Cleaning Crazy
For many people keeping a clean house is the bane of their existence. For most working adults there isn't enough time in the day let alone a week to keep your house spic and span. Since I only go to school right now that affords me a little extra time to try and keep things in order but even then I slip up. I am very particular (a.k.a OCD) with how I clean and what my level or standard is for my own home. My wish is that I live in a pristine sterile environment, but the reality is that I have two dogs, a boyfriend and kids home from school for the summer. My house is beyond the stark white clean rooms of a lab but that doesn't mean that I give up on maintaining a certain level of cleanliness. After all its your home and you have to live there!
Shantece G.
Favorite Cleaning Products:
The Shark Rocket Hand Vac is the best thing since sliced bread! I've purchased a lot of different hand vacs looking for just the right one and was just always disappointed. I always look for a hand vac with a cord because I feel like they are more powerful and wont run out of battery on you if you have a big job to do. I also look for something that helps lift dog hair since that is the main culprit all over my house. I've tried all kinds of wacky tools and attachments that just never really did the job. This Shark Rocket has a multitude of tools to use, but the main tool is the best for that pesky pet hair! I literally have never been happier with a purchase in my life. This hand vac is so easy to use. Its light weight, and powerful. I've already used it on all of my upholstered furniture and car!
I like having an all purpose cleaner around because it really makes cleaning that much easier. Having all purpose cleaner also saves space and helps with clutter since there is only one bottle instead of like 5. I prefer to purchase natural products to clean with because I don't think you need harsh chemicals if you keep up with your cleaning. I like this particular brand because of the scent and it never leaves a residue behind.
Along the lines of having an all purpose spray, I like having these wipes around too. I don't use these wipes for everything, but they do come in handy for some yuckier messes that require some disinfecting. I think I just have a thing for lavender scents, but these Clorox wipes come in all kinds of scents that will get the job done. I tend to use these wipes on counter tops the most, especially after making chicken or cracking eggs.
I found these balls originally at the grocery store. I have this thing about smells, I HATE THEM! I have a very sensitive nose and there are some parts of a home that can get a little funky and aren't the easiest to clean. One of those places is the garbage disposal. Sometimes food and grime can get trapped down there. I've tried so many different things to resolve this issue from baking soda and vinegar to straight up bleach. Nothing seemed to work. When I found these I purchased a smaller pack because I was very skeptical about it working. I was surprised that these tiny little balls of sunshine pack quite a punch. The lemon scent really does help dissolve the odor that was being emitted. I was happily surprised and now have the larger pack.
These air wick scented oils gives my home a finishing touch after cleaning it. I purchase the larger pack because I have these all over my home. I place them mainly in the bathrooms and office. It works best for smaller rooms or placing more than one scattered in a larger room. I always go for fresh clean scents, I don't usually buy food or fruit smelling scents or anything with too much vanilla. Those scents tend to give me a headache or just don't appeal to me at all. If the scent reminds me of soap then I am all for it! There are air wick and glade that have these sort of cartridges but you can't mix and match. Once you pick the plug in, you have to buy the specific cartridges for that plug in only.
As I mentioned before, I have a thing for smells. I love my laundry to smell fanfreakintastic that's the best way I can describe it. These laundry scent boosters are amazing. They make your laundry smell so clean and fresh and it lasts sooooo long. Sometimes I put my clothes on weeks later and they smell as though I had just grabbed it from the dryer. My favorite is washing my linens because I can smell the goodness every night! This is the exact scent that I use every single time. I have been using these for at least 2 years now and I swear by them.
I've never fully looked into the claims that dryer sheets can cause cancer, so I won't sit here and tell you that they do. I can tell you that my dryer sheets had a really bad habit of getting stuck to the vent inside of the dryer. That kind of freaked me out because I always think of dryers causing fires. When I found these dryer balls I thought they were perfect. I don't have to be afraid of dryer sheets causing a fire, or cancer (if the claims are true). These balls work just as well as sheets minus the chemicals. They fluff and unwrinkle your clothes in no time.
I never thought I would be the owner of a real life feather duster. I've tried the Swiffer dusters and microfiber dusters and they fell short. Nothing works as well as this genuine ostrich feather duster. Seriously it works like a charm. Dust is gone and there is no refills to buy! I love how well it works and now I have an accessory if I ever want to be a French maid for Halloween!
Routine:
My cleaning routine is pretty simple. Every weekend I do the "big sweep". The "big sweep" consists of cleaning the whole house from top to bottom. Its not a deep cleaning but it isn't tidying up if that makes sense. I like to do the mopping, laundry, scrubbing the kitchen and bathroom along with the "tidying" things. Once the weekend is over the house looks fresh and clean and it makes me feel ready to start the week with a clear mind and less stress. During the week I like to do the "tidying" part. I like to vacuum about every other day, as well as making sure that the dishes are cleared from the sink and into the dishwasher. I also like to dust around the house. I tend to vacuum the furniture of dog hair when I vacuum the floors and really just make sure that the house looks decent. About once a month I do a deep cleaning which includes all of the above mentioned as well as actually moving the furniture and getting really in there. Here is the opportunity to really get into the nitty gritty and clean all of those crevices and areas that you might normally overlook.