little things

Savvy Tips and tricks learned along the way...

House and Home

Cleaning the bathroom

A Great Household Cleaner

I used to use all kinds of different cleaning products whenever I cleaned the bathroom, and I also used a lot of bleach. For the sake of simplicity and convenience, I switched to using only 1 cleaner for the bathroom, and that is Lysol Brand All-Purpose Cleaner 4 In 1. Its a gentler cleaner that cleans, disinfects, deodorizes, and cuts grease.

How harsh is it?

The active ingredient in Lysol is benzylalkonium chloride (you can read more about it on Wikipedia). And not to be weird or anything, but whenever I've given urine samples at the hospital, they tell me to wipe with this wet cloth, which also has benzylalkonium chloride as the active ingredient. So it seems that chemical is not too bad. Lysol used to contain harsher chemicals but changed their formula a long time ago.

Tackling the tougher stuff

Every once in a while, when scale builds up, I use a little CLR to remove it. If mildew builds up, which it usually doesn't if you keep up with things, I use Clorox Cleanup, which contains bleach. See Spray Cleaners below.

There are arguments against over-sterilizing your house. Many medical professionals believe that doing so, unless there is some kind of epidemic going around, can decrease your body's natural ability to fight off bacteria and viruses.

What about vinegar?

I know some people use vinegar for cleaning the bathroom. I tried that and found that the fumes vinegar gives off are way to strong for me. It stings my eyes and nose like nothing I have ever used. However, I do use vinegar as a room deodorizer. I'll tell you about that in another article.

An Even Gentler Alternative

I am now preparing for a family, with a child on the way, and once my supply of Lysol is gone, I'm going to switch to using antibacterial dish soap in a bucket of hot water to clean, instead of Lysol. This is a mild, and safe cleanser, it must be if it is to be used on our plates and forks! You don't want to use too much of this though, because it will leave a soapy film. Just about 1-2 squirts in a bucket should be good.

I heard that dish soap is the leading cause of poisoning in small children. So be sure to keep this like all other cleaners out of reach of small children! Store them high, or use cabinet locks.

Go Green

If neither Lysol nor dish soap appeal to you, there are plenty of natural cleaners out there, like Seventh Generation. or Dr. Bronner's liquid castille soap. Just be sure that what you use is good at cutting grease. This will help immensely when cleaning the shower or bath tub.

Protect your hands

I also always use gloves when cleaning. This way your hands stay beautiful and you don't get detergents seeping into your skin the whole time you are cleaning.

Miracle Cleaning Cloths

There is another key part to my simplified cleaning procedure. That is using microfiber cloths. It is amazing how well they work! They are incredible at removing grease, sugar, dirt, food, you name it. That is why I only need to use a small amount of cleanser in my bucket of water. And they do not shed fibers like cotton rags do, so they're great for mirrors, too.

You can pick these microfiber cloths up anywhere, like Target, Wal-Mart, drug stores, and even grocery stores. I bought a humongous pack of them, pretty cheap, from the automotive section at Target. They work great for cleaning the bathroom.

I learned from a friend who has a house cleaning business. She said that you wet the cloth in the bucket of water plus cleanser, wipe an area, and put the dirty cloth into a different bucket or bag. Then get a new cloth to wipe the next area. That way, your wiping cloth is always fresh. And buying that humongous pack of microfiber cloths really comes in handy for this chore.

Materials:

• 2 Buckets (small one for the cleanser, and larger one for the dirty cloths)
• Plenty of microfiber cloths
• Lysol or antibacterial dish soap

Steps:

1. Fill a bucket with hot water.
2. Add a splash of Lysol or a small squirt of antibacterial dish soap to the water.
3. Wet a microfiber cloth in the bucket, wring out, and start wiping down surfaces.
4. You can even add a splash of Lysol or a squirt of antibacterial dish soap to the toilet bowl and let it sit for a few before you clean the bowl.
5. IMPORTANT! Do not double-dip into the bucket of water with cleanser. Always use a fresh microfiber cloth each time you dip into the bucket. This keeps the bucket solution clean, and it can be used for cleaning multiple surfaces and even multiple bathrooms.
6. Toss the dirty cloths into a bucket, other than the bucket with cleanser that you are using.

Mop the floor, too!

This same cleaning solution is also great for mopping the floor. Just use a microfiber mop instead of the cloths! This time, you can double-dip your mop. Just change the bucket solution for each room.

