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The Small Things & My Housekeeping Mission Statement

January 5, 2008 Leave a Comment

This week I ran across a blog called Home Sanctuary. The blog’s writer Rachel Anne has come up with a great idea for 2008. She is challenging her readers to become “company girls” and participate in “Sanctuary is in the Small Things.” Each day she assigns a small task to help you make your home a sanctuary. And she’s even giving away prizes to participants. I think it sounds like a very fun and interesting concept; not to mention it could be very helpful in helping you to maintain a nice clean home. (and may even help those of you with “home” blogs to come up with new post ideas)

One of the first “Small Things” is to come up with a housekeeping mission statement. I’ve never thought about it, but most business’s have a mission statement of some sort, and blogs generally have some sort of stated purpose or mission statement. Why not have a housekeeping mission statement? Below is mine:

“I will work to maintain a neat and simple home that is organized and clutter free. It will be a warm and loving place that we will always feel happy to come home to.”

If you guys have made a resolution to organize your home or work to keep your home cleaner this year, you should definitely check it out.

Filed Under: announcements, cleaning

Favorite Posts of the Year 2007

December 30, 2007 3 Comments

I’ve been to a few blogs that have countdowns and lists of favorite posts for the year. In the spirit of the New Year, I decided to do the same, as it seems like a fun tradition. So here is list of some of my favorite recipes and other posts for 2007.

Filed Under: cleaning, crafts, recipes

Top 5 Things to Clean Before Your Holiday Party

November 12, 2007 Leave a Comment

1. Bathroom – Nobody wants to use a dirty bathroom. Be sure to clean your toilet, sink, and your floor. Use cleaners that are antibacterial and deodorizing. I would say, if you’re not having overnight guests, you could probably skip cleaning the tub/shower. Just close the curtain and make sure the outside appears clean. Add potpourri, an automatic sprayer, or a scented oil plug-in for a pleasant, clean smell.

2. Refrigerator and Freezer – Whether people are helping you cook or just looking for a drink refill, they are going to look in your refrigerator. In my opinion, if you’re going to some one’s house for dinner, the last thing you want to see is a dirty fridge. Take the time to do an inventory of your fridge. Check the expiration dates on the food and throw out all foods that are out of date. Also, toss out any old left overs. Empty out your fridge entirely and wipe down the shelves and walls with a sponge or rag. If it’s been a while since you’ve cleaned the shelves, you may want to take them out and wash them in the sink or dishwasher. This may take a while, but you’ll be surprised how great it will after a good cleaning. Plus, cleaning out the fridge will help you figure out what you need to buy for your Thanksgiving feast, and it will help you to make room for your Thanksgiving groceries & leftovers.

3. Kitchen Counter – Before cooking (and after cooking) you should make sure that counters are cleaned and all spills have been wiped up, especially if you are preparing meat on the counter. If you’re having a lot of company over this may be the perfect time to take everything off your counter top and wipe off any crumbs or dust that might have gotten behind or in between canisters, appliances, and the walls.

4. Kitchen/Dining Room Table – Before decorating or placing food on the table make sure the area is cleaned good with an antibacterial cleaner. Also, inspect the chairs, especially if you have kids, to make sure that there are no crumbs or anything sticky in the seats. You also may want to clear the table of items like fruit baskets, center pieces, or anything else that takes up space, if people will actually be sitting at the table to eat. If you want to have decorative items out, consider placing them on a buffet, a coffee table, or somewhere else in your home where they’ll be seen.

5. Floor – Even if you don’t do a massive clean up job before you have company, you should at least clean the floors in the rooms in which your company will be. This shouldn’t be too big of a job, as this should be limited to the kitchen/dining room, living room, and bathroom. (unless you have overnight guests) First of all, for some reason having a clean floor makes an entire room look so much better. Secondly, if any of your guests have small kids, they will probably be crawling on the floor, playing with toys on the floor, and sometimes they tend to put things in their mouths after it’s been on the floor.

Filed Under: cleaning, fall, party ideas, Thanksgiving

Easy Crock Pot Air Freshener

November 9, 2007 3 Comments

Easy Crock Pot Air Freshener

There’s nothing like the smell of warm apple dumplings or pumpkin pie baking in the oven.  It feels your house with such a wonderful aroma!  But since we can’t make every day, we have no choice but to use scented candles, scented oil, etc.  OR….you can try this easy recipe and make your own Easy Crock Pot Air Freshener. [Read more…]

Filed Under: cleaning, Recipe of the Week, saving money Tagged With: ,

Indoor Air Quality, Pt 2: Eliminating Odors

November 8, 2007 Leave a Comment

For me, one of the most important aspects of a clean home, besides visual appearance, is having a fresh scent. If you ever come home from a long trip you may notice certain odors that you never noticed before. The sad truth is the odors have probably been there for a while, you just haven’t noticed them before because we grow so accustomed to the smells in our homes that we don’t always notice bad odors.

Here is a list of some things that can help you to eliminate odors and improve your home’s environment.

