Wednesday's Cleaning: Room by Room Series: The Bathroom

And we are here. This is the conclusion of the series "Room by Room" where I highlight cleaning tips found on Melissa Ringstaff's page A Virtuous Woman. For the past few weeks (months, really, because I've not been so great at doing this every week), I have been going through Melissa's Household Notebook and highlighting some of the tips she has for cleaning each room.

If you are new to this series or you think you missed an entry, here they are:
1. The Introduction
2. The Kitchen, part 1
3. The Kitchen, part 2
4. The Kitchen, part 3
5. The Bedroom
6. The Bedroom, part 2

And today we are focusing on The Bathroom. Click here for the link to the entire list. Remember, I only highlight some of the tips.


The Bathroom


Care for the Bathroom: Monthly highlights 


1. Clean under the sink. I actually really like that she has this as something to do every month. Just last week I was trying to find something under my bathroom sink, and I realized I had a few half-empty bottles of shaving cream waaayyyy in the back. Those got thrown out immediately, and I realized that the underside of my sink really needed a good cleaning. Once a month will do just fine.

2. Throw out old medications and old make up. This is really important. More and more experts are starting to express their concern for people keeping old medicines and make up. I have to admit, since I don't wear a lot of make up, I have some that dates back to high school. Yes, high school. I really need to just toss it. How about you? Have you checked the expiration date of that tylenol you keep in your medicine cabinet? When's the last time you used that mascara? Uh huh. Toss it.


Care for the Bathroom: Weekly highlights


1. ...Dust the baseboards as you go. Ew! Baseboards in a bathroom are pretty gross, especially if that bathroom is used regularly by boys. As a mother of 2 boys, I cannot tell you how incredibly gross a boys' bathroom is. I actually have my boys clean the baseboards in their bathroom twice a week. One of those days (Mondays) is the "deep cleaning" of the baseboards (soap and water), the second day (Thursdays) is just maintenance. As for my own bathroom, my husband and I shed hair like crazy. If I go 1 or 2 weeks without swiping the baseboards, it fills up quickly. NOTE: she also gives tips on how to deep clean the baseboards in her step 11.

2. Dust the vanity light bulbs. I forget this step all the time! I really need to make a check list of things that need to be cleaned in bathroom, like they do at restaurants, and just make sure this gets done. Because once the dust gets really settled on the light bulbs, then you have an icky, sticky mess.

3. Clean around the top of the the toilet, working your way down the sides. Oh the top of the toilet. Right now on the top of our toilet is a basket of magazines. I tend to dust around that basket on a weekly basis, but there are times when I venture below the basket. Take it from me, just do this. I have my boys clean the top of the toilet twice a week, and it looks great! This is a great reminder in case you forget it or are lazy like I am.




Care for the Bathroom: Daily highlights


1. Rinse tub after bathing. Cute story here: a few of my friends and I were out on a girls' weekend and the topic of cleaning the bathroom came up (yeah, most of us are moms). We all confessed to cleaning the shower while we were still in it. I keep one of those Mr Clean sponges in the shower and swipe it as I go. I thought it was kind of weird I did that until I realized that I'm not the only one. I had to start doing that because my husband has the weird knack of really getting the tub dirty. And I'll admit, in the summer time, when I do the weekly mowing, I do my fair share of making the tub icky. So if you get in the habit of doing a daily swipe, it makes the deep cleaning days much easier.

2. Clean mirror after everyone has brushed their teeth. I don't know why or how a mirror gets so dirty after a round of teeth brushing, but it does. So it's a good idea to just do a quick swipe every morning after everyone is done. I tend to keep an old baby wipes container with homemade mirror cleaner nearby for those quick cleanings. Look here for a further look at what I do.

3. Spray air freshener and leave the room. Voila! Just like that. Just spritz and leave. Really, this list for daily is pretty short. It should only take a few minutes to get in and get out. And what better way to leave than to just spray and go.


So that's about it. I really, really hope that this series has helped you to get organized with cleaning the house. Melissa does a great job in giving a list of daily, weekly, and monthly tips. Honestly, the best thing to do is the make a checklist of things that need to be done every day, every week, and every month. I sort of did this when I made my New Year's Resolution, and it has really helped me stay on track with getting the basic chores out of the way. And if you haven't checked out Melissa's links, please do. She really is a wealth of knowledge.

