Sparkling Toilet Bowl

I have tapped into many areas of simple green cleaning but few areas are as important to keep clean as the bathroom. One of the fastest soiled rooms in the house, particularly if you have children, should receive nothing but the best sanitizing care.

As a person who is very picky about the cleanliness of my toilet, I struggled with a few green cleaning products before I finally settled on my favorite:

Washing Soda

Merely sprinkling a 1/4 cup of washing soda into the bowl of the toilet and scrubbing with a basic toilet brush has it glistening in minutes.

Washing soda not only cleans the everyday filth associated with the throne of the home, but it also breaks down iron deposits as well as build-up caused by commercial cleaners. Its mild abrasive qualities tackle the grimiest bowl without damaging the finish.

Once I have made the inside of the toilet bowl sparkling clean, I then use Tea Tree Oil Disinfecting Spray to sanitize the rest of the bathroom.

It only takes 10 minutes to finish up the whole bathroom, and no harsh fumes to inhale in the tiny space!

Like Washing Soda? Click here for more amazing Washing Soda Cleaning Tips!

Join me in the Clean and Green Challenge!
Click below for more information, and don't forget to spread the word!

For more homemaking tips, check out: Frugally Sustainable and Growing Home

Mildew-Be-Gone

As the humidity of the summer is now upon us in many areas, mold and mildew are beginning to grow rampant. At my home, mildew loves to overtake the front porch requiring a yearly thorough clean. I used to tackle this project with bleach and water which worked wonderfully but proved to not be worth it as it burned through my skin, affected the growth around my porch and had me worrying about my children's safety.

As part of my Clean and Green Challenge, I vowed to look for a safer, greener and still frugal method of destroying the Green Goblin that annually resides on my porch.

After much research, I discovered that Tea Tree Oil was once again the perfect option:

Tea Tree Oil Mildew-Be-Gone

• 1 t. Tea Tree Oil
• 1/2 gallon water

Combine in a large bowl and, using a clean washcloth, effortlessly wipe the mildew away then rinse clean with water.



My porch is now back to sparkling white without burning my skin or causing any damage to my plants!

Join me in the Clean and Green Challenge!
Click below for more information, and don’t forget to spread the word!

For more homemaking tips, check out: Growing Home, Learning the Frugal Life, Life As Mom and Frugally Sustainable

Once-A-Month Shopping: Freezing Milk

Whenever someone hears that I only shop once-a-month, they always ask the same question:

What do you do about milk?

For a while, my solution was to do a mid-month trip to pick up perishable items, specifically milk. But with every trip to the grocery store comes the inevitable thought of “I might as well get {insert unnecessary item here} as long as I am there.” Even when the item seems very important, it is something I could probably make do without but I wind up spending money on it since I am all ready at the store anyway.

To avoid these mid-month purchases and force myself to go without, I have started to freeze my milk.

There are many conflicting opinions on freezing milk, so I decided to share my experience:

Let me start by mentioning that I only buy 2% milk so I have no experience freezing higher fat or unpasteurized milk.

When I purchase the milk, I just write the date I am freezing the milk on the carton and pop it in the freezer. I then pull the milk out and put it in the refrigerator 2 or 3 days before I need it to allow for proper thawing time. Once thawed, I shake the milk slightly to remove any separation.

Unlike many horror stories I have heard before about needing a paint mixer to fully restore the milk to its original texture, I find that shaking it for less than a minute is sufficient. I then use the milk as normal.

The taste does not change. The texture does not change. The milk still tastes great.

If you are really interested in avoiding unnecessary trips to the grocery store or just like to have an emergency gallon on hand and you have the extra freezer space then I recommend giving freezing your milk a try. At the very least you waste a few dollars experimenting, but you may discover that freezing milk is that extra kick you need to save a few more bucks.

Also check out my Monthly Menu Planning tips!

For more homemaking tips, check out: Growing Home, Frugally Sustainable, Learning the Frugal Life, Life As Mom and Far Above Rubies

Glass Cleaner with a Twist

By now, the idea of using vinegar to wash your windows is fairly common knowledge. Magazines and newspapers have been preaching this method for years and it is becoming common practice in many homes.

