Cleaning

Daily 1-Hour Zone Cleaning Routine

For me, there are lots of reasons a clean house is important to me. But the biggest reason is the sense of clarity and purpose in my day-to-day life when my house is clean. Over the years tons of people ask how I keep things tidy and organized most of the time in our home. So, at the risk of being labeled a crazy, OCD-prone minimalist I thought I’d share my 1-hour morning cleaning routine.

While 1-hour may seem like an arbitrary number, it’s not. I tend to spend, on average, about an hour each morning making my house sparkle. This means I spend roughly about 5-7 hours a week cleaning, nearly one work shift, per se. And though this is still a significant amount of time, it’s not nearly the 2-3 hours a day I spend as a newlywed and caretaker! However, for me, it’s totally worth spending 5-7 hours a week cleaning in order to have a house that is pretty tidy on any given day. The simplest way to do this? Just staying on top of whatever needs to be cleaned.

You see, I am a list kind-of-gal, so I actually have a daily checklist that I use each day, created before bed, to help me structure my next day. I keep my list in my kitchen and before I start cleaning, I always check my list!

And when it comes to cleaning itself, I always make a point of being prepared. To save time and money (and a trip to the store), I generally make my own cleaners. And before anyone says ain’t nobody got time for that, hear me out. I make cleaners because they are cheaper (literal pennies on the dollar), scents can be customized using essential oils, they help me limit the chemicals I expose my family too, and DIY cleaners are designed for multiple uses (which require me to store far fewer bottles on-hand). In the time it takes to put the family in the car and go to the store I can make a dozen cleaners at home!

With this in mind, a few of the cleaners I make are:

General Outline:

Usually, I start cleaning my Master Bedroom and work my way through my home.
I use a large laundry basket to collect items such as toys or clothing that need to be returned to a different room as I work. After you have finished tidying every room, take 5 minutes to put away the gathered items.
Save sweeping/mopping and vacuuming until the end, making sure to dust (as needed first) and then do it all at once. We have hard surface floors (hardwoods and tile), so I use an industrial dry mop from Sam’s Club to dry mop the hardwoods and a steam mop to clean the tile floors daily. I shake or vacuum floor rugs as needed.
I also perform spot checks on the glass doors, mirrors, chrome, and windows at the end of the hour.
I keep daily shower cleaner in both showers and spray down and squeegee after each use.
I also add bleach to our toilet brush containers; replace the bleach once a week. This allows for easy cleanup, and for tough toilet stains, I use a pumice stone from the Dollar Tree.
I carry a time from room-to-room to keep me on schedule while cleaning.

Laundry:

I put in one load of laundry.
I remove laundry from drying racks or outdoor line and put away.

Bedroom(s):

5-10 minutes are spent cleaning each.
I always make each bed, I’m picky that way.
I then quickly pick up any clothes, toys, or dishes laying about.
I dust off surfaces, including the headboard, footboard, and closet doors.

Bathroom(s):

5 minutes are spent on each.
Squirt toilet bowl cleaner around the rim of each toilet first; let sit.
Disinfectant sinks, tub, and shower with rags and surface cleaner.
Use the toilet brush to quickly scrub toilet, rim, and seat.
Wipe down the toilet seat, space behind the toilet, and surrounding floor.
I change out hand towels, as needed.
Replace and re-stock toilet paper, as needed.

Laundry:

I remove laundry from washer and place in dryer.

Living Room, Dining Room, and Office:

10-15 minutes are spent in each room.
I quickly pick up any shoes, dishes, toys which are put in a basket to be put away later.
Use rags to quickly dust all surfaces.
Quick wipe down on furniture, table(s), and chairs.
Quick tidy on our desk area; all paperwork and mail is filed, if not already done so.
Lysol sitting surfaces.

