Monday, June 27, 2011
Earlier this month I participated in a challenge of at Stay Cool- Stitch Up A Dress. I made Vogue 1027 in a navy lycra fabric. I love how this dress hangs, the fabric, the style. I made a second dress in a purple knit. Unfortunately the purple isn't as strong as the navy fabric, so the weight of the skirt pulls down the bodice more than I would like. It is still a great dress, though. This pattern is wonderful! The dress is easy to make and I love the style. I haven't found a dress that I liked on me since I was a teenager! I will definitely be making this one again.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
This is so cool!
Some of you may already know about this cool feature available from Google Reader, but I didn't until today. You won't have to be stuck looking at blog posts in boring Reader format anymore. I did this today, and changes everything! Not that I won't go to Reader anymore, because I will. Reader has lots of features that are useful and cool. Check this post out!
Go to iheartfaces.com to see how to use NEXT.
Go to iheartfaces.com to see how to use NEXT.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
2 Weeks: The Last Day
Yay! It's our last day of our 2 week challenge. We actually get to take Friday off. How great is that?
Of course, on Saturday, if you're feeling ambitious, go ahead and tackle that garage, I won't stop you. The garage is my husband's domain in our home, so I won't be joining you.
Well, for our last day, I decided that the best thing to do would be to tackle the Master Bedroom. This way, you can sit back and enjoy it tonight and maybe have a bowl of ice cream to reward yourself.
The master bedroom is often the space that gets forgotten in my home, because I only sleep in there or change my clothes. The rest of the time, I don't even see it. I would love to spend more time in my master bedroom, and to have it be a place of peace for me, but right now, it cannot be that because I am not at peace in a messy place.
If we want our master bedroom to be the ultimate place of rest, it needs to be organized, tidy and comfortable. You already know how to clean up the bedroom, so for this post, I'm going to talk about what to do to make your room even more relaxing once it's clean.
We'll start with the closet. Even if you can't see it because the doors are closed, you know the mess is there, and while you lay in bed on Sunday morning, the mess calls your name. Okay, maybe that's just me, but either way, it's probably messy in there, and could stand a little makeover.
First off, start by purging your closet of old stuff that you don't wear, that don't fit, or that you just don't need anymore. Then, if you've got the cash to spare, install some closet organizers. You can get customizable ones at most home improvement stores. Brad and I have done them before. They're easy and they maximize your storage space, while making it easier to find things, and making your closet look beautiful.
Now let's talk about the main room. If you've got space, think about making a seating area in your master bedroom. A rocking chair, an old armchair or loveseat, or even a large ottoman works well. You could also use the extra pillows off your loveseat and sofa and an old rug to make a cozy corner to curl up and read or just breathe for a moment.
Also think about changing out your bedding with the seasons. I have a few quilts that Brad's grandmother has made. I put different ones on, depending on my mood. If I'm feeling bored and cooped up in the winter, I put on my bright yellow quilt. If I want some calming tranquility after all the go-go-go of summer, I put on a cream and brown silky comforter. I love fall, so in the fall I put a quilt on that has lots of fall amber's, browns, and reds in it. Changing up your bedding periodically can make your room feel refreshed. Don't forget, when you get out of bed in the morning, make your bed. It's make you want to spend more time in your room.
Clear off those dressers and nightstands. Having lots of stuff sitting on the surfaces in your room, whether well organized or not, will leave you feeling like there's a mess to clean up. The less stuff you have sitting out, the more calming your room will be.
Don't store things in your room that don't go with "bedroom" things. If it's not for changing your clothes, sleeping, or doing "other" activities (you know what I mean) don't store it in your room. You really don't need to keep that box of stationary on top of your dresser, or that sewing basket next to your bed. That stuff may just cramp your "style" so to speak.
Dust!... and clean the windows. When your room is actually clean, and not just tidy, you'll enjoy it more.
