Cleaning Tips

Like I mentioned yesterday, I love it when my house is clean! In my humble opinion, nothing smells better to me than a fresh, yummy-smelling house! I had a friend who loved the smell of fresh laundry. In fact, laundry was her favorite thing to do. Good thing, because she did around 3 loads a day! She said the scent of clean laundry made her happy.

On a trip to the mall, I found my way into a popular candle store. There was an entire shelf laden with every size of candle dedicated to the scent of fresh laundry. In fact, the label showed clothes blowing on a clothesline! I found a cute little tin about the size of a silver dollar that was a mini candle in that scent. I jokingly gave it to her, declaring that if she ever needed a pick-me-up, to give the candle a whiff!

The first step in cleaning is decluttering, a.k.a. de-junking! I just went through this process yesterday with my girls. My oldest inherited the pack-rat gene from me. She keeps every little card and note any friend has ever given her. She spends hours creating animals out of pipe cleaners that are only an inch or so wide and tall. She also carefully and lovingly cuts out a million or so heart shapes no bigger than the tip of your pinkie, coloring them every shade of the rainbow. She then stacks them into a folded piece of paper. These are all very important to her, even though they've fallen behind the dresser or under the bed.

My youngest is just plain messy! She could care less if her toys are under the bed or piled in corners. I've tried to be creative with different boxes for her to put stuff in, but it doesn't bother her to have her toy dishes mixed in with her Barbies. There are some days when I can't even look in the room because if I did, my blood pressure would go off the charts!

Yesterday I decided to take a deep breath and go for it. The girls & I began making piles of stuff that littered the floor. I'll admit that I just about lost it when I pulled out a sock from under the dresser and found an entire stockpile of missing socks that had been shoved under it instead of being placed in the hamper. Also in the arsenal were candy wrappers, scraps of paper, Barbie shoes, play food, and safety pins. The Lord was with me, and I didn't loose my cool.

In no time at all, we had divided the junk ~ I mean stuff ~ into 4 piles ~ Tweenager's Pile, Preschooler's Pile, Doesn't Belong In Our Room Pile, and the Trash! Tweenager & Preschooler tackled their piles and put everything in its place. Bubby took out the trash, and all 3 put the Doesn't Belong In Our Room things away where they belonged. Tweenager then vacuumed. Today is Bubby's turn. He's not so thrilled, but knows it has to be done! Pray for me!

After de-junking, it's time to clean! I'm not so particular about using chemicals. I have some friends who make their own all-natural products, but the thought of cleaning with white vinegar and baking soda makes me think my house will smell like pickles. (I believe this because when my mom & mother-in-law clean out their coffee pots with white vinegar, their house smells like pickles!) However, I say if that's important to you, go for it! They make tons of natural cleaners now, but I must confess, I love the old stand-bys: Pledge, Windex, 409, Mr. Clean, (Febreeze scented!) CLR, Lysol Cling, Scrubbing Bubbles, and Tilex.

I do suggest in investing in a high-quality vacuum cleaner. The expense is well worth it! The hubs bought me a Dyson a couple of years ago, and I can't say enough good things about this vacuum! It really sucks the crud out of the carpet! Before I used it for the 1st time, I vacuumed the entire house with my old vac. Then came the test. Dyson's suction literally lifted the carpet fibers, and after one trip around my house, the dust canister was completely full!
Gross! I also like the 15 foot extension hose that has the different attachments. It's now a breeze to clean those pesky ceiling fans and spider threads that hang down! I just pop on the soft brush attachment, pull up, and the hose lifts right out. When I'm done, the hose slides right back into place. Love, love, LOVE this machine!

Another investment I believe to be worthwhile are the products by Swiffer. I have a Swiffer Wet-Jet and a Swiffer Vac. I use the Wet-Jet to clean the floors between regular moppings. It's also great to absorb up a liquid spill, like milk or soda. One pad soaks up the entire mess, a fresh one cleans it. The Swiffer Vac is great to clean up crumbs, dog hair, and crud the kiddos bring in from outside. I also like using the dusting pads, too. They really pick up dust from lampshades, and are great for under/around hard-to-get areas, like electronics.

I'm interested in Hoover's new scrubbing mop + vacuum. I like the idea of having the 2-in-1 They're around $75-$80, but there's not the extra expense of cleaning solution, mop pads, dust cloths or filters. I'm not sure how good it works, so I'll study up on it before/if I buy it.

For thorough cleanings, I have a Bissel ProDry Steam Vac we got through a great deal on Shop NBC. For my floors, I think that nothing beats the old-fashioned way ~ sponge mop, scrub brush, and bucket!

The dirtiest room in your house is, in fact, the kitchen. They've done tests and studies that show that you're better off eating an apple that's fallen into the toilet than one that's fallen into the kitchen sink! Okay, is anyone as repulsed as I am right now?

If your kitchen is anything like mine, it's actually the hub of the house. Our tiny dining space is right next to it. The only way out to the back yard is via the kitchen. My washer & dryer are on the far wall. Bella's (our sweet little mini Schnauzer) house is in a corner of the kitchen by the back door. Kiddos tramp though with muddy feet. Spills occur. Meat is thawed in the sink. A trash can is usually lurking nearby. Health is the most important reason our kitchens should be clean & free from clutter!

Tomorrow, I'll post some ways to help keep that kitchen fresh, clean, and sparkling!