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Life As Mama
  • Pregnancy
  • Kids
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Little Kid
    • Pre-Teen
    • Teenager
    • Adoption
  • Lifestyle
    • Career
    • Beauty & Style
    • Home
    • Inspirational
    • Food
    • Fitness
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      • Ask A Doc
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Category:

Cleaning

CleaningDIYTips & Ideas

The Best Natural Ways To Clean Your Household

by Guest Contributor August 7, 2019
written by Guest Contributor

Cleaning your home is a tough job. You have to deal with a large variety of stains and spots that seemingly require the assistance of some powerful chemical agents. However, this is far from the truth. With the help of science and a little bit of clever chemistry, you can clean your entire home without polluting the environment or coming into contact with any dangerous chemicals.

1. Use cloths instead of paper

In today’s eco-friendly climate, there are lots of easily-accessible ways to make cleaning better for the environment. Using sustainable cleaning supplies is an important step towards creating a carbon-neutral household. Nowadays, paper towels are considered an outdated and environmentally harmful way to clean up. Millions of trees are cut down from them every year, and they aren’t recycled as much as they should be.

Cloths are a much simpler and more efficient way to wipe away stains. They cost a lot less in the long run, considering the fact that you get to wash and reuse them as much as you please. Microfibre cloths are becoming increasingly popular, as their cleaning ability rivals various chemicals, even when they are only used with water alone. They’re a natural, safe, and eco-friendly replacement for paper towels that you won’t regret.

2. Clear the drains with simple ingredients

Kitchen sinks have the most commonly clogged drains. After all of the things that go down that drain, it’s no surprise. Most people refuse to call a plumber and instead take things into their own hands. This is perfectly understandable, as there are hundreds of different ways to DIY a clogged drain. However, not all of them are created equal.

Powerful drain cleaners are often made with chemicals that aren’t exactly good for you. First of all, you wouldn’t want them to come in contact with any of the dishes you use to eat. Second, despite the fact that they are used in kitchen sinks, they are no good for the environment. Even if you successfully unclog the drain, you’re flushing down a bunch of harmful chemicals into the water supply.

Baking soda and vinegar do the job just fine. What better way to clean the kitchen sink than with kitchen ingredients? Mixing them up in the drain will cause a chemical reaction that will often take care of the greasy clog and put your drain back in business, without introducing harmful byproducts into the environment.

3. Make the exterior shine

The exterior of your home is going to be tough to take care of. After all, the walls take the brunt of the beating from wind, rain, and hail. It’s inevitable for dirt and grime to build up over time. Arguably, it’s the most difficult cleaning job in your home.

Sometimes, the dust and dirt buildup will prove too tough to clean on your own, at least without making use of some powerful cleaning agents that could harm your health and the health of your pets. You would be better off finding exterior house washing services that specialize in natural and healthy ways of cleaning outdoor surfaces. Professionals would probably do a better job of taking care of the exterior while still keeping the cleaning methods safe and natural.

4. Consider citrus-fresh cleaning

Many essential cleaning supplies are made up of allergenic and caustic chemicals that can’t easily be washed off. Things like window cleaners, floor cleaners, and wood polish are great examples. You will often come into contact with the surfaces that you use them on, which makes them very inconvenient, despite their usefulness.

On the other hand, there are some perfectly natural substances that do the job just fine on their own. White vinegar mixed in with some citrus juice will leave your windows looking spotless, while also making them safe to touch. You could even eat off of them, in the unlikely event that you enjoy the taste of citrus-infused vinegar. It’s going to spare you the trouble of dealing with allergies and other negative reactions with chemical solutions.

Cleaning your home with eco-friendly and natural solutions isn’t all that difficult. There are a variety of natural alternatives available to homeowners, even within their own kitchens. With a bit of know-how and some professional consultation, you can keep your entire home spotless without having to deal with caustic and allergenic chemicals.

About the Author

Sarah Jessica Smith is a young blogger from Sydney. She is in love with life and all the things that can make her daily routine easier. She loves to write about home improvement, lifestyle, and all the small things that make life such a great adventure.

Did you like this article? Then pin it!

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CleaningDIYTips & Ideas

Home Cleaning Hints For Busy Families

by Guest Contributor July 1, 2019
written by Guest Contributor

It’s not easy for working parents to manage everything in their life perfectly. Being organized in every aspect can become tricky and challenging. Especially when it comes to a clean house. If your house describes your lifestyle, a clean house would portray a happy and comfortable life. Plus when your home is clean, you’re more likely to be motivated to tackle all your other projects as well and keep productive.

