AUGUST 26, 2014
3 WAYS TO MAKE LAUNDRY EASIER
I’m always looking for ways to make homekeeping easier, simpler, and a little more enjoyable. Laundry seems to be everyone’s homekeeping nemesis, so today I’m sharing a few ideas for making it easier to “take a load off”.
- GET OTHERS INVOLVED.
- Much easier said than done, getting others involved is critical to making laundry easier. Even little ones can help by pairing up socks and putting socks and undies in drawers. As kids get older, they can put away folded clothes and then they can fold and put away their own clothes.
- Only buy one type of sock and put them in a basket instead of pairing up and folding. Choose a brand and stock up when they’re on sale. If all the socks are identical (my favorite is just white sport socks) then they can be tossed in a basket or drawer without folding and sorting.
- Use a shared closet for kids to keep folding and putting away clothes easier. If there’s only one place to put clothes away it’ll keep it easier for folding and returning clothing. This is a great idea for families with children close in age that might share clothing anyway and/or if closet space is at a minimum.
- MINIMIZE THE LAUNDRY PROCESS.
- Wash every day clothes on cold to keep sorting and separating at a minimum.
- Have less clothing – less clothing is less washing. Before school starts is a great time to sort and purge extra clothing, especially for the little ones.
- Only wash clothing when it’s dirty – a sweater, sweatshirt or jeans can most likely be worn more than once before it’s put in the wash.
- SPREAD IT OUT.
- My favorite laundry tip of all time – do at least one load of laundry from start to finish, (washed, dried, folded, and put away) every single day. I know that this might sound daunting at first, but doing a little bit every day is easier (for me) than doing all the laundry on one day. I get easily overwhelmed and if I do all the laundry on one day it will just end up in baskets, unfolded and not put away.
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August 20,2014
- DONATE BASKET OR BIN – Keep a small donate basket or bin in each family member’s closet – when it’s filled up bring the contents to your favorite donation spot or give to a friend or family member.
- PASS DOWN BIN – If you have younger children or are saving clothes for other children, keep a bin in the closet pre-labeled and ready to be put into storage. When your child outgrows outfits put them in the bin and when the bin is filled up bring the bin to its storage spot. This is also a great solution for maternity clothing too!
- HAVE LESS – Frustrated by too many choices and lots of laundry? Pare down what you and your family members have be deciding what you really need and are actually wearing. Go through closets and donate or toss outgrown and worn out clothing. Once you’ve purged clothing that is obviously not worth holding onto, determine what you haven’t worn in 6 months and and donate or toss those items. Not sure if you should keep something? Turn the hanger around – if you or a family member doesn’t wear the clothing in a month or two, find a new home for it.
- GROUP CLOTHING – Clothing is easier to find when it’s grouped with like articles of clothing – long sleeved shirts together, short sleeved shirts together, pants together, etc. Put clothing in its proper spot every time and you’ll always be able to locate that favorite article of clothing in minutes.
- COMPARTMENTS – Add small baskets and bins to drawers to keep socks, undies, t-shirts and other items separated and easy to find.
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cleaning calendar
daily:
morning:
make beds
wipe bathroom counters/sinks
empty dishwasher
one load of laundry
chore of the day
night:
load dishwasher
wipe kitchen counters
quick-sweep/spot clean kitchen floor
pickup baskets
weekly:
Monday - vacuum
Tuesday- clean mirrors and windows
Wednesday- scrub toilets and tubs
Thursday- mop floors
Friday- swing day
Saturday- catch-up day
swing day:
1st wipe down furniture and cabinets
2nd scrub oven, microwave, and fridge
3rd wipe down walls, baseboards,and doors
4th spot clean upholstery and rugs
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Tip #5: Using vinegar to clean Stainless Steele
- Soak a sponge or cloth in vinegar and wipe surface down, then buff dry with a dry cloth.
Tip #6: Removing mineral deposits from Shower Heads
- Pour 1/2 cup of warm vinegar into a resealable plastic bag. Drop in the shower head making sure the holes are submerged, and seal the bag. Let it sit for 1 hour, rinse and wipe clean.
