clean your house in an hour

Very few of us have the luxury of spending all day a few times a week scouring our house, and during this time of year even if you are those lucky few who get to stay home who wants to spend that much of your time during the holidays cleaning. Me...um No thank you. I would rather get my craft on or decorate my home or shop for presents not clean. But it a very necessary evil unless you live in a bubble. Even on our best day here when the kids are in school all day and then we rush off to some sporting practice I still have to run the swiffer to capture all the dog hair and settled dust.

I wish I could take credit for this bit of helpful information but I can not. And since I can not claim this as my own I am posting the link to the website.

http://shine.yahoo.com/at-home/clean-house-less-hour-174000165.html

The title of the article is "How to clean your house in less than an hour". It breaks down each room allocates time and then gives you steps. Very helpful and as a matter of fact today I am going to put it in play and see how well it stands up.

I know we all have our own routines but give this a try, you just may find it helps and hey more time to craft?? Say it aint so!

OCD Tip #3

OCD Tip #3

When your running low on Swiffer Sweeper pads, or if you just want to make them last a bit longer, use BOTH sides! When the first side is dirty and ready to be thrown away flip it over and use it again! Both sides pick up great.

 And they double as a duster! That's right, instead of using all the chemical products just grab a Swiffer Sweeper pad and get to dusting!

{momma fashion 101} cleaning in heels

Yes you read the title right!

During a rant about my ever expanding tush (what the heck happens when we turn 30 anyway??!) to my cousin who is more like a sister than a cousin, she mentioned cleaning in heels. I laughed because while I have a closet full of beautiful high heels that I only wear on Sundays now, I couldn't seriously imagine cleaning in them. Sure I have mastered the art of graceful walking in 6" heels, ran across a football field to my hurt child during practice in heels, I can successfully walk up and down stairs holding my sons hand while carrying my bible, my purse and a full cup of coffee lid not included and not spill a drop or fall over, BUT CLEAN IN THEM...now that is another story! However, after rolling the thought around in my head a bit I did some research and while they say the excessive wearing of heels may cause calluses and even symptoms of schizophrenia (scary and who knew), the benefits far outweighed those measly little cons.

High Heels Make Perfect Posture...say what?!

Just look at your self in the mirror! Your back is straight, and shoulder square and back. When accustomed to wearing high heels, we are actually improving our posture and creating a perfect body.

High Heels help Reduce Back Pain

Not literally, but this is a case of mind over matter. When we stand in perfect body posture and top it off with a great attitude we tend to avoid all the grumpiness. When we look good we feel good, same concept.  

High Heels Look More Attractive

You may or may not agree with me on this, but in my opinion and from what I have read the overall consensus is high heels make us look more attractive. They make us taller, elongate our legs, immediately tightens our calf muscle, firms our tush and boosts our confidence, who doesn't need a little of that then doing the oh so mundane task of cleaning?!

High Heels Improve Pelvic Strength

In a study conducted on 66 women aged under 50 years it showed the wearing of high heels 2" to 5cm forms a 15 degree angle toward the ground, thus creating electrical activity in the pelvic floor muscles. This posture means the pelvic floor muscles are at the optimum position, which can improve the strength and ability when contracted. Hello help during labor!

There we have it, definite pros and cons. But do they really scream "wear me while your cleaning!" really it's up to you. For me, I am a 30 year old stay at home mom, I have always had a high metabolism, although when I turned 30 things changed, my flat stomach has a bit of a muffin top and my tush is turning a bit bubbly. We have no local gym here and I cant bear to drive 30 minutes to sweat, so I use what I have. Since we live in a two story house I run when I go up the stairs and yes I have began wearing my heels while I clean. I don't wear them every day (since I have OCD and boys I clean daily) but 3 times a week when I do my light house cleaning I wear them. Monday and Friday are my "CLEANING" days where all the nasty gets swept away and the other 3 days I just give a quick wipe down of all surfaces. So on those quick days I take advantage of the hour and wear my heels, not my jimmy choos though! 