So what should you do in order to keep your home clean and your life easy? The following tips and tricks will not only make your cleaning easier but also enjoyable!

Photo by Milly Eaton from Pexels

Have a One-Touch Rule

This might seem like a silly rule but it will definitely come in handy! This means that you only touch things once before you put them away. Not only does this make you put things in the right places, but it saves you A LOT of time and effort that can be put into other more important things.

This can also help you from getting distracted mid-clean as well. You won’t be picking one item up only to put it down in another room and creating clutter somewhere else rather than just tidying it up completely.

Keep Your Cleaning Supplies Accessible

Instead of keeping all of your cleaning supplies in one place, try keeping them in every room. If that’s not possible, keep the cleaning supplies in all the main rooms. This way, you can clean up rooms when you’re in them, and you won’t need to go into another room only to be distracted by something else. As a result, you’ll save time, and it will also be easier to clean up your space fast!

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Don’t Leave The Laundry For The Weekend

The reason why everyone dreads laundry so much is that we let it all pile up and leave it to the last day. A better way would be to do a little bit of laundry every day. You could put in the clothes in the morning before you leave the house, put them in the dryer when you come back, and fold them before going to sleep. This saves you a full day that otherwise would have been dedicated only to laundry. 

Involve Your Kids

Teaching kids the importance of cleaning is crucial, plus it helps you get the work done. To involve your children, you can divide up cleaning into categories. For example, chores that you can do with kids, chores that your kids should do themselves, chores you could do after you put your kids to sleep, etc.

To make it even easier, why not create a handy to-do list which you can then post on your refrigerator. That way everyone can check off when they’ve completed a chore. To add some extra fun, why not incorporate stickers too! This will be a simple way to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Image by LaterJay Photography from Pixabay

Automate Your Cleaning

Sometimes you do need help with your cleaning. Investing in a good robot vacuum cleaner can make your life easier! These vacuum cleaners now come with many different features – this means that you now have more time on your hands, and you can get things done! While they may not get every nook and corner, they still do a very good job at cleaning. 

Hire Cleaning Services to Help Out

Sometimes you can have a super busy schedule. Hiring a cleaning service for when you are short on time can be highly helpful. Everyone needs help once in a while, so contact your local cleaning services and let them take care of things when you simply don’t have the time to sort it out on your own.

This can also be especially helpful before big events like moving house. They’ll help you tidy up fast and thoroughly so you can focus on getting all the other important details sorted.

About the Author

Liam Smith is a young and aspiring Australian blogger with a passion for everything related to home improvement, wellness and lifestyle. He has a B.Sc. in Interior design and is an avid reader.

https://twitter.com/LiamSmith2034

https://www.linkedin.com/in/liamsmith2034

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CleaningDIYHomeTips & Ideas

How To Effortlessly Keep Your Hardwood Floors Clean

by Guest Contributor June 24, 2019
written by Guest Contributor

Replacing your old carpets with hardwood floors can add a touch of elegance to your home, and will also increase the value of it. Keeping them clean can be challenging but getting rid of the dirt, debris, dust, and grime can make a big difference to the appearance of your flooring. Proper cleaning of the wood flooring will ensure it looks good for years to come, and achieving a sparkling clean floor is fairly simple when you follow these tips.

Know Your Wood Finish 

Before you start to clean, it’s essential that you know what type of hardwood floors you have. To get a better result from cleaning your hardwood floors, you should understand it’s less about the wood but more about the finish. So try and figure out the type of finish you have, and it will make your job a whole lot easier. 

Your finish can either be sealed or unsealed. Unsealed wood flooring has no protective coating of urethane, polyurethane or other top coats. It easily absorbs liquids that drop on it, causing it to swell up.  On the other hand, finished wood flooring is regarded as sealed. Sealed wood flooring has been coated with protective coats like varnish or polyurethane. These floors can be shiny, have a matte finish, or high gloss. Sealed wood is the most common type of wooden floors in homes today. 

The Best Way to Clean Your Sealed Hardwood Floors 

We’ll start with the most common and widespread type of wood flooring; sealed. Here are some cleaning tips and tricks to ensure your hardwood floors are left sparkling clean. 