1. The best away to eliminate and prevent odors is to regularly clean your home.
2. Use antibacterial cleaners to clean your kitchen and bathroom floors, counters, and sinks. Get lemon, orange, or pine scented for a good clean fragrance.
3. Regularly clean out your refrigerator and pantry and put baking soda in your refrigerator and freezer to prevent food odors.
4. Spray Lysol in your garbage cans and clothes hampers.
5. Regularly wash bedsheets, bed pillows, and any pillows and throws you may have in your living room. Also, upon changing your sheets spray Lysol on your matresses.
6. Regularly vacuum your carpets and couch cushions. Before vacuuming sprinkle Glade or Renuzit carpet freshener, and let it sit for a few minutes. You can also sprinkle baking soda on your carpet to remove stains and odors. Let it set for a few minutes before vacuuming or to eliminate strong odors, let it set overnight.
7. Buy the clip-on toilet deodorizers. Lysol has something out called Cling, which works very well and leaves a nice clean scent in your bathroom for several days.
8. Buy air fresheners. I like scented oil. They come in a variety of floral and fruit scents. My favorite is a scent from Glade called “fresh linen” which is great for living rooms and bedrooms. They also sell candles, gel plug-ins, stick-ups, and sprays. I also like using the oils that you pour into a little crock pot and set out on the counter. The only problem with these is that they cover up odors rather than eliminating them, and they also contain chemicals that aren’t exactly “refreshing”.
9. Buy a Lysol or Airwick automatic sprayer. I have one of these, and I really like it. The refills come in a variety of scents, and you can adjust the “time frequency” of the sprays, and one can will last up to 2 or 3 months.
10. White vinegar. Apparently white vinegar is good at eliminating odors. You can use it to clean with, spray it in the air (with water), pour some out in a bowl at let it set out, or you can boil it for about 30 minutes, and it eliminates odors. I haven’t tried this yet but several people have told me about it, so I think it’s definitely worth a try.
11. Lemons. Lemon juice can be used for cleaning and eliminating odors. You can also grate the lemon peels or use peels from other citrus fruits and put them in your garbage disposal to eliminate odors.
12. Spray fabric refresher like Febreze or All on your furniture and carpets.
13. Make your own air fresheners. Use citrus peels, cloves, spices, or cooking extracts, and add water. Set it out on a table, simmer in a crock pot, or boil it on the stove for instant freshness.

Filed Under: cleaning

Indoor Air Quality, Pt 1

November 8, 2007 Leave a Comment

Air quality is extremely important especially if you spend as much time indoors as I do. Maintaining good quality air in your home is especially important in the winter months because you stay indoors more, and your doors and windows are usually closed, preventing any fresh air from the outside from circulating into your home and preventing the escape of contaminants. In fact, on days when the weather is not too hot or cold you should try opening your windows and doors so that more fresh air can circulate through. Also, turn on the ventilators in your kitchen and bathroom. They will help to take out the pollutants.

One of the easiest things you can do to improve the air quality in your home by simply changing out your air filters on a regular basis. Air filters should be replaced or cleaned (depending on what kind of filter you have) every three months. If at some point before the three months is up, you noticed that your furniture is dusty, you may need to change the filters early. You can check to see if they need to be replaced by simply looking at the filter to see if it is dirty. You may also consider putting your hand over the air vent to see to be sure you have normal air flow. If you don’t feel anything, then the filter may be dirty. Either way you should check your filters on a monthly basis to make sure they are not dirty and replace them at least every three months.

Upon replacing your filters, take a marker and write the date somewhere on the filter so that a couple of months later on when you think to yourself, “gee, I wonder if it’s time to replace the filters…” all you will have to do is look at the filter and you’ll know exactly when you need to replace it.

Not only will changing your filters improve your air quality, but it will also help to lower your energy bills.

Inda.org is a website that you can go to for more information on air filters, including what kind of filters are right for your air system. You can also vist epa.gov for information on indoor air quality.
For more information check out Home Maintenance: How to change your air filter

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Filed Under: cleaning, Home/Garden

Making Your Battle Plan for a Clean Home

November 7, 2007 1 Comment

Cleaning house is a daily job, but sometimes it is hard to know where to begin. Before doing a deep clean of your home, consider these questions.

  1. How can it be improved?
  2. Is there any unnecessary clutter?
  3. What is the biggest problem in this room?
  4. What cleaning products, tools, and other items will I need to get the job done?
  5. Then ask yourself when the last time was that you did certain tasks in that particular room. (ie – vacuuming, dusting, organizing) If it has been a long time since you performed a certain task in the room, you may decide that it should be added to your notes.

You can use these notes as a check list. Having a list is good because it gives you direction and prevents you from getting side tracked. It also ensures that you will not forget to do something, and as you check off the items on this list you will know exactly what you’ve done and have a sense of accomplishment.

After inspecting each room and getting your lists together, you should make sure that you have all the cleaning products and other items that you need. There is nothing worse than starting to work thinking you have everything you need, and then an hour into the project you realize that you are out of something.