But my experience of switching from commercial window cleaners was not as cut and dry. I found that using one part vinegar to one part water caused streaks on my glass every time. It began to frustrate me as I heard many homemakers singing its praises while I was struggling with streaks all over my windows.

I tried many different methods to remedy this from adding dish soap to the mixture to combining vinegar and baking soda. No method worked. In fact, many made the streaks worse.

That is when I stumbled across one tiny tip that made vinegar the perfect fit for myself and my windows:

Rubbing Alcohol

By adding just 1 teaspoon of rubbing alcohol to my 1:1 vinegar and water mixture, my windows have remained streak-free without breaking my budget.

Many commercial glass cleaners can leave a residue on your windows causing vinegar to create streaks, but the rubbing alcohol effortlessly breaks through that residue to leave your glass clean and clear, even without the use of crumpled newspapers.

So if you are like me and struggled with vinegar-induced windows and mirrors, give the rubbing alcohol a try. Next time you read about the joys of vinegar, you will not be left clueless and frustrated.

Check out some more Clean and Green Cleaning Tips:
Tea Tree Oil Disinfecting Cleaner
Child-Safe Floor Cleaner
Many Uses of Washing Soda!

Join me in the Clean and Green Challenge!
Click below for more information, and don't forget to spread the word!

For more homemaking tips, check out: Growing Home, Far Above Rubies, Life as Mom and A Bowl Full of Lemons

Forgotten Knobs

If I were to ask you to name ten things in your home that are bacteria-ridden and constantly in need of disinfecting, I am sure that the knobs and buttons on your washer and dryer would not even enter your mind.

But consider your laundry routine: you set the knobs, add the detergent, toss in all those filthy clothes, then push the start button. Did you wash your hands between touching those dirty clothes and pushing the start button? Probably not. So when was the last time you thought of washing them?

I recommend adding disinfecting your washer and dryer knobs and buttons to your regular cleaning routine. It will only take a couple of minutes to spray them down with either a tea tree oil solution or some diluted vinegar and wipe them. Once every couple of months, you can use a Q-tip to really get into the crevices. If possible, consider removing the knobs and cleaning the build-up behind them as well.

By caring for this forgotten section of your laundry room, you will keep your two very important appliances in great shape as well as improve the sanitation of your laundry routine.

Do you ever think to disinfect your washer and dryer knobs?

Stop the Quarantine and Just Clean

I love to wash my floors regularly. With little ones always crawling around and playing, I feel good knowing they are playing on a sanitary surface.

But when I wash the floors with harsh chemicals, I feel like I need to quarantine the room for a couple of hours or risk having a child or animal walk across the harsh and dangerous chemicals. With three kids, two cats and two dogs, that makes washing floors a very inconvenient task.

That is why I switched to a green-friendly, frugal and kid-friendly cleaning method. Now I actually can enlist my children to help wash the floors instead of ban them from the room!

Green Floor Cleaner

• 2 cups vinegar
• 1/2 gallon hot water

For regular cleaning, mix them together in a bucket and mop or scrub any vinyl, tile, linoleum or laminate flooring.

If you need something for those tough jobs, add a 1/4 cup of Borax to your mixture.

Now you can clean your floors as often as you please without worrying about the safety of your pets, children or yourself!

Join me in the Clean and Green Challenge!
Click below for more information, and don’t forget to spread the word!

The Funny Thing About Homemaking

There are many different walks of life. Each person chooses a separate path. Those paths are full of decisions, worries, joys, judgments, contentment and sadness. Some are happy with their paths and others are desperately seeking new routes. But they all come back to the same starting place:

Home.

Whether you are a bachelor trying to make it in New York City, a housewife living in the country, a youth still residing with your parents, or a man building a hut in the rain forest, we each have a place we call home. Our homes vary as drastically as the paths we have chosen yet they are all still called home.

And every home needs to be made and kept, whether it be an entire house, a tiny bedroom, or that mud hut in the forest. Each home needs to be created, cared for and loved by those residing in it.