Regular Cleaning with a Vacuum 

Vacuuming is an important step in the cleaning of hardwood floors, as it will remove any dirt and debris that could scratch the surface. Ensure that you use a vacuum cleaner that is designed specifically for hard floors, as these will often come with dusting attachments to protect your flooring.

Image by Kirk Fisher from Pixabay

If your vacuum cleaner has a brush bar for deep cleaning carpets, you need to make sure that it can be switched off otherwise it can scratch the finish of a hardwood floor.  Nothing can remove fine debris and dirt from the crevices and cracks of a wood floor like a powerful vacuum cleaner.

A lightweight stick vacuum is the best choice as it is not too heavy for the floor, and they usually come with a wide range of attachments.

Cleaning Wood Flooring with a Spin Mop 

When it comes to mopping your hardwood floors, it’s important to not let the water sit on the surface for too long. A spin mop can be helpful as it allows you to clean with an almost dry mop, eliminating the risk of water damage.

Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay

Start by sweeping or vacuuming your floors properly. Then, mix a few drops of dish soap or castile soap with 4 cups of warm water. Mix gently (without shaking), then mop a particular section at a time. 

Dry the floor with a dry mop or clean cloth and allow the section to dry before proceeding to clean another area.

Cleaning Unsealed Hardwood Floors 

Unsealed wooden flooring is more prone to water damage and needs to be treated differently when cleaning. You need to be extremely careful not to let any liquid sit on the surface as it will absorb it and swell, which will lead to damage.

Photo by Christa Grover from Pexels

The best way to clean an unsealed floor is to use a vacuum cleaner that has a dusting brush attachment. The dusting brush is gentle on the surface and will avoid scratching the wood.

There are times when you need to do a deeper clean of the floor, and for that, you could use a damp spin mop that has been squeezed so much that it is almost dry. Clean a small section at a time and immediately dry the section with a clean microfiber cloth.

If you don’t want to risk using a mop on the unsealed hardwood floor, a safer alternative is to use a damp microfiber cloth. This will allow you to remove any stains on the wood without the risk of water damage. Again, you should work in small sections and dry the floor with a clean cloth instantly.

About the Author

James Garner is a small business owner who loves nothing more than spending time with his family and teaching them the ways of the world. He loves writing about any topic related to home or office life.  He currently runs the blog at Clean Home Guide.

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CleaningDIYTips & Ideas

10 Practical Ways To Use Lemons In Your Home

by Amber King May 23, 2019
written by Amber King

When life gives you lemons, there’s a whole lot more you can do than make lemonade. These powerful citrus fruits are surprisingly versatile, and they can help a savvy mom like you tackle your toughest chores. Lemons might even help you accomplish things you didn’t think were possible. It’s amazing what a little lemon juice or peel can do for your home. The list of ways to use lemons in your home could go on and on, but we’ve compiled what we consider to be the most useful lemon hacks. 

Here are 11 ways lemons can make your home cleaner, fresher, and even more budget friendly.

1. Make Produce Last Longer

The life expectancy of fresh fruits and vegetables varies depending on where you live, the weather, and what you’re trying to preserve. Either way, wouldn’t it be nice if the produce we spend so much money on could last even a few days longer? Apples might grow on trees, but that doesn’t make them cheap! 

Lemon juice is perfect for preserving fruits and vegetables. A lot of fruits and veggies, like apples, pears, peaches, potatoes, parsnips, and artichokes, turn brown minutes after they’re cut. If you’re not up for eating the entire thing in one sitting, you’ll have to throw the brown and ruined fruit/veggie away. But if you have a lemon, you can make them last longer. Dip the exposed end of your cut fruit/veggie in lemon juice, and you’re free to enjoy it for a little longer.

2. Clean Produce of Pesticides

Even if your household is all organic, there’s still the chance of having sneaky, invisible toxins on your produce. A quick rinse can get the job done sometimes, but you and your family will be a lot safer if you take the time to wash your produce before eating. 

Thanks to the acidic nature of lemon juice, you can use a few lemons to make an effective and all-natural produce cleaner. Add lemon juice, a dash of distilled vinegar, and cold water into a spray bottle. Then all you have to do is spritz your produce and rinse it off.

