About Me

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I have 4 boys (9,8,4, and 21 months). I am pregnant with #5 and it's a GIRL!! We live with my boyfriend in the midwest. After being laid off in January I am now a stay at home mom. I love to write, craft, and read. We are a homeschooling family and some days we love it and some days we don't. I love to find new ideas, crafts, and recipes on pinterest and try them out myself.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Cleaning and Laundry Tips

One of the best laundry tips that I have found is to put your load of laundry in the wash in the morning and then as soon as the washer stops put the load in the dryer. As soon as the dryer stops, put your load of laundry away. I just got done putting away 2 huge baskets full of clothes that have been piling up (clean) for the last 3 days. It is always easier to put one load away rather than having to put 4 or 5 loads away at a time.


My favorite laundry soap right now is powdered Gain (regular scent) and the purple Purex Crystals fabric softener. If you haven't tried the Crystals, you really should!


The biggest tip for cleaning that I do is keep things clean on a daily basis. Every day I make sure that my dishes get done, even when I don't feel like doing them, the house is straightened and vacuumed. The most important rooms to me and the kitchen and living room since these are the rooms in the entry of the house that people who come to visit see. I can alway shut the bedroom doors if we have company over.
I made my own all-purpose cleaner by filling a spray bottle with vinegar, dish soap, and water. I put a little bit of dish soap, about 1/3 or 1/2 with vinegar and the rest with hot water. I found that this cuts grease, cleans mirrors and windows, and basically every surface that I normally clean. I found one on pinterest where you put hot vinegar and a lot of dawn dish soap, but for me the vinegar smell is overpowering and it leaves too many suds. Adding water cuts down on the suds and the vinegar smell. (plus the vinegar is a disinfectant).

I always recruit my kids to help clean up. They do not always participate willingly or cooperatively, but it helps me out as well as teaches them that cleaning is a part of life. I have them help clean up toys in the living room and pick up little things that get thrown on the floor. I will also have them vacuum sometimes, but more often than not I do this.
For paper clutter I try to keep the excess mail that I know I don't want right in the paper shredder and shred it when the box gets full. I normally let a stack of papers gather on my tv stand and then put them away on a day that I don't like looking at it anymore.
Basically the thing to do is a little everyday so you don't have to spend hours a week cleaning and scrubbing things.
A really great website to check out is:


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