The funny thing about homemaking is that it does not fit only a few walks of life. Homemaking pertains to everyone. Methods change, but the basic principal remains the same. We each long for comfort within our homes.

We each hold onto the peace of knowing that space is ours, not to be judged or condemned by our Facebook friends, Twitter peers, or blogging comrades. People often ask what we do for a living, if we are married or if we have children. Rarely will someone think to ask if our homes are well-kept, if our laundry is done or whether our beds are made. With the exception of those few unexpected visitors (like the mailman today who needed me to sign for a package as I was sporting my stained college shirt and holey pajama pants), our home is ours to enjoy as privately or publicly as we choose.

Homemaking is in each of our paths. It is an important part of who we are and who we strive to become. Let us not forget to make those homes havens of relaxation, freedom and joy.

For more homemaking articles, check out: 5 Minutes for Mom

Earth Day Resolution

There are so many wonderful things that people do to celebrate Earth Day from litter pick-ups to planting trees. But so often it ends there.

Rather than just performing a grandiose task to celebrate our awesome planet, this year use Earth Day as a time to make a resolution to change your lifestyle.

Start with simple changes at first. In fact, try just starting with you. By focusing on how you can keep your own body "green," you will naturally make greener choices for the environment. Cutting out preservatives, skipping chemical beauty products and switching to natural cleaning techniques will all help you become healthier and protect our planet each and every day!

Remember that every little bit counts. To start, resolve to join me in the Clean and Green Challenge! By making tiny changes to our everday cleaning products, each one of us can make a big difference!

So don't let it end with Earth Day. Let it begin with Earth Day!

<div align="center"><a href="http://the-north-forty.com/clean-and-green-challenge/" title="The Clean and Green Challenge - TheNorthForty"><img src="http://the-north-forty.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/CleanandGreenChallenge.jpg" alt="The Clean and Green Challenge - TheNorthForty" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

 

Check out some of my favorite Earth-friendly homemaking posts:
Everyday Beauty Products
Tea Tree Oil Disinfecting Cleaner
Washing Soda Uses
Shower Curtain Cleaner
Homemade Laundry Detergent
Homemade Cloth Diaper Laundry Detergent

For more homemaking tips, check out: Mom's the Word, Far Above Rubies, Growing Home, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Time Warp Wife and The Better Mom

Missing Something?

We all have an item that mysteriously went missing. You know it is somewhere in the house, but you have not seen it in months...or years. You used to think about it daily, looking everywhere you could imagine, but now it is just a faint memory that pops into your head every so often, rarely prompting a search.

Now consider this:

Wherever that item is located in your home, that location has not been cleaned in that long.

While there are areas of my house that are not cleaned often, I do try my best to get every section at least once a year. But when I remember an object that went missing two years ago, it makes me cringe to think that there is a place in my house that has had two years of collecting dust, dirt, cobwebs and who knows what else.

This year, to add to my Spring Cleaning motivation, I am going in search of a missing item. My top priority will be to think of every area in my home that has not been cleaned since that item went missing and clean it. Backs of closets, inside air vents, behind major appliances. Anywhere it could be, I will look and I will clean.

So think about whether or not you are missing anything. Is there an object you cannot remember seeing for a while? Use that item to motivate you to take your Spring Cleaning to the next level.

Hopefully we can find our missing objects, but even if we don't, it will feel great to have a home that is that much cleaner!

Set In Stain? Try the Green Way!

We have all been there. The kids spill some chocolate milk on the carpet and you don't find it for a few days. You spill your coffee on the way out the door and by the time you come home it is dry. You go on vacation and your cat has an accident.

Set in stains are just a part of having a carpet... Continue Reading



 

Tea Tree Oil Disinfecting Cleaner

I love being frugal. I love being green. I love being clean. With this homemade all-purpose disinfecting cleaner, I can be all three!

Tea tree oil and lemon juice have amazing disinfecting properties and, unlike bleach, are gentle on just about any surface. Because tea tree oil is a natural antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-infection oil, I have replaced ammonia with this solution in my favorite three cleaning products and have been thrilled with the results. Not to mention, now my kids can safely help out!

