Cleaning – Page 4 – The LadyPrefers2Save

5 Freezer Cooking Clean Up Success Tips

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ScrubWithDots #CollectiveBias

Growing up, my grandmother never liked to have anything on her kitchen countertops, so I’m pretty sure that’s where my love of clean countertops originated. Couple this with becoming a minimalist a year ago, my need to maintain spotless countertops at home has become less a hobby and more a life narrative. Especially during all-day freezer cooking sessions!

Why all day freezer cooking sessions? Well, if you’re anything like me, there are no scarier times in your home than the 5 o’clock what’s for dinner debate. The scenario of having to decide what to cook can be a daunting task for even the most prepared home chefs. Which is why Fall freezer meals are my go-to dinnertime prep each Autumn season!

There’s nothing better than being able to provide my family with a hot, nutritious, affordable meal. Now, it goes without saying that I adore freezer cooking meals, with just one exception, the clean-up.

Try as I might, I things start to pile up in my kitchen. You know how it goes. Ingredients come out. Things get messy. Counters get cluttered. Splatters confetti your otherwise serene kitchen landscape. Dishes in the sink pile up. Life happens. Especially in the midst of a kitchen teeming with dirty, baked-on pots, pans, and dishes!

As you can see, the one area in my life I’m less than neat at is cooking. I’m what you could call an all-in, full-contact domestic goddess. A typical afternoon of cooking for me involves grease spatters, crumbs on the floor, and a pile of dishes that far exceeds both sides of my kitchen sink. From the blinds to the baseboards, nothing in my kitchen seems to be exempt from stains and spills.

It’s always a balancing act. Do you cook all the meals your family will enjoy, only to spend the rest of your evening scrubbing saucy, stained lasagna pans? Or cook just enough meals, in hopes of limiting the mess that will inevitably be created.

For me, I go with the creating of meals. Which makes finding better, more practical ways of cleaning-up my kitchen all the more imperative in my home. Now that I’ve gotten my new Freezer Cooking Clean-Up routine down to a science, and I’d like to share some of my favorite 5 tips for Freezer Cooking Session Clean-up Success.

Prep your kitchen for cleaning success: For me, it’s also important to keep effective, affordable cleaning methods by my side during each freezer cooking session. So when I’m heading to the store to purchase any last-minute ingredients I’ll need for my freezer cooking sessions I also plan to pick up all the cleaning products I’ll need as well.

Recently, my go-to cleaning sponges have been the new Scotch-Brite® Heavy Duty Scrub Dots Sponges and the Scotch-Brite® Non-Scratch Scrub Dots Sponges from my neighborhood Dollar General store.

My minimalist kitchen hosts cooking appliances with specific cleaning needs. Needs tailored to both Non-Scratch cookware and Cast Iron pots and pans, I love that the Scotch-Brite® Non-Scratch Scrub Dots Sponges help keep my non-stick pans and induction burner clean as a whistle while the Scotch-Brite® Heavy Duty Scrub Dots Sponges work great at breaking down even the toughest stains on my heirloom cast iron pans!

I like to pick up the Scotch-Brite® Non-Scratch Scrub Dots Dishwands and Scotch-Brite® Dishwand Refills 2-Packs. Both products that utilize scrub dot technology to effortless lift off even the grimiest of sauces, spills, and splatters from my cookware, utensils, spoon rests, and even had the power to help tackle stains from the surface of my sink itself!

In fact, all of the new Scotch-Brite® Heavy Duty and Scotch-Brite®Non-Scratching Scrub Dots Sponges and Scotch-Brite®Dishwands can clean almost everything in my kitchen. Even items that I previously would have to soak or scrub. such as glasses with milk protein deposits or wine deposit film. Both particular pet peeves of mine.

This awesome cleaning line is also easy on my budget too! The entire line of Scotch-Brite® Scrub Dots Sponges and Scotch-Brite®Dishwands are affordably priced! With both the Scotch-Brite® Non-Scratch Scrub Dots Sponges and the Scotch-Brite® Heavy Duty Scrub Dots Sponges priced at only $2.75 for Sponge 2-pk and $4.35 for Sponge 4-pk and the Scotch-Brite® Non-Scratch Scrub Dots Dishwand and Scotch-Brite® Dishwand Refill 2-pk. priced at only $3.00 respectfully! And at that price, you just can’t go wrong!

Even better, from 10/4 through 12/31, you can save $1.00 off any two Scrub Dots items with a new Coupons.com printable coupon offer!

Isolate spills: Instead of walking over to the trash can or compost bin with handfuls of peelings and scraps, keep a garbage bowl on the counter next to where you will be working. This will not only help you isolate your messes to a single location, which will keep kitchen floors cleaner, but will also save time and prevent slippery floors during freezer cooking sessions too! Especially important when mini chefs are helping you out in the kitchen!

Prep your cutting boards: did you know that wiping down cutting boards with lemon juice can help to naturally sanitize cutting boards at home? And that wiping down clean, dry cutting boards with kosher salt before cooking will help future foods from sticking to wood surfaces? I like to prep my cutting boards with both a lemon and salt treatment the night before freezer cooking sessions. This helps to ensure my prepping surfaces are their cleanest the next day!