How Often Do You Clean It...Under the Couch Cushions

Yep, that's right...that oh so neglected place that we almost always NEVER clean until one of the kids looses a toy or sock or the remote control disappears...and we apprehensively lift the couch cushion for fear of what it may look like under there.

 How often do we really think lets clean UNDER the couch cushions. This is one of the mysterious places that logically shouldn't get dirty but does. Every time I lift the cushions I am always amazed at the stuff that is under them, how exactly does a sock get smack dab in the middle of the underside of the cushion???

 Either way, it does get dirty and depending on your families habits, # of kids and animals, what you find will vary. Mine mostly gets dirty with dog hair and the occasional bakugan or silly band. We don't eat in the living room so thankfully I don't have to worry about anything more than an extra pet growing under there.

 I really don't think about this area often, usually once or twice a year. So here I go, for all my friends who know me personally and see my house spic and span I am afraid I may crush your expectations, 

I am revealing the ugly truth of what my couch beholds...

I really don't know what that is or how it got there...

Now time to whip out the trusty vacuum, I only use my attachments for the corners and sides, other than that I just vacuum the couch like I would the carpet. The vibrations loosen all the dirt, bouncing it around and allowing it to vac up easier (that what I tell myself at least), and then I do the same for the cushions.

And 10 minutes later...

Now it's ready for me again!

And of coarse you know I'm gonna ask...HOW OFTEN DO YOU CLEAN...UNDER YOUR COUCH CUSHIONS??? Any tips or tricks???

Jen

How Often Do You Clean...under the oven

I can't believe it is Thursday already!

Time is flyyyying by at an insanely fast speed!!

Holly over at 504 Main got me thinking that the school year is almost over! I know so many of y'all still have little ones home but both mine are in school so every June 6th the boys and I get a major life upheaval when we have to get to hang out together ALL DAY. The one thing I love most about summer is for 12 weeks I have minions to do some of my dirty work for me wonderul children to do my pleasant housework with me. However places like under the oven are highly unlikely to be cleaned by my kids, so today I am doing it myself.

Sorry no pictures of my food crusted space, my camera battery died on meso you will just have to take my word on how funkdfied it is under there! I am sure you can imagine what this space looks like, dust and dirt and crumbs and the occasional dog chew or dead bug.

 I used to find toys and those wonderful fridge magnets but not anymore, not any more. WOO HOO! But  can someone please tell me how so much dust and dirt get under there! I get the dryer and even the washer but how does dust and dirt accumuliate under my oven??

The oven is one of those spaces we neglect often, we clean the top and outside and even inside a few times a year, but under...not to much. I am telling you, pull out your drawer, empty it clean it out and then go to work on the floor under it, you will be surprised and grossed out and will never forget about it again!

So tell me please, how often do you clean under your oven?

And how does it get do darn funkdfied under there???

Jen

How Often Do You Clean...the toothbrush holder

Cleaning the toothbrush holder...it's a dirty job but someones got to do it.

I used to clean the toothbrush holder every time I clean the bathroom, but then we got one that has the top glued on with the 4 holes in it and so I am so guilty of NEVER cleaning it.

I happened to look in it a few weeks ago and almost vomited. A health hazard for sure, and ever since I have been doing my best to clean it out. But no matter what I shoved in there nothing was getting all the nasty out...UNTIL (this is a tip to keep up your sleeve for sure!)I read in House Beautiful to fill it with water then drop 1 Alkaseltzer in and letting it do its work, all the bubbles go to town breaking down the nasty. CRAZY! In 2 minutes my toothbrush holder was sparkling clean! No elbow grease necessary, not even a drop of sweat just an Alkaseltzer. If you never buy it I recommend getting a package for this reason alone. The quick cleaning of this made me want to know how often one should actually clean your toothbrush holder. It's really not surprising...OFTEN! Like every week, because of the bacteria and stuff. So I am vowing to do this more often for sure. I may neglect my fans or my toaster but never again will I neglect my toothbrush holder!

                             (Before)                                                                                (After)

      Have you recently been shocked by the nasty in your toothbrush holder?

