Soft & Absorbent Towels

Picture from Apartment Therapy

In case you didn't already know, you're not supposed to used fabric softener (including dryer sheets) on towels. Why you ask?  It creates a build up of chemicals on the fabric.  These chemicals may make the towels soft and fluffy and reduce wrinkles and static cling, but they also help to repel liquid stains including water. When you attempt to dry off with your nice fluffy, great smelling, soft towel it doesn't work.  I especially noticed a problem with my kitchen towels, as I would go to dry up a spill and they would just push the spill around.

I have found this amazing substance that softens towels, but they remain absorbent.  It's very simple, and every household most likely has some in their pantry.

My secret weapon? Vinegar! Plain old white vinegar.

When washing your towels, add 1/2 cup of vinegar to your rinse cycle or fabric softener cup (works for HE washers too).  After drying, your towels will be nice, soft, fresh smelling, and absorbent!

Try it!  Let me know if it works for you.

Closet Cleaning Fun

Who doesn't love a clean closet? The wonder of being able to find your clothes and shoes was lost to me for the past few months (ok, ok years...).

The idea behind cleaning my closet was to be able to "shop my closet" and actually wear my clothes (as opposed to uniforms and PJ's all the time). It just feels so good to have a clean closet. It adds to my motivation for keeping everything clean. If everything has its place, it's easier to put it away!

I originally posted these pictures on the You Look Fab Forum.  You Look Fab Forum Closet Cleaning Post



So the first picture is the messy, messy closet! I had some plastic drawers in my closet to organize socks and undies etc. Yes those are my panties and my bras. Just had to show how messy it really was. I couldn't even close the door!



Next is the messy dresser. Ok, most of my clothes are folded, but they are all mixed up! It's hard to find anything to wear. You know us girls have a horrible time deciding what to wear... it's even worse when you can't find anything!



So I took everything out of the closet. I wiped down the shelves and vacuumed and steam mopped the floor.



Here is all the stuff I took out of the closet. Stuff everywhere! Clothes on pool table are all clean and have been there for about a week... not all mine, some are SO's.

Next in the process was sorting through my clothes. I had a huge donate pile of clothes I still had from middle school that I knew do not fit anymore! LOL Also had a trash pile for the things that are worn out... not much in that pile, mostly panties and socks. I made a store away pile for the things I just couldn't part with yet. If I don't go searching for them in the next year, they will be donated. Everything else goes in the keep pile.  Tiger Lily was helping!

I went to Wally World (it's all we have here in our small town) and bought 40 wooden hangers for about $25... I thought they would all match, but when I got them home for some crazy reason, 20 of them have black metal for the hook, and 20 of them have silver. Grrr!! It was the last 2 boxes they had or I'd take them back. Yes I'm that picky. I also got 8 skirt hangers and a few "shirt" hangers for some of my nicer coats in the front closet.

For around $10 I got the best invention ever, a closet extender. Made my 1 tier hanging space into 2! It adjusted to the perfect size for my closet!

The non-slip liner was left from another project a couple years ago, so I took advantage of something I already had at home.  This kept my shoes from slipping off the shelves and falling all over the floor.

After a few days of work, I thought to myself, "It's finally done!"

Having my closet organized has worked out amazingly! I've actually been wearing outfits more, cute shoes more, and it is a whole lot easier to get dressed! So much better!

I ended up with 5+ bags of stuff to donate.

I didn't think I would fill up the hangers, but I did! I even went back and edited to find my black plastic hangers and had just enough to put my dresses on those. I'll have to get more when I have some more money to spend. For now things are a little mixed up still.

I also donated my smaller drawers to SO's closet... the bigger ones don't fit in there. The 2 bigger ones I have left are holding socks and stockings/hose.  I also have a little tray on top for the things that come out of my pockets and my watch.

My dresser now has my lingere, tank tops/cami's, workout wear, tshirts, and pj's. Everything else will be somewhere in my closet. 

I think one shelf will have shorts for now, and another shirts that can be folded. My shoe shelves are working out wonderfully and they hold mostly nice shoes that don't get worn often. My boots are on the floor in a space. And I have a space behind my dresses that I will probably put my carry on suitcase as I don't have space elsewhere to store it and it doesn't fit under the bed.

I have so much vertical space left above the top shelves, I'm thinking about getting some more shelving... maybe some brackets and have boards cut at home improvement store to add shelving above to store seldom used items/ out of season stuff. Obviously I would have to have a step stool to reach it, but it seems like wasted space.

Note: The blank spots on the top shelves are for jeans and work uniforms. All my jeans and uniforms are in the laundry right now.

And I love my new mirror. I think my SO is using it more than I am!

I love the idea of using a tie hanger for accessories!  It works so well!

On a happy note, during all the organizing I found a favorite necklace I thought I'd lost forever! I had cried and cried over losing that necklace. Not anymore, and now I have a place to put everything!

Hope you like! Let me know if you have any ideas on how to make it better.

It's Monday!

It's Monday!  Beginning of another fabulous week.

This weekend I did a couple loads of laundry and put them away (huge accomplishment for me!), cooked dinner Friday night, worked Saturday, and had a girly movie marathon Sunday along with my normal Sunday chores.