Bring in a recycling bin: For cooking projects where I’m using a lot of canned or boxed goods, I’ll take a recycling bin and set it right on the right side of my kitchen counter. This allows me to clean and deposit my recyclables without having to leave my kitchen during freezer cooking sessions where heat sources are actively in use!

Have a sink full of soapy water ready: I love to start each cooking session with a sink full of hot, soapy water full of dishwands and sponges. This sets not only the mood for cleaning success but also helps me to quickly address spills and splatters that will inevitably happen during all-day freezer cooking sessions.leaning up spills immediately will help prevent bigger messes and help prevent kitchen falls and accidents on slippery floors and to tackle stains created on small and major appliances with little to no effort. As the old adage goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Especially when it comes to cleaning up messes in the kitchen!

Immediately cleaning up spills will not only help prevent bigger messes from forming but can also help you prevent kitchen falls and accidents. As the adage goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Especially when it comes to cleaning up messes in the kitchen!

This past weekend, with my new Scotch-Brite® Non-Scratch sponges and Scotch-Brite® Non-Scratch Dishwand by my side, I was able to create a month’s worth of creamy, ooey-gooey Italian-style freezer meals this past weekend. I cooked, assembled, and froze Skinny Chicken Alfredo, Fall-Inspired Spaghetti Carbonara, and Meatless Monday Baked Alfredo. All meals that are as delicious as they are super simple to make. The best part? They were all created using one DIY base sauce recipe, my Skinny Béchamel Pasta Sauce!

This sauce is a delicious blend of both rich and modest ingredients. Like in traditional alfredo sauces, I use salt and organic butter. Where this sauce gets its skinny cachet is its use of gluten-free flour base, use of soy milk in lieu of whole milk, almond milk instead of heavy whipping cream, and a special surprise ingredient, tofu!

I cook each batch of sauce separately to prevent curdling and separation. I always start by adding butter to a medium skillet over medium-low induction heat. To this, I add my flour and stir until a smooth roux forms. I continue to cook until the roux turns a light, golden color, in about 4-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the soy milk, almond milk, and tofu. Break up the tofu into the blend until smooth. Heat blend until almost at a boil. Then add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking with a rubber spatula until smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Season with salt, nutmeg, and a dash of fleur de sel. Then your sauce is ready to use!

Now that your sauce is finished, you can turn this base into different pasta meals. Again, I used my Béchamel to make Skinny Chicken Alfredo, Fall-Inspired Spaghetti Carbonara, and Meatless Monday Baked Alfredo. Here’s how I used this sauce to make these three meals:

Skinny Chicken Alfredo:

Ingredients added to Béchamele sauce:

1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup grated good organic parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded organic Italian blend cheese
1 8-ounce chicken breast; cut into strips
2 teaspoons organic olive oil

Directions (per tray):

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Now bring 1-gallon pot, boil 8-cups filtered, salted water to a boil.
Cook 8-ounces of good spaghetti pasta in the salted water.
Once al dente, carefully drain and remove from your pot. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast in a teaspoon of organic olive oil; we used a pre-cooked chicken breast we smoked this summer at home.
Once your chicken breast is cooked, remove it from your skillet, cool, and cut into strips. Set aside.
Next, add your drained pasta and Béchamele sauce to your pan and bring to temperature.
Then add your pasta, sauce, and seasonings to your freezable bakeware of choice.
Top with chicken strips and shredded cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees until your cheese is bubbly and light brown in color.
Cool for one hour, then top with foil. Label your dish accordingly. Freeze for up to six months; four servings per pan.

Fall-Inspired Spaghetti Carbonara:

Ingredients added to Béchamele sauce:

1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pinch ground allspice
1 pinch ground cloves
1/2 cup grated good organic parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded organic Italian blend cheese
1 8-ounce chicken breast; cut into strips
1 cup organic mushrooms
1/2 cup cooked turkey bacon; cut into bite-sized pieces
2 beaten organic, free range eggs
2 teaspoons organic olive oil

Directions (per tray):

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Now bring 1-gallon pot, boil 8-cups filtered, salted water to a boil.
Cook 8-ounces of good spaghetti pasta in the salted water.
Once al dente, carefully drain and remove from your pot. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast in a teaspoon of organic olive oil.
Once your chicken breast is cooked, remove it from your skillet, cool, and cut into strips. Set aside.
Using this same pan cook your turkey bacon and mushrooms.
Once finished, cool and cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Turn heat off of the pan.
Next, add your drained pasta and Béchamele sauce. Toss sauce with pasta.
Then add beaten eggs, parmesan cheese, and seasonings. Toss to combine. The residual heat will cook your eggs through.
Add your pasta and sauce to your freezable bakeware of choice.
Top with chicken strips and shredded cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees until your cheese is bubbly and light brown in color.
Cool for one hour, then top with foil. Label your dish accordingly. Freeze for up to six months; four servings per pan.