Last, hang something on those walls. The walls in my bedroom are always blank. The walls in the rest of my house always have cool stuff on them, but the bedroom gets neglected. Hang some framed photographs, or a cluster of them, hang a clock, or grab some "knick-knack" shelves, but don't clutter them up. Just 2-3 things per shelf should do it. Even more romantic would be hanging some candle sconces, for some mood lighting (wink, wink).
One thing I would also recommend, don't put pictures of anyone but you and your husband in your bedroom. Hang art (I go and take macro or landscape photos for this) or have a friend take some nice pictures of you and your husband. You could hang wedding photos, anniversary photos, or photos of fun things you and your hubby have done together. This way, when you're laying in bed on Sunday morning, instead of thinking about your messy closet, you can reminisce about the great times you've spent together.
Do you want to spend more time in your Master Bedroom yet? I do. I hope you've had a great time this last 2 weeks, as you've worked on your home. Watch for more tips here at miymdiary.blogspot.com about how to get or keep your home clean and organized. I will post as I work on more projects. I've enjoyed writing this series and learned so much about my own self, my own habits, and better ways to do things as I've written and worked around the house. Thank you for the opportunity to share this part of me and my life with you.
Good Luck!
Kristin
Of course, on Saturday, if you're feeling ambitious, go ahead and tackle that garage, I won't stop you. The garage is my husband's domain in our home, so I won't be joining you.
Well, for our last day, I decided that the best thing to do would be to tackle the Master Bedroom. This way, you can sit back and enjoy it tonight and maybe have a bowl of ice cream to reward yourself.
The master bedroom is often the space that gets forgotten in my home, because I only sleep in there or change my clothes. The rest of the time, I don't even see it. I would love to spend more time in my master bedroom, and to have it be a place of peace for me, but right now, it cannot be that because I am not at peace in a messy place.
If we want our master bedroom to be the ultimate place of rest, it needs to be organized, tidy and comfortable. You already know how to clean up the bedroom, so for this post, I'm going to talk about what to do to make your room even more relaxing once it's clean.
We'll start with the closet. Even if you can't see it because the doors are closed, you know the mess is there, and while you lay in bed on Sunday morning, the mess calls your name. Okay, maybe that's just me, but either way, it's probably messy in there, and could stand a little makeover.
First off, start by purging your closet of old stuff that you don't wear, that don't fit, or that you just don't need anymore. Then, if you've got the cash to spare, install some closet organizers. You can get customizable ones at most home improvement stores. Brad and I have done them before. They're easy and they maximize your storage space, while making it easier to find things, and making your closet look beautiful.
Now let's talk about the main room. If you've got space, think about making a seating area in your master bedroom. A rocking chair, an old armchair or loveseat, or even a large ottoman works well. You could also use the extra pillows off your loveseat and sofa and an old rug to make a cozy corner to curl up and read or just breathe for a moment.
Also think about changing out your bedding with the seasons. I have a few quilts that Brad's grandmother has made. I put different ones on, depending on my mood. If I'm feeling bored and cooped up in the winter, I put on my bright yellow quilt. If I want some calming tranquility after all the go-go-go of summer, I put on a cream and brown silky comforter. I love fall, so in the fall I put a quilt on that has lots of fall amber's, browns, and reds in it. Changing up your bedding periodically can make your room feel refreshed. Don't forget, when you get out of bed in the morning, make your bed. It's make you want to spend more time in your room.
Clear off those dressers and nightstands. Having lots of stuff sitting on the surfaces in your room, whether well organized or not, will leave you feeling like there's a mess to clean up. The less stuff you have sitting out, the more calming your room will be.
Don't store things in your room that don't go with "bedroom" things. If it's not for changing your clothes, sleeping, or doing "other" activities (you know what I mean) don't store it in your room. You really don't need to keep that box of stationary on top of your dresser, or that sewing basket next to your bed. That stuff may just cramp your "style" so to speak.
Dust!... and clean the windows. When your room is actually clean, and not just tidy, you'll enjoy it more.