3. Fight Fruit Stains

Aren’t fruit stains the worst? Fresh berries are notorious for staining both fingers and clothes. They’re too delicious to give up, and thankfully, there’s an easy trick for getting out those bright blue and red stains.

If your usual method of stain fighting isn’t quite doing the trick, try dripping lemon juice directly on the offending spot. Sprinkle a little salt and rub it all together. Rinse the garment, and hopefully, the stain is noticeably lighter. Repeat the process until the stain is either gone completely or light enough to be tackled with other stain removing methods. 

4. Make Your Home Smell Amazing

The smell of lemons is always associated with cleanliness. You can make your whole house smell clean and fresh without resorting to lemon-scented air fresheners. 

Homemade potpourri is made with lemon peels, lemon juice, and a few other choice ingredients depending on the season and what you want your house to smell like. Check out One Good Thing for a few great recipes.

5. Clean Stainless Steel Appliances

Stainless steel appliances look sharp in your kitchen, but they’re like magnets for every jam-smeared finger and wet dog nose in the house. Those smudges always stand out and make your kitchen look messy even when it’s not. Cleaning up is harder than it looks, because even wet rags and paper towels can leave behind nasty streaks.

To solve your stainless steel struggle, cut a lemon in half and rub the juicy side on your smudged surfaces. The juice will cut through grease and make it easier to wipe away the mess. If you want an even stronger solution, add a little baking soda. 

6. De-Stink Your Garbage Disposal

After pouring week-old leftovers down your garbage disposal, it’s no wonder it tends to stink. Your garbage disposal puts up with a lot of abuse, and every now and then, it’s a good idea to treat it to a nice lemon bath. Lemon juice will eliminate odors to make your kitchen fresh instead of funky.

For this kitchen hack, you have options. You can choose to dump a few lemon peels down the disposal and run the motor, or you can make vinegar ice cubes with lemon wedges frozen on the inside. The vinegar adds more cleaning power, and the ice keeps the disposal blades sharp and clean.

7. Clean Your Coffee Maker

When was the last time you cleaned your coffee maker? I’m not talking about rinsing out the pot or changing the filter. I mean when did you actually clean the inner workings of the machine? If you have to think about it, it’s been too long. Mineral buildup can block the mechanisms and even affect the taste of your coffee—gasp! Plus those stains make everything look dingy.

To clean your coffee maker the easy, cheap, and all natural way, pour a solution of half lemon juice and half water into the reservoir. Let the cycle run, and then run it again with nothing but cold water. Doing this every now and then will keep your coffee maker clean and in good condition.

8. Freshen Up Your Fridge

Old food, spilled messes, and mold can send waves of rancid smells into your face every time you open your fridge. Even if you recently cleaned it out, age can make some appliances take on what seems like a permanent stench. Before you admit defeat, try this lemon trick.

Soak a new sponge in lemon juice and put it in your fridge. The juice-soaked sponge will absorb odors and leave a fresh citrus smell in their place.

9. Clean Stained Cutting Boards

Once a plastic cutting board is stained, no amount of dish soap or scrubbing will get it back to normal. And thanks to the nature of cutting boards, you probably have a whole pile of stained plastic cutting boards taking up space in your cabinets. You can choose to toss them or deal with their less-than-clean look, but there’s a third option.

Lemon juice is great for lightening stains, and it works wonders on plastic. Cut up a lemon and drop the juice on your stained cutting board. Use the lemon peel to rub the juice on the stain, and make sure to get in all the little nooks and cut marks. Next, put your lemon-soaked board in the sun. Let it sit in the sunshine for as long as possible before bringing it in and washing it off. Your stains should be gone!

10. Stop Garbage Can Stink

It’s garbage…it’s supposed to smell, right? That may be true, but it doesn’t mean we want our kitchens smelling like trash because of an old garbage can. Even after you wash them out and change the bag, they can still stink. There’s a reason trash bag manufacturers now sell scented bags, but you can get the same (better) effect with only a few lemons.

Next time you change the bag, drop a few lemon peels to the bottom of the can. Put your new bag in over top, and the peels will help fight off both the stench from the can itself and whatever else you toss away.

