with me??? Even when I have all time in the world (i.e. 6 hours when you are a mom of two), I can't manage to keep my house clean! I'm just falling apart people!
After getting over my initial disappointment (err...devastation), I decided to give myself a break. I'm always plunging in expecting that I can whip things into shape and get things "perfect" again. I have this long list of goals that I wrote up for 2009, which if accomplished probably would resemble something along the lines of a Stepford Wife, but with a full-time career added on top. And I'm always so frustrated that I can't seem to make any headway on this list. I keep declaring "This will be THE week when I get my life in order!" Yet, it just never happens. Alas, I am not superwoman. Maybe back in the day I was, but that was before two kids, a law career and chronic sleep deprivation descended on me. I just may never accomplish that entire list of goals. I'm a work in progress after all!!!
So, the moral of the story here is - baby steps. I've realized that the only way any of my goals will ever come close to being met is to gradually work toward achieving them (or achieving the steps it takes to achieve them, lol!). I just need to be patient with myself! God doesn't give up on me because I am not perfect (yet), now does he? So, I can't keep giving up on myself. Maybe my house will achieve model-home status one day, and maybe it won't. As long as I view it as a work in progress, then I'll be one step closer. And a lot less frazzled and stressed about it.
I recently discovered an online store called Faith Baby that sells Christian-inspired clothing for kids and babies, and saw this t-shirt, which I think would be PERFECT for Carter:
If you can't see the writing, it says "be patient. God is not finished with me yet!" Of course, this t-shirt is intended for toddlers, but I could sure use one adult-sized for me!!!So, I last left you all gloating about my grand plans to clean my house top to bottom. Oh boy did I have big plans! I arranged for Ace to take the boys and leave me in peace and serenity for SIX straight hours Saturday. Surely, that is long enough don't you think? Back in the day before frugality hit me, I had a cleaning lady come once every two weeks and it took her like 3-4 hours to clean the house. If she could do it, so can I! Right? WRONG.
In six hours, all I managed to get done was the family room (but boy was it disgusting), the exterior of the kitchen (didn't get inside the fridge, cabinets or pantry), the half bath, and the foyer. PATHETIC. I swear I only took one 10-minute break the entire time to pump too. What the heck is wrong with me??? Even when I have all time in the world (i.e. 6 hours when you are a mom of two), I can't manage to keep my house clean! I'm just falling apart people!
After getting over my initial disappointment (err...devastation), I decided to give myself a break. I'm always plunging in expecting that I can whip things into shape and get things "perfect" again. I have this long list of goals that I wrote up for 2009, which if accomplished probably would resemble something along the lines of a Stepford Wife, but with a full-time career added on top. And I'm always so frustrated that I can't seem to make any headway on this list. I keep declaring "This will be THE week when I get my life in order!" Yet, it just never happens. Alas, I am not superwoman. Maybe back in the day I was, but that was before two kids, a law career and chronic sleep deprivation descended on me. I just may never accomplish that entire list of goals. I'm a work in progress after all!!!
So, the moral of the story here is - baby steps. I've realized that the only way any of my goals will ever come close to being met is to gradually work toward achieving them (or achieving the steps it takes to achieve them, lol!). I just need to be patient with myself! God doesn't give up on me because I am not perfect (yet), now does he? So, I can't keep giving up on myself. Maybe my house will achieve model-home status one day, and maybe it won't. As long as I view it as a work in progress, then I'll be one step closer. And a lot less frazzled and stressed about it.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Running Like a Well-Oiled Machine
In the never-ending quest to find balance and organization amid the chaos of life, I have found a few little tools that I have found to be helpful. Out of the goodness of my heart and sincerest interest for your wellbeing, I thought I would be kind enough to share them with you. Aren't I nice??
I currently have a super secret project underway that will one day (in the hopefully very near future) obliterate the need for these various archaic pieces of paper. I mean, come on people - its the 21st century and we're still writing with pen and paper?? However, until the great unveiling, to which my beloved and loyal blog readers will be privvy, I rely on these handy dandy forms to hold the pieces of this great juggling act together.
