Cleaning Hints for Ten Common Household Problems

1. Stove cleaning tip: Rub car wax on the inside of a stove. This will prevent grease, and grime accumulating, and will make it easier to clean later

2. Butcher Block Care: Wash well with water and dishwashing soap after every use. After cutting meat, wet down block with 1 part bleach and 10 parts water. Rinse well. Occasionally, to deodorize block, squeeze lemon juice on block, let sit for a few minutes, and rinse.

3. Window: One part vinegar and two parts water works wonders on the windows.

4. Deodorant Stains on Clothes: Instead of wiping the stain off with a wet cloth, try rubbing the stain against a part of the clothes that does not have a stain. It stain disappears.

5. Candle Wax Out: Put an ice cube or two on the wax to freeze it. This should harden the wax enough for you to scrap off.

6. Odor removal: From keeping an open box in the refrigerator to sprinkling it in shoes, baking soda has magical odor removal powers.

7. Dishwashing: For more effective dishwashing, add a few tablespoons of vinegar along with the dishwashing detergent when washing dishes. The vinegar cuts the grease and leaves dishes sparkling.

8. Cleaning Blinds: Put the blinds in the tub with soapy water. Add bleach if they are white blinds. Let soak for 15 minutes.

9. Removing scuff marks from walls: Use a dry cloth and rubbing alcohol.

10. Garbage Disposal: Cut a lemon in quarters and run it through your garbage disposal to freshen your drain.

6 Tips for Maintaining Your Spring Cleaning

I have learned that it does not take long for forces beyond my control to purposely thwart my spring-cleaning efforts. I was hoping for one moment to enjoy my fully spring-cleaned house. I did have one moment . . . one, single moment. After which, dishes appeared in the sink, dirt scattered to the floor, and laundry piled up.

It appears that maintaining a spring-cleaned house is more difficult than actually doing the spring cleaning. So, here are some practical, daily cleaning tips to help us keep our houses cleaner longer:

1. Prioritize the Kitchen. The kitchen is one of the most used areas of the house. Therefore, it can get really messy, really fast. Doing a few simple things such as clearing the sink of dishes, wiping the counters, and sweeping the floor a few times a day makes your whole house feel and look clean.

2. Prioritize the Bathroom. The same reasons for prioritizing the kitchen exist for the bathroom as well. Plus, bonus, the bathroom uses the same cleaning products as the kitchen, which makes it an easy transition.

3. Pick up as you go. Need to run downstairs? Bring that basket of laundry with you.

4. Make beds every morning. That one act can change the entire appearance and feel of your house.

5. Consider a trip to the Goodwill. When things start to spill out of their designated area (toy box, desk or drawer), you have too many things.

6. Get others involved. Even the little ones can pick up after themselves.

More Helpful Hints

Quotes:

My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first being hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint. ~Erma Bombeck

My idea of superwoman is someone who scrubs her own floors. ~Bette Midler

The end of spring cleaning week....finally!

As much as I wanted to quit after the painting debacle, I pressed forward. With a little less enthusiasm and optimism, I finished spring cleaning week. I did not cross everything off my list. Cleaning the attic and scrubbing the oven turned into impossible feats. However, I did cross off enough to feel like I accomplished something big. I feel good. I feel organized. I feel clean. I have learned that for me, spring cleaning is about getting ready for the new season not simply by cleaning the house but by freshening up the house. Some paint, a new picture, a subtle change of the furniture arrangements has made a big difference.


Furthermore, I made it through spring cleaning week with only a few mild fits and a couple (undeserved) complaints tossed my husband's way. So, all in all, I think I did pretty well....for an amateur. Now, to get some ice cream.....

Middle of the Week: Half Way There to a Spring Cleaned House!

About 7 am.
I am up, and I am feeling good. I cannot wait to take on the big projects. Painting should be one of the easier ones. I'll probably start with painting the white areas of my house. The white areas are mostly trim so they should be small and manageable. Simple enough.

About 1 pm.
I HATE PAINTING!!! Why? Why? Why did I put it on the to do list? I am knee deep in white paint, and the "white areas" of my house that seemed so small and manageable are never ending. Why didn't I make my spring cleaning list: 1. hanging flowers, 2. putting up my flag, and 3. planning our vacation. No, of course not, I had to paint.

About 6 pm.
I am finally done, and I am exhausted. I cannot believe that I spent so much time painting the white trim in the house, and I still didn't cover it all. I planned to clean my bedroom, the babies' room, and the attic today too. Instead, I am going to bed but not before I cross off cleaning the attic altogether. It will still be there next year.

By the way, the white in my house does look really nice.