Meatless Monday’s Baked Alfredo:

Ingredients added to Béchamele sauce:

1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
1/2 cup grated good organic parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded organic Italian blend cheese
1 cup mushrooms; I used half portabello and half white button mushrooms.
1/2 cup chopped organic spinach
2 teaspoons organic olive oil

Directions (per tray):

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Now bring 1-gallon pot, boil 8-cups filtered, salted water to a boil.
Cook 8-ounces of good spaghetti pasta in the salted water.
Once al dente, carefully drain and remove from your pot. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook your mushrooms a teaspoon of organic olive oil.
Once your mushrooms are cooked, add your spinach and heat through.
Turn heat off of the pan.
Next, add your drained pasta and Béchamele sauce. Toss sauce with pasta.
Add your pasta and sauce to your freezable bakeware of choice.
Top with shredded cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees until your cheese is bubbly and light brown in color.
Cool for one hour, then top with foil. Label your dish accordingly. Freeze for up to six months; serves four per pan.

Friends, those are my three favorite Béchamele sauce-based freezer meals for the fall! While it goes without saying that that was a lot of work this past weekend, it was worth it knowing I now have a freezer full of yummy, ready-to-bake meals on hand this season!

And the only thing better than ready-to-go meals is knowing how simple my kitchen clean-up will be! With the Scotch-Brite® Heavy Duty and Scotch-Brite®Non-Scratching Scrub Dots Sponges and Scotch-Brite® non-Scratch Dishbrushes cleanup took just minutes. Comparing to the hours spend scrubbing dishes, pans, counters, and floors before finding these products!

Making this new line the true hero of my freezer cooking session this past weekend! I’ve been so inspired by the ease of cleaning this past weekend that I’m already looking for new recipes for my next mega freezer cooking session online! And if you’re looking for additional freezer cooking recipes at home, be sure to check out my other freezer cooking recipes here!

I encourage you all to pick-up the new Scotch-Brite® Heavy Duty Scrub Dot sponges, Scotch-Brite® Non-Scratching Scrub Dots Sponges, Scotch-Brite®Dishwands, and Scotch-Brite® Dishwand Refill 2-packs while in-store at your local Dollar General. Because with Scotch-Brite® Heavy Duty and Scotch-Brite®Non-Scratching Scrub Dots Sponges, you’ll no longer have to choose between a clean kitchen and the convenience of hot, fresh meals at home this Fall!

So now I have to ask, do you have any great tips for keeping your kitchens cleaned and your countertops cleared during freezer cooking sessions at home? I’d love to hear all about them below!

Find more #ScrubWithDots inspiration here!

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Skinny Béchamel Pasta Sauce

2017-10-17 19:52:23

Serves 6

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

25 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

25 min

Ingredients

1 cup organic soy milk
1 cup gluten-free flour
1 cup cubed firm tofu
2 cups organic almond milk
5 tablespoons organic butter
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel

Instructions

Start by adding butter to a medium skillet over medium-low induction heat.
Add my flour and stir until a smooth roux forms.
Continue to cook until the roux turns a light, golden color.
Meanwhile, heat the soy milk, almond milk, and tofu.
Break up the tofu into the blend until smooth. Heat blend until almost at a boil.
Then add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking with a rubber spatula until smooth.
Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat.
Season with salt, nutmeg, and a dash of fleur de sel.
Enjoy!

Notes

This Skinny Béchamel Pasta Sauce is a rich, decadent sauce flavored with organic butter, soy milk,and tofu. Making it a richer, better for you sauce than conventional Alfredo Sauces on the market! Use this Béchamel to make Skinny Chicken Alfredo, Fall-Inspired Spaghetti Carbonara, and Meatless Monday Baked Alfredo too!

By Nicole Roberts

The LadyPrefers2Save https://theladyprefers2save.com/

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5 Tips For Zero-Waste Cleaning at Home

Disclosure: This post contains my personal affiliate links. All opinions are mine alone.

I’ve learned so much on my journey to becoming a zero-waste household this past year. Especially when it comes to cleaning. While there has been tons of trial and error along the way, one thing has remained true throughout my process, my understanding that a house is not truly clean if the process of maintaining my home results in all kinds of unnecessary waste.

While traditional cleaning methods rely on various chemical products, plastic bottles, paper towels, plastic bags, sponges, disposable wipes, and a ton of unrecyclable stuff, it just doesn’t have to be that way. You can alter the way you clean at home to be less wasteful, more frugal, and less time consuming too! Here are my five tips for getting started with zero-waste cleaning at home!

1) Rethink your cleaning tools: Start your zero-waste cleaning by first minimizing the number of ingredients and the tools required to keep your house clean. This will also help to limit the waste generated by the cleaning process as a whole. Things you’ll need include:

Bagless electric vacuum. Makes it easy to compost dirt and debris when emptied.
Wooden-handled straw broom and whisk brush. Long-lasting and biodegradable!
Galvanized steel dustpan.
Glass spray bottles for DIY cleaners.
Glass and stainless steel shaker. Readily found at Dollar Tree stores.
Mop with a wooden handle and washable head. For dust mopping wood floors.
Steam mop with washable pads for mopping all non-wooden surfaces.
Washable cleaning cloths.
Pumice stone. Naturally, scours toilets bowls without scratching.
Galvanized bucket. Purchased at feed stores for half as much as plastic buckets.
Collapsible basket. Used to pick-up items while cleaning and tidying.
Tapioca scrub brushes. One for cleaning dishes and another for cleaning grout.
Squeegee. Used to clean glass, shower doors, and tile. Also found at Dollar Tree stores

2) Create a cleaning routine: Cleaning routines are by no means new business. But creating cleaning routines based on how you clean and not what you clean it. A zero-waste cleaning routine relies on durable, lasting, renewable tools that can be washed and reused.

