Whew!!!!!! It is 9:22 a.m. and I have cleaned my hardwoods, changed our sheets, sat on the porch with coffee and enjoyed a breeze(there was actually a breeze, it's gone now), fed the boys breakfast, played with our dog, planned how to combat weeds(that's a whole topic in itself), and about to hit the grocery store. What a day.
The topic of my post today is cleaning. Yes, I have a passion for cleaning. I LOVE to clean. It is so gratifying to start and FINISH all in one day. How do you clean? ? I am all about getting it done ALL of it in one day. Now you might not care a thing about cleaning, but as an avid cleaner, I have some tips. Hope you enjoy. :)
*Do not use Murphy Soap Oil on your hardwoods.
*Use BonneKem sold at Bed, Bath, And Beyond (this came from Sweden I believe and was recommended by the wood experts here, The Howells).
*Yes, I do use vinegar and Hot water in a spray bottle to clean the hardwoods BUT I go over it promptly with a towel. NOTE: this is not the best thing to do, but BonneKem isn't as cheap as Apple Cider vinegar.
*I do not use any kind of dusting polish as this can create build up. I use a "magic" dusting cloth that is washable and attracts dust. Occasionally I will use Old English on my pieces to give them a little extra luster or remove any scratches.
*I have found that in my white bathroom Clorox and water mixture works best on the grout. I scrub the glass with Comet Spray (designed to fight hard water spots) with a soft cloth. I scrub my grout with the Clorox with a hand-held scrub brush.
*On my granite counters I use a mild soap (Dawn) and water mixture and wipe with a dry cloth.
*On my tile bathroom floors I use Clorox's Green diluted Floor cleaner. I like it OK, Armstrong makes a good tile cleaner too.
*It's important to remember to polish silver as needed. I like the rub on silver cream and like to do it 4 times a year, but who's counting?
*I change the sheets once a week and periodically will bleach them to keep them white, but not too often as it compromises the threads.
*Don't forget to dust any fans and lamp shades you have.
*I just took off my down comforter and placed my quilt on our bed to keep it cooler.
*If you have time, wipe down the shelves in the frig. You'll feel better. I need to do this!
A great book on the Art& Science of keeping House is Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson. A friend of mine gave it to me. Thanks Reba, it's a favorite! It is wonderful and has great tips on how to get out stains and all kinds of FABULOUS tips.
So now you know I am a little compulsive, but who doesn't love to enjoy their clean home?! It is so rewarding. Here is my schedule for cleaning day. By the way, if you are having trouble "getting it done," set a day aside to do it and plan accordingly.
*Strip sheets off beds and wash
*Start with the largest bathroom (master in our case)
*Get sink done then shower and tub followed by the toilet
*Dust master bedroom
*Clean kitchen counters and sink (I always wash my scrub brush when I run my dishwasher)
*Dust family room
*Windex windows and doors
*Wipe down doors with wet cloth
*Clean Powder bath
*Mop master bath floor
*Clean upstairs bathrooms
*Dust upstairs
*Mop upstairs bathrooms
*Organize playroom toys
*Vacuum upstairs
*Mop downstairs hardwoods
Don't forget to dust around front door. That is the first impression people get as they enter your home. :) Also wipe off back porch furniture and sweep as needed.
I prefer the Quickie brand mop (found at Home Depot).
Don't forget a cleaning Kattie with plenty of soft wash cloths and dusting cloths, trash bags, a rinsing cup, and your supplies. Keep it organized and clean.
It takes me about 3 hours to clean our home. That is one morning a week with daily upkeep.
Now, you're set! You can do it! Happy cleaning! Encourage your kiddos to help and assist you in upkeep. It is everyone's home.
I am not perfect, my laundry rarely gets put away the week I do it and ironing is a bad word to me. I will work on that, maybe you have some tips to share with me?
6 comments:
I hope Steve never sees this post:) The only thing we ever argue about is cleaning house. I despise it!!! I mean, our house is not filthy by any means, but there is not one thing I enjoy about it (except how happy it makes him, which ought to be enough)! You have motivated me and I will try to do better. Someone told me it's better to do a little bit each day so that you don't have it all to do at one time. But you obviously have great success with the "once a week" schedule. BTW, what are your boys doing during this time? I would like to know more about the "magic" dusting cloth. Where do you get it? You may want to avoid me at the pool from now on. I might talk your ears off about house cleaning!!! Just Kidding... but your post has really encouraged me to do a better job. Thanks!
Andi, Can you come to my house!? :) Your morning sounds exhausting (except the coffee on the porch). As for this BonaKemi floor product... I've had it recommended to me and I'm going to have to try it. I've tried everything on our floors to no avail (everything leaves a residue, (Mr. Clean floor cleaner) water spots (vinegar & H2O), or streaks (wet swiffers)). Our floors are prefinished (I'm assuming that "baked on finish" is what's giving me trouble!) and someone recommend (on my blog months ago) the Bona stuff and I've not been able to find it... I may give Bed Bath & Beyond a try! THanks for your inspiring post... if I only had 1/2 your energy to actually do it! :) Love you!
I got so tired just reading this, I'm going to take a nap!
Andi- loved your new word- "bloglet"!!! You have 3 bloglets of your own that you better start displaying on your site! :) Thanks for your very very sweet posts. Seriously, your cleaning essay was beyond words...it took all my concentration to read it! I would have to do a tequila shot after each task to prevent myself from drinking the clorox instead. :) You've always been a stellar cleaner/organizer. And I'm with your friend Kristen- Drew would throw me out with the trash & come kidnap you if he read your post!!!! He would say with glowing approval in his voice, "Now THAT'S what I'm talking about." So I'm going to have to keep your cleaning a secret from the hubs. Love you!!
Ok..I am exhausted ! Did your MaMa teach you all this ? I think I might have failed somewhere in this area ! Who would ever have thought I would get cleaning tips from a little girl I used to know way back when ? Love you and your blog !
Oh my! I will say I am tired and slightly motivated all in one after reading about your cleaning!
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