Well, here we are at the 8 week mark already! In my last post I predicted finishing Carsen's big girl room right on today's self-imposed "deadline." I am a little bummed to report that it is not totally finished. All that's left is paint, and the color matcher machine thingy at our Lowes is still broken. I think I'll probably just go to the next closest store which is only about 15 minutes away and buy the paint there. I could also go to Sherwin Williams and pay more for the paint, or to Home Depot and have them color match it to one of the brands they carry. I hesitate to do that only because I know that Lowes has a zero-VOC paint+primer in one for a very decent price and I don't know if SW or HD have a similar product for a similar price, and I don't feel like doing the homework to find out. So we're a couple of days over our deadline, and I have to make a 15 minute drive to get the paint. Whatevs.
Additionally, while we've been held up with the paint issue, you may recall that we will be hosting Josh's friends for a Super Bowl party this weekend. That means I am in power-cleaning mode during nap times this week with a detailed list of what needs to be cleaned/straightened/tidied/etc. before we have company. I love the fire-under-your-tail that having company provides! My house always gets whipped into shape faster than you can say Martha Stewart when we're planning to host company. Why, then, it does not look like that all the time is explained simply by the fact that I'd rather play with my toddler than wipe down baseboards. Just sayin'. Point being that some of the items from farther down my Baby Prep To-Do List are getting marked off early. For example, I did a pretty thorough deep-clean of the kitchen today that should require very light weekly maintenance from this point. Now I don't have to worry about doing that in a few weeks. Tomorrow I'll be tackling the living room, and later in the week I'll be doing a good cleaning of the floors. This is not to say that things won't need cleaning for the next 8 weeks (I wish), just that doing a thorough deep-clean in those rooms now will leave me with just easy maintenance for the weeks leading up to Reagan's birth and those shortly afterwards.
I'm also making decent progress in the baby-book overhaul (working on that mostly after Carsen goes to bed at night). I'm excited to share that when I get things a little more put together. Stay tuned!
Showing posts with label Cleaning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cleaning. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Monday, March 26, 2012
Spring Cleaning Week Wrap Up
We've wrapped up Spring Cleaning Week around here and the place is sparkling :) I thought I'd share a quick overview of everything that got cleaned and what products I used to make it as productive as possible while still being pleasant!
Here's the breakdown of each day/room:
*Side note- a lot of these things do get done on a regular basis, not just during Spring Cleaning, I promise! :)
Monday- Master Bedroom & Bathroom
Bedroom:
Dust everything
Wash all bedding
Put down fresh bedding
Swap out winter for spring bed spread
Wash windows and window treatments
Swap winter for spring clothing, donate what doesn't get worn
Vacuum floors
Bathroom:
Clean tile, tub, toilet, sink, mirror & floor surfaces
Dust/polish cabinets
Scrub grout
Remove old caulk, re-caulk
Clean out and discard old/lesser used items from cabinets & shelves
Replace towels
Wash shower curtain
Wash rug & bath mat
Tuesday- C's bedroom & Main Bath
Bedroom:
Dust everything
Wash bedding
Put down fresh bedding
Swap winter for spring blankets
Wash window and window treatment
Pack up winter clothing/outgrown clothing
Pack up other items no longer needed
Re-organize closet
Re-organize changing table & book shelf
Vacuum floor
Bathroom:
Wednesday- Living Room & Play Room
Dust everything
Wash windows & window treatments
Wash sofa and ottoman slipcovers
Pack up outgrown/lesser used toys & books
Clear 2nd toy shelf
Re-organize remaining toy shelf
Vacuum and mop floor
Thursday- Kitchen
Remove items to be sold/donated (yup, still doing that)
Wipe down cabinets, appliances, counter tops
Wash window, sliding door, and treatments
Clean sliding door track, re-grease
Remove items from pantry for donation
Re-organize pantry
Vacuum and mop floor
Friday- Flexible
Finish up any remaining projects from the week
Give dog a haircut
Since I was working only during C's nap time, some of these tasks didn't get done on their respective days. That's why I kept Friday open. I also didn't do anything with our basement because that is mostly J's space. I pretty much only use the laundry room, or retrieve some crafty stuff from my desk. He is constantly moving things around and re-organizing it, so I don't really interfere. Oh, and I worked on C's bedroom Tuesday evening after J got home since she is of course sleeping in there during nap time! Overall, SCW was a great big fresh-smelling success. It's like giving your house a face lift :)
Speaking of fresh-smelling... here's a list of the products I love to use whenever I clean. I always prefer something a little more naturally derived (although I realize they aren't 100% chemical-free), and these are the ones that have worked best for me:
Method Anti-Bac Kitchen Cleaner. I used this on any hard surface, not just in the kitchen. It's good at loosening anything stuck-on, and it's anti-bacterial. Bonus: super fresh lemon + verbena scent.