Any more tips or tricks for these little 4 holed bad boys?

Jen

 

How Often Do You Clean...Light Bulbs

Welcome to week 4 of the How Often Do You Clean It...Series! I am so glad that you have joined me on this journey to clean up and clean out the neglected spots of your home.

I am having so much fun...yes fun...exploring areas of my house to find dirt.

I never thought I would actually seek out dirt....but it is definitely making me more aware of how dirty our house gets even when we keep it UBER clean.

I wish I could claim this one as my own, but I cant...yesterday I was reading House Beautiful online and found the artice 13 Spring Cleaning Tips, which are all very helpful, the last tip went off like a light bulb in my head...

Tip 13: Clean your light bulbs!

 I can honestly say I suppose I have wiped a light bulb or two down before when dusting the fan or lamp but I have never actually taken the time to really clean the light bulbs. And why not?

Don't you love the look of a new bright and shiny light bulb in your fixture as much as I do???

Then why not clean them periodically??? 

After reading this I went to check out my light bulbs....man oh man I am surprised the fuzz didn't set fire.

Not only is this a health hazard and a home hazard this is a violation of the too much fuzz rule! 

So this week get a damp rag and go to town, take out the bulbs, wipe them down and enjoy the cathartic effect it has on you!

So now as I do every week, I must ask...How Often Do You Clean...the light bulbs?

Seriously, as often as me? (NEVER)

After you cleaned them were you totally amazed at how light and bright they were again!?

Jen

Ceiling Fan Cleaning & Swiffer Duster 360

I love so much the "How Often Do You Clean It Series"

Not just because its mine but really because by doing this series I am finding so many useful products to use!

I love Swiffer and if you stay with me long enough you will learn that. I use the Swiffer floor pad for all my dusting duties. I made an assumption in my earlier post that I wound up removing about the Swiffer Duster 360....all the times I have passed it in the store I have never been impressed enough to buy it. I don't know why, I have never used it nor have I (until now) known someone who has. I just thought of a feather duster and I don't like feather dusters so I did not like this product either. In this post I talked about that it cant really clean the ceiling fan properly so I drag my 6 foot ladder out and clean the living room ceiling fan by hand with a damp rag.

I always ask for opinions and tips, I want to know if there is an easier way of doing this or any cleaning chore....and to my surprise several ladies came back saying they use the Swiffer Duster 360 for their fans and love it. And it enables them to clean them more often. So...I did what I should have done long ago and researched the product reviews and turns out they are pretty great. SO now I have reliable sources that love it and research that backs it.

Ladies thank you so much for contributing to my series with your thoughts and ideas! I really appreciate it!! And I am going to try and see how much I love the Swiffer Duster 360 too!

Jen

How Often Do You Clean...The Ceiling Fans

Happy Thursday once again ladies! And since it's Thursday you know what that means right...???

It's time for another

I have to say I am loving this series! I am having so much fun snuffing out the dirt from my house. At the same time I am surprised that for as clean as I am there is still so much that accumulates. I suppose if I made the boys wear bubbles and never let them out then I could get it under series control, but LIKE THAT IS EVER GONNA HAPPEN! We are to active of a family to live that way, so until the time comes that it's just me and the hubs I am rejoicing in the dirt because it means we are doing something right raising our kids. Not meaning that they are slobs who force their mom to clean their messes, but that they are BOYS very dirty busy boys and as a family we are having fun with it.

I warned you that this trip wasn't just about cleaning obsessively but also about reflection as we use these things to also dig into our own lives and examine. So yes call me crazy call me what you want, as I was cleaning the fans yesterday I was doing it with a happy heart because of the family and life my husband and I have created.

This is what my fans looked like after a sad 1 month!

Gross I know!

Because we live in Texas we usually keep our fans spinning year round to circulate the air when the AC is not running and to move the heat when the heater is running. So it's not often I get a look at them, but in the event they are off I like them to be clean! I can always tell when the living room fan is dirty even when it's going on high, it looks dingy spinning around up there. So once a month I make it a point to clean them, and by them I mean all 5 fans. We have 4 ceiling fans and 1 white floor fan in our bedroom (for white noise not that we really need it). I timed myself yesterday and it took me all of 15 minutes to clean the fans. Not long right!