Continue reading more...

 

Clean and Green Challenge

I love taking on new challenges to better my cleaning routine, my frugal lifestyle and the health of my family. Thus, I have come up with a fun little challenge for myself that I encourage you to join.

It is called the Clean and Green Challenge.

In this challenge, I am hoping to gradually replace all of my cleaning products with a few natural, green, frugal solutions. Overall, I have a very minimal list of cleaning products for everyday tasks, but I want to take it a couple of steps further by cutting out ammonia as well as looking for natural techniques to take on larger cleaning projects.

As I tackle projects, I will share with you my techniques using only green and cheap ingredients. I hope to be able to remove all of the unnatural cleaning products in my routine while still keeping our home fresh and sanitary.

Please join me on this journey and share your tips, thoughts and progress. Go ahead and grab the Clean and Green Challenge button below to spread the word. Together, let's make this a successful challenge that will save us money, simplify our cleaning and encourage pure, healthy products around our families!

Check out some of my Clean and Green Challenge cleaning techniques:
Tea Tree Oil Disinfecting Cleaner
Washing Soda Uses
Shower Curtain Cleaner
& More!

<div align="center"><a href="http://the-north-forty.com/clean-and-green-challenge/" title="The Clean and Green Challenge - TheNorthForty"><img src="http://the-north-forty.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/CleanandGreenChallenge.jpg" alt="The Clean and Green Challenge - TheNorthForty" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

 

For more homemaking tips, check out: Growing Home, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Far Above Rubies, The Better Mom, Learning the Frugal Life, 5 Minutes for Mom, Time Warp Wife, Homemaker's Challenge

Spring Cleaning Checklist

It is official. Spring is here! As the flowers begin blooming, the trees start budding and we start opening our windows to let the refreshing spring air into our homes, many of us begin to get the hankering to clean. Most people think of spring cleaning as a time to take on large projects, but it is also an excellent time to remember to clean all the little things we tend to forget throughout the year.

As you are planning a deep carpet clean, a complete kitchen reorganization or a full closet overhaul, take a few minutes to run through this checklist and clean a few small things here and there:

(Click image to enlarge)

Print this checklist for the little things, make some plans for the big things and let the spring cleaning begin!

For a printer-friendly version, click here: Spring Cleaning Checklist.pdf

5 Products I Will Never Buy

There are a lot of cleaning products on the market. Most grocery stores have at least two aisles devoted to keeping a clean home. Many are overpriced. Several are unnecessary. And quite a few cause me to cringe at the idea of having them near my children.

But the products that really bother me are the ones designed for a "band-aid" effect.

These are the products that give the illusion of a clean home without actually having to clean anything. Note that each of these products are designed to make cleaning convenient, but let us take a minute to look at how clean they really keep your home:

1. Automatic toilet bowl cleaners. These products are not only filled with harsh chemicals, but the area of surface they cover is very minimal. Few reach under the toilet rim and I have not seen any that touch the actual toilet seat.
2. Febreze Fabric and Air. Though this product may trap and eliminate odors, it does not actually clean the source of the odor. Once you properly clean that source, this freshening element no longer becomes necessary. If you are looking to fill your home with nice scents, consider using more frugal, natural and effective methods.
3. Pledge Fabric Sweeper. These are very convenient for quick fur pick-ups, but they may cause you to vacuum your furniture far less frequently than you should. This product only barely touches the surface and does nothing for dust mites, dust, dirt or small particles that reside within the fabric.
4. Powdered carpet fresheners. Not only can these cause a lot of harm to your vacuum filters, they can quickly ruin your carpets by creating build-up. Much like Febreze, carpet fresheners only mask odors temporarily and do not actually clean the fabric. Consider simple carpet cleaning methods instead.
   
   
5. Arm & Hammer Refrigerator Deodorizers. We have all refrigerated a potent pasta dish or found a buried rotten potato, but if your refrigerator smells so strong that you need continual freshening, perhaps it is time to focus on a deep refrigerator clean and regular upkeep.