Kitchen:

10-15 minutes are spent in the kitchen.
I pick up any items that don’t belong in the kitchen and place them in the basket.
Gather any dirty dishes and put them next to sink.
Hand washes dishes and place dishes in the dishwasher, as necessary.
Wipe down all counter tops with disinfectant spray.
Wipe down stove top.
Dry and put away any hand-washed dishes.
Clean out and dry sink; clean dish drains as needed.
I check to make sure everything is in order in my fridge and coolers; I wipe the surface fronts as I go.

Finishing Up:

Finishing up takes 15-20 minutes.
Next, starting in the back of the house to the front, I dry mop all my hard floors.
I steam mop my tile floors, as needed.
I shake my kitchen rugs and front door mats.
I shake my dry mop heads out and sweep my front porch.
I clean glass surfaces and mirrors, as needed with a lint-free rag.
I pull laundry from dryer, fold, and put away. Making sure to unplug my washer and dryer.
I place all cleaning rags in my cleaning rag hamper for once-a-week cleaning on Friday’s.
I put all my cleaning tools and cleaners away.
I then put away items collected in baskets while cleaning.
Lastly, I take out my kitchen trash and check my recycling bins.

So, that’s it, folks. That’s my morning cleaning routine.

Now, this list works for me because my home doesn’t need a truly deep, deep cleaning. If this isn’t the case in your home, no worries! Just start out a 1-hour cleaning routine after you have finished Spring Cleaning your home.

While it may take a little getting used to, once you are in the habit of a 1-hour routine each morning, you will be done in no time and freedom to enjoy the rest of each day! And if you have any suggestions on how you clean your home in a better way, I’d love to hear about it below!

DIY Natural Orange Cleaner!

Hello, everyone! With so many currently in the throes of Spring Cleaning, today I wanted to share with you my recipe for DIY, Organic Orange Cleaner. I love this cleaner because it is organic, non-toxic, child and pet-safe, and acts as both a surface disinfectant and an all-purpose cleaner. The best part? You can make a years worth of cleaner for under $5.00! And with the average cost of store-bought orange cleaner often in upwards of 3.89 a bottle, that’s a savings of $48.68 a year!

Here’s how to make this!

[yumprint-recipe id=’70’] And if you’d like to see this cleaner made, I’ve included the live Periscope demo that my husband and I put together from our Katch.me account.

Overall, this is an awesome cleaner. I enjoy it’s simple, organic, I know exactly what’s in it makeup, and it’s affordability is amazing as well. It’s something that has really worked well in my home. I hope you will enjoy it too!

Here’s to greener, more affordable living!

1 Comment

Spring Deep Cleaning Guide

If you are anything like me, few events are more personally gratifying than my annual Spring Deep Cleaning! It’s an opportunity to throw open the windows, let fresh air in, and make our homes clean, safer, and more joyous spaces. For many people, however, the pleasure comes only after the work is finished. While your spring cleaning may never become effortless, you can make the project more manageable – and even enjoyable. So, let’s jump in!

Here is my timeline leading up to Spring Cleaning and Allergy-Proofing my home each year.

Three weeks before cleaning, I request Thredup bags to donate unneeded clothing.

Two weeks before cleaning, I create my seasonal Capsule Wardrobe and utilize my Thredup collection bags.

A week before I start Spring Cleaning, I prepare my cleaners. A tip: to avoid hauling a caddie around my home during Spring Cleaning. Here’s my list of all-natural, diy cleaners I make:

The night before I start cleaning:

I place the cleaners I will be using in the rooms they will be utilized the next day. Along with cleaners, I place any towels, rags, or sponges I will also be using. I do this because as soon as I finish cleaning each room, the cleaners make their way back to my storage closet. When all the cleaners are put away I know my work is done!
Then I create a donation station. Three reusable bags are set up in my dining room. One to hold donation items to go to our local women’s shelter, a second bag for items at the thrift shop, and a miscellaneous bag for items that can go local animal shelter. To keep clutter to a minimum in our minimalist home, my husband takes all donations to charity the same day I clean. Also, I also pull in extra recycling bins too.
I also prep my clipboard. I use a clipboard to cross off completed tasks, take notes on the condition of my house, to remind myself of items I need to bring to my husband’s attention and to keep up to date with our seasonal inventory and shopping lists.