Wash your car, too!

Same thing goes for washing your car. The bulk pack of microfiber cloths I bought from the automotive section are made to clean your car. And they do an awesome job with or without cleaning solution. I usually just use the same bucket solution I described above, and it works great for cleaning cars. Again, the microfiber grabs and removes grease so well.

What about Spray Cleaners?

I don't like to use spray cleaners to clean an entire bathroom. When you use spray cleaners, the detergent and chemicals become airborne and can irritate your eyes and nose. I happen to be ultrasensitive to that. The method of using a bucket of cleaning solution instead of a spray cleaner made cleaning the bathroom a much more pleasant task for me. No more airborne chemicals getting in my eyes and nose.

Quick Spot Cleaning

Spray Cleaners 

I do use Lysol Disinfectant Cleaner in a spray bottle sometimes for quick clean-ups. This is usually just a couple of sprays to clean up a small mess. I use this on occasion to spray the toilet bowl and plunger right after using it. And also to do a quick impromptu cleaning of the bathroom sink. Using this spray on small carpet spots also works well when you use it with a microfiber cloth.

CLR spray cleaner is good for attacking small cracks or crevices, where stubborn mineral deposits can't be removed with Lysol. If you have a large area that needs this type of cleaning, don't spray CLR all over the place. Instead, pour the CLR cleaner into a bucket and dilute with water, depending on the strength of cleaning you need. Then use this solution to clean. I usually let the CLR sit on the area for a few minutes to allow it to penetrate the stubborn mineral deposits. Always rinse CLR with water because it contains harsher chemicals that you don't want sitting around too long.

Clorox Cleanup spray is good for cleaning up small areas with mold or mildew. Every now and then, usually seasonally, we'll get a little. It only takes a few sprays of Clorox Cleanup to get rid of it. If you have an area that needs to be essentially white-washed, you might want to buy a jug of Clorox Clean-Up, pour it into a bucket (I usually need to dilute it a little with water because it smells so strong), and wipe down your surfaces with a microfiber cloth drenched in the solution.

Cleaning Wipes

I also like to use Lysol Sanitizing Wipes for quick surface cleaning when you don't have a cleaning cloth around. I use these on occasion to wipe off the toilet seat and rim of the bowl. My husband likes to use these to wipe down the kitchen counters, as well as any other surface that needs quick cleaning.

Aerosol Disinfectant & Deodorizer

For keeping waste baskets clean and deodorized, I like to use Lysol Disinfectant Spray. I use this as sparingly as possible because aerosol sprays are very harsh irritants for my nose and eyes. If a waste basket is kept under a cabinet, I also spray inside the cabinet to deodorize it. This spray is also very effective for deodorizing tennis shoes right after you use them.

Aprons for Cooking and Washing Dishes

I know, it might seem old fashion or frumpy, but I found out that aprons make a huge difference in my cooking and dish-washing life. Okay, so if you know me, I like to wear cute clothes, even around the house. I like to look pretty for my husband, even though I know he would love me no matter what I looked like. And I like to make my pretty clothes last. That's where the apron comes in handy. When cooking, you are inevitably splashing onto your clothes. Some people say, "just wear your rags while you're cooking, and then change afterwards". Who has time for that, though (plus the extra laundry)? It's faster just to throw on an apron. Washing dishes, water is always spraying around and gets my clothes wet. Its both uncomfortable and unsightly. So the apron comes in handy.

But you don't have to look frumpy in an apron. There are some cute patterns for aprons, and they are very easy to make. It's a quick and easy way to let out some of your creativity. I put ruffles, ribbon, cute buttons, binding, and rick rack on my aprons. And I use cute color combinations like pink and black or red and white. I bought a pretty butterfly print in bottom weight fabric that I'll make my next apron out of. I also bought this Emmeline Apron Sewing Pattern because it is soooo cute. I plan to make this one some time, too. I can't live without these aprons! They make the chores of cooking and dishes so much easier!

Aprons I have made

Pink & Black Apron black bottom weight fabric light pink binding light pink rick rack light pink top stitching

Red & White Apron red bottom weight fabric white ruffle with hearts red ribbon w/white polka dots white heart-shaped buttons white top stiching

House & Home Resources

• House & Home books - Great books I have read about cleaning techniques, painting, and growing house plants.
• Goodhousekeeping - Tips and tricks for cleaning, decorating, and organizing your home. How-to videos and fun quizzes, too.

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