Tips for cleaning
June 1, 2014
Tips for cleaning with Vinegar
Tip #1: Using vinegar to clean floors
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1 gallon water
Tip #2: Using vinegar to clean Dishwater
- Put vinegar inside the empty machine and running it through a whole cycle.
Tip #3: Using vinegar to clean Coffee Maker
- Fill the water reservoir with vinegar and then running the brewing.
TIp #4: Using vinegar to clean Microwave
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- In a bowl place vinegar and water and bring it to a boil inside the microwave.
Tip #1: Using Baking Soda as a tub scrubber
- Rub tub stains away by creating a paste made up of equal parts of baking soda and of tartar and lemon juice
- Let it sit for 30 minutes, then rinse.
Tip #2: Using white bead as glass magnet
- The next time a tumbler fakes a tumble, sponge up the shards with a slice of bead even the tiny lines will cling to it.
Tip #3: Collapsible Laundry bins as Garbage bins
- During seasonal cleaning binges, soft sided, handled laundry loins can double as trash cans.
1. Gather your supplies!!!
Make sure you are stocked up on all your favorite cleaning surprise, paper towels, sponges, etc.
if I don’t have something I need, I am more likely to put it off and save it for a rainy day. Be prepared before you dive into the big job of spring cleaning!!!
2. Do your spring cleaning and organizing over time.
It is hard to do such a big task in one day. Create a schedule or list. I write what I want to do in my planner, that way I might actually do it because I wrote it down. One day do bathrooms, another bedrooms, or however you need to pace it out to get it all done right.
3. Get the right junk in the right place.
I am a great pile maker. I make a pile for the office, to go downstairs, to put in the bedroom. This is great, but it also makes spring cleaning hard. All the piles and junk everywhere get in the way. Get the junk into its proper place. If it goes in the craft room get it to the craft room so you can organize while you clean.
4. Do each room one at a time.
I’ve decided I get distracted. I get focused on cleaning, but instead of focusing my energy in one room I try to do it all at once and then at the end of the day, I have a semi clean house, but no one room is completely done. Start with one room and do it
until it is completely finished and clean. This will give greater satisfaction that you’ve accomplished a whole room, when you do reward yourself! You deserve it!
5. Throw out crap as you go.
Whether your throw it in the trash, donate to goodwill or have a garage sale. Round up the crap and get rid of it. It holds you down and makes it harder to have a clean home. As you deep clean this spring ask yourself if you’ve used something in the last 6 months. If you haven’t and you’re pretty sure you could live without it, toss it.
6. Start from the top and work down.
In each room start high up with light fixtures, then windows and blinds on down to the baseboards and floors. This is the law of gravity. If you vacuum your floors and then wipe the blades of your ceiling fan off, chances are you are going to
have to vacuum again. Make it easier on yourself. Do things in a progressive order top to bottom.
7. Move your furniture.
When used to dust as a child, I thought you just had to get all the visible dust and you were good. Just wipe around all the books and stuff on the tables decorations. Those things need to be move if not there is still a bunch of dust that gets missed. Same goes for furniture. Move it.
8. Wash everything.
I mean it. Walls, cupboards, sheets, mattress pads pillows bed spreads, drapes. It will leave your house with the fresh smell of laundry and spring.
9. Solve problems.
Our big problem: SHOES. They seem to end up everywhere. By every door. In the middle of the kitchen. Never on feet just spread across the house. Ok ok part of it is my fault but we all could improve right? My solution: a shoe rack near the garage door. I don’t know if it will work yet but I am going to try it and see. I will put our most used shoes on
the rack all others go to closets. Solving problems like this will make it easier to keep your home clean. On the flip side, if you have s problem you’ve fixed it but the solution isn’t working, don’t be afraid to change it again.
10. Get creative with your cleaning supplies.
Use things that you wouldn’t normally use to clean. I love to use an old or cheap toothbrush to get in little corners, cracks and crevices.