At this point, I’m ready to prepare myself to clean!

Here are the steps I take to prepare myself to start cleaning:

Scheduling. I try to schedule grooming appointments and play dates around my cleaning schedule. This frees up to time to devote fully to my endeavors and to keep little hands and little paws away from cleaners too!
Getting Dressed. While Spring Cleaning, I dress for the occasion. For me, this means wearing all white. Cotton shorts and a tee. This outfit is conducive for cleaning, as I am sure to become soiled, splashed by cleaners, or sweaty while sprucing. This also prevents my clothing to become a visual distracting while cleaning room-to-room. You see, white is pure, clean light. It has clean energy. It allows you to focus on your space and not yourself while cleaning. In fact, Marie Kondo, famed decluttering consultant, wears only white while cleaning, consulting, or engaging at speaking events!
Vacuum. I start with light vacuuming around my whole home before even gathering my cleaning supplies. I do this because I remove my socks and shoes while cleaning. I want to be aware of how my floors feel. If there are any splinters or squeaks that need addressing I can attend to them immediately. And if your floors are clean enough to walk barefoot on, then they are clean enough for little hands and paws, too!
Music. I am known to put awesome music on for encouragement while Spring Cleaning. Sometimes I even create a playlist for the occasion.
Light. I open windows, light a candle, and diffuse while cleaning. This is simply to keep me happy!
Meals. I know I will be too tired to cook after cleaning so I generally prep crockpot meals before I start projects so I have hot, healthy meals ready for my family when the day’s work is done.

Zone 1. My Food Stockpile and Basement

Pantry and Stockpile:

Canned goods: I dust cans, rotate by expiration date, and donate anything that will expire in your current month you don’t plan to consume.
Soft Drinks, Cooking Oils, and Cleaners: Again, I dust containers, rotate by expiration date, donate anything that will expire in your current month you don’t plan to consume, and place all oils in the fridge for summer, especially coconut oil.
Dried Foods: I inventory my stock and rotate jars accordingly.
Room: As my storage room is in my sunroom, I sweep the walls down, dust the room’s trim, clean the windows, clean the ceiling fan, clean my glass doors, and mop my way out of the room.

Basements:

Clean electronic air cleaner elements monthly for most efficient operation; replace filters as needed.
Clean humidifier elements before the next season begin.
Schedule furnace inspections; many areas offer free, or reduced fee inspections. Schedule appointments now!
Buy a 3-month supply of furnace filters.
Drain sediment from hot water heaters.
Clean windows.
Vacuum baseboards, floors, vents, and tools.
Re-evaluate your holiday, seasonal goods. Declutter, re-sort and purge as needed.

Zone 2. Inside the home:

I work from the farthest rooms in my home and work my way towards my front door. I start in my master bedroom, then onto my family bedrooms, guest room, den, living room, office, bathrooms, closets, kitchen, and end with my dining room. Here’s what I do in each area:

In my bedroom I attend to:

Turn mattresses front-to-back and end-to-end to equalize wear.
Launder or clean all bedding: mattress pads, pillows, duvets, blankets, comforters.
Change or scale-back linens as needed.
Vacuum drapes and window treatments.
Clean window sills and windows.
Vacuum baseboards and corners well.
Wash down walls with a mild astringent or cleaner, and dry with a dust mop.
Clean out and vacuum vents.
Vacuum upholstered furniture.
Wash interior windows.
I have my eyeglasses professionally cleaned in Spring.

