This week my 15-year-old daughter made an entire meal by herself. It was meat loaf and fried potatoes. I wasn’t home to help her, so she was entirely on her own. When I did come home, it was to a huge mess. I had done a really good job teaching her how to make one of our favorite meals but I had apparently not taught her the art of keeping the kitchen clean while you cook. It drives me crazy when I see someone cooking or baking and there is a mess everywhere. That’s probably why I especially enjoy the … Continue reading →

I don’t like cleaning my stove or refrigerator. But there is another appliance in my home that I dislike cleaning even more…the microwave. I guess that’s because I don’t have to clean the stove or fridge on a regular basis. However, the microwave gets a lot of use out of it so cleaning is much more frequent. What I especially don’t like is the awful smell of popcorn inside (even though I love popcorn). But what’s worse is when my children have warmed up cans of Spaghetti O’s. Not only do I want to gag at the smell but the … Continue reading →

I do a pretty good job keeping up with my schedule in which I deep clean the appliances in my kitchen. Most of us tend to think about the stove and refrigerator. But if you have a dishwasher, this should be added to your list of deep cleaning every three or six months. Think about it this way. It’s an appliance used every day. It cleans dirty dishes. Still not getting the picture? That’s probably because you assume since it is an appliance that cleans, it doesn’t require cleaning. Not true. You might compare it to your teeth. You can … Continue reading →

There is a big difference between cleaning and “deep” cleaning. While regular cleaning can cut down on how often you need to deep clean and make the work easier, it is still necessary every-so-often. Deep cleaning means getting into areas you don’t normally touch. It is those unseen, oftentimes overlooked areas of the home. How often you need to deep clean will depend not only on your maintenance of that area but what it is used for. Some rooms or areas of the home may need a deep cleaning every few weeks. But some can wait a few months. It … Continue reading →

Most of us can’t imagine living without our dishwashers. When the kitchen is a battle zone, the trusty dishwasher comes to the rescue. Did you know there are things you can do with your dishwasher besides wash dishes? Baseball caps clean up great in the dishwasher, they don’t get bent like they do in the washer, just don’t throw any dishes in with them because the food could get stuck in the fabric. All those little toys and action figures that your toddler is always sticking in his mouth, throw them in a lingerie bag and toss in the dishwasher. … Continue reading →

It’s time to do some spring cleaning in the kitchen. Start off by removing as many items as you can, including those things you keep on your countertops. Take out the table, chairs, microwave and so on. The more you are able to remove from the room, the easier your cleaning will be. Dust the ceiling and corners of the walls. Spot wash walls, doorknobs, outside of cabinets, switch plates, vents, etc. If you are dealing with grease or grime—especially around your stove—you may need a special cleaner. Dust or use a slightly damp cloth to clean wall hangings. Dust … Continue reading →

On to more time savers. Yesterday I wrote about time saving laundry tips, now it’s time to tackle the cleaning itself. We all dread it but it has to be done. Why not find ways to do it faster and maybe even easier. Think about the chore you dread. Is it cleaning the kitchen after dinner. Vacuuming? Cleaning off your nightstand? Whatever it is that you dread and put off, time it. When I look at the kitchen after dinner all I can see if a huge amount of time spent cleaning, especially since I no longer use my dishwasher … Continue reading →

Today’s blog is going to address how I clean in 30 minutes or less on Mondays. By keeping a consistent schedule, my house is ready for guests at the drop of a hat most of the time. I start off each morning with a cup of coffee. That is my fuel to get me started. I begin my cleaning routine within minutes of waking up. Why? I have a couple of reasons for this. The first is that I want to get the cleaning out of the way, so I can move on to bigger and better things. The second … Continue reading →

I have decided to share some of my tips on how I keep my house clean, by spending just 30 minutes a day on it. Now of course, some of what I do may not work in your home. For instance, if you don’t have pets, that type of cleaning won’t apply. But hopefully what you learn from my schedule is that you really can keep a neat, orderly home and not spend a lot of time on it. Each day of the week I have certain tasks and chores that I do. Because I like to keep my weekends … Continue reading →

When I clean the house I often overlook the little things. Dusting baseboards or door frames, vacuuming under the furniture, cleaning the small appliances. Unfortunately, those things will build up and tattle on you so they should be done on a regular basis and as for dusting baseboards, I’ve found if you give a toddler a feather duster and a cloth they will happily dust for you. It may not be perfect but at least someone is doing it! I like appliances, I don’t really like to cook all that much but I do like appliances. I will even buy … Continue reading →