11. Air your house out.
Even if it is a bit chilly I love to get the windows open while I am cleaning. It brings a nice breeze to get rid of the stale closed up all winter air. Hang out things that can’t be washed like dry clean only beds spreads, pillows large area rugs. Get that spring fresh outdoors scent and bring it inside.
12. Touch up paint.
So this may not be cleaning, but it may as well be. I have a couple of places where the paint has been nicked around my
house. It is driving me crazy. My eyes go rich to the nicks. Touching up these nicks is like icing on a spring cleaning cake.
13. Tighten screws, change light bulbs, an d check smoke detectors.
Ok I’m weird. These things are just good things to check right now. Make sure things are working properly. Or if something has gone undone all winter that needs you attention, schedule it on your spring cleaning schedule.
Like change that hard to get light bulb on your porch. Do it you will feel better.
14. Create a Weekly/Daily cleaning schedule.
After your house is all spotless from spring cleaning, maintain it. Maintenance is key. It will make the deep cleaning an easy thing rather than a huge chore every few months. Find what works best for you. Do you like to get all your cleaning done in one day, or do you like to spread it out doing a little bit each day? Whatever your cleaning style: Make a plan.
15. Don’t do it all alone.
Enlist your husband, boyfriend, roommates, and/or kids. Maybe ask a friend to help your and then do the same for her. I always find it easier to keep going when someone is helping me out.
I hope this helps you to tackle your spring cleaning
organization this year.
Tip #1: Removing perspiration stains.
- Add 4 tablespoons of salt to one quart of hot water, soak fabric until stain fades.
Tip #2: Use lemon and salt to clean stains and marks off your cutting boards and butcher blocks.
Tip #3: Gently scrub the inside of your tea or coffee stained mugs with salt and a damp cloth to
remove stains.
Tip #4: Use 1/2 a lemon dipped in salt to scour rust off a porcelain sink.
Tip #5: Use 1/2 of a lemon dipped in salt to scrub away lime buildup around your faucets.
JULY 31, 2014
Weekly Room Cleaning Tip
if they are washable. Dry on a low heat setting and remove before they are completely dry and re-hang. This will minimize shrinkage and keep your ironing board away. and sofa pillows.July 1,2014
Mondays: Vacuum house thoroughly - vacuum each room, occasionally do vents and curtains and window crevices. (total time: 25-30 minutes depending on house size).
Tuesdays: Dust house ( total time: 15 minutes depending on knock knack amount) occasionally wipe down nice furniture with polish.
Wednesday: Clean back bathroom including toilet, counters, mirror, tub, shower, and clean floors. (total time: 15-20 minutes)
Thursdays: Clean front bathroom including toilet, counters, mirror, shower, and floors. ( total time: 15-20 minutes)
Fridays: Clean kitchen-mop floor and clean counter tops with bleach product. ( total time: 15-20 minutes)
Weekends: Other small projects or NOTHING at all!!
**Maintain house daily by picking up things and IMMEDIATELY putting items away or in a basket to take upstairs or to other rooms. Throw junk mail away immediately and sort out incoming mail.btitl
480-343-7055
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August 6, 2014
How to clean out your fridge
Step 1: Take everything out. Throw away anything that has expired or is not in good condition.
Step 2: Deep clean the fridge. remove shelves and drawers. This is a pain that will pay off in the end. Use hot water and soap to do the DEEP CLEANING. For those areas that are perhaps more dirty use lemon.
Step 3: Use wax paper to protect your fridge shelves and the bottom of your drawers. Wax paper works the best. It wont stick to the glass and looks fresh and bright.
Step 4: Use sandwich bags ( Fold top closure) to wrap butter, cheese, and vegetables. This is the best dollar you will ever spend. It is quick, easy, keeps your food fresh longer and your fridge odor free.
Step 5: Use small bottles for ketchup, mayo, and mustard. They work perfect for kids and thy are pretty much mess free.
Step 6: Use big plastic containers to store your bottles and smaller one for snacks, butter sticks, and to keep your veggies and fruits organized. Use smaller containers for smaller items. Also veggies and fruits are a lot easier to find. Just put the container out and pick what you need.