Quotes:

My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first being hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint. ~Erma Bombeck

I like hugs and I like kisses,
But what I really love is help with the dishes!
~Author Unknown

Sites to help:
Building a Home Planning Notebook: Alternate Spring Cleaning Project

For a wealth of infomation and articles that will hopefully keep you focused and determined

Spring Cleaning 101

The Start of the Clean

I have been officially "spring cleaning" for the past few days. Although I have not crossed off any of the big projects on my to do list, I am still very pleased with my progress. I have managed to keep up with all my daily household tasks as well as complete a few of the smaller projects (i.e. cleaning out junk drawers and such).

"How did you manage that feat while taking care of three kids?" you ask. Well, its simple. You plan to work and work your plan. Okay, honestly, I let my son watch an extra video.

But I have big plans for the rest of the week. I have someone scheduled to watch my kids (thanks, mom) while I tackle some of the bigger projects. I am particularly looking forward to painting. (I plan to touch up some of the white areas of my house). I like painting so this should be fun.

Starting Spring Cleaning

Quotes:
“Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the sidewalk before it stops snowing” -Phyllis Diller

Our house is clean enough to be healthy, and dirty enough to be happy. ~Author Unknown

The "To Do" List

So, I have a plan. I'm going to make time throughout the week to "spring clean." I am going to accomplish a few small projects each day and dedicate one full day to a few, big projects. I have written a "to do" list, and I have starred the ones that are most important to me. I hope the actual spring cleaning is this easy.



Other To Do Lists:
To quickly and thoroughly clean your house
Ideas for creating a weekly to do list
Cleaning 101

Once again, this is harder than I thought. Writing about spring cleaning, surprisingly, does not come naturally to me. On top of that, there is a wealth of information on the web that is mostly overwhelming and redundant, intuitive or impossible, and/or self-serving and a bit patronizing. Its just cleaning, right? Why the attitude? I just want to provide a few universally helpful tips . . . not a dissertation. (In law school, I once wrote a 60 page paper on the extension of the "special needs" clause of the 4th amendment to extracurricular school activities. Don't doubt my ability to write a dissertation).

Despite how complicated spring cleaning apparently is, I did find some useful, albeit simplistic, rules.

1) Have a plan. This advice sits well with me because I love a good to do list.

2) Set aside a specific time. Wise, but sometimes difficult when we have so many demands on our time.

3) Get your kids involved. Even though this creates more work for us when the kids are young, the hope is that the ritual will be instilled in our kids so that when they are older and are more able to help, they will . . . willingly and with a sweet spirit. (I think I just heard the collective laugh of all mothers of teenagers).

4) Prioritize. Decide which of the 100 chores you have to do are most important.

5) Be realistic in your goals. Don't set yourself up for failure. We all cannot be Martha Stewart. (Oh Martha, why did you have to set such a high standard?)

6) Reward yourself. I added this myself. I can never resist an opportunity to deserve ice cream.

Here are some helpful websites:

Spring Cleaning Guide:
We can try to be like Martha:
Breaking it down into manageable projects:

Amateur Homemaker Picks the First Project

I was so sure of my plan, but upon reflection, I feel a bit confused. Where do I start? How do I choose a topic? Thoughts of travel, fine dining, and good books bounce through my head. However, these things do not exist in my day to day life. I am just an amateur homemaker. I will choose something basic and relevant to a homemaker's every day life. Thoughts of dirty diapers, piled up laundry, and macaroni and cheese now bounce in my head.

The first thing I need to do in my every day life is to really clean my house. Although its not terribly messy, it needs a good spring cleaning. Professional homemakers, I'm sure, have already accomplished this task, but again, I am just an amateur. Therefore, spring cleaning will be my first topic.

Okay, it is not glamorous, but it is real. So, here goes nothing...

Project: Spring Cleaning My House
Time Frame: End of April

I realize I may be the only one who is reading my own blog. (I haven't even heard from my mom) But if you are out there, feel free to comment. I hope I'm not in this alone.

Amateur Homemaker's Mission

Purpose:

My purpose in writing this blog is not to convince others (or myself) that I am indeed a homemaker, but rather, my purpose is to use the blog as a tool to improve my homemaking skills. Sure, I can soldier through life simply meeting my family's daily needs and see what happens. But I've never really been a "see-what-happens" type of gal, and I don't intend to be that type of homemaker. I thrive when I set goals and have accountability. I have no false notions of rising to the elite level of professional homemaker, but that does not mean that I cannot strive to become a better homemaker.

Problem:

So, how can this blog be used as a tool to become a better homemaker? Well, I could merely diary my daily tasks as I try to be quicker and more efficient at them. Perhaps, my daily struggles or successes could provide some amusement to me or to my one follower. (thanks, mom) But I have a bigger vision.