I get a damp rag, a ladder

My dog would not cooperate!

or step stool, or desk chair or I just stand on the bed, whatever gets me there.

Then I go to town.

When it comes to the floor fan, that is the easiest! I take it all apart and clean it in the bathtub.

15 minutes to clean fans. I feel like the air in my house is cleaner after I have cleaned my fans.

So how often do you clean your fans? Once and month? Once a year? Never because who cares really?

Do you have any special tricks?

Jen

How Often Do You...Clean Your Closets

If you have been reading my blog for awhile you may know that I am really weird when it comes to my master bedroom closet. Most women have a space that is dedicated to themselves, a momcave, and it seems most moms have a craft room that they can escape to.
I however, use my bedroom closet as my momcave.
The down side to this is I have to share it with my hubby, but he doesn't love it the way I do so no problem there. My closet isn't huge in fact it's quite small in comparison to those I have seen in blogland, but it is big enough for me to stretch out in and talk on the phone and that is exactly what I do.
Because I spend so much time in my closet I like it to be clean and organized. I make sure the baseboards are wiped down and all the shelves are dusted off and the cloths and shoes are all organized neatly, but just because I am such a nut about this closet does not mean I am that obsessive with the other 4 closets in my house. I keep all the closets organized but I don't actually clean them very often....like once a year often...maybe...
This series has sparked my interests in various surfaces of my house, so today I did some research on what the "professionals" say as to how often we should clean our closets and I was surprised. I would think once a year would be good, but they actually recommend 4 times a year!!
 Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter.
Every season change you should pull everything out of your closet and wipe down the baseboards and walls and dust the shelves. This also allows you the chance to be reminded of the things you have packed in the closet and to purge a bit. Which I actually talked about here.
So in the name of Spring guess what I am doing today??? Yep, Spring cleaning out the closets and I am starting with the boys closets. I think because they are boys their closets just get dirtier.

All I need is my trusty Mrs. Meyers and a rag.

Yum, basil scented. It says counter cleaner but it is actually All Purpose Cleaner,

I used the tip on the side of the bottle and when it ran out used 4 tbls of all purpose cleaner and 1/2 bottle of water.

Before
Not too bad, just kinda unorganized

Can you see the dust in the corner???

 It was much worse to the naked eye.

After

Much better! Organized and clean no more dirty finger prints!

Before

Gak! I don't venture up here as often as I should obviously!

There should be a middle picture, because I actually found cob webs in his closet,

however, due to my fear of what they hold I did NOT take pictures.

I was to busy flaring my arms around and whacking them down.

After

AAAAhhhh. So much better.

I am about to start painting both boys rooms and closets, so don't judge. They will be much nicer in the near future. Until then, I remind myself they are boys.

What are your closet cleaning habits, do you clean them as often as the "professionals" say? What are your tips and tricks to keep them cleaner through out the year?

Other How Often Do You Series Post are:
How Often Do You...Clean You Toaster??
How Often Do You...Clean the back of your washer and dryer

Jen

How Often Do You Clean It Series Thoughts

I have to admit, I don't always run this blog with lots of thought, I usually just post what I am doing or have recently done and off I go. However, I am desperately trying to make this a place where you can come and seek some good sound advice on how to live the OCD life. And no, not OCD obsessive compulsive but OCD Organized and Clean Design. I think so much that when we get our lives to that place (it's different for us all) we will find contentment. Please don't get me wrong, my contentment in life doesn't come from having a clean and organized house but it does play a role in it. If you have everything in it's place you are maximizing the time you have to do other things for your soul, like read your bible and study God's word (which should be the first thing we ALL do with our free time), you have time to craft, enjoy the beauty, ENJOY YOUR KIDS, reflect on your life and God's direction for it. Or like me, I cram all my free time with volunteer work because it makes my soul feel good (and study God's word). 