Happy Cleaning everyone!

Photo Credit 

Wednesday's Cleaning: Room by Room Series: The Bedroom, part 2

It's Wednesday again, and you know what that means? Time to focus on cleaning! The current series, "Room by Room" has us focused on the Making the bed today. I know what you are thinking. Really? An entire post about how to make your bed? When I first saw the post from Melissa Ringstaff's Household Notebook, I thought the same thing. Once I read it, though, I realized she had some great tips on how to properly make a bed and maintain cleanliness with it weekly and daily.

(And if you missed last time when we began the bedroom, here's the link. If this is your first time to this series, I only highlight points from Melissa's page. For the entire list for today, please go here).

Making the Bed


Washing the Bed Linens: Weekly (Highlights) 


1. Allow the mattress to air for a while. Um, absolutely! Especially with the kids, especially boys. For some reason, boys are okay with going to bed with all kinds of funk, so washing the sheets for them once a week is really important. PLUS, that mattress really needs a good airing out once a week.

2. Rotate mattress. Now this doesn't say flip mattress, but I feel that flipping and rotating are pretty necessary. I don't really do this once a week, but maybe I should, huh?

How to Make the Bed: Weekly (Highlights)

1. When using a comforter, often the flat sheet is placed with the right side down so that when you turn it down at the top, the ride side of the sheet is visible. Now I have been making my bed for a LONG time, and this never occurred to me. Who cares if the flat sheet is the wrong way? You have a big comforter, or in my case, a quilt, covering that sheet. I always didn't like the way the underside of the sheet looked when making my bed, so, again, I'm not sure why I didn't think of this first.

2. To correctly make a hospital corner at the foot of your bed, lift the side of the sheet and tightly tuck in the portion that is hanging down. Okay, never heard of it called a "hospital corner" but it makes sense. And I do this when I am seriously making my bed, but not regularly. I don't like the way it feels on my feet. BUT is is good for the guest bed, for sure!

3. Bedspread v. Comforter. Apparently, if you have a bedspread, you cover the pillows, but if you have a comforter, you don't. Who knew? I sure didn't? I thought you always cover the pillows. Maybe it's preference?

How to Make the Bed: Daily (Highlights) 


1. Upon waking, turn the covers down to allow the sheets to air for an hour or two. *Allowing the bed to air helps to retain a fresh smell of the linens and the bedroom* What?! Seriously, for years, I get out of bed, turn around, and immediately make up the bed. Now I feel that maybe after the kids are off to school , I am going to start going back to pull back the covers while I put away breakfast and tidy the kitchen and bathrooms.


2. After breakfast, continue making the bed. See? She even suggests that is done this way! For you SAHMs, this is great for you! For you working moms, you are not going to have the luxury to do this. I know. I've been there. So maybe the "proper" bed making can be done as soon as you get home from work or this "airing out" can be done on the weekends. I think it's smart, though, so try it at least once a week.

Photo Credit 

So here's a little anecdote:

Last week, I was getting seriously frustrated about how messy my kids' rooms were. I feel like every time I turn around, a tornado has blown through. I know, mom, what goes around comes around, but I'm trying to create little cleaning monsters. I want it to be habit for them to have their room decently cleaned, and I refuse to be the one that does it for them. They will never learn that way, and I will not tolerate a messy room. Okay, back to the story. So as I was planning, preparing, and organizing the house for Abigail's birthday party last week, I asked the boys to just keep the rooms clean for mommy. Please? And, of course, they didn't. So instead of yelling at them, which doesn't seem to work, and I feel that I'm training them to ignore their wives one day, I decided to show them my room and give them a little trick. I told them that even if their room is a mess and there are things lying all around, if you make your bed, your room automatically looks cleaner. So I opened my bedroom door and showed them my room. Yes, I still had shoes on the floor instead of in the closet, and there were a few things out of place, but my bed was made. I asked them, "Does mommy's room look clean?" and they said "yes!" (although Jed, my MESSY child, was quick to point out my shoes on the floor). I then told them to stand outside the door. I closed it, and unmade my bed. I made it look like it does when Joe and I first get up. I opened the door, and they were amazed at how messy my room looked. I told them the only thing I changed was the bed. I then told them to count how long it took mommy to make the bed (not seriously make it like Melissa would suggest, but enough that the sheets and pillows were straight and the comforter was pulled over the bed and smoothed down). 24 seconds. That's how long it took. And, again, they were amazed. I think the lesson clicked for them for a little bit. If mom says clean my room, the first thing I should do is make the bed. And honestly, they have been making their beds first thing ever since. I am impressed. And proud.