Once you have your tools, place your cleaning gear in the rooms they will be used, as opposed to one central cleaning space. This will keep you from wasting valuable time while cleaning having to go from room to room finding your cleaning tools. Next, you’ll want to create a routine based on your habits. For example, start your daily cleaning not in the morning but after dinner. This way you’ll start your days off with a clean home which will motivate you to keep your homes clean throughout the day. I start by cleaning my kitchen, followed by bathrooms, and high-traffic areas such as dens, living rooms, library, office, playrooms, and entrance ways. Bedrooms, on the other hand, can be tidied in under a few minutes each morning before you start your day.

Keep in mind, cleaning routines work best in organized spaces. If your home is super cluttered, start there. Once you’ve maintained your cleaning routine for a full season, it will become easier and over time you can even start to eliminate seasonal purges and tedious weekly cleaning sessions. When I started zero-waste cleaning a year ago it took numerous hours to clean my 3,000 square foot home. Now, I can clean my entire home in under an hour and tidy my house in half that time. Remember, cleaning is habitual and will take to master. Aim for consistency, not perfection.

3) Minimize the number of cleaners you use: When I first started my zero-waste journey I found my home to be in full possession of no fewer than a dozen cleaners. Each purchased because corporations and advertisers reassured me that I needed a specific solvent for each and every cleaning need in my home. With an average cost of nearly forty plus dollars each month! I soon realized that this was as far from the truth as could be. My favorite zero-waste cleaners are:

Baking soda. A true a workhorse. It can do almost anything – cleaning, scrubbing, absorbing odors, clearing drains, shining silver, killing mold and unclogging drains (when used together with white vinegar), in DIY dishwasher tabs, and many more uses. Buy it in bulk in reusable containers or in bulk bins to get the most bang for your bulk and less impact on the planet! I add it to topping shakers and keep it in my bathroom and kitchen for scrubbing and scouring.
Castile soap: Castile soap, such as Dr. Bronner’s, can be purchased at many bulk food stores in reusable containers or online. A few drops go a long way toward disinfecting surfaces and leaving your house smelling amazing, especially if you use peppermint- or lavender-scented soap. I use castile soap to wash my dishes, to mop wooden floors, to creating dusting spray, to wash my pets, and to clean our cars.
Coconut oil: Coconut oil, purchased in bulk, is good for removing stains from upholstery and carpets, polishing patent leather, removing chewing gum, cleaning shower scum, and for polishing stainless steel and stone countertops. Coconut oil is also naturally antimicrobial and so it’s great for rubbing into bamboo cutting boards after washing for extra disinfecting!
Vodka: Vodka, when mixed with cedar and lavender essential oils, creates the best fabric refresher!
White vinegar. This agent disinfects surfaces, softens fabric in the wash, cleans toilets, removes wax from vegetables, cleans floors, removed calcium buildup, and clears drains. You can also make your own vinegar cleaner. Three go-to varieties include:

All Purpose Vinegar Cleaner:

1 Cup Warm Water
1 Cup White Vinegar
Mix together in a spray bottle for use.

Scented All Purpose Cleaner:

1 Cup of Warm Water
1 Cup White Vinegar
10 drops essential oil of choice.
Mix together in a spray bottle for use.

Citrus-Infused Vinegar Cleaner:

Combine the peels of four lemons or limes in a quart sized mason jar.
Fill mason jar to neck with white vinegar.
Seal and store for one month.
When ready to clean, strain and add to glass spray bottle.
Use full-strength to clean shower stalls or diluted for windows and countertops.

4) Utilize the power of the sun and wind: Fresh air and sunshine should not be overlooked! The sun is the ultimate zero-waste cleaning tool! Laying cloth items in the sun to dry, known as sun bleaching, is a natural way of disinfecting fabrics and killing most surface contaminants. Opening your windows and airing your home out on non-windy days (to avoid dust contaminants coming into your home), is another way to help you live a healthier life while simultaneously reducing your need for toxic aerosol air fresheners.

5) Invest in good zero-waste cleaning cloths: I’m a firm believer in using the right tool for the right job. This is especially true for cleaning. You should always invest in good cleaning cloths to clean, polish, and sanitize your home. You will also need a few to get started.

Bar towels: Great for drying dishes without lint.
Drying mats: Used to air dry non-dishwashable items.
Shammy towels: Used to clean electronics without scratching.
Microfiber towels: Used to clean heavy spills, counter tops, general cleaning, and more.

My favorite microfiber towels? e-cloth. Because with e-cloth you can clean many surfaces in your home with just good old tap water! My favorite thing about e-cloths? They are also reasonably priced. My 8-piece home cleaning kit cost under $40.00. This is nearly a 1/4 of my annual cost for paper towels just a few short years ago! This is such a small cost for what you get, making e-cloth my go-to zero-waste cleaning cloth brand at home. If you’d like to learn more about the e-cloth 8-Piece Home Cleaning Set, click here.