Last, hang something on those walls. The walls in my bedroom are always blank. The walls in the rest of my house always have cool stuff on them, but the bedroom gets neglected. Hang some framed photographs, or a cluster of them, hang a clock, or grab some "knick-knack" shelves, but don't clutter them up. Just 2-3 things per shelf should do it. Even more romantic would be hanging some candle sconces, for some mood lighting (wink, wink).
One thing I would also recommend, don't put pictures of anyone but you and your husband in your bedroom. Hang art (I go and take macro or landscape photos for this) or have a friend take some nice pictures of you and your husband. You could hang wedding photos, anniversary photos, or photos of fun things you and your hubby have done together. This way, when you're laying in bed on Sunday morning, instead of thinking about your messy closet, you can reminisce about the great times you've spent together.
Do you want to spend more time in your Master Bedroom yet? I do. I hope you've had a great time this last 2 weeks, as you've worked on your home. Watch for more tips here at miymdiary.blogspot.com about how to get or keep your home clean and organized. I will post as I work on more projects. I've enjoyed writing this series and learned so much about my own self, my own habits, and better ways to do things as I've written and worked around the house. Thank you for the opportunity to share this part of me and my life with you.
Good Luck!
Kristin
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Needles- a basic tool.
Today I want to address the issue of sewing machine needles. My mother didn't teach me a lot of the very basic things about sewing when I was learning to sew as a child/teen. It wasn't until I was in my early 30s that I discovered stretch needles. I also didn't know that you needed to change your needle regularly. Here are some basic tips for sewing machine needles.
Choose the appropriate needle for your fabric. Below are some pictures of different types of needles. Pick the one that suits your needs appropriately. You can go online to find descriptions of each needle to assess which one is best. They may also tell you on the back of the card what purpose is best suited. (This is the brand that is available at my local store. I am not compensated for this post.)
Change needles often. Some say change it with every new project, but if you are making something small it probably isn't necessary. Maybe every 8-10 hours of sewing time would be good.
Change you needle any time you hit a pin (or anything else). It is really best to remove pins instead of stitching over them. I try to remove them as I sew.
If you are having trouble with your machine, try a new needle. I think this is often the last thing people think to try. Even the slightest bend (not noticeable to the naked eye) will mess the thread up. If the point isn't sharp, it can tear your fabric or create runs. Sewing machines are very precise instruments. If you listen to your machine, you will hear it making a different noise when a needle is damaged. The timing can be thrown of by hitting pins. The timing is how the needle and bobbin casing move in sync with each other. If they aren't just right, you will have problems. Having your machine serviced regularly is important for this reason, as well as cleaning and oiling all the parts in there to keep it running smoothly.
Feel free to comment with any questions I may not have addressed!
Choose the appropriate needle for your fabric. Below are some pictures of different types of needles. Pick the one that suits your needs appropriately. You can go online to find descriptions of each needle to assess which one is best. They may also tell you on the back of the card what purpose is best suited. (This is the brand that is available at my local store. I am not compensated for this post.)
Change needles often. Some say change it with every new project, but if you are making something small it probably isn't necessary. Maybe every 8-10 hours of sewing time would be good.
Change you needle any time you hit a pin (or anything else). It is really best to remove pins instead of stitching over them. I try to remove them as I sew.
If you are having trouble with your machine, try a new needle. I think this is often the last thing people think to try. Even the slightest bend (not noticeable to the naked eye) will mess the thread up. If the point isn't sharp, it can tear your fabric or create runs. Sewing machines are very precise instruments. If you listen to your machine, you will hear it making a different noise when a needle is damaged. The timing can be thrown of by hitting pins. The timing is how the needle and bobbin casing move in sync with each other. If they aren't just right, you will have problems. Having your machine serviced regularly is important for this reason, as well as cleaning and oiling all the parts in there to keep it running smoothly.
Feel free to comment with any questions I may not have addressed!