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carpet cleaning
CleaningDIYTips & Ideas

6 Carpet Cleaning Secrets From The Pros

by Amber King April 16, 2019
written by Amber King

If your carpets could talk, they’d definitely have a few horror stories involving a not-quite-house-trained pet or a toddler’s snack time gone wrong. Dirty carpets can make your entire home look dingy, and vacuuming regularly doesn’t always fix the problem. There will still be mysterious stains and ground-in dirt that just won’t come out. Professional carpet cleaning is a great splurge, but you can’t be calling the pros every time your kids track mud into the living room–your budget can’t keep up. So when you don’t want professional help but your regular vacuum isn’t doing the trick, what are you supposed to do? The answer is in these seven carpet cleaning secrets straight from the pros. 

1. Never Rub Stains

It’s instinct to start rubbing and scrubbing in hopes of bringing up a fresh carpet stain. You scrub everything else to get it clean, so why would the carpet be any different? But the unfortunate truth is, rubbing will only make your carpet stain worse. It spreads the mess around and will make clean up a lot harder. 

Instead of rubbing, you want to blot your stains. Blotting is a method that applies direct pressure to soak up a mess. Start by blotting around the outside edges of the stain and make your way toward the middle. Starting in the middle could actually push the stain out and make the mess bigger.

carpet cleaning

2. Use Dish Soap for Greasy Stains

Dish soap is made to be tough on grease—that’s why we use it on all our pots, pans, and dirty dishes. Many people don’t realize, however, that dish soap isn’t only for dishes. You can use it on almost any kind of greasy surface, and that includes a greasy stain on your carpet.

Dropped food or a dribble of oil will normally soak into carpet fibers and leave a lasting stain. But if you use dish soap, you can cut through the grease before it does its damage. Put a drop of dish soap on a rag and blot the stain, or spray the soap onto the carpet for the best results. You might need to do this more than once depending on the size and severity of the stain.

3. Freeze Off Gum

If you have kids, it’s almost guaranteed that you will one day find yourself trying to get chewed gum out of your carpet. It’s an easy mistake kids make, but that sticky gum takes only a second to glue itself into your carpet fibers. If you try and pick it off, you’ll end up with a stringy, disgusting mess, and you won’t be able to get it all. Freezing the gum is your only effective option.

By freezing the chewed gum, you make the sticky substance hard and easier to pick off the carpet. All you have to do is apply an ice cube to the blob of bubble gum. Then take a butter knife and pry it up. You might need to blot the area with water and mild detergent to finish the job.

carpet cleaning

4. Hydrogen Peroxide is Tough on Blood

We’ve all been there—you get a cut on your foot and don’t realize it until you’ve already left bloody prints on your otherwise-clean carpet. Or maybe your kid suffered a bloody nose and dripped their way down the hallway in search of a tissue. No matter the situation, blood is notorious for being hard to clean up. But hydrogen peroxide is a carpet cleaning solution.

According to the pros, hydrogen peroxide is a natural oxidizer and is great for getting blood out of carpets. First, you’ll need to scrape away as much dried blood as you can and vacuum up the dried particles. Then dab the area with water mixed with detergent. Finally, finish up by dabbing the area with hydrogen peroxide. 

5. Use Vinegar For Red Wine Stains

Your “mom juice” may be an essential part of life, but it’s also a killer when it comes to carpets. Red wine stains like nothing else, and more than a few carpets have been prematurely ripped out because of a wine-related mishap. But the good news is, as long as you act fast and have the right supplies, you can enjoy your wine and keep your carpet.

First, soak up as much spilled wine as you can. Go ahead and stand on your absorbent cloth if you have to, but remember, don’t rub or scrub. Next, pour cold water onto the stain to dilute it. Then get a new cloth and start dabbing and soaking again. When that stops working, mix together two cups of warm water, one tablespoon white vinegar, and one tablespoon detergent. Dab this solution onto the stain until it’s gone.

carpet cleaning

6. Heat Removes Wax Stains

Wayward drips from your favorite candle or a knocked over Scentsy warmer can do a lot of damage to your carpet. Depending on the color of the wax, you could end up with a bright stain that automatically attracts attention—and not in a good way. Dried wax attaches itself to carpet and can seem impossible to clean up, but there’s a simple trick. All you have to do is get the wax hot again.

Start by laying a white cloth over the stain. Then apply a hot iron to the area. The wax will soften as it gets hot, and you’ll be able to scrape it up with a butter knife. Remember, don’t put your iron directly on the carpet, and even with the cloth, you never want to apply the heat for more than 30 seconds at a time. You could end up burning your carpet, and there’s unfortunately no easy fix for singed carpet fibers. 