One other little side note: If are a pretty good at cleaning your rooms or are satisfied with the way you make your bed, this list may not mean anything to you. BUT if you have kids or a husband you want to start encouraging to help around the house, you may want to print Melissa's list or make a condensed version of the list and make a little poster. You can laminate the sheet to make a check list they can use a dry eraser on each day or week, and check off all the steps. I know that your husband knows how to make a bed, but if you want it down a specific way, you may have to actually spell it out for him. He doesn't know your routine or expectations unless you tell him. You may be surprised when he actually does it on the weekend, for your birthday, or for anniversaries. Or for your college/high school/ middle school kid, this would work great!

Next time's topic: Cleaning the bathroom. Come back for the conclusion of this series! Happy cleaning, everyone!

Wednesday's Cleaning: Room by Room Series: The Bedroom

I'm back! Christmas break really threw me through a loop with keeping up with the schedule. So, just like most American's I have made a New Year's Resolution (well, quite a few, actually), and part of that is to keep up with the cleaning and blogging. So here's to helping you get organized as I work on getting organized.

I am picking up with my "Room by Room" Series. In case you missed the past ones, here are the links:

• The Introduction
• The Kitchen, part 1
• The Kitchen, part 2
• The Kitchen, part 3

Starting this week, and finishing next week (hopefully), I will be focusing on the bedroom(s). The link I'm going to be reviewing is below, as well as another great resource that is featuring cleaning the master bedroom this month. Remember, I am only highlighting some of the tips that we are given through A Virtuous Woman. Please see the link below for a full detail. It REALLY is a great resource. 

• Cleaning the Bedroom is the download from A Virtuous Woman I will be highlighting. 
• Household Notebook is the link where you can find all the downloads I highlight and some I won't be highlighting. (This is also where I got my downloads for my New Year's Resolution Checklist).  
• Home Organization from Just Mommies. Do yourself a favor and check out this website. You won't regret it. 

and now presenting....

The Bedroom: 

1. Bedroom linens: (she gives a quick review of the things that are typical of items found on a bed) 

• Mattress Cover and Pad. I'm not really sure why it took me so long to get me one of these, but I got one this past summer for my own bed. The kids have always had one, but I never thought I would really need one for myself and my hubby. That is until one of those home cleaning people came by my house to show off a nifty vacuum cleaner...I mean "Home Cleaning System". They did a quick vacuum of the Abigail's mattress to show how much dirt we leave in the mattress, and I was really grossed out. At least with a mattress cover and pad I can trap some of that dirt to wash once a week or so. Think about how clean your mattress is once you lay down on a clean one! Get one if you don't have one, and make sure you wash it at least twice a month. 

2. Monthly caring for the bedroom (highlights): 

• Rotate and flip mattresses. I do this, but not as frequently as I should (about every other month). I also like to spot treat anything on the mattress before I flip it. That way I know when I flip it again, I will be laying on a clean side. 
• Air throw rugs and pillows in the sun. Huh. Never thought of this before. Really? In the sun? Why not? The dog likes to lie in the sun, why not the rugs and pillows, too? 
• Vacuum under the bed. Uh...I'm such an "undercover" hoarder when it comes to under my bed. But it's always an adventure when I rearrange my furniture. If I could just get in the habit of vacuuming under my bed, maybe I wouldn't dread moving the furniture so much. 

3. Weekly caring for the bedroom (highlights): 

• Dust. Really, I dust the rest of my house because people see those places. I tend to neglect the bedroom. But last night as I was looking around my room (especially since the Just Mommies website is focusing on cleaning the master bedroom this month), I noticed the layer of dust on, well, everything. My bathroom is dust-free, my hallway is dust-free, my FANS  are dust-free, as well as my living room and kitchen, but the layer on my bedposts, side table, and the molding above the closet is pretty thick. This is going to be added to my weekly cleaning for sure! 