Next you should decide, based on your schedule, when you want to clean. Do you want to try to pack everything in to one weekend, or would you rather spread the work out over several weeks? Of course, if time is not on your side, or the amount of cleaning required is becoming overwhelming, you may wish to look for a little professional assistance from a housekeeping team. You can click here for one such example.

  • The Marathon Cleanup – Sometimes my dad will have time off from work for holidays or because the plant where he works has a shutdown. Usually he’ll use this time off time to clean up his house. He’ll take two or three days and get up early in the morning and basically clean for most of the day. If you have the time to do this, it can be a good strategy because even though you’re working for long periods of time, the time will go by pretty fast, and you are able to get everything done in one big swoop over a few days. (basically you get it over with in a hurry so you don’t have to worry about it anymore)
  • A Little at a Time Cleanup –Through it is great to get everything done all at once and in a hurry, if you are planning a major cleanup of your entire house, you might want to space the work out a little more, especially if you work full time and do not have the time to do a marathon cleaning job. My suggestion is that you pick a day and work in one room of your house, starting with the room that you listed as the one that needed the most work. You may decide to spend several hours on your day off working in one room and then set a goal to try to do one room each week. Or if you only get one day off each week and you do not want to spend it cleaning, you can still plan to do one room each week, but perhaps try spreading the work out over the entire week instead of doing it in one day. For example, plan to dust on Monday, and organize and/or declutter on Tuesday, and so forth.

Don’t be surprised if it takes you longer to do a job than you had at first anticipated. It’s good to set goals for yourself and keep an eye on the clock to make sure you’re not spending too much time on one thing, when you’ve got a hundred other things to do. However, most of the time, especially if you are organizing or doing a lot of extra tasks that you don’t do on a regular basis, it is going to take a little longer than you would expect.

 

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Filed Under: cleaning, organizing, planning

Fall Cleaning: Storing Your Summer Clothes

November 6, 2007 Leave a Comment


Mesh laundry bags can be useful for clothes that your not absolutely particular about protecting. I’ve used these to store flip flops and other summer shoes, and I’ve also used them to store t-shirts and shorts that I only wear around the house and sleep wear. Price $8

Plastic totes are perfect for storing anything. For clothing I recommend using totes that will fit in the bottom of your closet or on a closet shelf. I also recommend totes that will fit under your bed, like the one pictured here. These are great because it keeps your clothes dust free and it allows you to use extra spaces in your house (like under bed) more efficiently. Price $10-$15
These canvas bags are made of stretch polyester. They zip up, keeping the dust out and are ideal for storing clothes and linens, and they fit under your bed for easy storage. Price $13-$20

These hanging clothes stackers are often marketed for use in kids’ rooms. I probably would not like to use these on a daily basis, but I think they would be great to store your clothes that you won’t be wearing for a while, because you can place them in the bag, and then just hang it in the back of the closet. These would be great for shorts, tank tops, and t-shirts. It’s also a good product because you can store a lot of clothes without taking up a lot of space, because you are stacking them vertically. If you like these, I would also sugest buying a couple of them and using them in an extra closet. Price $15-$20

These hanging dress bags are great for dresses and suits, but can also be used for other clothing items. I, for one, hate to iron, and with these bags you can avoiding folding your clothes, which will help to keep them wrinkle free.
Price $7-$20

Filed Under: cleaning, organizing

Fall Cleaning

November 5, 2007 Leave a Comment

We spend more time in our homes during the winter months than we do at any other time of the year. I suppose this is why we have “spring cleaning,” so that we can get rid of all the clutter we accumulated in winter months and reclaim our yards from the cold winter weather.

But if people spend so much time in their homes during the winter months, then it makes even more sense to do a little “fall cleaning.” After all, if you’re going to spend time indoors, you should at least be in a clean and pleasant environment. And since the majority of get-togethers and parties occur between November and January, it’s stands to reason that everyone should want to have a clean house.

This week I’ll be posting on some things that you can do to make your fall house cleaning a success.

Filed Under: cleaning, fall

The Importance of Cleaning Up Fall Leaves

October 28, 2007 Leave a Comment

Almost everyone loves the fall leaves: the way they color the trees, the crunching sound they make beneath your feet, but most people hate to have their yards covered with them. Often it becomes a toss up decision: What do I hate worse? All the leaves? Or having to rake the leaves? And this toss up usually determines whether or not we clean up our yards.

Sometimes, especially if you have a busy schedule, it is hard to find the time to rake the leaves, and it is especially annoying to spend an afternoon raking, only to find your yard covered in leaves again the very next day. This leads a lot of people to beg the question: Why bother?

Personally I do not have a problem with leaves to begin with, as we only have a few trees in our yard to deal with; however, if you have a yard with a lot of trees, the leaves tend to pile up pretty fast. But whether you have one tree or several trees, there are benefits to cleaning up the leaves.

The following link is to an article about why it is important to have a clean, “fall leaf free” yard, and it also tells you some things you can do with the leaves:
Why You Should Clean the Leaves & What to do with the Leaves

Also, check out this article about composting your leaves.
How To Compost Leaves

Filed Under: cleaning, fall, Home/Garden
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