So, friends, those are my 5 favorite tips for zero-waste cleaning at home. I hope they will challenge you to rethink the way you clean your home. Now I have to ask, do you already use any of these tips at home or do you have zero-waste cleaning tips you’d like to share as well? I’d love to hear about them below!

5 Tips For Zero-Waste Cleaning at Home

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Tips for unclogging drains at home

Disclosure: I am being compensated for sharing this information. Opinions remain my own.

We live in an older home, and as a result, we’ve been no stranger to plumbing problems! When we first moved into our home, we attempted to cut off many problems at the pass by purchasing sewer-friendly toilet paper and by making sure no one in the family placed anything in the toilet that didn’t need to be there to maintain our city sewer system.

Unfortunately, we still experienced a lot of problems with clogs in our sinks, slow to drain bathtubs, as well as leaky pipes. While my husband has been able to fix many of our minor plumbing issues himself, there were several times last year when we had to call out the guys at Roto-Rooter. They did a great job of replacing several lines of corroded copper piping, which has prevented us from having excessive clogging issues since. But like other homeowners, we still experience the occasional clogs, and for that, we rely on Roto-Rooter Gel Clog Remover®.

We all know Roto-Rooter has been a trusted name in plumbing for 80 years. Now they have a line of sewer and septic products for home and professional use with more active ingredients than other leading brands. The Roto-Rooter line of products includes their Gel Clog Remover, Hair Clog Remover, and Septic Treatment.

The Roto-Rooter Gel Clog Remover contains 25% more active ingredients than the national leading brand and it works by powering through standing water to remove stubborn hair clogs and soap scum from bathroom sinks, tub, and shower drains on all types of pipes 50% faster than other brands.

It’s also very simple to use. First, with the cap secured, you should shake the bottle. Then you add about 16 oz. of the product directly into your drain and let stand for ten minutes, or longer for bad clogs. Then flush with hot running water for an additional minute and that’s it! I used the product just the other day in our bathroom sink, and I was very pleased with the results!

Also worth noting, Roto-Rooter products are available at a number of retailers, including Walmart, Lowes, Kroger, Tractor Supply, Dollar General, Shoprite, Meijer, and more! Making it convenient to pick-up on your next trip to the market or local retail chain.

Clear a Clogged Drains at Home with Roto-Rooter Products:

When your drain is clogged, you have a few options you can use to clear a clogged drain.

Option one: The kitchen plunger. You will plunge, plunge, and plunge some more until you have finally unclogged the drain. This method is labor intensive depending on the nature and stubbornness of the clog.

Option two: Roto-Rooter Gel Clog Remover. Roto-Rooter Gel Clog Remover is the for easiest and fastest way to unclog your drain. The Gel formula is stronger than other brands as its thick consistency easily powers through standing water to remove even the most stubborn of clogs. To use, simply pour the clog remover directly into the drain and wait at least 5 minutes to see if the clog has drained; it may take up to overnight to unclog the drain.

The Roto-Rooter Gel Clog Remover is my family’s go-to method for clearing drains at home and to clear a clogged drain and is the only clog remover we purchase because we know that it works fast. We trust that Roto-Rooter Gel Clog Remover to get the job done. Roto-Rooter guarantees that their products work, or it’s free. I like a company that stands behind their product. If you have a clog that Roto-Rooter Gel Clog Remover couldn’t power through, then go to their website to learn how to get a refund.

Now, friends, I encourage you to learn about Roto-Rooter and their complete line of products check out my post here, or you can go to their website for plumbing issues that arise in your own home this season. Also, I have to ask, what do you use to clear a clogged drain? Have you used Roto-Rooter products? Tell me your experience with Roto-Rooter in the Comments!

Heres’ to doing it yourself,

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#StopCatLitterSmell with Litter Genie®

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post for BrandBacker.com and Litter Genie. I received this free in exchange for my honest review & opinion. To read this blog full disclosure policy, click here. Thank you.

There are very few things worse than walking to an otherwise clean home and smelling the dreaded litter box smell. You know the smell, that dastardly scent of a port-a-potty mixed with soured laundry. It’s the worst. And as any cat owner will tell you, it’s a smell you avoid having in your home at all cost.

While keeping litter box odors at bay would be simple enough if your day wasn’t so sacrosanct with all things adulting, which is why modern litter disposal systems, like the Litter Genie®^, were developed.

The Litter Genie® gives cat owners a preferable alternative to using free plastic or paper grocery bags for collecting and disposing of cat litter box waste. More importantly, the Litter Genie® aids in overall cat health by way of preventing cystitis, a serious urinary tract condition. Cystitis is also one of the top causes for litter box avoidance in cats, as they relate the pain of urinating with the litter box, inappropriate marking, and elimination in non-litter box areas of your home.

So as a pet owner, when it comes to Boo Radley’s health, any product that I can bring into my home that helps promote his health, I’m on board!

About the system:

The Litter Genie Unit with a built-in scoop holder, a litter scoop, and the standard Litter Genie refill cartridge, containing 14 feet of the refill bag material.
The unit measures 9.5 X 8.5 X 17 Inches tall and weighs 3.3. pounds (empty, I presume).
Comes in two colors: white or silver.
The Litter Genie website claims that one refill cartridge can last up to two months for one cat.
The refill cartridge is said to be 30% longer than the standard cartridge that comes in the box with the Litter Genie.

