Spring Clean

Cleaning is not my favorite thing to do but it is something that brings satisfaction and order to my home.

There are three tasks in home keeping that are often lumped together, we try to do them all at once and end up overwhelmed and frustrated. To simplify my home keeping I follow these steps.

Step One:                                       

De-Clutter: First throw away garbage, give things away you don’t use, are broken, have extras, need repairing or replacing.

Step Two:                             

 Organize: Put things away, pick up and stay focused. When you think you need more storage or space it’s time to get rid of stuff.

Step Three:                                    

Clean: This is a separate task but dependent on the other two. Cleaning is easier and faster if we de-clutter and organize first.

I don't do this all in one day either. Sometimes I do a day of decluttering and then a day of organizing and a quick clean. Sometimes I get after a specific room. I like to break down these tasks into smaller steps so I don't get discouraged.

I often get disgusted with all the stuuffffff  we accumulate. On Wednesday I cleared out 5 bags of garbage (paper, broken toys, things that needed to get gone) and 6 bags to donate and sell at my friends garage sale. 

Cleaning Safely

 A study conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that the air quality in U.S. homes was 5 to 10 times more toxic than the air outside. Indoor air is typically contaminated by anywhere between 20 and 150 different pollutants, most of which come from petroleum based cleaners.

The average person cleans about 350 hours a year, using about 25 gallons of household cleaning products.  Using naturally safe cleaners is better than breathing in toxic fumes and bathing in glass cleaner.

                                                                      VS.    

Vinegar Spray
Straight vinegar reportedly kills 82 percent of mold. Pour some white distilled vinegar straight into a spray bottle, spray on the moldy area, and let set without rinsing if you can put up with the smell. It will dissipate in a few hours.

 Simplify

I like being able to clean my house with simple items that are not harmful for me or my kids. I am really sensitive to smells and chemicals and I don't have to leave my house now after cleaning. They work and they are very inexpensive to make.