2 Weeks: The Home Office
Do you have one of these? Mine is a combo home office/baby's nursery, so it's messy to say the least. Most likely you do have a place you could call a "home office" whether it's a table in the corner of the living room, a section of counter, an actual room in your home, or the top of your dresser. We've all got important paperwork that must be dealt with, and we all need a place to deal with or drop said paperwork.
The thing about home offices is that no two are alike, and no two are going to function in the same way, which means that it's much more difficult to write a "one size fits most" post about how to take care of the home office, so there will be some generalities in some of the tasks that I write on, to illustrate the need for creativity on our own parts and the individualism that exists in the home office adventure.
So, let's go ahead and get started on the home office. Most likely, as is the case with most home office areas I've seen, there is some paperwork to be filed. If you do not have a file system set up, get one!!! You must, I repeat MUST have a filing system that works for you. Now, don't think that means that you need to invest a bunch of money in filing drawers, because you don't. I don't have a file cabinet at all right now. I use a plastic file box and hanging files to store things. I have been known to use an expandable file folder with about 15 sections or more. I believe in having lots of manila folders around. I also believe that manila envelopes are quite helpful in organizing your files. No matter what you decide, you don't need to spend lots of money and you do need to label things. I love Sharpie Markers for this...they're bold.
Once you've gotten things filed I believe you will probably find a ton of pens, pencils, highlighters, and markers hanging out with no where to go. Get an attractive coffee mug from the kitchen (something you don't mind getting pen on) and toss all the writing utensils in it. Set it in a corner of your work area. I also think it's a great idea to re-purpose things, so grab an old baby food jar or baby sized bowl and use it to hold all your paper clips, rubber bands, push pins and other fasteners that have been hiding under the paper pile. You may even go so far as to have a separate container for each kind of fastener. Now that's organized!
If you've got pictures hanging out everywhere (oh, wait, is that just a photographer thing?) you may want to think about investing in either a photo album or photo box to store these things. Photo boxes are rather inexpensive and are also acid free, so they preserve your photos while you store them. Then you can get to the albums later on.
You probably also have some garbage or recycling laying around. Make sure that when you're disposing of important documents, you shred anything that has account numbers or identification information. You never know who's going to get there hands on your stuff. If you don't have a shredder, just rip it up into little pieces or rip off the important part, tear it up, and put it in a different garbage can or recycle box. I like to have a recycle box in my home office and in my kitchen so that I can remember to recycle as much as possible. I also have a garbage can in both places.
Chances are you probably have some flash drives and CD's hanging out in your space as well. You will want to make sure these are safely stored so they don't become damaged and you cannot then get the information on them that you need. Brad and I mostly keep our CD's in the boxes they came in, or in the paper sleeve they came in. You can purchase paper sleeves for CD's at most office supply stores. Flash drives are easier to take care of, pull out another baby food jar and stick them all in together. Then you'll know where they all are. You may want to have a file in your space for CD's or you may want a separate plastic box to store these.
Now it's down to the corded mess that seems to permeate every aspect of our lives anymore. I have a cord jungle in my office. I try to do my best to keep the cords at bay, which makes me feel like being in my home office a lot more. I usually have as many of our cords hidden behind or under furniture as possible (also good for childproofing or personal safety) and if I'm feeling really ambitious and Brad's in a good mood, we zip tie our cords to keep them from going all crazy wild on us. Apparently there are some velcro cord keeper straps you can purchase, which I think are really cool, but alas, we have zip ties so that's what we use.
I think we're getting pretty well organized (which is the most difficult part of office cleaning) but now we're down to the actual "cleaning" part of it. Let's start with the keyboard of your computer. Your keyboard is most likely harboring over a million bacteria at any given moment. Yuk! I mean, how could it not be, considering it's touched by our hands that touch everything all day long. Wiping down the keys with a clorox wipe or spraying it with lysol might not be a bad idea. I once worked at a place where the person who had my job before me ate while working... a lot. Some of the keys wouldn't work very well on the keyboard, so my friend Ann who worked with me, showed me a great way to clean the keyboard under the keys.