Kitchen and Dining Room:

Prepare the kitchen for holiday cooking; organize kitchen cabinets, paying particular attention to baking supplies, pans, and equipment.
Clear kitchen counters of all appliances not used within the last week.
Pull refrigerator away from the wall, and vacuum the condenser coils.
Declutter your cabinets. Clear out your cupboards of anything that you don’t use on a regular basis. Make room in your dining room, basement, or stockpile area for seasonal items, such as punch bowls and holiday dishes. Purge, recycle, sell, or donate items that have not been used in a year.
Zone your cabinets. I have a zone for coffee, baking, and pets; keep like items together. Creating zones in your kitchen helps to keep your cabinets organized, helps you to know where to store things, and helps you work more efficiently in the day-to-day running of your home.
Random clutter. Anything random left over, and not able to be placed into cabinets, think of creative, upcycled ways to display and store these items.
Wash light-diffusing bowls from light fixtures.
Vacuum drapes and window treatments.
Clean window sills and windows.
Vacuum baseboards and corners well.
Wash down walls with a mild astringent or cleaner, and dry with a dust mop.
Clean out and vacuum vents.
Re-season pots and pans, as needed.

Coat Closets:

I steam clean coats, blazers, and jackets.
All winter gear is laundered and then stored in baskets in the top of the closet.
Add cedar and tea bags to all closets to prevent mildew and bugs over the Summer months.
I dust upper closet shelves.
I vacuum and steam mop closet floors. I then allow floors to dry for 1 hour before replacing items.

Linen Closets:

Bundle like sets of sheets together.
Keep necessity items in small baskets, labeled, and clustered on a single taller shelf together.
Corral cosmetics on servings trays for easy removal.
Any mismatched items should be donated.
Any fraying towels should be donated; animal shelters are a great place to send unneeded linens.
Prevent dust from covering linen sets, by placing them inside their coordinating pillowcases
Antique linens are best to hang; install two hooks and a dowel rod in the bottom of a closet for hanging linens.
Store throw pillows and guest pillows in a top shelf basket.
Store towel sets in stacks for easy removal.
Store like items on like shelves; linens with linens, towels with towels, and the like.

A few tips for Spring Cleaning your bathrooms:

All cosmetics older than one year, should be purged.
All cosmetic sharpeners, brushes, or curlers two-years or older, should be purged.
All hair coloring products or kits, two years or older, should be purged.
All vitamins or supplement older than one year, should be purged.
All flu, cold, sinus, or allergy products older than two years, should be purged.
All essential oils three years or older, should be purged.
All first aid items, older than three years, should be purged and replaced.
All digestive aids, older than three years, should be purged.
Any fiber-based supplement, older than a year, should be purged.
Any nail lacquers that have been to separate should be purged.
All manicure and pedicure supplies not utilized within the last six months should be purged.
All paper or cotton products should be visible, organized, and easily accessible.
Purge your oldest towel set; towel, hand towel, and wash cloth.
Take inventory and re-stock medicine cabinets.
Clean contact lense cases.
Replace toothbrushes and floss.
Clean window sills and windows.
Vacuum baseboards and corners well.
Wash down walls with a mild astringent or cleaner, and dry with a dust mop.
Clean out and vacuum vents.

Living Room and Den:

Vacuum drapes and window treatments.
Clean window sills and windows.
Vacuum baseboards and corners well.
Wash down walls with a mild astringent or cleaner, and dry with a dust mop.
Clean out and vacuum vents.
Vacuum upholstered furniture.

Zone 3. Outside The House:

Clean and store patio furniture, umbrellas, kid’s summer toys.
Touch up paint on trim, railings and decks.
Check for breaks in exterior caulk lines around windows and doors.
Inspect external doors and garage doors.
Wash exterior windows.
Drain and store garden hoses.
Install insulating covers on exterior spigots.
Check gutters, rain barrels, and downspout openings.
Have chimneys and flues inspected and cleaned, if necessary.