You can ask guests to take off their shoes and limit what foods kids bring into the living room, but there’s really no avoiding carpet messes. Life happens, but it doesn’t have to be the end of your carpets. Try out these tips in your home to give your flooring a fresh look and new life.

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Freezer Organizing tips
CleaningTips & Ideas

6 Cheap & Simple Freezer Organizing Tips

by Karly Wood April 24, 2018
written by Karly Wood

Whether you have a top freezer, drawer freezer or an entire freezer unit hanging out in the garage, this section of our homes tends to get cluttered and disorganized. When you’re in a hurry to find something for dinner or you need to store those meals you just spent lots of time preparing, a clean and organized freezer is a must. We’ve found some great freezer organizing tips to keep you neat and tidy!

Freezer Organizing Hacks

1. Clean Everything Out

Before you can organize, you really need to take a few minutes and purge your freezer. After all, it’s precious space and it shouldn’t be cluttered with expired and freezer burned food that’s past it’s “use by” date. Toss out half used veggies that have been open for months, old meat you never used and months old ice cream. You’ll immediately have tons more space to work with!

2. Take Everything Out of the Box

While buying boxes of popsicles is handy, it takes up tons of space in your freezer. Take individually wrapped items out of their boxes and store in bins that maximize your freezer better. It may seem silly to take something out of a box, only to put it in another but you are actually saving space because the new bin may be smaller or you may be able to store like items together.

Freezer Organizing Hacks

Source: Amazon.com

3. Add Extra Shelving

Because most top freezers only come with one wire rack, that means there’s a lot of precarious stacking and shoving going on. Add extra shelving in the form of pantry shelves, magazine holders or stacking file trays to give more neat surface area. We’ve even seen people remove the standard rack all together to put as much of their own custom shelving in for maximum organization!

Freezer Organizing Hacks

Source: BedBathAndBeyond.com

4. Use Clear (or See Thru) Bins  For Better Organization

Freezers are never designed for the average consumer, which means adding extra bins is necessary to keep things in order. Buy a bunch of bins (the more uniform, the better for a tidy look) and store similar items together. Frozen veggies and fruit, bagged freezer meals and ice cream can all easily be stored in basic bins for easy in and out grabbing.

Freezer Organizing Hacks

Source: TheKitchn.com

5. Freeze Meals Flat

When you have room in your freezer, that means you can bag leftovers or pre-planned meals flat in a storage bag. Once frozen, you can easily store upright in a bin for easy access and storage! The photo above shows how little space 8 soups take up when they are frozen flay and then stored vertically. Amazing!

6. Label Everything!

The same photo above shows the power of labeling. You don’t have to whip out a fancy label machine to have a tidy freezer. Whether you use dry erase markers to write on bins, make notes on ziplock bags or make pretty labels, the key is making sure your food is easily identifiable! Tip: make a clear note of the date so you know when to toss.

 

RELATED STORIES

8 Amazing Freezer And Refrigerator Hacks

15 Awesome Steps To A Clean Fridge

6 Cheap & Simple Freezer Organizing Tips

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CleaningPrintables

The Only Collection of Spring Cleaning Printables You’ll Ever Need

by Karly Wood February 27, 2018
written by Karly Wood

Getting ready for Spring Cleaning? The task can seem daunting, to say the least, when you have a house coated in Winter dust and grime. But you have to start somewhere! Whether you’re a regular Mr. Clean or just tidy up because you have to, we’ve got your back. Check out our collection of Spring Cleaning printables to get you cleaning.

spring cleaning printables

Source: CasualClaire.com

1. Lazy Girl’s Guide

Not everyone loves cleaning, but we can all agree that messes will only get worse with time. Even if you have to pull yourselves up by your yoga pants to get it done, you’ll find this lazy girl’s guide to Spring Cleaning is perfect for you. Broken down by room makes this arduous task more manageable. and perfect for delegating to your older kids.

Download this for free at CasualClaire.com.

spring cleaning printables

Source: CleanAndScentsible.com

2. Bedroom Spring Cleaning

Give your bedroom a deep clean by using this printable that’s focused on your home’s favorite space. Scour the floor, strip your bedding and dust your window coverings. Oh, and get ready for a GREAT night’s sleep!