One of my favorite websites is the Mommy Trackd website. They have great material on there and some hilarious articles. You absolutely must check the site out! They have some awesome (and cute) downloads there too!
I really like this "Week at a Glance" to get the big picture of what is going on each week with the family. It also helps me get a better idea of which nights are better for planning things, and which days are full already.
In the bottom part for my "to do" I write out the ONE thing I will focus on from my goals list. For example, this week, my focus was working on getting up and working out each morning. I succeeded in that endeavor only 2 out of the 5 days this week, but its a start!
If you do nothing else to streamline your life, you must do this - meal plan. It saves you time, brain power and money. Long gone are the days where you rush home at 5:30 p.m. and think "ugh, what am I going to make for dinner tonight?" and try to piece together the random ingredients lying around in the fridge and pantry. No, no, no...you must plan this in advance. Every Sunday I write out my meal plan for the week (I include lunches too since I pack for both me and Carter), then I write out my grocery list and do my shopping for the week (and if I really have it together - 2 weeks). I try to chop any veggies or do any prep work I can ahead of time too!
I think this is my favorite form - The Balance Sheet. I print one out every day at the start of the day (I have it saved to my desk top) and write out what needs to get done for both work and home. Its a great way to stay on task!
I currently have a super secret project underway that will one day (in the hopefully very near future) obliterate the need for these various archaic pieces of paper. I mean, come on people - its the 21st century and we're still writing with pen and paper?? However, until the great unveiling, to which my beloved and loyal blog readers will be privvy, I rely on these handy dandy forms to hold the pieces of this great juggling act together.
One of my favorite websites is the Mommy Trackd website. They have great material on there and some hilarious articles. You absolutely must check the site out! They have some awesome (and cute) downloads there too!
I really like this "Week at a Glance" to get the big picture of what is going on each week with the family. It also helps me get a better idea of which nights are better for planning things, and which days are full already.
In the bottom part for my "to do" I write out the ONE thing I will focus on from my goals list. For example, this week, my focus was working on getting up and working out each morning. I succeeded in that endeavor only 2 out of the 5 days this week, but its a start!
If you do nothing else to streamline your life, you must do this - meal plan. It saves you time, brain power and money. Long gone are the days where you rush home at 5:30 p.m. and think "ugh, what am I going to make for dinner tonight?" and try to piece together the random ingredients lying around in the fridge and pantry. No, no, no...you must plan this in advance. Every Sunday I write out my meal plan for the week (I include lunches too since I pack for both me and Carter), then I write out my grocery list and do my shopping for the week (and if I really have it together - 2 weeks). I try to chop any veggies or do any prep work I can ahead of time too!
I think this is my favorite form - The Balance Sheet. I print one out every day at the start of the day (I have it saved to my desk top) and write out what needs to get done for both work and home. Its a great way to stay on task!
Now, for my old nemesis - housecleaning. Many moons ago, I stumbled upon the Motivated Moms housekeeping planners. The lady who owns this business is a stay at home mom who came up with a way to stay on top of household chores while still preserving time for yourself. She sets out day-by-day a handful of chores that will keep your house in order. Now, I'll admit, its really hard to keep up with the daily schedule while working full time, so sometimes I have to look at it in terms of the week rather than the day, and that works too. But, its really nice when I can stay on top of the daily tasks and then don't have to carve out huge chunks of precious time with my kids on the weekends, or my down-time for myself (while they are asleep of course) to do housework. Its only $8 for the whole year and she has several different formats for you to choose from. For this paltry sum, I highly suggest you give it a try!!
If you are list-crazed OCD and want lots of different options for every conceivable situation (ahem...Melissa), then you will probably like the Organized Home website with its gazillion forms (and great content too!!) and the Mom Agenda website, which sells planners but has lots of free downloads as well (and they are super cute too!).
Of course, all the organization in the world won't help a lick if you don't actually do the work, so I'd better get back to writing this legal motion now. I hope you all have a FABULOUS weekend! I plan to do a major overhaul cleaning of my house tomorrow, so wish me luck and cooperative children!
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