Zone 4. Greenery:

Bring flower pots out of storage; plastic pots will need to be cleaned, emptied, bleached, and air-dried.
Terracotta pots should be sun-sanitized, stacked, and stored on their sides.
Sew grass seeds, as needed.
Purchase bird seed, and keep feeders stocked for the winter.
Prep/service your lawn mower, riding mower, edger, and tiller for warm weather.
Pull back winter mulch, replace as needed.
Clean out flower beds, plant annuals as needed by May 15th each year.
Edge lawns and sidewalks.
Clean and disinfect your outdoor mailboxes.
Service outdoor fountains, solar panels, decorative installations.
Maintain your indoor and outdoor compost bins.

Zone 5. Allergy-Proofing: Now that you’ve deep cleaned your home for Spring, I advise Allergy-proofing your home for Spring too! Here are a few of my favorite tips:

Clean blades of ceiling fans.
Sort and clean any extra zones such as linen closets, utility closets and office spaces; even the best kept linen closets trap dust, which can be inadvertently transferred to bedrooms and common areas.
Check for mold. Bathrooms, basements and areas that are tiled can be especially prone to mold. The key to reducing mold is moisture control. Be sure to use bathroom fans and clean up any standing water immediately. Scrub any visible mold from surfaces with detergent and water, and completely dry. You can also help ward off mold by keeping home humidity levels at or around 60 percent and cleaning gutters regularly helps too!
Check the fur-babies! Remove pet allergens by vacuuming frequently and washing upholstery, including your pet s bed.
Diffuse! Using a diffuser daily can not only help to make our home healthier, by allowing ourselves to breathe in health, natural elements, but we can also help to make out homes smell as inviting by diffusing essential citrus, cinnamon, sage as well.
When mowing and gardening, be sure to wear gloves and a N95 particulate pollen mask (Centers for Disease Control (CDC) NIOSH rated), and to avoid touching your eyes, and be sure to wash your hands, hair and clothing once you go back indoors.

Keep in mind, deep cleaning and allergy-proofing your home from top to bottom will essentially take several days. Do not attempt to clean your entire home in a day, or a weekend for that matter. Take a week, break off chores into chunks, utilize your family for aid and resource, and give yourself the grace of time and consideration of your everyday life when completing this expansive list. Also, you can get a head start by changing your air filters every three months and using filters with a MERV rating of 11 or 12.

My biggest tip? Be sure to vacuum regularly to get rid of dust mites. Use a cyclonic vacuum, which spins dust and dirt away from the floor, or a vacuum with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter. And as always, be sure to wash bedding and stuffed animals weekly.

Moreover, consider this when devising a fall cleaning schedule:

Are you the kind of person who wants to do a little every day?
Would you rather tackle it all at once so that you don’t have to think about it for the rest of the week?
Do you work full-time or are you home during the day?
Do you have young children at home whose chores can be incorporated into this system?

As there is no one “right way” to keep house, and so no universal cleaning schedule that will fit every household’s needs. Just sit down, take an hour, and create a system that will work best for you. Being prepared for the cooped-up winter months ahead is the long-term goals, so by adding a few small, obtainable cleaning goals a day is the way to go! This is a challenge to make your home as healthy as it is steadfast this coming season.

Also, don’t be daunted by the size of this list, many of the jobs are small ones that will go by quickly, and you’ll be so glad you took the time to do them! And if you are looking to see how I organize my year round cleaning schedule, you can also take a look at my general year-round printable list, too!

After you read through the zone lists, be sure to tailor the list to your home and yard. I encourage you to create a realistic Spring Cleaning schedule, keeping in mind that a single weekend won’t suffice, as you’ll need several days for more involved projects, such as shampooing carpets and organizing closets. Pick a plan. Create a stop and start point, whether it’s starting from the attic to the basement, outdoors to inside, or just focusing on one task at a time. Just have a plan. And be sure to enlist the help of family members.

So, folks do you have any tried and true methods for cleaning around your home this time of year. I’d love to hear about them below.

