Tip Tuesday: Cleaning Before Vacation

There is nothing like taking a vacation! You get re-energized, recharged, and rejuvenated to do the things that are important to YOU - no matter what they are. If you leave your living space untidy in the crazy "get out of town" hassle then returning home can be a double edged sword. Not only will you need to catch up on the laundry, but you will need to clear out the mess that was left behind. Nothing sucks the fun out of vacation like cleaning up pre-vacation mess. 

Here are some things to think about before planning your vacation. Make sure to leave yourself enough time to make coming home more enjoyable. Your living space should reflect the calm and peace you felt on your vacation. This will help you to come home and remember and enjoy the good feelings of your vacation. 

There are three main areas to conquer. 

KITCHEN:

You will want to leave your kitchen completely clean. This means: sweeping & mopping - as needed, counters completely cleared and wiped down, refrigerators emptied and wiped out (if longer than 2 days), garbages emptied and baking soda sprinkled in the bottom of the empty bag (1 tbsp), and 1/2 a lemon ground in the garbage disposal. 

BATHROOM:

Counters and toiled need to be wiped down and the garbage emptied. You can sweep if it needs it. If you have time, wipe down the mirrors and faucets. You can close your drains (keep bugs at bay) as one of the last things to do before locking the house. Set out fresh towels so everything is ready for your return. Sprinkle with lavender essential oil or powder. 

COMMON AREAS:

These rooms should be picked up and vacuumed. You can dust if you have time but it isn't necessary. Just make sure the trashes are emptied and relined. Make your bed - if you have time launder you lines so everything is fresh for your return. 

If you leave your house fresh and neat when you leave - once you come home the hardest part will be putting everything away and catching up on the leftover laundry. 

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: Habits of Keeping a Clean Home

Here are 15 of the most important habits to get into in order to keep your house clean.

#1: As soon as you finish using something - put it away, correctly. The MOST important tip!!

#2: Put clothes away, don't lay them down randomly. Put in laundry bin or hang up. This makes "pick up" easier because you won't have to pick up clothes!

#3: As soon as you finish an working in the kitchen, clean that area up. (If you use the cutting board/counter: wipe it down, if you use the stove, wipe it down as soon as you are done).

#4: Don't own extra's of ANYTHING. This will elliminate clutter and you will save space and money too!

#5: Keeping all of your mail, bills, papers, etc. organized. Have a place for everything. Bills, coupons, mailers. As soon as you pay a bill - file it. As soon as the week is over for coupon/mailers, throw it out. Having a filing system will greatly help your paper problem!

#6: Only use your bed (& dare I say, Bedroom) for sleeping. Not for storage. 

#7: Make your bed, daily. This makes your room look 1000 times cleaner. 

#8: Get rid of extra blankets and pillows - only have what you need. 

#9: Always hang up coats and put away shoes.

#10: Clean the dishes (place in dishwasher or wash) as soon as you use them. Clean up the kitchen after EVERY meal/snack. 

#11: Dust regularly. Depending on your pet and dust situation you can probably get away with dusting once a week. If your area is a farm area or rural then you might need to do it more if the dust accumulates faster.

#12: Vacuum regularly. We vacuum twice a day. There are 10 of us in the home - trust me it needs it. You may only need to do it once a day or even every other day if you don't have pets. If you vacuum regularly your home will look cleaner.

#13: Keep Windows washed - inside and out monthly (or more as needed). This gives the appearance of your home clarity - inside and out!

#14: Don't let trash sit over night. This lets old food odors linger. By removing your trash every evening you are allowing your house to regenerate freshness!

#15: No matter your living arrangements it is important to respect the ones you live with. By keeping a clean home you are showing respect to all that live there.With everyone pitching in and everyone doing their part, they are showing respect to each other. This is key!

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: How To Get and Stay Motivated to Clean

Sometimes you have routines in place for cleaning, but you lose your resolve or your excitement to follow through. Don't despair! All you need to do is find some quiet time in your day and follow these steps:

 1) Write down what IS working for you. Whether it is the tools, products or what you are doing that works - write it down. Don't second guess yourself. 

 2) Write down what IS NOT working for you. Be just as honest here. If you have doubts about it - write it down. Don't over think this.

 Once you figure out what is NOT working for you, it is time to do some tweaking. IF it has something to do with the routine of it - that is a pretty easy fix. Change it up! Whether it is the time of day or the actual job itself on that day, you can change things to better suit your current schedule.