System costs (from their website):

Litter Genie® PAIL $14.99 – $16.99 (MSRP)
Litter Genie® REFILL $5.99 – $35.99 (MSRP)
Litter Genie® Refills last up to two months for one cat.
Available in single, two and four-pack pack options.
Litter Genie® is available in Petco, Pet Smart, Target, Walmart, Amazon.com, Chewy.com, and other retailers where pet products are sold.

Reasons to try the system:

Litter Genie® has a smaller footprint than other litter box waste collecting systems on the market.
The price is right at $15 – approximately one-quarter of the going price for other systems.
Built-in carrying handles enable the user to carry the Litter Locker from room to room, as needed.
I could detect absolutely no odor with the top lid closed, even if waste was in the top holder.
The Litter Genie website refers to these odor-free properties as “five-layer refill bags with built-in odor barrier technology”
The Litter Genie® was easy to assemble, taking me less than five minutes from start to finish.
The Litter Genie® Pail holds up to two weeks of cat litter (for one cat) and with the seven-layer refill bags, it helps lock stinky germs and odors away too.

Thoughts About the Litter Genie®:

Overall, the system has worked well for my home and the product does indeed keep the whole house free of obvious cat odor. Litter Genie® brings you a hassle-free compact cat litter disposal system. I’ve been able to fit the Litter Genie® next to my existing litter box on unused kitchen cabinet cubbies. I enjoy the systems sleek design as well.

It terms of utility, the Litter Genie® Pail excels in its ability to hold up to two weeks of cat litter (for one cat) and with the seven-layer refill bags, it helps lock stinky germs and odors away too. So, you can forget about those constant trips to the trash! I love that I’m able to collect a week’s worth of litter for disposal at the end of each week.

Mind you, I do plan to make this system more zero-waste by using compostable pet waste bags and compostable litter moving forward once my cartridge is finished. This will bring further utility to this system and extend my conscionable use of the system with my zero-waste home and minimalist pet care routines.

Also worth considering are future costs of the system. As with many products today, the cost of the refill cartridge can quickly add up to many times the original cost of the entire unit. Also, I found that the “child-safe” built-in bag cutter doesn’t work well. I ended up having to use scissors to cut the end of the bag all the way through at times, though this was not a deal breaker for me but did warrant mentioning.

Whether you’re the cat owner, family member or friend, we can all appreciate how odor from soiled cat litter can take over your home. Litter Genie’s unique design and technology means these issues are locked away – providing peace of mind for you, any planned or unplanned visitors, and most importantly, your cat.

Would I encourage a friend to purchase the Litter Genie? Yes, especially for pet owners of male cats, whose urine smell tends to be more potent in odor. This system will your nose, and home, much-needed odor-blocking relief.

Now if you’re looking to find out more about the Litter Genie® system check out the following links for more detailed product information:

So friends, now I have to ask, do you use a litter box collection system at home or are you a current Litter Genie® owner already? I’d love to hear about it below!

Here’s to cleaner homes,

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The 7 Best Spring Cleaning Apps You Need This Year

I have to admit, this is one of my favorite times of the year. I love nothing more than digging deep and giving my home a good spring clean. While I understand that not everyone is as crazy about spring cleaning and organization as I am, and while I don’t secretly understand what there is you could possibly not love about this annual spit shine ritual, I wanted to share some apps (for both ios and Android) that will not only make spring cleaning easier, but fun (yes, fun!) for everyone in your home, for both the skeptics and cleaning aficionados alike. Here are my 7 favorite Spring Cleaning apps for you to try at home:

Cleaning Checklist ($0.99 on iTunes)

Cleaning Checklist helps you organize and manage household cleaning tasks and activities. Pick any room in your home, select the tasks you want to complete, and then just check-off when tasks are completed. One thing I love about this app is that it shows you what percentage of the room is clean — so you can quickly see which rooms may still need some attention and which rooms need major detailing. You can also set personal task reminders such as “Cleaning Supplies” or “Needs Dry Cleaning” that will remind you what to pick up at the store or drop off for cleaning.

BrightNest (Free on ios and Android)

For those that look around at their homes and don’t even know how to get started, BrightNest is for you! Brightnest is the best app for learning how to take care of your home. The app is full of useful tips for cleaning specific parts of your home, from telling you what to use to remove toilet stains what essential oils will keep your garbage disposal from smelling to high heaven.

Spark Joy: The Official Kon’Mari App (Free on iTunes)

If you are a fan of the Kon’Mari method, this one’s for you! With the Spark Joy app gives allows users the opportunity to gain daily Kon’Mari tips, to organize your Kon’Mari projects by category, and to connect with other Kon’Mari users worldwide. The best part of this app? You can upload and share your Kon’Mari progress with others too! It’s like Pinterest for decluttering and Spring Cleaning!

Chore Bank ($1.99 on iTunes)

Want the kids to help with your spring cleaning chores? Yeah, here too! Chore Bank is essential for homes with kiddos as it allows you to set up a chore list, assign a monetary value or activity reward to each chore, to allow parents to know when a chore has been completed, and make virtual deposits into your child’s account that kids can later cash in on post-cleaning. You can even download a chore calendar and text reminders to your kids!

