Tip Tuesday: House Cleaning Strategies

How to get your house sparkling quickly and efficiently. Time honored ways to get the jobs done that need to be done in as fast and as well as you can do it. 

The following are some ideas to jumpstart your cleaning efforts. Sometimes you can get in a rut or even get complacent in your household chores. When this happens you need to ramp up your ability and your desire to get the job done. 

Here are some effective ways to help you get back into the swing of things:

1) If you invite someone over you will likely look at your house with fresh eyes and see things that might stick out to a guest. Just give yourself ample time to get the things cleaned that need to be cleaned or you might find your self in an embarrassing situation!

2) Pick one area to clean/dejunk. If you focus on one smaller area then you will feel that "accomplished" feeling when it is completed. This will inspire you to move on and tackle another problem area/room.

3) Reward yourself. When you complete cleaning tasks - reward yourself. This can be as simple as getting a 1/2 hour to do something you feel like is a luxury or buying a new cd you have wanted. Keep your rewards realistic and simple and don't ever use it as an excuse to go out of your designated budget.

4) New candles or scents. New smells can entice your senses. Just be careful not to try too many at a time or you can get sensory overload. If this happens you are more likely to irritate your guests or family members. Be mindful if you have family/friends that have allergies or are sensitive to smells. Honestly, I can't really abide candles and scents. It absolutely drives my allergies crazy. No candles or smellies in my house. BUT I can take homemade febreeze. I just melt the fabric softener crystals (sold by Gain or other companies) in some boiling water. I let it cool then add it to a squirt bottle. Only do about 1/3 of a cup to a medium sized squirt bottle or else you might leave spots on fabric or furniture. But this is a great way to make your home smell clean and inviting right before a guest walks in, easy and cheap!

5) Turn on some dancing, loud tunes and get everyone moving and cleaning and you will breeze through the jobs. 

6) Try out a new cleaning something. Nothing inspires me more than trying out a new product that I haven't used before. This lets me compare it to my 'old' ways and see how it stacks up to my tried and true methods. Just make sure you clear out OLD, unused products so that your cleaning pantry doesn't become crazy crowded.

7) Try rearranging a room. This will get your ideas flowing and might inspire you to move on to the next area.

Whatever your cleaning needs - changing things up a bit can give you the boost you need to be reinspired.

Good luck!

BellaOnline Cleaning

Make it a great one!

Daughter, Sister, Friend, Wife - in our 18th year of wedded bliss, Stepmother to 2 adult children, Mother - (G16, G15, B12, G10, B9, B5, G4, & B1), StepMother-In-Law to 2, StepGrandmother to 4 precociously precious little boys! Blessed, Happy & Satisfied!

Tip Tuesday: Deep Cleaning a Food Pantry/Storage Area

This is a GREAT time of year to get your pantry closet or food storing room cleaned up and back in tip top shape. One of the first things you need to do is go through your pantry items and discard the items that have expired. The general rule for spices is they only have a shelf life of a year. However, I have found many spices (like cinnamon, red pepper flakes, etc) can last beyond that time. If you can't use it up within a year then you need to invest in smaller quantities. It is always a good idea to store bulk or excess in the freezer. This will allow the spice to not lose its potency. Sample test your spices to see if they are still effective!

After checking the expiration dates, you should make sure you make a note of the things you have so that you know what you need. I like to keep a clipboard with all of my pantry items listed (including cleaning supplies) and then I can pencil in what I have. If you know a certain baking/cooking type season is coming up then you can make a note of the items you will need. Also, the same goes for cleaning cycles. When you are aware of what you have on hand, you will know what you need coming up. This will absolutely save you money in the long run.

Another tip is to make a note of any items that have spilled or are otherwise not in pristine condition - discard them. Wipe up the residual mess. Vacuum or mop the floor after a thorough sweeping. This will insure that you aren't a bug zone waiting to happen. This is a good time to move refrigerators/freezers and clean up under them. A quick cleaning every quarter to 6 months will keep the bugs away, for sure.

Find ways to organize your pantry that works for you. You can use baskets, do it alphabetically, or even organize by type of cooking. You can organize the things the children use/need the most on lower shelves and things that aren't used as frequently up higher. Grouping things together that are used in 'like' ways is best for me.

Make the time to clean out your food storage/pantry area today!

Good luck!

BellaOnline Cleaning

Make it a great one!

Daughter, Sister, Friend, Wife - in our 18th year of wedded bliss, Stepmother to 2 adult children, Mother - (G16, G15, B12, G10, B9, B5, G4, & B1), StepMother-In-Law to 2, StepGrandmother to 4 precociously precious little boys! Blessed, Happy & Satisfied!