She would literally lay a clean towel down on the desktop, pick up the keyboard and shake it upside down over the towel. When nothing else would fall out, she'd set the keyboard back down and it would be as good as new. I also recommend using a vacuum with the brush hand held attachment to suck up yuck out from in between the keys.
You'll also want to dust and vacuum/sweep your area and wipe down the desktop before you're through.
The office is a place to keep your papers organized, but it's only as good as it's systems and the people who's job it is to implement the system. Taking a few moments after you get them mail, or before you go to bed to file your paperwork and tidy your space will keep it clean and ready for you when you need to sit down and do the "heavier lifting" that goes along with office work.
Good Luck!
Kristin
The thing about home offices is that no two are alike, and no two are going to function in the same way, which means that it's much more difficult to write a "one size fits most" post about how to take care of the home office, so there will be some generalities in some of the tasks that I write on, to illustrate the need for creativity on our own parts and the individualism that exists in the home office adventure.
So, let's go ahead and get started on the home office. Most likely, as is the case with most home office areas I've seen, there is some paperwork to be filed. If you do not have a file system set up, get one!!! You must, I repeat MUST have a filing system that works for you. Now, don't think that means that you need to invest a bunch of money in filing drawers, because you don't. I don't have a file cabinet at all right now. I use a plastic file box and hanging files to store things. I have been known to use an expandable file folder with about 15 sections or more. I believe in having lots of manila folders around. I also believe that manila envelopes are quite helpful in organizing your files. No matter what you decide, you don't need to spend lots of money and you do need to label things. I love Sharpie Markers for this...they're bold.
Once you've gotten things filed I believe you will probably find a ton of pens, pencils, highlighters, and markers hanging out with no where to go. Get an attractive coffee mug from the kitchen (something you don't mind getting pen on) and toss all the writing utensils in it. Set it in a corner of your work area. I also think it's a great idea to re-purpose things, so grab an old baby food jar or baby sized bowl and use it to hold all your paper clips, rubber bands, push pins and other fasteners that have been hiding under the paper pile. You may even go so far as to have a separate container for each kind of fastener. Now that's organized!
If you've got pictures hanging out everywhere (oh, wait, is that just a photographer thing?) you may want to think about investing in either a photo album or photo box to store these things. Photo boxes are rather inexpensive and are also acid free, so they preserve your photos while you store them. Then you can get to the albums later on.
You probably also have some garbage or recycling laying around. Make sure that when you're disposing of important documents, you shred anything that has account numbers or identification information. You never know who's going to get there hands on your stuff. If you don't have a shredder, just rip it up into little pieces or rip off the important part, tear it up, and put it in a different garbage can or recycle box. I like to have a recycle box in my home office and in my kitchen so that I can remember to recycle as much as possible. I also have a garbage can in both places.
Chances are you probably have some flash drives and CD's hanging out in your space as well. You will want to make sure these are safely stored so they don't become damaged and you cannot then get the information on them that you need. Brad and I mostly keep our CD's in the boxes they came in, or in the paper sleeve they came in. You can purchase paper sleeves for CD's at most office supply stores. Flash drives are easier to take care of, pull out another baby food jar and stick them all in together. Then you'll know where they all are. You may want to have a file in your space for CD's or you may want a separate plastic box to store these.
Now it's down to the corded mess that seems to permeate every aspect of our lives anymore. I have a cord jungle in my office. I try to do my best to keep the cords at bay, which makes me feel like being in my home office a lot more. I usually have as many of our cords hidden behind or under furniture as possible (also good for childproofing or personal safety) and if I'm feeling really ambitious and Brad's in a good mood, we zip tie our cords to keep them from going all crazy wild on us. Apparently there are some velcro cord keeper straps you can purchase, which I think are really cool, but alas, we have zip ties so that's what we use.
