Making our home a haven: Plain old cleaning!

My cleaning supplies...

I guess I'm not the only one whose home is suffering from neglect... today I need to do some plain old cleaning, which is what Crystal also suggests in her challenge for today! Somehow the days just slip past, and I head to bed thinking yet again "I'll have to clean the bathroom tomorrow..." :)

This is my bag of cleaning supplies: a small spray bottle of vinegar (for cleaning glass), a spray bottle of natural all-purpose cleaner called Tough and Tender (which was given to me and I love it!!), a few old rags (which I use to clean the bathroom and mop the floors), and a microfiber dusting cloth.

My younger brother convinced me to buy this microfiber cloth on sale at the hardware store where he works. I love how well it works, and it's easily washed for lots of use. I still dislike dusting, though. I guess the novelty wears off after a while... ;)

This nifty little free sample came in the mail last week. It's going to encourage me to finally dust all of my furniture. (Edited to add: I was not impressed with this. Oh well!)

The house is quiet. Joshua's in the shower, and I hear Ruth squeaking (I'll have to go feed her!). I got up super early today, because I really need to get some housework done today -- the dirt is driving me crazy! :) I'll report back later -- hopefully this afternoon, but you know how that goes -- it'll probably take me longer than I expect! ;)

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You Go GIRL!

Submitted by MommaJoy on Mon, 2008-03-24 02:25.

Ok, I'm eastern time and it's not quite 3:30am. I haven't even gone to bed yet (trying to get some school planning finished up).

Now that's REALLY early, girl!!
~Lori

*Michigan Momma*
wife to The Pastor & momma of:
~Isaac ~Selah ~Talitha ~Elijah

Yes everything seems to take

Submitted by mama on Mon, 2008-03-24 10:06.

Yes everything seems to take longer than we think:) But love your attitude nevertheless! And if you didn't even try then obviously nothing would get done. A little accomplished still counts!
Tereza

I don't like those pledge cloths, either

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2008-03-24 11:15.

I use Endust for dusting. with a rag or an old diaper. Sometimes I buy the Swiffer things--my kids enjoy using them and they are very easy and convenient, but they are expensive (I get the things that go in the thing you use on the floor, but we just dust with them; we don't put anything on them). I really like Endust because it doesn't leave any residue, yet it seems to attract the dust much better than a dry cloth, and unlike a damp cloth, it is very easy on wood finishes.

I use glass cleaner for lots of things besides glass.

Sometimes I vacuum without dusting first. I feel very rebellious when I do this, but sometimes I just do, because if I do everything in the right order, sometimes I never seem to get to vacuuming.

--Ruth

I need to get on that too

Submitted by Emily25069 on Mon, 2008-03-24 11:33.

Im interested in those microfiber cloths.

you just use them dry to dust everything?

What is it about them that impresses you?

tomorrow

Submitted by shorty on Mon, 2008-03-24 22:04.

We have all been sick around here and tomorrow is the day, even though I am not 100%, I am going to just get things straited up. It is driving me absolutely insane!!! I would like to get it all done but we have been sick for a week and a half so I think it might take a few days. I plan on getting the kitchen and main part of the house picked up tomorrow, we will see;)
Shorty

Early cleaning...

Submitted by Tammy on Mon, 2008-03-24 22:22.

Lori -- yes, I did get up REALLY early! :) I went to bed early (8pm) in order to do that though... also, our children wake up if we get up at, say, 4 or 5am, even if we're REALLY quiet. So if I want to be up before the children, it actually has to be before 4am... needless to say, I don't get to bed early enough most nights to do that!! :)

Ruth, if I vacuumed before I dusted, I wouldn't get around to dusting. We're opposites! :)

Emily, the microfiber cloths pick up dust and dirt REALLY well. When they're dirty, you can shake them out and the wash them in the washer, and they're like new. I think you can use them for lots of things (spills, etc.) but I just have one that I use for dusting. :)

Those Pledge wipes...

Submitted by Dawn Marie on Tue, 2008-03-25 04:15.

not the multi surface ones but the original ones worked wonderful for me.
I kepy using the spray Pledge and a rag and dust was still left everywhere, but the wipes seem to pick it up. :-)
Guess it works on different furniture and that's why there are differing opinions on it. :-)
I only buy those though when I have a coupon, otherwise I will take a damp cloth and wipe dusty surfaces down. :-)

Blessings!

Cleaning Spray

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2008-03-25 20:29.

You mentioned the Tough and Tender. I use that too - and LOVE it. Have you tried any of their other products. The Mela Magic is my favorite for cleaning too. Thanks for sharing your cleaning - hope you get lots of sleep again tonight.

Blessings,
~Martie

Melaleuca cleaning products

Submitted by Tammy on Tue, 2008-03-25 21:37.

Martie, so far I have only tried the Tough and Tender cleaner. I do have some of their glass cleaner that I haven't tried yet. :) Both the T&T and the glass cleaner were given to me a few months ago. Before that, I used plain vinegar to clean in the bathroom... I must say I like the T&T a lot better! And it smells great, too! :)

Several years ago we tried

Submitted by Lindsey on Thu, 2008-03-27 08:44.

Several years ago we tried some Melaleuca products and I remember the one particular soap working better than any other kind we had tried. I wish some of their products were available at the store.

We use microfiber cloths for some of our dusting. I also use a similar cloth for the mirrors. You just rinse it with hot water, wring it out, and wipe.

I recently made the cleaner that someone posted on your blog a while back. I love how quick it is to make up and it smells so much better than the other cleaners we have. :)