FlyHelper (Free on Android)

This app is for everyone who loves the FlyLady cleaning method or wants to give it a whirl! As an app, FlyHelper not only helps you keep your home clean and keep your life up to date with awesome free in-app organizing charts, but also gives you access to great reminders from the FlyLady herself such as pointers on self-care and time efficiency. You can even track cleaning and life events, both by daily and weekly points, and you can also control how you clean your home by creating “zones” you should work on each day.

Spring Cleaning Checklist (Free on Android)

Just a bit of a warning- this app could make you fall in love with spring cleaning! In addition to helping you create checklists for every room of your house, Spring Cleaning Checklist gives you tips for organizing family spring cleaning days, includes videos on simple cleaning methods and music playlists to help you along. You will want to use this beyond the spring cleaning season.

Motivated Moms Lite (Free on ios and Android)

Not a fan of major Spring Cleaning sessions? No problem! The Motivated Moms app allows users to perform specified tasks each day, with seasonal tasks thrown in throughout the year, to make maintaining your home and under one hour per day process. Users also have the ability to add unlimited custom tasks, check off chores as they are done, assign tasks can be assigned to people and rooms and sorted accordingly, and you can even print task lists through cloud printing right from the app! The app also features an option add-on for Bible reading as well.

So, everyone, those are my 7 favorite apps for Spring Cleaning at home. Now I have to ask, what apps or websites do you use at home to help you with your spring cleaning tasks? I’d love to hear about them below!

Here’s to Spring Cleaning,

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7 Pantry Clean Out Tips

Despite running a minimalist home my pantry always seems to be in need of rearranging, sorting, and cleaning.

While my stockpile saves my family thousands of dollars annually and allows me to give generously to my local food pantry, I must admit it is one of the most neglected areas in my home. Which is why I gave my stockpile a much needed Fall Cleaning yesterday afternoon.

So if your home pantry is in need of a sprucing up before the start of the holiday season or as part of this month’s No-Spend Challenge, here are a few tips to get you started.

1) Rotate your stockpile. “Rotating your stockpile” means rotating your stockpile per season. You will need to place goods in order of expiration date, my seasonal usage, as well as keeping climate into consideration; you may need to start storing it in one location for summer and another location for winter, in terms of baking tools, cans, chemicals, etc.

2) Long Term Storage: If you plan to store any item for longer than a week or two, you need to know its long-term storage requirements. Some items will only last months or longer if stored in a cool, dry place. Some items must be stored in a refrigerated or frozen environment in order to last longer. Make lists, and create sub-areas in your stockpile; examples are canned goods, cosmetics, paper products, etc.

3) Take Note of Patterns: Start a list of your product usage, this will allow you to see what you need, will use in a years time, and what should be donated accordingly. Unused goods are cash wasted.

4) Last Forever Items: Nothing lasts forever. Even goods such as bottled water, start to have an altered taste after a decade, so keep this in mind.

5) Canned and Preserved Goods: Keep inventory and note the dates of home-preserved items; a rule of thumbs is to only keep items no longer than two years.

6) Pests: Pests love your stockpile, almost as much as you do! Be sure to check goods monthly, especially in Summer, and any goods that look altered, chuck immediately!

7) Dehumidifier: Humidity can alter and mold many goods, so consider running a dehumidifier twice weekly to lessen your chances of losing food to mold spoilage and canning ruptures.

Now I hope these tips will help you in cleaning out your own pantry at home. Remember, the best way to save on your food budget at the store is to first have a proper, written inventory of what you already have on hand at home.

Here’s to saving,

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Why we don’t own a dryer

Recently a neighbors clothes dryer died and in passing, she casually mentioned to me, “I don’t know how you do this every day!” And by this, she meant air drying all our laundry outdoors on our patio lines. My simple to answer: Gladly.

You see, our family purposely and intentionally does not own a dryer. This is despite living in one of the most humid states in the union, Mississippi. A state where we go from wet, gloomy early Spring days, to humid, hazy days of Summer, straight into hurricane season each Fall. Even with this in mind, I still feel that air drying our clothing is completely manageable, and I dare say I personally find it liberating to be dryer-free.

Mind you, this was not always the case. When we moved into our house five years ago, we celebrated our move by purchasing a brand new washer and dryer set. An expensive set with all the bells and whistles. This set was both a source of pride for my husband and myself as we were able to purchase the set debt-free with cash. We loved our washer and dryer. This was of course until a year ago, when in the course of a later Spring thunderstorm, our washer and dryer set was rendered useless due to a rogue electric current a mere six days after our set’s extended warranty expired. A week later, and after two repairmen informed us that our set would cost more to repair than replace, my husband and I were devastated and without a washer or a dryer.

The bright side to this defeatist moment? It was at that time I started my journey into minimalism, so when it came time to price out a new set it dawned on me to think small, smaller, and smallest when it came to buying major household appliances.

After much research, my husband and I settled on a small compact Haier washer, a washer that can be tucked away into a cabinet, closet, or cupboard. A washer whose gray water could be harvested to water our flower beds, and was also energy saving, which would help us decrease our overall carbon footprint and lower our energy consumption bills, and could be housed indoors in our small galley kitchen.