Some use these items for freshening in between regular cleaning but consider whether or not you rely on them as a crutch. It may not be a conscious thought, but as long as these products give you the feeling of clean, you may be more likely to let your cleaning routine slip.

If you use any of these products, I challenge you to take a break from them and see if it encourages you to clean more often. If so, perhaps you need to alter your regular cleaning schedule to ensure that your home is actually fresh and sanitary and does not just give the illusion of clean.

Do you use any of these products? Do you feel they help or hinder your cleaning process?

Looking for tips to make cleaning your home easier? Try these:

Clean Your Freezer without Defrosting

The Forgotten Soda

Minimize Dusting Area

Three Products, One Clean Home

For more homemaking tips, check out: Mom's the Word, Far Above Rubies, Learning the Frugal Life, Growing Home, Time Warp Wife, 5 Minutes for Mom, A Bowl Full of Lemons and The Better Mom

Housework is Exercise

"It's all in the attitude - housework is exercise.
Slim your way to a clean home!"
~ Linda Solegato

A Year of Relaxation, Freedom and Joy

One year ago today I started A Beginning. I began a new journey, unsure of what it would entail yet anxious for where it may lead me. It began a hobby and has since grown into a passion.

February 15, 2011 was the birth of TheNorthForty.

Today, I wish to celebrate that beginning and thank each of you for helping me reach where I am now, a year later. I set out "to bring ideas to others about ways to constantly re-evaluate processes in your life in order to live a life of relaxation, freedom, and joy." I have received so much positive feedback from my readers and am grateful for every word. I write this blog for each of you; not necessarily with the intention of giving you tips and tricks, but rather to constantly keep your mind thinking of new ways to improve your life. Always changing your mindset, growing and becoming better in every aspect of your existence.

It started with a simple beginning and has developed into a personal journey of growth to Relaxation, Freedom and Joy. Here, I would like to share with you some of my favorite posts from the past year's journey as well as some of the most popular:

Cleaning

Cleaning Rush!
A Country Cottage on Laundry Day
The Forgotten Soda
Would a Rose Covered in Dust Smell as Sweet?
Two Steps to Happy Homemaking

Frugal Living


Frugal Blogs: Maximize the Benefits
It's 12 Noon, Frugal Time
Convenience Leads to Successful Frugality
I'm a Hippie and I Have the T-Shirts to Prove It
Sugar Bomb in a Bowl? Not For Me!

Marriage

With the One You Love...
Learn to Be Loved
How To Be A Perfect Wife
Love Means Looking Into Yourself
Risk Your Marriage

Parenting

Where There Are Purple Flowers
Tangible Artifacts of God's Graces
Honor, Remember, Incorporate
I Am Certainly Not a Natural
Being Judged: A Sign You Are Now a Parent

Quality of Life

Don't Balance, Fill
What Have You Learned From a Duckbill Platypus Lately?
Find Smart Self-Help Books
Burn It Before You Eat It
Share the Vibrance of Your Gifts

Recipes

Depression Casserole
Tangy Chicken and Rice
American Chop Suey
Polenta Quiche
Vegetarian Fried Rice

I thank each of my readers from the bottom of my heart. Without you, this blog would not exist. I hope for many more years of writing to help others continue to achieve Relaxation, Freedom and Joy in their lives.

Linking up with: 5 Minutes for Mom, Time Warp Wife, Far Above Rubies, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Raising Homemakers, Clean & Scentsible, Creatively Living, Marriage from Scratch, Romance on a Dime and Ginger Snap Crafts.

Cleaning Check-In!

With a couple of new cleaning projects in the works, I wanted to check in with you to see how your month has been going.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned a new cleaning routine that I was going to implement and encouraged you to give it a shot too. If you recall, we were going to switch from cleaning one or two rooms a day to using one cleaning product a day instead.