Vision:

We (my one "follower" and I) will choose topics related to homemaking and set a time frame in which I will address the topic. Then, the fun begins. Within that time frame, it will be my goal to research, study, implement, and report strategies related to the topic. At the end of the time frame, I will give an honest evaluation of my improvement.

Conclusion:

My ultimate goal is simply to improve. However, I'm hoping by focusing my effort on one topic at a time that I will be able to compile useful and truly helpful information to any other amateur homemakers that happen to stumble across this blog. (Mom, you don't count. You have always been a professional)

"Housework done incorrectly still blesses your family." -Fly Lady

Homemakers Unite!

If the definition of homemaking is the "management of a household," then who exactly gets to be defined as a homemaker? Ahhh....seems simple but herein lies a controversy. Is it a general title bestowed on anyone managing a house, or is it more specifically referring to someone with children or someone who chooses to stay at home? Such discussions often needlessly have a divisive effect.

I am proud to be a stay at home mom. It is what I always wanted to be. And even though it is so much harder than I expected, I love it...most of the time. However, there was a time in my life, before kids, that I worked full-time and attended lawschool. At another time in my life, before I had the twins, I was a working mom. Still, I cared deeply about the state of my home. I just had to become extremely creative in order to properly manage it.

To some, I probably could not have labeled myself a homemaker simply because my time was split between the home and something else. However, to me (and for the purposes of this blog), there is no controversy. We, amateur homemakers, firmly believe that anyone who manages and cares for their home deserves the title homemaker. Maybe the professional homemakers are an exclusive club complete with rules and labels, but amateurs welcome anyone trying to make their home a better place and applaud them for the effort.

Perhaps with a united approach, we can finally figure out how to fold those pesky, fitted sheets.

Professional v. Amateur Homemakers

The definition of homemaking is "the management of the household." It sounds so simple, but the word homemaking has heavy connotations. I cannot help but imagine a woman impeccably dressed, wearing pearls who is simultaneously making dinner, cleaning house, and planning a school-wide bake sale. Unfortunately, that is not me. I do not have Martha Stewart's ability to perfectly decorate cupcakes and to impeccably fold fitted sheets. (Who in the world knows how to fold fitted sheets?) Are these professional homemakers our only examples of true homemakers? And if I fall short of these standard, have I failed as a homemaker?

I submit that you can still be a successful homemaker even if you are less than perfect, less than professional. At least, I hope so because there has to be others like me. Those who care immensely about our homes, husbands, and kids. We want our houses clean, laundry done, and a yummy dinner on the tables. But we are not perfect. We make mistakes and laugh at ourselves. We sometimes choose to play with our kids instead of finishing cleaning our houses. We admittedly do not know everything about housecleaning or child activities or folding fitted sheets. We eagerly solicit opinions and help.

Although we are not experts or professionals, we are homemakers, amateur homemakers.

Coming Out of the Haze

Here I come....coming out of the haze...the "I just had a baby I can't think about anything else" haze. The haze that causes normal living to pause for a few months while your time, thoughts, and sleep are dominated by this new being. In my case, its has been compounded due to the fact that I just had two (wonderful) new beings. Well, in all honesty, I didn't just have them. They are 9 months old now. Yes, my stay in the haze was extended, but please don't judge. I had a difficult pregnancy including 3 months of bedrest in which I had to leave my job as an attorney. It didn't get any easier once the babies arrived either. I spent a few stressful weeks with the babies in the NICU only to come home and to struggle finding my footing taking care of and nursing two newborns while meeting the needs of my sweet, little three year old.

I have suceeded in some aspects. We have a decent routine. I make individual time for each of my kids. My house is relatively clean, and dinner (even if its less the gourmet) is served promptly at 5. And I have made a few valiant attempts to get out of the haze before now, but it was just...well...nice at times to slip back in. If I wanted to stay in my pjs one day, or be excused from an event, or ignore the dirty windows for a couple of days, or justify the extra 10 pounds I may or may not be carrying, I felt like I could. After all, I "just had babies."

Okay, I'll admit. Its time. No more excuses. I'm coming out of the haze...permanently. I'm determined. I'm going to get my life back. I'm going to start making dinners for my family every night, healthy ones that include something not from a box. I'm going to clean my house and keep it clean on a daily basis. I will not let laundry pile up. I'm going to teach my child before Seasame Street does. I'm going to get dressed...every morning.

I will no longer be just a dazed, new mom of twins. I will be a true, bonefide, professional homemaker!!!

(reflective pause and a realistic look around at the present state of my house)

okay, maybe an amateur homemaker. But I'm going to learn. I'm going to study. I'm going to improve. And you (all 0 of you, I'm sure) will be my witnesses.

Now, can anyone tell me what day it is?