I think we're getting pretty well organized (which is the most difficult part of office cleaning) but now we're down to the actual "cleaning" part of it. Let's start with the keyboard of your computer. Your keyboard is most likely harboring over a million bacteria at any given moment. Yuk! I mean, how could it not be, considering it's touched by our hands that touch everything all day long. Wiping down the keys with a clorox wipe or spraying it with lysol might not be a bad idea. I once worked at a place where the person who had my job before me ate while working... a lot. Some of the keys wouldn't work very well on the keyboard, so my friend Ann who worked with me, showed me a great way to clean the keyboard under the keys.
She would literally lay a clean towel down on the desktop, pick up the keyboard and shake it upside down over the towel. When nothing else would fall out, she'd set the keyboard back down and it would be as good as new. I also recommend using a vacuum with the brush hand held attachment to suck up yuck out from in between the keys.
You'll also want to dust and vacuum/sweep your area and wipe down the desktop before you're through.
The office is a place to keep your papers organized, but it's only as good as it's systems and the people who's job it is to implement the system. Taking a few moments after you get them mail, or before you go to bed to file your paperwork and tidy your space will keep it clean and ready for you when you need to sit down and do the "heavier lifting" that goes along with office work.
Good Luck!
Kristin
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
2 Weeks: The Kids' Room
It's Tuesday! It's time to tackle the ugly monster in the kids' room. All my kids share a room, so I only have 1 room to do, and I certainly don't do it alone. Grab those kids and get in there and help them clean their own room. Our philosophy around here is, "If you can mess it up, you can clean it up."
We start by cleaning up and putting away all the toys, clothes, shoes, and miscellaneous "stuff" that's cluttering up their room. My girls do have fantastic bin shelves from Ikea (no, I'm not paid to promote Ikea, I just love it), so cleaning up takes a bit more time than if they just had a toy box, but I love that they can find exactly what they want easily, and without digging and throwing things.
Following the great cleanup, we strip the beds and wash the sheets and pillowcases. Then we remake the beds with fresh sheets and pillowcases. One quick secret that I do is that I don't use flat sheets. Instead, I cover the girls comforters with a duvet, so I can just pull the duvet off and wash it. This makes it easier for the girls to make their own beds during the week.
After we get the beds taken care of, I usually sweep the floor and vacuum the rug, and we're done. It's lots of fun if you pop in an obnoxious cd (think Justin Beiber or Hannah Montana) and rock out while you clean your hearts out, and your kids will be more motivated if you offer a reward at the end, like rice krispie treats or a popsicle.
Good Luck...and Have Fun!
Kristin
We start by cleaning up and putting away all the toys, clothes, shoes, and miscellaneous "stuff" that's cluttering up their room. My girls do have fantastic bin shelves from Ikea (no, I'm not paid to promote Ikea, I just love it), so cleaning up takes a bit more time than if they just had a toy box, but I love that they can find exactly what they want easily, and without digging and throwing things.
Following the great cleanup, we strip the beds and wash the sheets and pillowcases. Then we remake the beds with fresh sheets and pillowcases. One quick secret that I do is that I don't use flat sheets. Instead, I cover the girls comforters with a duvet, so I can just pull the duvet off and wash it. This makes it easier for the girls to make their own beds during the week.
After we get the beds taken care of, I usually sweep the floor and vacuum the rug, and we're done. It's lots of fun if you pop in an obnoxious cd (think Justin Beiber or Hannah Montana) and rock out while you clean your hearts out, and your kids will be more motivated if you offer a reward at the end, like rice krispie treats or a popsicle.
Good Luck...and Have Fun!
Kristin
Monday, June 13, 2011
2 Weeks: The Bathroom(s)
So to kick off week two of our 2 Weeks project, I have decided to start with the bathrooms. Bathrooms are the place we use to get the grime off ourselves each day, so it stands to reason that our grime might stick to some things in there. Cleaning the bathroom is easier than it might seem, but you do need some "specialized" equipment to make it even easier. Here's my list:
A few cloth baby wipes
Baking Soda
Vinegar
Lemon Juice
Kitchen Gloves
Window Cleaner
Scrubby Sponge
Peroxide/Water Spray
Broom/Dustpan
Bucket & Mop solution
Okay, to start I will tell you that if you mix equal portions of Hydrogen Peroxide and water in a spray bottle, you'll have a fantastic shower cleaner. The rest of what we're doing is 1st grade science, and my kids are fascinated by it.
