Monday, March 12, 2012

Adventures in Cleaning and A Warning

(Pretend there's a really cute picture here of me smiling, full manicure, wearing a crisp spring gingham dress and apron, cleaning. Concentrate now, I know that's a difficult image to conjure)

Last week I started a new cleaning regimen. Why? Because my cleaning ambitions have lately shrunken down to a size practically imperceptible to the naked eye. I have far too many cleaning years ahead of me to give up now. I'd like to save the giving up for a more appropriate time, like when I'm 80. Or 40.

So, I thought a little change in my strategy would do me good. You see, I rebel against schedules of any sort. Rebel, I tell ya. It's a disease or something. And it keeps me from being organized, and lately it's been cramping my get-everything(or at least anything)-done style.

After cutting (gnashing?) my teeth on a very timid attempt to follow a menu plan (with success!), I decided I would take the next step and try a cleaning schedule. So, I found a couple on Pinterest, and went with the one most unlike my current one.

(I was going to do a link here, but I can't find it. Suffice to say it is strict, it is every day, and it is a lot of work)

I fell off the wagon a few times last week, but I enjoyed putting on my pink rubber gloves and looking at the schedule magnet-stuck to my back door, and dreaming of what would happen if I adhered to it's stringent laws. It was great. Almost as great as that run-on (and on) sentence.

This week I plan to carry it out a little better. Except for Thursday and Friday, because my kids are off school, and so we must play. Also, today and tomorrow are looking to be full to the rafters with craziness. So, that leaves Wednesday. Which is a half day of school for my kids, so I guess maybe we could team-up, doubling the cleaning power. Or I could just leave them with a list of chores and get the heck out of here...hmmm.

And now, a very important public service announcement/warning:

DO NOT BELIEVE EVERY IDEA YOU SEE ON PINTEREST IS A GOOD ONE!

I'm speaking from experience. I will now, at the risk of sounding like a complete idiot, debunk the following Pinterest myth:

Recycling your citrus rinds by soaking them in a bottle of vinegar to be used for a fresh-scented cleansing agent later doesn't work. If used to mop all the tile in your house, it will produce a floor so sticky, you will have to mop it five more times with Mr. Clean. Which will cause you to not have time to go on a date with your husband. Which will cause you to be grumpy and ready to strangle Pinterest with your bare hands.

And, for my piece de resistance, I will share the recipe for my most favorite homemade all-purpose cleaning spray. Guaranteed not to make your tile/counter tops/sinks/toilets sticky. Ready? Get a pencil. Or turn on your printer and get ready to copy this sucker.

Here it goes:
(this is enough to fill a spray bottle - buy a heavy-duty one or use an old, rinsed-out 409 - or similar - bottle)
1 TB. Borax (If you don't have any, get some. What are you waiting for? Don't you know you can't make slimy sludge play stuff without it? Buy it in the laundry aisle.)
3 TB. White Vinegar
2 C. Warm Water
1 TB. Dish Soap
1 Drop Essential Oil (doesn't have to be food-grade, just any cheap ess. oil is fine. My personal favorite is peppermint, but this last time I had a bunch of old imitation lemon extract that I was going to throw out, so I dumped that in, and wow! It smells good!)

Put it in a spray bottle and shake it up (I actually put it in a big bowl and whisk it to make sure the borax dissolves - plus, I'm always needlessly afraid I won't have room for all of it in my spray bottle).

If you tune in again on Wednesday, I just might share my top-secret, 502%-better-than-Windex, homemade window and glass cleaner recipe. See you then!

4 comments:

  1. I'm going to try this. Thanks Andy!

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    1. You're welcome, Sharlee. It was my pleasure, I'm sure.

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  2. we're so alike it's SCARY!! except you're funnier. Anyway, I can't wait to try this. YOU ROCK.

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  3. Sweet, I actually have all the ingredients...including an empty spray bottle. Definitely going to try this.

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