Method Window Cleaner. It's blue, it cleans streak-free, but it lacks that nostril-stinging smell of Windex. Rather it has a mild minty scent that I much prefer. PS- I've killed bugs with a squirt of Windex before, so that's something to think about when breathing it in. ACK!
Method Tub & Tile Cleaner. I have found this to be the best naturally-derived cleaner for actually cleaning tile. A lot of natural bathroom cleaners that are anti-bacterial are not that great at getting soap residue off of your tile. I prefer this one, though it is not anti-bacterial, because I'd rather have the scum off my surfaces than have sanitized scum. We don't eat off the shower tile or anything else in the bathroom, so no biggie there. And, eucalyptus + mint scent.
Seventh Generation Toilet Bowl Cleaner. Again, naturally derived. Smells like an evergreen forest, and it's considerably cheaper than Method's version.
Hydrogen Peroxide. This is what I used to clean the grout. It not only cleans and kills any ick that's on there, but peroxide also has a bleaching effect (whitening toothpaste, anyone?) so your grout ends up nice and bright. I've also heard vinegar works well on grout, or if you were less concerned with the chemicals SoftScrub with bleach would probably do the same trick.
Swiffer Dusters. I love these little guys! We have wood blinds in every room of the house and these things clean them in a snap (or at least a fraction of the time it would take me to wipe each slat with a cloth). They easily dust fan blades, picture frames, shelves, and pretty much anything else. You can't shake them like they show in the commercial or dust will fly everywhere (yes, I tried), but they do a pretty good job of actually picking the dust up without just spreading it around.
O-Cedar Floor Mop. It's a lot like the Swiffer mop (it has a refillable bottle for cleaner, a trigger to spray the floor, and then a cleaning pad that attaches to the bottom), except the cleaning pads are washable and reusable. I like that there's less trash and less to buy. You also use whatever floor cleaner you like instead of buying refills of their cleaner.
Method Floor Cleaner. I use the lavender scented version (are there others? maybe not) and love it. Very little is needed and you just add water and clean as usual. It does a great job and smells amazing.
I think that's the line-up. I could be forgetting something though, it was a busy week! I have to say, I love that although the Method cleaners have somewhat different scents, none are over-powering or perfume-y and they all work together. On our main level I used every single one of them, and it just smelled like freshness... you know, what spring should smell like :)
If you're inspired to do some spring cleaning, hopefully this was helpful. For anyone who is really up for a challenge, I also found a spring cleaning list on Pinterest (I think) that is pretty intense. Got any spring cleaning tips or tricks? Favorite cleaners, tools, or potions? I'm sure we'd all love to hear!
Here's the breakdown of each day/room:
*Side note- a lot of these things do get done on a regular basis, not just during Spring Cleaning, I promise! :)
Monday- Master Bedroom & Bathroom
Bedroom:
Dust everything
Wash all bedding
Put down fresh bedding
Swap out winter for spring bed spread
Wash windows and window treatments
Swap winter for spring clothing, donate what doesn't get worn
Vacuum floors
Bathroom:
Clean tile, tub, toilet, sink, mirror & floor surfaces
Dust/polish cabinets
Scrub grout
Remove old caulk, re-caulk
Clean out and discard old/lesser used items from cabinets & shelves
Replace towels
Wash shower curtain
Wash rug & bath mat
Tuesday- C's bedroom & Main Bath
Bedroom:
Dust everything
Wash bedding
Put down fresh bedding
Swap winter for spring blankets
Wash window and window treatment
Pack up winter clothing/outgrown clothing
Pack up other items no longer needed
Re-organize closet
Re-organize changing table & book shelf
Vacuum floor
Bathroom:
Clean tile, tub, toilet, sink, mirror & floor surfaces
Dust/polish cabinets
Scrub grout
Remove old caulk, re-caulk
Replace towels
Wash shower curtain
Wash rug & bath mat
Wednesday- Living Room & Play Room
Dust everything
Wash windows & window treatments
Wash sofa and ottoman slipcovers
Pack up outgrown/lesser used toys & books
Clear 2nd toy shelf
Re-organize remaining toy shelf
Vacuum and mop floor
Thursday- Kitchen
Remove items to be sold/donated (yup, still doing that)
Wipe down cabinets, appliances, counter tops
Wash window, sliding door, and treatments
Clean sliding door track, re-grease
Remove items from pantry for donation
Re-organize pantry
Vacuum and mop floor
Friday- Flexible
Finish up any remaining projects from the week
Give dog a haircut
Wish I had taken a before picture. He appears at least 5lbs lighter.