This did leave us with one issue. What about a dryer? While our washer did have a compact dryer available from Haier, it was not a matching unit and cost one and would cost one and a half times the cost of our washer. So we simply opted to not buy the dryer. We socked the money into our savings account we had previously budgeted for a dryer and decided to put up an outdoor drying line instead. Our idea? Should we ever change our minds we could always buy the dryer down the road. And a year later that day has yet to come.

Let’s also consider one of the other great reasons we opted to not purchase a new dryer, pure economics. Let’s run the numbers a bit to find out. According to the National Energy Commission, the average dryer uses 3.3-kilowatt hours of energy and estimates an average of 11 cents per kilowatt hour. And as an average load of clothes takes about 45 minutes in the dryer to complete, this makes each load of laundry $0.36 per load, per day to dry. A cost of $131.40 per year, assuming you only dry one load of laundry per day This figure does not include both peak and non-peak hours that dryers remain plugged in while not in use.

Not having a dryer saved us more than $262.80 the first year alone, which completely reimbursed our family the cost of our washing machine. This was a zero waste victory if I do say so myself.

Not owning a dryer also helped me to sharpen my homemaking skills as well. For the first few seasons of now owning a dryer, I learned new methods for keeping my laundry piles tamed. For example, in knowing that it takes two days to dry heavier fabrics such as denim to fully dry, should a family member need that item of clothing, I would simply need to allow enough time for drying that item. As my husband needs denim pants each week for Dress-Down Friday’s, I wash his denim on Tuesday’s to ensure they are always ready to be prepped for Friday mornings on Thursday nights.

I also found that I no longer needed to wash towels, hand towels, robes, or bed sheets daily, and could instead opt for weekly washing. By this same token, heavier cool-weather layering pieces such as winter sweaters, blazers, and scarves can be worn three or more times before needing to be washed. And as for quilts, these linens would only need to be laundered seasonally in lieu of each month. With the exception of bath mats and reusable kitchen towels, very little household laundry needed to be washed daily.

I quickly came to realize that living sans a dryer, and the overall concept of zero waste laundering is more about time management skills and planning, and not on energy dependency.

So you may be thinking how do I actually dry everything? Well, as previously mentioned we do have an outdoor 3-segment clothes line. To construct our lines, we used a bundled laundry cord purchased from our local hardware store for under $10.00, attached it to a board on one side of our patio and the other side of the patio to a previously unused patio swing bracket, using six large eyelet screw hooks. Bearing in mind that each line measures 24-feet long, and when using the three lines for a laundry session, I can fit nine loads of clothes out to dry.

Bearing in mind that each line measures 24-feet long, and when using the three lines for a laundry session, I can fit nine loads of clothes out to dry. Each line is very sturdy, and monthly my husband readjusts the lines for me to make sure they stay taught.

Now in the Wintertime, or during periods of rainy weather, I dry clothes indoors. We have two drying racks. One rack is a standard, wooden accordion rack and the other a taller umbrella rack. These racks work well, and when opened up fully take up only six square feet of floor space, and when adjusted down store neatly in a closet.

When I need to dry indoors, I place my clothing racks in my dining room or storage room, both rooms with large windows, and the placed clothing is generally dry the same day I wash. For my husband’s work shirts or any item that needs to hang to dry, I put them on hangers and hang them from the arch of our dining room. They also dry the same day as well.

For our family, one full load will take up one drying rack with the addition of shirts hanging on the arch, so I always make a point of washing one or two small loads of laundry daily to keep laundry piles at a minimum. Hanging clothing this way also helps to all but eliminate the need for ironing these items as well which is a huge bonus!

Another reason I love not having a dryer? Sun bleaching! Since becoming a minimalist with a zero waste household, eliminating toxic chemicals from our home is always a top priority in my book. As a result, I have replaced chlorine bleach, color-safe bleach, and oxygen-based laundry additives with vinegar and baking soda laundry bombs for white loads. I have found that this method works well, but for extra bacteria-killing and brightening power, nothing beats the sun. Just leaving my reusable kitchen towels on the line for a few hours in the sun leaves them not only smelling fresh but looking their best as well!

And what’s my favorite reason for not owning a dryer? Not owning a dryer gives me intentional periods of peace during my day. For when I’m hanging out my laundry, especially in the crispness of the Fall, I am able to leave the confines of my home office. I’m also to walk outdoors, fell the warmth of the sun on my skin, soak up a few minutes of natural, life-affirming vitamin k, and take time out of my day to just breath in nature. Just those modest ten minutes in nature are renewing to my entire being.

So I say all that to say this: Not owning a dryer helps us as a family lead a more sustainable, budget-friendly, peace-filled life. We are able to live a fuller live with fewer major appliances, lower our carbon footprint, and have fewer personal streams of consciousness and productivity interrupted by the buzz of an ended dryer cycle. I am one step closer to mastering my minutes. And that brings me nothing but joy!

So everyone, do you or someone you know hang their laundry out to dry? Please feel free to share any tips for better drying or managing the family laundry with us all as well.

Here’s to more sustainable homes and lives,

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