Step 7: Before you go shopping take a look at what you have. This not only will save you money but will help you to keep the amount of food in your fridge under control.
Following these simple Steps we went from a mess to the cleanest fridge we have ever had.
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June 25, 2014
- Shine your stainless steal with baby oil!
- Use foil to clean glass bakeware.
- Clean stove burners and gates effortlessly with ammonia.
- Use shoe polish as furniture polish
Vanilla as Freezer Freshener
- Trade frostbite funk for a more pleasing freezer scent by wiping the inside of the icebox with an extract dampened cotton cloth.
Vinegar as Odor Remover
- After chopping onions, scrub your hands with salt and a splash of vinegar to eliminate the smell.
Make cleaning your Computer Keys simple:
- slide a 2 1/2 inch strip of tape between the rows of your keyboard the Adhesive side will remove dust and crumbs.
august 5, 2014
Pillow Cleaning Routine:
Step 1 – Wash:
Remove the pillowcase and pillow protector. You will want to use the most liquid gentle detergent you have, avoiding harsh detergents loaded with stain removers and scents. Set your washer on the gentle, warm water cycle as well as it’s largest capacity. Put in the detergent and allow the washer to begin filling before putting in your pillows. Wash no more than two to three average pillows at a time to guarantee a thorough cleaning.
Step 2 – Rinse:
After your washer has completed it’s cycle, run it through the rinse cycle again. This is to make sure that the detergent is thoroughly removed from the interior of the pillow. Due to their thickness and density, pillows require a bit more care to be thoroughly cleaned. I like to run my spin cycle twice as well to remove any excess water.
Step 3 – Dry:
Upon finishing the washing portion of cleaning your pillows, it’s time to dry them. If your pillow is foam, you will want to line dry or hang your pillow to dry as a trip through the dryer would cause the material to melt. For other synthetic materials, dry on a low to medium heat cycle and avoid any high heat. Down and natural materials can’t stand much heat, so set your dryer on Air and allow them to dry thoroughly. If you would like to fluff up your pillows again, put a couple tennis balls in some socks and toss them in to agitate and return the fibers to their natural state. Stop the dryer every 30 minutes to rotate the pillows around to make sure that they dry thoroughly.
august 4, 2014
- 16 oz+ Spray Bottle
- 1/4 c. White Vinegar
- 20 Drops of Pure Lemon Essential Oil (You may eliminate, if you don’t want to add an aroma)
- Fill with warm Water (16 oz total – including vinegar)
- Shake well
Before
After
august 6, 2014
10 WAYS TO CLEAN WITH VINEGAR
House Cleaning List
Weekly:
- dust all hard surfaces
-vacuum or mop the floor
-wipe down the appliances
-wipe down the counters
-scrub and disinfect the toilet
-scrub and disinfect the shower and bath tub
-change the sheets
-check and empty the garbage as needed
Monthly:
- vacuum
-wipe and disinfect the wastebaskets
-wipe and disinfect the doorknobs
-wipe and dust ceiling fans
-scrub clean the stove burner
-dust the moldings
-wipe down fronts of kitchen cabinets
-clean out the drains
Every 3 to 6 months:
-launder or hand wash the curtains
-wipe and disinfect the wastebaskets
-wipe and disinfect the doorknobs
-wipe and dust ceiling fans
-scrub the stove and burner
-dust the moldings
- wipe down fronts of kitchen cabinets
- clean out drains
Every 6 to 12 months:
-clean the oven
- wash and clean the lamp shades
-sponge clean washable upholstery
-wash or dry clean pillows
-launder or dry clean comforters
-wash fabric shades
- empty and clean cabinets
-scrub tile grout
-wash and dry filter of the stove hood
Every year:
-professionally clean the rugs
-professionally clean the upholstery every year
- professionally clean the carpets
- professionally clean fabric shades
-touch up needed floors
-wash the walls
-clean pantry thoroughly
-professionally clean the drapes every 2 years
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