The original schedule I tried did not work out for long. I found that the time I spent cleaning each day was very imbalanced, so I have readjusted it and am going to try again with an altered schedule:

• Monday – Dusting (with a clean, damp rag) & Windexing (windows, mirrors and glass surfaces)
• Tuesday – Ammonia - Half of the house (or your favorite disinfecting/washing product to use on floors, walls, bathrooms and various surfaces)
• Wednesday – Vacuum (being sure to get every room, crevice and cranny)
• Thursday – Ammonia - Second half of the house (when you add in floors, walls and bathrooms, this can be a big task, so this product requires two days)
• Friday – Vacuum (because it never hurts to do it twice)
• Weekend – Special family time! No cleaning allowed!

Because I could see some benefits to this method, I am going to try this new schedule for a couple of weeks to see if it works out any of the bugs from the first time around before I consider abandoning the idea. How is your one-product-a-day cleaning going? Do you like it so far?

Also, remember that we dedicated this cold month to sprucing up our walls. How has that been going for you? Are you sticking to your schedule? Have you noticed an improvement in the appearance of your rooms? Take this time to pull out your wall cleaning schedule and make any adjustments you need to in order to make the remainder of the month a success.

Let's keep up the great work and spring cleaning this year will seem so much simpler!

For more great homemaking tips, check out: Homestead Revival

Leap to the Walls

The holidays are now well behind us but, in many places, the weather still has us homebound, staring out the window longing for warmer months. This is an easy time of year to become bored and mopey, especially if you are alone in the house for any period of time. I find when I am bored and mopey, the best thing to cheer me up is to start a major project!

Since it is a leap year, we have a whole extra day this month to get some much needed cleaning done so for the entire month of February, I say it is time to tackle our often neglected walls.

In order to take on this big task, we need to start with a plan:

Schedule. First, go through your home and divide it into sections (rooms, number of walls, etc.) and write those sections down on a piece of paper. Decide if you want to tackle them one section a day or one section a week, then write down scheduled dates and times when you will focus solely on your walls. How you make your schedule is up to you, but the important part is that you make it realistic so you can actually stick to it.

Clean. Once you have your plan set, start right away on improving the appearance of your walls. Begin by cleaning them. There are many products you can use on your walls, but my favorite is an ammonia/water solution. This works well on most wallpaper, tile and paint (test a small area first). I just use a rag and scrub away, using a ladder where necessary to ensure you clean from floor to ceiling. Some walls may need a more gentle treatment or special cleaner. Use whatever safely gets the dirt, dust, cobwebs and last month's jelly off of those walls.

Repair. Once your walls are clean, think about what else you can do to improve them. Do they need any old nail or tack holes filled in? Is the paint chipped or the wallpaper peeling? Is there a spot that would not come clean and needs to be covered or repaired?

The idea is not to become a major construction project but to make your walls more visually appealing. Consider using small dabs of spackle to fill in holes, spot painting as long as you can match the color, reapplying sections of wall paper or just hanging a picture to cover a blemish. Do not shoot for perfection, just shoot for improvement.

Go Beyond. If you really want to take it one step further, go ahead and repaint or re-wallpaper your walls. If you are painting, I recommend priming with Kilz primer so you do not have to wash the walls first. Kilz is great for covering up dirt, stains or odor that may have built up on your walls.

Remember, you have an entire month. Try not to get overwhelmed. Just take it one wall at a time. Some walls you will breeze right through while others made need some extra TLC. If necessary, reassess your schedule when you run into a wall the needs a little extra time.

By the time the birds are chirping and the flowers start blooming in March, your home will feel fresh and clean, ready to take on the new season. Not to mention, you will feel great from staying so active and productive through such a chilly dreary month!

For more great homemaking tips, check out: Far Above Rubies, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Growing Home, 5 Minutes for Mom and Time Warp Wife

Move, Remove, Enhance to Simplify Your Kitchen

Cleaning the kitchen can be such a tedious chore, mostly because it needs to be done every day, often times more than once a day. As an area of the home where we can spend quite a bit of time, it is nice to keep it looking and feeling clean all day long. Especially since it can so easily become contaminated with bacteria and germs.

As always, I love to keep things simple. This especially goes for my cleaning processes. How do you make cleaning your kitchen faster, easier and less of a chore?