I thought today I'd share my "chore" schedule with you. I've found if I do things on a schedule, I'm more likely to remember to change the sheets before it's been a month, or clean the toilet before it has a yucky ring around it. Things stay a lot cleaner, so you don't have to work so hard to clean them.  Add to that a feeling of accomplishment and I think this is a keeper.

My schedule starts on Sunday and goes through Thursday.  I'm still working out the kinks and adding/rewording things so bear with me!

Sunday (Trash)

• Empty all trashcans
• Wipe out trashcans
• Clean out refrigerator
• Take garbage to curb

My garbage day is Monday morning and they like to show up around 0830am so I try to have everything out the night before just in case I'm not up yet.  Little secret though, I have done the mad trashcan dash in my pj's more than once.  Oops!

Monday (Bedrooms)

• Dust bedrooms (furniture, fans, light fixtures etc.)
• Wash sheets or covers/mattress pad
• Vacuum floors
• Make bed with clean sheets

It feels good to start the week with a clean bed!  I mainly use 2 sets of sheets, so I alternate these. I wash the sheets together in one load one week, and the next week I wash the covers/mattress pad.  On the weeks I'm not washing the covers, I vacuum them using my pet hair dust buster. I also spray the bed/mattress pad with Febreeze (Downy April Fresh scent) to add to that wonderfully clean smell.  

Tuesday (Kitchen/Laundry)

• Wipe out microwave
• Clean stove
• Wipe down shelves/counters/table
• Vacuum kitchen/laundry
• Steam mop kitchen/laundry
• Wash Lily (my dog) bed covers/throw rugs

I have a glass top stove, so I use Weisman glass top cleaning wipes throughout the week, but give it a good cleaning/scraping on Mondays.  I also actually wipe down the counters and table and vacuum due to the dog hair and tracking stuff inside every day.  I use a steam mop in the kitchen and laundry. I alternate washing bed covers and rugs between weeks.

Wednesday (Bathrooms)

• Clean sinks, shower, tub, toilets
• Shake out rugs
• Vacuum floors
• Steam mop floors
• Wash rugs or towels (alternating weeks)

Bathrooms are pretty self explanatory.  I am in love with 2 cleaners in particular.  I love Lysol toilet bowl cleaner (in the blue bottle).  I have hard water and when I moved in the toilets had rust rings.  I tried everything you could think of including CLR.  The only thing that worked was this Lysol toilet bowl cleaner.  I've used it ever since.  I also am in love with Method Daily Shower spray.  It smells amazing and helps to keep the glass on our shower doors clean.

Thursday (Entry/Living/Dining Rooms)

• Dust
• Wash blankets
• Vacuum upholstery
• Spray upholstery with Febreeze
• Wipe down remotes/ tray in front of couch and table in front room with Lysol wipes
• Vacuum floors

Thursday by far has the most work/rooms.  It really doesn't take that long though.  I've never timed myself, but I'd say maybe an hour or so.  Depends on if I mop or not.  I have hardwood floors throughout my house and don't want to damage them, so I mop them using a steam mop about once a month (except for the kitchen/laundry and bathrooms are weekly).

Because of my work schedule I shuffle things around a bit.  If I'm not home one day, I catch up over the next day or two.

I recommend scheduling your cleaning.  It may sound silly, but it's a whole lot better than just cleaning things when they get dirty.  This way they stay clean and everyone is much happier and less stressed!  Add to this the daily cleaning items from the Happy House Challenge and you have a nice clean house!

Happy House Challenge

I have been inspired by My Happy House to keep a clean, organized home.  I had already started a few weeks ago on my own, but the express challenge started last week.  The express challenge includes 2 tasks a week to slowly add to a list of 10 things to do every day.  The goal is to have a clean, happy house at the end of 5 weeks.  Also hopefully these things will become habits!

Week 1: Make the Bed and Empty the Sink

Obviously this consists of making the bed every morning (or when you get to it during the day), and making sure all the dishes are either washed and drying or put into the dishwasher.

I finished last week 7/7 for the bed, and 5/7 for the sink, which I think is pretty good considering I don't have a dishwasher!  It is amazing how much better you feel just from making your bed.  The empty, clean sink in the morning is just a bonus!  Now if I could just learn to wash dishes throughout the day and during the cooking process, this would be much easier.

Week 2: Clear the clutter and Sweep the Kitchen

This one just started yesterday.  For clear the clutter, we are supposed to pick a room and go through and put a few things away every night.  The goal is for everything to eventually have a home.  If this is too overwhelming, just take 5 minutes and put a few things away at a time.  I'm going to try for my family room.

Sweep the kitchen is pretty self explanatory.  Some use a broom, some a Swiffer pad... me? I use a vacuum.  I LOVE my Bissell PowerEdge® PET Hard Floor Vacuum.  This thing is seriously amazing!  I have a large dog with long hair and she sheds a lot!  With all hard floors throughout my home, I was going through multiple swiffer pads each day.  This vacuum is great!  It doesn't have bristles for the hair to get stuck in, but instead has rubber strips that guide the dirt and hair into the path of the suction.  Makes for quick work of a large kitchen and mud/laundry room.

Right now my camera battery is charging, but I'll add pictures as soon as it is done.

Have fun with it and enjoy your clean home!