 |
Speaking of fresh-smelling... here's a list of the products I love to use whenever I clean. I always prefer something a little more naturally derived (although I realize they aren't 100% chemical-free), and these are the ones that have worked best for me:
Method Anti-Bac Kitchen Cleaner. I used this on any hard surface, not just in the kitchen. It's good at loosening anything stuck-on, and it's anti-bacterial. Bonus: super fresh lemon + verbena scent.
Method Window Cleaner. It's blue, it cleans streak-free, but it lacks that nostril-stinging smell of Windex. Rather it has a mild minty scent that I much prefer. PS- I've killed bugs with a squirt of Windex before, so that's something to think about when breathing it in. ACK!
Method Tub & Tile Cleaner. I have found this to be the best naturally-derived cleaner for actually cleaning tile. A lot of natural bathroom cleaners that are anti-bacterial are not that great at getting soap residue off of your tile. I prefer this one, though it is not anti-bacterial, because I'd rather have the scum off my surfaces than have sanitized scum. We don't eat off the shower tile or anything else in the bathroom, so no biggie there. And, eucalyptus + mint scent.
Seventh Generation Toilet Bowl Cleaner. Again, naturally derived. Smells like an evergreen forest, and it's considerably cheaper than Method's version.
Hydrogen Peroxide. This is what I used to clean the grout. It not only cleans and kills any ick that's on there, but peroxide also has a bleaching effect (whitening toothpaste, anyone?) so your grout ends up nice and bright. I've also heard vinegar works well on grout, or if you were less concerned with the chemicals SoftScrub with bleach would probably do the same trick.
Swiffer Dusters. I love these little guys! We have wood blinds in every room of the house and these things clean them in a snap (or at least a fraction of the time it would take me to wipe each slat with a cloth). They easily dust fan blades, picture frames, shelves, and pretty much anything else. You can't shake them like they show in the commercial or dust will fly everywhere (yes, I tried), but they do a pretty good job of actually picking the dust up without just spreading it around.
O-Cedar Floor Mop. It's a lot like the Swiffer mop (it has a refillable bottle for cleaner, a trigger to spray the floor, and then a cleaning pad that attaches to the bottom), except the cleaning pads are washable and reusable. I like that there's less trash and less to buy. You also use whatever floor cleaner you like instead of buying refills of their cleaner.
Method Floor Cleaner. I use the lavender scented version (are there others? maybe not) and love it. Very little is needed and you just add water and clean as usual. It does a great job and smells amazing.
I think that's the line-up. I could be forgetting something though, it was a busy week! I have to say, I love that although the Method cleaners have somewhat different scents, none are over-powering or perfume-y and they all work together. On our main level I used every single one of them, and it just smelled like freshness... you know, what spring should smell like :)
If you're inspired to do some spring cleaning, hopefully this was helpful. For anyone who is really up for a challenge, I also found a spring cleaning list on Pinterest (I think) that is pretty intense. Got any spring cleaning tips or tricks? Favorite cleaners, tools, or potions? I'm sure we'd all love to hear!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Spring Cleaning Week: Day 2
And happy first day of spring! Yesterday's cleaning endeavor was a huge, minty-fresh success! The entire upstairs filled with fresh air and subtle mint and eucalyptus scents of my favorite cleaning products.
Our master bedroom is completely dust-free...