 I make chore charts for every room in our home. I have children assigned to tasks as well as their Father and I. Sometimes they grow up and can do more or perhaps I find that the task I assigned them is to hard. I have to be flexible so that they can feel accomplished and not stressed out by their assigned tasks. If they feel like they can do it then there is less trauma about it. That doesn't mean that it can't be challenging to them. Challenging is good - completely impossibly difficult is not. I try to keep their chores age/maturity appropriate.

 If your routine needs work you might try some of these different ways to have a better routine:

 A) One room per day (plus daily tasks in kitchen & bathroom)
 B) Specific Daily Tasks (all dusting or all vacuuming per day)
 C) Minute by Minute Assigned Tasks (Jobs you will get done at certain times of day)

 Perhaps it isn't your routine. Perhaps you are getting bogged down because most cleaning tasks don't ever seem to be "completely" done. Tomorrow the same jobs will be done again. Sometimes you can feel frustrated. Take time to reward yourself. Whether you give yourself "TIME" daily to do what you want to do (ie: hobby, read, tv, exercise, etc.) or you reward your self with sometime (chocolate, a new book or shopping). Whatever will help get you motivated, do it!

 Sometimes you just need to feel accountable for the cleaning. If this is you, you can either choose to be accountable to your family members (ie: husband, children, etc.) or you can use your best friend, mom's group, etc. Figure out how often (daily, weekly, monthly) you will check in with each other. Make sure you are specific and you follow through.

 Having realistic expectations on what you can and will accomplish is a great motivator in and of itself. Challenge yourself (just like the children) but don't overwhelm yourself.

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: Simplifying Chores in a Crisis

There may be times in our family life that crisis sets in. Whatever that crisis may be it is a great idea to have a gameplan on what chores NEED to get done and what chores can be done away with - temporarily. Obviously if you have a big family the more you can spread around the chores getting done. You just have to get creative (especially with children that might be under stress) and everything will go more smoothly.

One of the first things that still need to be done is the kitchen. Basic cleaning in the kitchen. This isn't the time for deep cleaning. Keep it basic. Keep up with dishes, sweeping and floor clearing. If you have time (& energy) then you might try clearing out the fridge at least once a week, especially if you have had meals brought in. You don't want to lose track of the delicious food that you do have available.

Another area to not forget is the bathroom. Again, keeping it basic. You will want to keep everything tidy - especially if there is a sick person that needs things sanitized or if you have visitors coming in (like for a funeral). A quick daily swish of the toilet and making sure the trash has been taken out, clean towels are out and the floor stays tidy. Just keeping up with this little bit will make a huge difference.

The only other areas to be concerened about are entrance ways - making sure they are clear and walkable. Dusting and sweeping optional, but will make your living space feel cleaner. Another space is the visitor area. If you have a separate living area, this room should stay tidy and kept picked up. This will make those unexpected visitors feel less troublesome and more welcome.

If you have children that you are managing as well, it will be imperative to keep things light and fun for them. They need to keep to a routine. Having chores and responsibilities will greatly aid in their comfort because it gives them that routine. Making a game out of it or making everyone feel special and encouraged will aid in the atmosphere of your home. If you can keep them feeling positive and happy then everyone will feel better.

No matter the crisis you may be facing (now or in the future) having a plan for the cleaning aspect can help things run more smoothly.

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: Clean Indoor Air

There are known plants for cleaning our indoor air. Why is this important? Well, if you suffer from allergies (or a family member does) there are some beneficial plants to keep around your home that can help filter out some of the bad "air" that can collect in homes over time. Whether you live in a hot climate or a cooler climate, if your house stays closed up for any length of time it is a great idea to have a couple interior plants - easy upkeep and manageability - in your home to help give it the fresh, clean feeling.

One of the first plants to talk about is the Gerbera Daisy: 

  There have been studies done that show that it absorbs the carbon dioxide out of the air and can even put out oxygen over night! If you have better oxygen at night then you are almost guaranteed to have sweet dreams! Nasa has even done research that shows that it can remove benzene from the air. This is a cancer causing chemical.

Another great plant is the Aloe Vera:

  You probably already know this one for its great ability to help heal burns topically. It also has the properties to collect and remove formaldahyde from the air. 

The Ficus Alii:

  This plant is said to work wonderfully as an air purifier. This is a great one for allergens in your home. This plant can help remove those for you!

