a little and a lot

Wednesday, March 05, 2014

Spring Cleaning Shortcuts

Some people clean their houses when they give the first whiff of spring.  I just clean my blog.  Potatoes, po-tah-toes.

Speaking of cleaning...it's not my favorite, but I do have a few tricks up my sleeve:

Spring Cleaning Favorites


1. BORAX
After a bout of trial & error with my top-loading washer smelling like mildew, I finally mastered the art of laundry with my old friend.  Fortunately and unfortunately, I upgraded to a front-loader a couple years later.  I did a lot of research ahead of time to make sure I didn't end up with another stinky washer--I had read that front-loaders had an even tougher time in the mildew department.  Thanks to Borax, I haven't had any trouble!  I put 1/4 cup of this stuff in the detergent tray when I wash every load (or 1/2 cup for whites or towels).  It keeps my laundry white & bright, and I've read it prevents mildew.  (My other trick is that I keep the washer door cracked open at all times, unless I'm washing laundry of course.)  Borax has a gajillion other uses--I sprinkle it on an extra-dirty bathtub on occasion and use water to make a paste to scrub away grime.

2. MRS. MEYERS CLEAN DAY ALL PURPOSE CLEANER (LAVENDER)
I love the Basil scent in this line of cleaners, but the Lavender was all I could find when I was out looking for something with which to mop my floors.  I begrudgingly brought it home and immediately changed my opinion on Lavender--it is a bright and clean smell that I absolutely love on my floors.  The cleaner can be used for all kinds of other cleaning tasks, and I consider it my own personal reward for cleaning my house.

3. DAWN ORIGINAL DISH SOAP + WHITE VINEGAR
This was a Pinterest trick I saw one day for cleaning a bathtub, and lo & behold, it works!  Use equal parts dish soap to white vinegar.  (I use 1/2 cup of each, usually.)  Heat vinegar in a microwave safe container (I use my measuring cup) for 1 minute, then mix with the dish soap.  The Pinterest page I read said to put in a spray bottle, but as soon as it cools, the solution will clog the spray nozzle...Instead, I just drizzle it straight on the tub.  This solution will shine your bathtub hardware to brand-new status (which is saying something for my tub!).  On an extra icky tub, I use the Borax paste, rinse, and then finish with a scrub with this solution.

4. SPRAY BOTTLE FILLED WITH WATER
Yes, it is my secret weapon, but not for what you might think.  With a small helper-girl around when I'm trying to clean, I find that a spray bottle filled with plain water with a rag gives her a task that buys me a good 15-30 minutes of time!  I usually have to redirect her to various places that need sprayed, but our favorite spots are: the front door, the baseboards, the front of my kitchen appliances, and the doorknobs.  It's just plain old H2O, so it's not going to hurt her or anything she sprays, but water actually cleans things a little, too!  (We also play dueling vacuums with her cordless $25 Aldi purchase and my big momma Dyson.)

Now that I've blogged all about it, I'd better take my own advice and get to work!

1 comments:

Jane said...

Love love love these tips!!


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