4. Daily caring for the bedroom (highlights): 

• Air the bed. There will be more on this next week when I cover how to properly make the bed, but I was just awed by this. If you sleep with a man (your husband), you know the funky smells that can come from a man at night. Why do we trap them in the bed first thing in the morning? Air that baby out! 
• Put away things. Yup. Last night you had a glass of milk or a cup of hot tea before you went to sleep, and now it is sitting on your night stand. I have been guilty of leaving a dish on my night stand for a week before I walked it to the sink. Taking it to the sink first thing in the morning is a new habit I am forming. It's a good one to have. 

So that is part 1 of cleaning the bedroom. Next week I am going to blow your mind with how to properly make your bed. Stay tuned and happy cleaning! 

Photo Credit

Wednesday's Cleaning: Room by Room series: The Kitchen, part 3

As I continue my series of deep cleaning the house room by room, I am on the last post on the kitchen. I am using tips that I learned from Melissa Ringstaff's website A Virtuous Woman. I must say that as I was trying to organize my information for today, I really had a hard time narrowing the information down. Melissa provides an incredible Bible study called "From Chaos to Calm" (that is soon to be a book) on her website that really goes into detail on how to keep house and home. I have downloads to details she gives on cleaning appliances around your kitchen properly, and how to properly clean the floors and walls of your kitchen. BUT Melissa has asked that I direct you to her site to get this information. I totally understand, especially since she is going to put all of this into a book for you. If you have not already checked out her Bible Study "From Chaos to Calm," you really, really need to. It was life changing for me. 

Today we are going to look at the Pantry and Mealtime. My pantry is a MESS, so this is a great reminder for me as I prepare to get my meals ready for next week. So I'm going to start with highlighting stuff for the pantry and then talk about how to properly clean up around mealtime. 

Pantry (Inventory Link Here) NOTE: some of the following information is my opinion (hey! It's my blog! I'm entitled to give my own opinion) 

• Take stock of your stock: Take an inventory of what you have in your pantry (see link above). Make a list of things you are low on and things you should replace. By "replace" I mean, take a look a the nutritional value. Decide what you are willing to get rid of and replace with a healthier version. 
• (Here goes my personal opinion I warned you about) About two weeks ago I gave in to temptation and bought a Hamburger Helper kit. The meal was delicious, but there was so much sodium, carbohydrates, and fat in the meal, it negated my hour-long workout earlier that day. As tempting as it is to have those "quick fix" meals at your hand, decide if that is really something worth having in your family. Don't get me wrong, having one or two of those meals (Hamburger Helper, a can of ravioli, or one of those meal in a can) is not that bad. You need things in there for times when you don't have the money in your budget for fresh food or when your husband is in charge of the meals or when you have the babysitter over during dinner time. There just needs to be something for that quick fix meal once in a while. Just don't make that take up your pantry. 

• Snacks: Take inventory of the snacks you have available. I know (for serious I REALLY know) how yummy those Debbie Snacks are, but is that all you have to offer for your family to enjoy? Take a look at what you have. Do you have dried fruit? How about baked chips? Or even those incredible veggie chips they have available now. It may take some retraining on your part and your family's part on finding healthier options, but it will be worth it in the long run. 

• Staples: Make a list of the staple items you just need to have in your pantry. Check out the sales papers and stock up when you can. For example, about once a month or so, Publix tends to have spaghetti sauce, pasta noodles, and tomatoes on sale for BOGOF. I tend to stay away from most canned veggies (there's really not that much nutritional value to them so I use either frozen or fresh), but canned tomatoes is really a must for me. I stock up on all kinds when it's on sale (diced, stewed, with green chilis, zesty, etc). They are great to add to soups, pasta dishes, or on top of a crockpot chicken. I also bake a lot. So when I go to the store, I try to buy a small bag of flour (not always all-purpose; sometimes I buy wheat or bread flour). Also, if I haven't made my own baking mix, I try to stock up on that as well (just be careful of the expiration date. If I have extras, I put it in a ziplock bag and then put in the freezer). Also, it's a good idea to have a couple of cans or boxes of low sodium broth. Those work in soups, rice, and even a little splash works great when steaming or cooking veggies. 