There really seems to be something to this...in my head at least.

So when I started the weekly posts on How Often Do You Clean It, it was sort of my journey to give you and me a reminder about the little and big things we often forget about cleaning that need our TLC too.When I am cleaning these forgotten items I think about how often I forget the stuff I cram deep inside and I like to use that time to ask God to revel to me what I have forgotten about and bring it to the top so I can give it some TLC too.

Originally I thought this series would be fun to do for a few weeks and then move on, but as I look around at my beautifully organized and clean house I am noticing things that are neglected all the time week after week, I quickly decided this is going to turn into a series to run for who knows how long. I ask that you join me every Thursday to see how often I clean it and take this journey with me! Dig deep, reflect and know that everything we do is not with out purpose, even cleaning the back of your dryer! I am posting a button on the side bar that will link you to this page as the main page and from here you can get to any week of the

How Often Do You Clean It Series. I hope you enjoy! And please feedback is always welcome, I can always use tips and tricks so post em!

1. How Often Do You Clean...your toaster tray

2. How Often Do You Clean...the back of your washer and dryer
3. How Often Do You Clean...your closets
4. How Often Do You Clean...the ceiling fans
5. How Often Do You Clean...the lightbulbs
6. How Often Do You Clean...the toothbrush holder
7. How Often Do You Clean...under the oven
8. How Often Do You Clean...Under the Couch Cushions

Linked up to:

How often do you clean it #2

Last weeks post "How often do you"...clean your toaster tray was a hit with several comments on just how often these little fire starters really get cleaned. I don't know that they actually start fires, but after discovering how dirty mine was last week I would think it could.

This week is "How often do you"...clean behind your washer and dryer?

Once a month, sometimes twice when I get really energetic or bored, I scoot my washer and dryer away from the wall and vaccum under and all around the washer and dryer.

I like to vaccum the back of them both to get any dust that comes from the dryer,
and wipe the walls and baseboards down with a damp rag.

And sometimes I find a long lost friend back there.

It's not alot of dirt but this is after only ! month. Can you imagine waiting longer???

While I have the vaccum out I also take out the dryer filter and empty that and then vaccum it to to make sure I get all the nooks and crannies. I did not always do this, infact it wasn't until a few years ago that I really ever thought about it. When we/I (lets face it I'm the only one doing laundry here) got a new set a few years back I was horrified when the Sears men came to remove the old ones and put in the new ones. The mess was undescribable, on first glance it looked as though we had a cat that died under the dryer, but we never had a cat....just 7 years of nasty. So ever since then I vowed I would never again get caught with that in my house and I clean it every month.  It is amazing at how much more efficent your dryer will run when you do this. I like to use the auto dry on my dryer and it usually dries faster when it's all clean.
 Also, if you have the benefit of your dryer vent on the outside of your house, it is helpful to reach in and grab all the dryer dust and clean that out too. Our dryer links right outside so I can get all the funk out pretty easily.

Our old house was not this way, overall it was a very inefficent dryer setup.

So now that you know how often I clean the back of my washer and dryer, tell me what do you do?? Any tips or special tricks to keep this space cleaner longer?

Jen

How often to you clean it.....#1

I always wonder how often other people clean the stuff in their houses, so I am starting a new weekly post called How Often Do You Clean It. So this week is part 1 and it's the

 toaster!

I wipe my toaster down almost daily although it doesn't get used THAT often. I have thought about putting it under the counter and only taking it out when in use but I love my toaster, it's so pretty so it will stay on my counter.

ANNNYway. Last week when I was cleaning fans and toasters and fridges and microwaves I was pondering how often should we be cleaning these items???

When I opened my toaster tray which I only do about once a year this is what I saw......

GAAAAACK scary I know.

That alone could start a fire! I just don't ever think about the toaster tray.

So how often do you clean your toaster??? I looked it up and apparently we are supposed to be cleaning it out every month! Do you clean out your toaster try every month??? Or once a year like me? Do you have a special cleaning method or and thing special you do for your toaster care?

Jen