October No-Spend Month Challenge Day 8: Preparing For Cleaning Week

Hello again, savvy savers! Happy Sunday! Can you believe we are a week into a No-Spending Month Challenge!

A full day, a new way to find to save at home! This last week, we focused the first part of the week on pantry organization, organizing food swap days, creating meals based on pantry staples, and then switched focus to alternative pantry re-stocking methods, including starting and maintaining a coupon swap, rain-check shopping, and saving money on the grocery bill, and monthly expenses for that matter, by channeling funds from utility premiums back into your overall family/personal budgets. So you could say, last week was all about food!

This coming week I want to change course. I want to focus on our homes. I want to focus on all of the cluttered, chaotic, dirty, overlooked blemishes that hinder out overall vision of what a simple, efficient can bring into our day-to-day existences. This week we are going tackle the chaos that be head on. We are going to scrub, dust, sort, purge, evaluate, and hopefully make a profit in the process! No matter is you rent, lease, or own there is work to be done! No matter if your home is showcase worthy or disaster-adjacent, there is something can can be done to better your home this coming week!

This week will be slow. This week will seem awful. This week will leave you feeling wonderful.

So today I challenge you two fold. First, I challenge you to make a list of four areas in your home that need organization, cleaning, sorting, or the like. Secondly, I challenge you to prepare to clean this week.

As well, in addition to the challenges ahead of you today, I encourage you to procure from your home the following:

A large basket, bin, or box.
A clipboard with paper, or notepad.
A few pens, markers, or sharpies.
Three empty bags, bins, or boxes large enough to hold a load of laundry or like items.
A handful of sponges or rags.

Nothing too dramatic today! So, be sure to have a cup of coffee or tea, take a moment to collect your thoughts, write your list, and then mosey on back here this evening to see today’s recap!

Here’s to saving,

Motivational Monday’s: Why I Keep My Counters Cleared Off!

Hello again, savvy savers! For today’s Motivational Monday’s Post, I wanted to share the single biggest way I have found to keep my home clean, and that is by keep my kitchen counter tops completely cleared off! Why keep the counters empty? The kitchen is the heartbeat of our home, but when our kitchen counters are messy and cluttered, my mood, home, and family dynamic seems to feel stressed and overwhelmed, too! I truly believe, a clean kitchen is a happy and productive place to be!

So, you may be asking, is it incontinent to not have small appliances, crocks, tools, and towels in arms reach on the counters? No, in fact I truly have not missed having my items out. The reason I decided to clear my counter tops off was that I simply felt I did not use three-quarters of the items on my counters! Let’s say for 8 hours of the day, you utilize those items for about 5 minutes, or less? So, this ultimately means that we all leave appliances plugged into sockets, for 7 hours and 45 minutes, causing not only unnecessary phantom power sources, but these same power drainers are simultaneously taking up valuable space on your counters.

Couple this with the idea that items placed in cabinets are cleaner, after all isn’t this why we place dishes in cupboards, to keep grime, grease splatters, dust, and germs off of our dishes? Why keep items on counter tops, when it take a mere 5 seconds to take those items out of the cupboard, and about 10 seconds to put those items away in the cupboard!

Here are a few more reasons to clear off your counter tops:

Clear counters, mean more space, and a kitchen that feels a lot bigger than it really is.
It is much easier to cook from scratch and prepare three meals plus snacks each day for your family when your counters are clear.
Clear counters creates both the physical and mental space to bake, whip up homemade snacks, and cook nutritious dinners; you create a workshop!
When it’s easier to cook and prepare meals and snacks, we rely less on convenience and processed foods and snacks, and eat out less often; a savings for our wallets and health!
Counter tops that are completely cleared off practically clean themselves; dirty dishes go straight into the dishwasher, staples into the pantry, and then simply sweep floors and wipe down counters!
A clean kitchen is motivation to keep the rest of the house clean and picked up!