• Organization: Once you have all that you need for your shelves, organize it for easy access and in order of importance. Since my pantry is open, I organize mine for safety. I keep all my ceramic storage bins (that has flour, sugar, rice, and grits) on the top shelf. I really, really don't want to have to clean up that mess. My next shelf I have all items that are in glass containers. Although my older kids can reach these items, I'm not as worried about them dumping the items on the floor. My next shelf has items that are in boxes or bags (like those packets of Tuna Sensations...yum!) My bottom shelf has all the canned items. I know that if these get pulled off the shelves, the chances of them landing painfully on someone's toes is not that high. The biggest problem I get with these being on the bottom shelf is how some little kid (Abigail) ends up stacking them. At least she isn't stacking the glass jars. :)

• Take a look at how I organize my meals in a previous post. 

Mealtime Cleanup (Link found here) highlights of her tips

NOTE: Her tips here are mostly for those who do not have a dishwasher. I can tell you, though, that  when my dishwasher was broken for 4 months, these tips were GREAT! You don't appreciate things such as a dishwasher until you don't have one. 

• Mealtime Clean Up Tools: 
• GET GLOVES. I didn't at first and my hands dried out quickly. Once I got some good gloves, I was able to handle hotter water for my dishes and I looked adorable. :) 

• Mealtime Clean Up Order: 
• Pre-treat spills with stain remover. My goodness! Do this! Even if you have just a plian old table cloth or Dollar General placemats, if you pre-treat pretty quickly, you will not regret it. 
• Stack dishes according to how you are going to wash them. NOTE: I do this even when I have a dishwasher. I have a container next to my sink that I put utensils in to soak while I load the rest of the dishes. It's the last thing I empty. This really helps loosen and remove food stuck on the spoons, forks, and knives. I also separate and organize dishes for top shelf and bottom shelf. This way I don't have to keep going back and forth. 

• Handwashing the Dishes: 
• Begin washing the least soiled dishes first, such as your drinking glasses
• The water: replace water if it gets too soiled or lukewarm. The water should be about as hot as you can handle to kill germs (and loosen grease). The hotter the water, the more quickly your dishes air dry. 
• Put dishes away as soon as you are done washing them. If your water was hot enough, the dishes should be dried by the time you are done. If you put the dishes away immediately, this will really help keep your kitchen clean. And, if you remember from before, it's best to begin cooking the next meal in a clean kitchen. Just clean as you go! 
• If you have a dishwasher: make sure you do the pots and pans last. While you are washing the rest of your dishes, soak the soiled pots and pans. If I have something that can go on the stove, I will boil water in the dirty dishes while I washing the rest. This will loosen the stuck on food to make washing easier. AND if you cannot fit the dishes into the dishwasher, then handwash them. The last thing you want to do is walk into the kitchen in the morning to see a dirty dish in the sink. If you start the day with a clean sink, it really will motivate you more. 

Photo credit: http://16sparrows.typepad.com/16sparrows/2010/02/washing-dishes.html

And I think that's it. Please remember to find Melissa's Bible study "From Chaos to Calm". She goes into deeper detail and has some really, really great stuff! 

Next week I will move on to the bedroom. 

Wednesday's Cleaning: Room by Room Series; The Kitchen, part 2

Hello all! Today has been a busy day (already, and it's only 830ish), but I wanted to make sure I got in today's post about cleaning. Last week, I started the series by explaining how the process goes, and then jumped in with the kitchen. If you missed it, here's the link.

Don't forget I get my information from the wonderful Melissa Ringstaff (here's her blog and her website that I LOVE). Go to her page on The Household Notebook (a MUST for really any mom) to download her information that I am going to share with you today. As I highlight a few of the suggestions she gives, I will include the direct link to the download.

So what's on the menu today? The refrigerator and the stove. I know what you're thinking: hasn't she covered the refrigerator like 20 times already? Yes. Yes, I have. But I really want to stress how important keeping the fridge clean can be. So we are going to touch on it today as well as the stove. So here goes....

Cleaning the Refrigerator: (Downloadable link here)
Cleaning the kitchen weekly (highlights)

• Unplug the fridge. Uh, duh. For serious, though. For a deep clean, this would be something I would forget. You would think I would learn after being shocked a few times. (Childhood friends, no jokes, please!) :) 
• Work from top to bottom. You would think this would be something I would think of, but I'm really just a jump in there type of girl, and I would end up doing twice the work since the dirty water would run to the bottom. So it's a good reminder to start at the top and work your way down. 
• Really hot water may crack glass shelves. Yeah, that would totally stink, so just be careful. 