I always start in the bathroom by removing things like garbage cans, step stools, soap pumps, and bath mats and placing them outside the room. Then I dump some baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice in the toilet and watching it fizz. Now I wet my scrubby sponge in the sink and toss it into the shower, and then plug up the sink. I do the "dumping" thing in there too, and then go spray the shower with shower cleaner.
Now I move back to the toilet. I usually use a cloth baby wipe to clean the inside of the toilet, then flush, then use the clean water to rinse the cloth and wipe down the rim and underside of the toilet seat, and anywhere else on the toilet that's gotten dirty.
Move back to the sink. I use the same cloth (rinsed out again) to wash out the sink. Then I rinse the sink and wipe down around the sink with the, yet again, rinsed out cloth. Then clean the mirror using the window cleaner and a new cloth. With that done, I move on to the shower and bathtub.
Here, I wipe down the shower walls with the scrubby sponge. I rinse the walls, then work on the tub. For the tub, I plug it up and do the "dumping" thing one more time. I scrub all the tub surfaces with a scrubby sponge and the lemon "volcano" solution, then rinse really well.
Once everything is cleaned, I move on to the floors. I sweep, then mop using the same mop solution we used on all the floors last week. When the floor is dry, I go in and put up fresh towels, make sure things are put away properly and then leave the room, bringing any garbage and dirty laundry with me.
This whole project usually takes me about half an hour for 1 bathroom, so you should be able to do 2 in about an hour to an hour and a half. You'll need to allot about a half hour to 45 minutes for each additional bathroom that needs to be cleaned.
I love the smell of my bathroom once it's clean! How about you?
Good luck!
Kristin
A few cloth baby wipes
Baking Soda
Vinegar
Lemon Juice
Kitchen Gloves
Window Cleaner
Scrubby Sponge
Peroxide/Water Spray
Broom/Dustpan
Bucket & Mop solution
Okay, to start I will tell you that if you mix equal portions of Hydrogen Peroxide and water in a spray bottle, you'll have a fantastic shower cleaner. The rest of what we're doing is 1st grade science, and my kids are fascinated by it.
I always start in the bathroom by removing things like garbage cans, step stools, soap pumps, and bath mats and placing them outside the room. Then I dump some baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice in the toilet and watching it fizz. Now I wet my scrubby sponge in the sink and toss it into the shower, and then plug up the sink. I do the "dumping" thing in there too, and then go spray the shower with shower cleaner.
Now I move back to the toilet. I usually use a cloth baby wipe to clean the inside of the toilet, then flush, then use the clean water to rinse the cloth and wipe down the rim and underside of the toilet seat, and anywhere else on the toilet that's gotten dirty.
Move back to the sink. I use the same cloth (rinsed out again) to wash out the sink. Then I rinse the sink and wipe down around the sink with the, yet again, rinsed out cloth. Then clean the mirror using the window cleaner and a new cloth. With that done, I move on to the shower and bathtub.
Here, I wipe down the shower walls with the scrubby sponge. I rinse the walls, then work on the tub. For the tub, I plug it up and do the "dumping" thing one more time. I scrub all the tub surfaces with a scrubby sponge and the lemon "volcano" solution, then rinse really well.
Once everything is cleaned, I move on to the floors. I sweep, then mop using the same mop solution we used on all the floors last week. When the floor is dry, I go in and put up fresh towels, make sure things are put away properly and then leave the room, bringing any garbage and dirty laundry with me.
This whole project usually takes me about half an hour for 1 bathroom, so you should be able to do 2 in about an hour to an hour and a half. You'll need to allot about a half hour to 45 minutes for each additional bathroom that needs to be cleaned.
I love the smell of my bathroom once it's clean! How about you?
Good luck!
Kristin
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