...and cozi-fied with fluffy, cheerful spring bedding...
My dresser is filled with neatly stacked tank-tops and otherwise colorful, flowy articles of clothing...
The master bathroom is also gleaming, though I decided not to take pictures. I can't imagine anyone really cares to see a photo of a shower wall. We don't even have pretty tile, it's just white squares! What I did not get finished from the task list was the clearing out old & unused items. Put that on my list for Friday :)
On to today's task...
Main Bathroom & C's Bedroom
I'll be giving the main bathroom the same treatment our master bath got yesterday, a thorough scrubbing plus recaulking and resealing the grout.
In C's room,
- Dust everything
- Fresh bedding
- Pack up winter clothes
- Reorganize closet and changing table
I also plan to hang some shelves and fill up a collage frame we've had for a while with pictures of her cousins. Since C is constantly moving out of one stage and into another, I feel like her room is constantly changing as well. We are always putting away things we don't use anymore and bringing in something new that we haven't needed until now. As long as it's not time to move the crib out and a big-girl bed in, I'll be ok :)
Our master bedroom is completely dust-free...
On to today's task...
Main Bathroom & C's Bedroom
I'll be giving the main bathroom the same treatment our master bath got yesterday, a thorough scrubbing plus recaulking and resealing the grout.
In C's room,
- Dust everything
- Fresh bedding
- Pack up winter clothes
- Reorganize closet and changing table
I also plan to hang some shelves and fill up a collage frame we've had for a while with pictures of her cousins. Since C is constantly moving out of one stage and into another, I feel like her room is constantly changing as well. We are always putting away things we don't use anymore and bringing in something new that we haven't needed until now. As long as it's not time to move the crib out and a big-girl bed in, I'll be ok :)
Monday, March 19, 2012
Spring Cleaning Week: Kickoff
It's officially one of my favorite times of the year - SPRING CLEANING WEEK! That's right, I break out the mops, buckets, dust cloths, brushes, and spray bottles for an entire week of deep cleaning. Nothing inspires me to clean like spring, and nothing makes spring more enjoyable than
Spring Cleaning Week goes beyond my regular weekly cleaning to include things like re-sealing grout, re-caulking, clearing out cabinets and closets, washing windows and window treatments, swapping winter for spring clothing, washing sofa slip covers, and other deep-cleaning processes that don't get done frequently throughout the year. I love it not only because the house gets fresh and clean, but I also love the opportunity to clear things out and part with stuff that is just taking up space. For example, my bathroom storage is maxed out, but I actually use about 6 things in there on a regular basis. Of course some things you need to hang on to for occasional use, but lots of things can just go. Spring is also a great time to swap out some decor items for an instantly updated look without spending a lot of money. Changing out toss pillows for a different color or moving some furniture around can really make a difference in taking a room winter to spring, much like you can swap a few accessories to make an outfit go from day to night!
The game plan is to tackle a different room/area of the house each day. I find that I'm most effective in cleaning/reorganizing if I can focus on one room at a time. I'm going kickoff SCW today with...
The Master Bedroom & Bathroom
On my cleaning list are the following items:
- Dust everything
- Wash all bedding and swap winter for spring bedspread
- Wash windows, sills, and window treatments
- Go through closet for items to donate
- Swap winter for spring clothing
- Clean bathroom
- Scrub and re-seal grout
- Re-caulk
- Empty out/reorganize cabinets, toss old or unused items
Since I only have nap time to work through it's certainly possible that all of this will not get done today. That's the magic of Spring Cleaning WEEK. Chances are, there will be another day that I have less on the agenda which allows for some flexibility. Here's what the rest of the week looks like...
Tuesday- Main bathroom, C's room (when J gets home since she's sleeping in there during nap time)
Wednesday- Living room & Play room
Thursday- Kitchen*
Friday- flexible
*Thursday is also the day that our appliances are being delivered, so things will depend on what time that happens and how long it takes.
I'm also skipping the basement all-together because that's J's domain. He spends more time there than anyone else and most of the stuff down there belongs to him, so I'm leaving it alone.
Does anyone else out there have a spring cleaning ritual? Is your house so clean that you don't need to do a "spring" cleaning? Stay tuned for more on Spring Cleaning Week each day as well as a whole post update on 23-month old C!
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