A few weeks ago my Dear Hubby and I were discussing why I have such a hard time having people over to my house. Let me just say that this aversion does not come in handy when your husband is an assistant pastor and hospitality is kind of a prerequisite to being in ministry.
It's not that I don't like having people over. On the contrary, I'm more afraid of what they will say about my housekeeping skills. Sometimes things are so busy that dishes, laundry...just basic cleaning duties get backed up. And there are some days that after school all I want to do is go home, crawl into bed, and sleep the rest of the day away.
Kind of hard to do housework when your in bed.
There had to be some kind of change. I find that I am more happy when my house is cleaner, and not so embarrassed when people unexpectedly stop by...or my hubby wants to invite someone over...or I want to do other things on Saturday rather than clean all day.
On the recommendation of a friend, I started a new cleaning schedule that she had been using for awhile. Since never ending lists of things that need to be cleaned stress me out, I almost...almost gave up halfway through the week.
But I'm happy to say I kept at it, involved my children (my daughter loves to steam mop the floors! Yay me!!), and have completely enjoyed my Saturday. This schedule is a lifesaver...and I LOVE checking things off the list.
I've also learned a few cleaning hacks to help save my back and knees. Let's start with cleaning the garden tub...
Cleaning Hack #1: Scrubbing a Garden Tub - Using a new broom, simply wet down the tub, drizzle on some Dawn dish detergent, and scrub away. There's no need to turn into the human teeter-totter and risk face planting into the cleaning solution. The bristles of broom scrub thoroughly all while saving you from having to bend over while cleaning. It also saves time: five minutes and the whole tub was all clean.
Cleaning Hack #2: Baseboards & Cobwebs in the Corner - Using the same broom from above, simply cover the end with a rag, old hand towel or dish towel, secure with a rubber band, and spray the edge and flat side with Pledge. This is helpful in dusting baseboards and cleaning cobwebs/dust bunnies from the walls and corners of rooms.
Cleaning Hack #3: Toilet Stains - To get out those pesky stains around the base of your toilet (I am a boy mom after all and steam mopping was not getting it up), simply take a cheap can of shaving cream and spread around the toilet. I scrubbed it in using the rough side of a sponge before letting it sit for a few minutes to clear up anything I missed. Then go back and using a wet rag wipe up, rinse, and repeat until all shaving cream is gone.
I wasn't too sure about this hack; but now that the job is done, I am completely amazed by the end results. There are no more stains (The rag turned yellow! Yuck!!) and nor more smell!
Cleaning Hack #4: Clean your shower while you take a shower. Fill the handle of a dish wand with a mixture of Dawn and white vinegar. Hang on a Command Hook inside the shower and wipe down before getting out. Helps save some time and back ache! Win/Win!
Little by little, inch by inch, my house is turning into something I'm happy with. Have a schedule you use or a cleaning hack that helps get a job done faster? Feel free to share. I'm always looking for new ways to help make cleaning easier.
Simply Clean,
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