And as a bonus, it is a breath of fresh air, to walk into a clean kitchen! I look forward to walking into the kitchen and being able to actually do what I’m supposed to do in there – make a good, home cooked meal food for my family.

Here are a few ways I keep my counter-tops clear:

I keep my toaster oven, microwave, tool crock trio, and produce baskets on a small bakers rack.
All paper products, wraps, and lunch items are stored in in-cabinet wicker baskets.
Snacks are stored vertically in hanging baskets.
I keep a rack above my sink for washing accouterments and my favorite e-Pantry candles!
I keep my small appliances in a bottom cabinet; grill and baking appliances on one shelf, and all others on the bottom shelf.
I place my cutting boards in an upcycled magazine holder, on the side of my pantry.
All spices, food, and pantry items stay in the pantry!
Extra tools belong on my pullman cart beside my fridge!

So, I hope you all will completely clear off our counters in your kitchen and see what kind of difference it can make in our lives! If you need more practical and how-to steps to clear off your counters, including pictures from my own kitchen and how I store things, check out How To Completely Clear Off Your Kitchen Counters!

So, are your counters perpetually messy and cluttered? How do you think it would change your life to clear them off completely?

Here’s to a healthy home,

Easy, DIY Method Grapefruit Cleaner!

Good morning, savvy savers! So this past week at my home, albeit low-key, have been jammed packed with DIY projects and freezer cooking sessions! With all that cooking, comes a whole lot of cleaning, and for me that means whipping out my commercial for keeping my counter tops cleaned, Method Grapefruit Spray! That spray rocks!

As much as I love the cleaner, I am also looking to further cut my bankbook strings in 2015, so I decided to try a DIY version this year! With that said, for the past few days I have been using apps savings from Snap by Groupon, to save on Scarlet Grapefruits at my local Sam’s Club (shopping scenarios to come in the next few days), and instead of composting the Grapefruit peels, I started the first steps to making Homemade Grapefruit Counter top Cleaner!

With the outrageous cost of commercial glass cleaners, I created an organic, non-toxic, child and pet-safe all purpose cleaner which can be for under $5.00 for a years worth of cleaner! As the average cost of a bottle of store-bought orange cleaner is 3.89, and I use a bottle of spray a month, that’s a savings of $48.68 a year! Here’s how to make this!

Ingredients:

1 Clean, dried mason jar
The peels of 3 grapefruits
2 Cups Distilled, white vinegar
10 drops Essential Grapefruit Oil
1 Empty Bottle
1 Funnel
1 Plastic Bowl
1 Sifter

Instructions:

Obtain a clean mason jar, and fill it with 16 ounces, 2 cups, of distilled white vinegar.
Place the peel of three grapefruits in the mason jar with the vinegar.
Add the 10 drops of essential oil to the top of the jar.
Secure the cap and ring on the mason jar.
Store the jar in a cool, dry place for 14 days; I have stored the jars in both my pantry and garage without issues.
On the 15th day, open the jar and strain the contents into a sifter, over a plastic bowl.
Return the solution to the mason jar with a funnel; label your jar as cleaning concentrate.
Open a spray bottle and add 1/4 cup of the solution, 2 ounces, to 5 cups water.
Seal the bottle and shake gently.
Use in conjunction with newspaper to clean most glass surfaces, including counters.

This is an awesome cleaner! I hope you will think so, too!

Enjoy the clean!

1 Comment

August No-Spend Challenge Day 12: 40 Hanger Closet Challenge!

Good evening, savvy savers! Today I challenged you all to tackle cleaning out your little caves of wonder, your bedroom closets! If you are anything like me, your closet was nothing short of a time capsule of the last decade of your life, and probably need a cleaning overhaul today.