Simple decor

If you spend a lot of time in your kitchen, you obviously want it to look nice. But decorating a kitchen comes with a price: cleaning the decorations. With splatter, dust, grease and more that can easily make its way across all surfaces, decorations become germ-havens and add to the amount of cleaning required in your kitchen. For that reason, I recommend keeping your decorations very minimal and basic.

• When possible, consider elevating your decorations by hanging pictures or putting items on top of cabinets, rather than on the counter tops.
• Keep the few items on your counter tops simple and functional, like attractive sugar bowls, bread boxes or cutting boards.
• Make sure to steer clear of elaborate designs and surfaces that cannot be quickly wiped down.

Stash the appliances

With toasters, coffee makers, mixers, food processors and more, appliances can take up a lot of counter space and need cleaning on, under and around often. Even if it is an item you use daily, I still recommend moving most of your appliances off of your counter tops. Store them in closets, cupboards and pantries, making sure to keep the most used items in more convenient places.

This may mean purging other kitchen appliances and utensils to make extra space. I recommend boxing up the things you have not used for a while and storing them in a closet for three months. If you could live without them for three months, then it is time to toss or donate the box.

Get it out of the kitchen

If it is not an item you use in the kitchen, then it needs to move. Kitchens tend to be homes to "junk" drawers and clutter zones. Having those extra items in the kitchen not only poses a health risk due to the germs they bring in, but they also may get dirty, greasy or ruined from cooking.

Only objects that are used in the kitchen belong in the kitchen.

Consider upgrades

If it is in the budget, consider upgrading sections of your kitchen to make cleaning easier.

• Line your walls with basic tile back splashes that can easily be wiped clean.
• Simplify your cabinets and drawers so there are less crevices that can accumulate dust and crumbs.
• Switch your cabinet hardware to basic knobs that can be disinfected quickly.
• Consider fingerprint-resistant appliances so you spend less time wiping them down.
• Install high quality range hoods to help keep the air clearer.

Basically your goal is to make the kitchen as clutter-proof as possible to ensure a quick wipe down of all surfaces. If you spend all your time moving items around and cleaning them off, then you have less time to focus on cooking, cleaning other areas of your home, and most importantly, spending time with your loved ones.

So take a look at your kitchen and see what you can move, remove, enhance or simplify to make cleaning your kitchen a breeze after every meal.

For more great homemaking and frugal living tips, check out: Far Above Rubies, Growing Home, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Time-Warp Wife and 5 Minutes for Mom.

One-A-Day

As you know, I like to clean daily. It makes my home constantly feel fresh as well as prevents me from wasting an entire day cleaning. My Everyday Cleaning Concept has me spend about 15 or 20 minutes cleaning designated rooms. I bring each cleaner that I will use into the room, do a quick pick up and then go crazy cleaning for the next few minutes.

All-in-all, I really like this method as it keeps me organized and focused. But there is nothing I love more than trying new things so let's try to switch it up!

For the next couple of weeks, rather than focusing on one or two rooms a day, I am going to focus on one cleaning product a day. No bringing all my cleaning products from room to room. Just one cleaning product comes out each day and I take that product all over the house.

My schedule, though not yet rigid, will look something like this:

• Monday - Dusting (with a clean, damp rag)
• Tuesday - Windex (whether you use a store bought or homemade vinegar version)
• Wednesday - Vacuum (being sure to get every room, crevice and cranny)
• Thursday - Ammonia (or your favorite disinfecting/washing product to use on floors, walls, bathrooms and various surfaces)
• Friday - Vacuum (because it never hurts to do it twice)
• Weekend - Special family time! No cleaning allowed!

As you can see, my basic cleaning products are very simple (as mentioned in Three Products, One Clean Home). Throughout the week, I will still sanitize many areas with vinegar and spot clean often, but this schedule refers to cleaning the entire house.

Let's all give this a try for a couple of weeks and see how it goes. You never know if a method is better than your previous ways unless you give it a shot!

Good luck and let me know how it works for you!

For more great homemaking tips, check out: Homestead Revival