One of the the other top performing plants is the Areca Palm:

  Another great plant for purifying the air. This plant can get fairly large and as it grows so does its capacity to purify more. The Areca Palm is one of the most widely known as the best air purifiers.

The Pygmy Date Palm:

  This is another great plant for the removal of formadehyde in the air. It is also great at removing xylene which is a chemical that is found in many plastics and cleaners.

The Baby Rubber Plant:

  This plant is an air cleaner. How it effectively does this is it releases high oxygen content into the air. This will in turn clean the air and pull out the toxins left behind by chemicals and other house hold air impurities.

The Mass Cane, The Boston Fern and the Chinese Evergreen:

  These plants are much like some of the others as they are great at the  removal of formaldehyde from the air. They are really good at cleaning the air indoors and purifying it.

No matter your personal taste in plants, you are sure to find one that will work for you!

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: More Simple Cleaning Tips and Tricks

There are few things that make you feel more accomplished than having a clean home. Following some simple tips and ideas you can get more done in less time and with minimal effort! What more can you ask?

1) Cleaning between the glass on your oven door. 

 This one can be tricky. You will need a wire hanger or another long thing with a hook on the end. On the end of the hanger that you have straightened - you will want to attach a Windex Wipey or your own homemade windex rag. It needs to be fairly thin. You will want to make sure it stays on by using a rubberband or a hair band. If you lay on your kitchen floor and look up under your oven door you will see a space between the glass. This is where you will poke your 'cleaning tool' up and in. Wipe all around and you will be amazed at how much grime can come off onto your rag!

2) Removing Nail Polish from a tile/laminate/linoleum floor - 

 The sooner you can get the stain removed the better job you will be able to do. First use your fingernail polish liberally all over the spillage. Next you will wipe it up. If that hasn't removed all of the stain, use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to pull up the rest. You can also use hairspray. Once the polish is removed, clean the area with warm, soapy water. This will remove any lingering residue.

3) Getting streak free, clean windows - 

 You will want to use equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Next just add 2-3 drops of Blue Dawn Dish Soap. (I like to add about 1/8 cup of Isopropyl Alcohol to mine. It helps the windows dry really fast! Then just use like you would Windex!

4) Removing Permanent Marker from wood floors -

 If you use a dab of white toothpaste onto the marker and wipe it off with a damp rag. The marker should be completely gone!

5) Removing labels (& the sticky residue) - 

 Fill your sink with hot water and add a scoopful of Oxiclean. Dump your bottles or items into the sink and let the sit for about 30 - 45 minutes. All of the labels will be floating in your sink! Just wipe the items down really quick and let them dry. 

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: Simple Cleaning Tricks

Looking for some simple but useful cleaning tricks to help motivate you and help you get your cleaning done faster? Look no further!

1) Restoring Scratched Wood Furniture - 
       Mix 1/2 cup vinegar with a 1/2 cup of olive oil (don't use extra virgin for this). Just dip a cleaning rag into your mixed solution and rub it in to the surface of the wood furniture you are trying to restore. You should see the results immediately.

2) Cleaning Childrens Toys - 
       The best solution for cleaning childrens toys, that I have found, is a mixture of Vinegar and water. I use about 1/2 and 1/2 of vinegar and water and just an 1/8 of bleach (if I think the toys need EXTRA HEAVY DUTY CLEANING. The smaller toys I run through the hottest cycle (air dry though) on the dishwasher -  about 1 cup of VINEGAR ONLY. For larger toys I place them in the kitchen sink and wash them with a rag dipped in the solution (Vinegar AND Water). I let these air dry on the counter and table - depending how many I am doing at a time.

3) Refresh towels and remove the mildew smell -
      Just add a 1/2 cup vinegar to your towel load - do not add any detergent. Run the cycle on hot water. If you still smell the mildew odor, use 1/2 cup of baking soda (no detergent) in the next wash cycle. Again, using hot water. I have only used the vinegar trick and have never had to use the baking soda in a 2nd wash. 

4) Cleaning up your cookie sheets - 
       Place 1/4 cup of baking soda in a glass bowl and add hydrogen peroxide until you get a paste. This concoction will clean most everything in your kitchen that needs to be cleaned. Just rub it in and wipe it off (or you can use a scrubbie). For your cookie sheets you want to sprinkle the pans with the baking soda and then spritz the peroxide over the top. Then sprinkle an added layer of baking soda over the top of that. Then let it sit for about 2 hours (or more). You should be able to just wipe it off with minimal scrubbing or effort. AWESOME!

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!