The download only covers the weekly, hence the reason I am doing the fridge and the stove. There were about 10 things she suggested doing, so make sure you check it out. It's a good idea to print the page and make a notebook of a checklist when you decide to do your weekly (or bi-weekly, in my case) cleaning. 

Cleaning the Stove and Oven: (Downloadable link here) 

Cleaning the Stove Daily (highlights): 

• Begin cooking with a clean stove. I know this makes sense, but seriously, it's a MUST. There are so many little nasty bacteria that hover around your stove, that you really need to make sure you don't start off a meal with old germs floating around. I HATE cooking in a dirty kitchen, so if you clean as you go, you really won't have that much of a problem cleaning up afterwards (or make it an easy chore for your husband or older children to do after dinner). 
• Cooking at high temperatures will cause food to spill and splatter more frequently. Good tip, really. Cooking faster does not mean better food or a cleaner kitchen. So turn it down, not only for better food, but also an easier clean up later. 

Cleaning the Stove Weekly (highlights): 

• Use a mild abrasive to clean up baked on grease. I talked about this a little when I covered cleaning with baking soda. It's a miracle worker and will help get that nasty grease up. 
• Wipe down the entire outside of the stove, as well as under the knobs. The KNOBS!! That is something I always seem to forget. Then when I do it, I'm like "ewww! How did THAT get there?!" So it's a good idea to just remove the knobs and swipe them once a week. 
• Wipe the walls and cabinets around the stove. Uh, yeah. Things splatter, even if you DON'T cook with a high temperature. Check out the area all around your stove. The counters, the walls, the back splash, and even the area under the hood. 

Cleaning the OVEN weekly (highlights): 

• Use the self-cleaning oven. I don't do this every week, because, frankly, I'm not too comfortable with my oven heating itself up to, what, ?900 degrees?, once a week. That's a LOT of energy being used, AND it makes my kitchen VERY, very hot. So this is a monthly thing for me, and usually in the evenings. 
• Wear a dust mask. This is a great idea. If you use a fume free cleaner for your oven, that's fine, but just be safe and wear a mask. I would hate that 30 years down the road, they come out with a study on how people who didn't wear a mask grew a third hand or something. 

Photo credit: http://finedesign-aura.blogspot.com/2011/01/retro-stoves.html

Okay, that's it for this week. Next week I'm going to finish the kitchen with tips on Mealtime Cleanup and Pantry Organization. 

Happy cleaning, everyone! 

Wednesday's Cleaning: Room by Room Series: The Kitchen, part 1

Okay, I'm here! I have been going back and forth with Melissa Ringstaff, founder of A Virtuous Woman (here's her own blog as well) to make sure I had all my ducks in a row. This is how it's going to work for the next few weeks: I'm going to attach a link to her links each week where you can find the information I'm going to share. I will then highlight some of the tips she gives in cleaning. Why am I just referring instead of creating? You may ask. Well, what Melissa has put together is years of experience and so much more insight on ways to deep clean your home. So I am going to add some of my own comments, but I am mostly going to be going through this with you, page by page.

Also, here's a little disclaimer for Melissa. She is going to release a book with the information I'm going to share and SO MUCH MORE in the near future. Keep an eye out for it (and I will do my best to let you know when it's been released).

So let us begin.

First, let me stress the importance of creating a schedule, whether it is hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly. When I first started, this was seriously a must for me. I found some great links (like the ones I just showed you and this one) that helped me. Maybe it's the teacher in me that has to be organized. Or maybe it's my crazy personality that has to find SOME order or I will never find my keys...or my mind. But until this becomes a part of your daily life and schedule, I recommend finding a calendar that works for you.

The Kitchen, part 1 (Link to Melissa's entry here and here)

Cleaning the Kitchen monthly highlight(s): 

• Clean the top of the refrigerator. I mentioned this before in Things We Forget to Clean, and I think it stands for another reminder. Since the last time I cleaned mine, it has been a dumping ground, once again, for cereal boxes, thermoses for the kids, and candy Joe is trying to hide from me. 