Find this printable and tons of other cleaning resources at CleanAndScentsible.com.

spring cleaning printables

Source: SimpleStacie.net

3. 30 Day Calendar

Take the stress out of Spring Cleaning feverishly in a day or weekend, and spread it out through the month with this calendar. It makes an overwhelming task seem much more manageable and doesn’t take over your life. Win win.

Find tons of other great printables and tips at SimpleStacie.net.

spring cleaning printables

Source: APrettyLifeInTheSuburbs.com

4. Kitchen Spring Cleaning List

Use this checklist to focus on the heart of your home, the kitchen. Get all those nooks and crannies, purge the pantry and organize the fridge. Cooking will never be so exciting as it will be in a tidy kitchen!

Head to APrettyLifeInTheSuburbs.com for this printable and other style, decor and recipe tips.

spring cleaning printables

Source: IShouldBeMoppingTheFloor.com

5. Deep-Cleaning Bathroom Checklist

If the kitchen is the heart of the home, the bathroom is the opposite. Usually the dirtiest and smallest spot in the house, most moms hate cleaning this room with a vengeance. We love this printable because it doesn’t miss any spots and it’s pretty too!

Tons of additional cleaning tips await at IShouldBeMoppingTheFloor.com.

spring cleaning printables

Source: UnclutteredSimplicity.com

6. Garage Declutter Checklist

The garage is often the last place in the home to be cleaned, and mostly that’s because it’s not “in the home” at all. We shove unwanted items into it’s recesses without a second glance, until one day we can no longer use the garage for what it was designed for- parking our cars. Take back your garage with these easy decluttering checklist that makes this daunting task a little easier.

Download the checklist for free at UnclutteredSimplicity.com.

 

RELATED POSTS

The Ultimate Room-By-Room Spring Cleaning Checklist

9 Amazing Spring Cleaning Tips

4 Helpful Tips To Get The Kids Involved With Spring Cleaning

 

spring cleaning printables

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CleaningPrintablesTips & Ideas

A Chore List With Age Appropriate Jobs For Your Kids

by Amanda Foust April 13, 2017
written by Amanda Foust

It’s never too early to get your kids to start helping around the house. Being the oldest child in my family, I don’t really remember a time when I didn’t have responsibilities. This has carried over into how I parent my kids, too. Finding a balance is important as your kids will be working their whole lives and should have time just to be a kid. But they also must learn the importance of being a helper.

You have a lot on your plate, mama, and believe it or not, kids can help you tackle the chores from a very young age! As a former preschool teacher, I was always in awe of the kids in my classroom who genuinely didn’t know how to clean up after themselves. I told myself early on that my children would be taught from the very beginning that they are not entitled to their toys or a clean environment, but must take care of what they have been given. This ownership has given them a natural “helper” mentality.

Sure, we still have our fights and the lectures like: “We won’t do x,y, or z until you clean up this mess!”  Followed by screams and stubbornness. But I’m hoping the more I stay consistent and expect from them, the easier this whole enforcing chores thing will be.

To make it simple, we created a free printable below. Use it as a reference or actually print it out and establish chore assignments! You will need to offer guidance at first, as your children won’t automatically know your expectations. But the key to encouraging their “cleaning spirits” is not to redo what they did. This can be SO tough. My two-year-old son enjoys helping me fold clothes, but he has absolutely no coordination to fold to my standards. However, I give him a handful of towels and let him go at it! Then he carries his pile to the drawer to put them away. I don’t really care how my dishtowels look, so I don’t redo the folding. I just also don’t let him do the clothes that I don’t want to be wrinkled. You have the power to set boundaries. If I were to redo his folding, I guarantee he wouldn’t enjoy helping me out anymore, or he would catch onto the fact that he doesn’t have to try because I’ll end up “fixing” whatever he messes up.

There will be a lot of trial and error along the way, but keep setting the example and expectation of hard work, and don’t forget to make it FUN!

Comment and let us know how the chore assignments work in YOUR home!