You were allotted: 40 hangers, a skinny bin, and that’s it! So, how did you all do today? For me, I was able to clean out my closet and had eight hangers left over, woohoo! As well, all of my purged clothes will be used next week during our “selling week;” all of the clothes being purged can be donated, sold, or upcycled, too! My closet, which was already small, went from having the rod bowing in the center, to being freed up! I can now see all of the pieces I love! I forgot I still had my Burberry wrap! How awesome is that!

Now, before anyone asks, my boxes shoes are located above my closet, and I have an awesome, huge set of built-in drawers which house my house clothes, pajamas, scarves, and more. But my closet, long the place where garments were pressed together so tightly they could not move, is now free-flowing, organized by fabric, and I now feel that despite losing a few dozen items, I have more options, as every item I kept I can fit, and just love!

As I organized my closet I kept three piles: A pile of wearable outfits, a pile of donations, and a pile of clothes which can be sold. And when I was finished I tried on each and every outfit in the keep pile, and guess what? Three outfits were too large for me currently, which was an awesome,affirming moment for me! All-in-all, this was painless, and left me feeling elated!

The 40 hanger system is a keeper for me!

Why clean out your closet? Did you know that famed couturier Coco Channel’s Parisian atelier’s closet was half the size of a modern women’s wardrobe closet? And so like many French women of style, Coco stocked her closet with essentials; dresses, blouses, pants, shoes, and accessories that could be worn for decades, not a single season. Chances are your closet is full of outdated, over-sized, under-worn garnets, which beyond taking up valuable space, are virtually blocking your view of all the pieces you love and look the best on you!

With this idea in mind… I strive to keep an stylish, utilitarian wardrobe, and perhaps you can as well!

So here are a few tips to help you purge your closet:

Purge veraciously. Keep only the items that you absolutely love, can comfortably fit, and wear on a regular basis.
If something doesn’t fit “just right,” has holes, stains, is out of season, or you haven’t worn in one year, toss it!
Skinny Bin. For clothes that you are five pounds from fitting, create a bin or basket which can be placed in the top of your closet; no more than ten pieces.
Think Fabric. Torn or stained items, made of interested fabrics, can be reprieved from the donation bin, and instead may be cut into strips or squares for crafting; think pillo cases, framed vintage tees, tee-shirt rugs, and more!
Invest in great hangers. Think smaller, huggable hangers for clothing, and bendable hangers for swearers; plastic hangers can be re-purposed to hang fabric in your craft room, and wire hangers can be stored for wreath forms.
Maximize your losses. Purged items can be sold via Craigslist, eBay, Facebook, consignment shops, Threadup, or garage sales.

So, here’s the before and after:

Don’t think of this as a chore, but a life lesson. By purging the things we don’t need, want, or use, we are making room for all of the clothing and accessories that make our bodies look and feel better. Today we are freeing ourselves for the bigger, better deals. So today, let’s see how we can change our perspectives, one closet at a time!

As well today, I was also able to accomplish:

As part of my #Choose30 Daily Challenge, I woke up at 7:25, walked my fur babies, showered, & dressed to my shoes. (Thanks, Flylady!)
Worked on my daily Motivated Moms Planner.
I finished a day’s worth of clerking assignments ahead of schedule!
I cooked from my pantry for each meal.
Read my daily devotional.
I waked two miles.

Today I saved:

I eat at home this evening for dinner, saving our family $6.95.
I recycled, upcycled, and composted one bins of deluge, and saved $0.25, the cost of 1 trash bag.
My family drank water today, and saved $0.69, the cost of a 2-liter of soda.
I also did not watch cable tv, and saved $3.68 by doing so.
I lost a half day’s worth of electricity costs, and saved $3.00!

So, overall today my family saved: $14.57

This months savings goal remaining: $359.43

Be sure to check back tomorrow for the Day 13 challenge!

Here’s to saving,

Older Posts

Newer Posts

Sharing is Caring:

Sharing is Caring:

Sharing is Caring:

Sharing is Caring:

Sharing is Caring:

Sharing is Caring:

Sharing is Caring:

search