Cleaning the Kitchen weekly highlight(s): 

• Wipe down the inside of the fridge. This one always catches up on me. I start looking for something in the fridge and then wonder when that bottle of salsa fell over and spilled out to dry into a nasty gunk in the back of my top shelf. Remember to check out the link where I gave tips on homemade cleaning for the inside of the fridge. 
• Clean out the freezer. Yup. How many times have you reached for some meat you knew was somewhere in your freezer only to see that it didn't freeze well and you're not really sure what it is? Not happen to you? It has to me! Or I get the sudden urge to buy ice cream only to not like it so much but I don't have the heart to throw away only to find it months later to give it a second chance and get super grossed out! Yeah, I don't clean out my freezer as much as I should. 

Cleaning the Kitchen daily highlight(s): 

• Clean back splash and microwave. I think if I did this after each meal, I wouldn't really have such a problem when I decide to tackle the kitchen, how about you? Maybe this could be a chore for one of the older kids to do after everyone has finished eating dinner. 
• Scrub sink until it's shiny. Okay, I can't find the direct link to the article I read about how to keep a shiny sink every day, but here's where I found the idea. I love the idea of having a shiny sink when I wake up in the morning. For some reason it makes me want to cook something...and then clean up. For reals, it does! 
• Rinse out sponges and rags at the end of the day. I started doing this after following Melissa's Bible Study (where I'm getting most of this information from). It has become an (almost) nightly thing to let my sponges and dish rags sit in a sink of bleached water overnight. I don't recommend doing this with a nice rag, but hey! At least people will know you care enough to disinfect your rags every night or so! 

So that's about it for this week. My goal is to focus on cleaning the refrigerator and stove in detail next week. 

PS: This is how I feel sometimes! 

Photo credit: 

http://thebluekimono.blogspot.com/2009/12/speed-cleaning-with-sallymandy.html

Happy cleaning, yall! Hopefully we'll get this done just in time for Christmas so everyone will comment on how incredible your house looks! 

Wednesday's Cleaning: Room by Room Series: The Introduction

So it's taken me two weeks to get this started. I ran into a few bumps getting started, but most importantly, I wanted to ask permission for some of the information I am going to share for the next few weeks. As mentioned before, I participated in a Bible study back in January on the A Virtuous Woman website called "From Chaos to Calm." This study focused on helping women clean up their hearts for God, their hearts for their husbands, their hearts for their children, and then cleaning all the rooms around the house (with a few recipes for bread thrown in for good measure). If you have not checked out this site, please do! There is an incredible amount of information on food, cleaning, crafts, medicines, frugal living, and so on. I spoke to (okay, emailed) the author of the website, Melissa Ringstaff, asking for permission to share the downloads I received during the Bible study. She was more than happy to share her information, and let me know that the Bible study will soon be a book. I am still working out some of the kinks with her, but until then, I wanted to share a few things from her site.

Before I share, let me explain how this new series "Room by Room" is going to work. Each week I will take a room in the house (some rooms may be 2 weeks, depending on the content) and share tips on deep cleaning each of those rooms. I have hinted at a few of things that need to be cleaned in my series "Things You Forget to Clean" (part 1 and part 2). As I learned through the Bible study, though, there is so much that needs to be cleaned in each room, and they all deserve their own post. So next week (if I can keep my ducks in a row) we will start on the kitchen.

With that being said, here are a few things from the "A Virtuous Woman" website that I think you really should check out:

1. A Homemade Holiday. This is a link to her page where she is sharing ways to decorate, make crafts, share "Thanksgiving" recipes, and cleaning tips. I have already downloaded the "Fall Cleaning Checklist" for myself. I am posting this some place I can make sure I get it all done in the next few weeks. I want to be PROACTIVE, not reactive (and stressed out).

2. Compost Keeper Give Away! I love a good give away, and I love composting (okay, I don't LOVE it yet, but I sure would love this pretty compost keeper over what I have now). Check it out! (Hey, dad! This might work better than that old orange bucket you use! Just saying....)

3. Keeping the Sabbath. This was one of my favorite entries in the Bible Study. It opened my eyes to ways to worship the Lord with my family. PLEASE check it out!

4. Keeping House. Skim through these pages. This is the information I'm going to share with you in the next few weeks.

Okay, I think that's it. I look forward to sharing information with you and reminding myself of the things I forget to clean (again!).

Have a great week!