>>> Print Here <<<

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Amanda Foust

Amanda Foust

Amanda is a wife, mother, writer/editor, and certified life coach. Pen and paper make her spirit come alive. She spends her creative time reading, decorating, and handwriting fonts. Her world is better with an assortment of chocolate and a stack of books packed and ready for travel. She works each day to be a creative maker and a light bringer. You can find more of her writing at Downs, Ups & Teacups and TheDailyPositive.com.
Amanda Foust

Latest posts by Amanda Foust (see all)

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The Ultimate Room-By-Room Spring Cleaning Checklist
CleaningHomeTips & Ideas

The Ultimate Room-By-Room Spring Cleaning Checklist

by Leena Kollar March 13, 2017
written by Leena Kollar

Spring has sprung. Well, almost. It’ll be here before we know it, which means it’s time to start that dreaded spring cleaning checklist. I know it can be quite the feat to clean up and clear out all the rooms in your home. But once you do, it’s such a great feeling! And luckily, we only have to do this in-depth task once a year. Since we’re all busy mamas who can always use some guidance, here’s the ultimate spring cleaning checklist for every room in your house.

I’ve broken this checklist down into two separate categories for each room: toss and tackle. The items on the toss list are the things to get rid of. Tackle is everything you should clean or organize.

Bedroom

1. Master Bedroom

TOSS

  • Broken jewelry
  • Old shoe boxes
  • Old/stained sheets
  • Old/stained clothing
  • Old purses
  • Shoes you don’t wear
  • Worn out pillows

TACKLE

  • Under the bed
  • Mirror(s)/vanity
  • Top of the dresser
  • Closet/ closet shelves
  • Nightstand
  • Mattress (flip it)
  • Baseboards
  • Ceiling fan
  • Window ledges
  • Blinds/curtains
  • Floor vents
  • Rugs (shake them out and wash)
  • Lightbulbs (replace as needed)

Child's Bedroom2. Children’s Rooms

TOSS

  • Broken toys
  • Toys with missing parts
  • Stained clothes
  • Clothes that don’t fit
  • Old/stained bedding
  • Old/stained pillows
  • Broken storage

TACKLE

  • Under the bed/crib
  • Mirror(s)
  • Top of the dresser
  • Closet/ closet shelves
  • Nightstand
  • Baseboards
  • Ceiling fan
  • Window ledges
  • Blinds/curtains
  • Floor vents
  • Rugs (shake them out and wash)
  • Lightbulbs (replace as needed)

Bathroom

3. Bathrooms

TOSS

  • Old makeup
  • Expired medications
  • Old towels
  • Dried up nail polish
  • Old perfume
  • Old toiletries
  • Old shower loofas

TACKLE

  • Toilet
  • Sink(s)/faucet(s)
  • Shower/tub
  • Mirror(s)/vanity
  • Toothbrush holder
  • Soap dish(es)
  • Drawers/cabinets
  • Floor (sweep or vacuum)
  • Rugs (shake them off and wash)
  • Lightbulbs (replace as needed)

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CleaningTips & Ideas

12 Ways To Detox Your Home During The Winter

by Guest Post February 7, 2017
written by Guest Post

There’s no place like home… but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Look around you: There’s bound to be something made partly or entirely of manmade synthetics and chemicals that just don’t do the body good.

You obviously want home to be that safe place for you and your family, so it’s time to do something about all the stuff that could have an effect on your wellbeing. A few weekends’ worth of rehab will have your home detoxed just in time for spring — imagine how much you’ll enjoy sitting pretty while everyone else is rolling up their sleeves for that dreaded seasonal cleaning.

Let’s get to it.

1. Choose Microfiber Cloths

Experts like Ty Pennington ­— yes, the former host of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” — swear by microfiber cloths. They’re super efficient cleaning agents, sopping up dirt and dust much more completely than regular towels or sponges. Pennington says this allows him to use less cleaning solution, too, since the microfiber does so much of the grunt work.

2. Simplify Your Cleaning Products, Too

You can make your cleaning routine even greener by swapping manmade cleaning solutions for more natural, equally effective options. There are countless swaps: Lemons take care of rust stains, vinegar stalls the growth of bacteria and baking soda fights odor. You might find yourself wondering why you bought those fancy squirt-bottle cleaners in the first place once you try these old-school champs.

3. Pick and Choose the Proper Plastics

It seems as though everything is made of plastic these days — except, you know, the fragile screen on your iPhone that you regularly drop.

In order to keep chemicals at bay, check labels on all the plastic products you buy to ensure they do not contain Bisphenol A (BPA), which has been linked to cancer. This not only includes food-storage products, but also toys, shower curtains, teething rings and even bottles made for your babies — they, too, might contain chemicals. Aside from the mark for BPA, look out for a “3” or “PVC” as well.

Pages: 1 2 3 4

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