Search Results for: blog my house is not clean

Homemade Oxygen Cleaner

With three children, laundry is always a challenge. First there is the hunting through the house for stray socks, finding wet towels wherever they land, and digging through the bottom of the hall closet for dusty jackets and sweatshirts that fell from the hangers. After the laundry is gathered and sorted, anything with a stain needs to be addressed, which probably accounts for at least a third of the children’s clothing in any given week. I have my arsenal of tools. The stain pre-treaters, the better powdered detergent I swear by, the utility sink for soaking. One tool that works … Continue reading →

Housework and Cooling Costs

Keep cool, get your housework done and save on cooling costs all at the same time. Today is going to be  scorcher! Even though it is only May, the temperatures are in the high 80s with high humidity. It makes things very uncomfortable, and the air conditioning will need to go on if we don’t want to all melt into little puddles on the floor. When the days get like this, the housework rules have to change a bit to accommodate the heat and humidity. Because our window air conditioners take up a lot of energy, I have to be … Continue reading →

Fire Your Maid Service and Get Your Family Cleaning

Admittedly, I wouldn’t say no to maid service, if it was free that is. Since it isn’t I have to rely on myself and my family to do the cleaning. Getting three kids to clean is a chore in itself, even when just has to do with cleaning up after themselves. Still, I’d rather have train the family to clean than pay for a maid. Plus, this way, my kids get some valuable real-life lessons, thrown in. Routine is Everything Establish some cleaning routines, and cleaning won’t take up so much time. It is easier to do a quick wipe … Continue reading →

Is Cleanliness Next to Godliness?

Is it really true…is cleanliness next to godliness?  Well for some housekeepers it is!  I tend to have a mixed view on this. While I want a clean home, I don’t want it to feel untouchable.  And I certainly don’t want it to become more important than the relationships that happen inside. I really hate that when my children were younger, I oftentimes made them feel that the state of my home was more important than they were.  Obviously I never truly felt that way but it was the message I sent more times than not. Complaints were always coming … Continue reading →

That’s Not Very Green, Orlando!

Jason and Jennifer Helvengston are residents of College Park, a section of Orlando, Florida.  This area is close to downtown and popular among the working age citizens, of which the majority are homeowners.  But, if you are a homeowner, do you have the right to do whatever you want on your land? No, according to College Park officials. See, Jason and Jennifer decided to set up a 25 x 25 foot micro-irrigated vegetable garden in their front yard.  City code says your yard has to look “finished” and kept clean to keep property values up.  Therefore, officials told Jason he … Continue reading →

Supplies for Seasonal Cleaning

I kicked off 2013 with a determination to conquer what I call a lost art in society, housekeeping.  My way of defining housekeeping is cleaning, repairs, decorating and organizing. January’s focus is on cleaning, which I blogged about the three main types of cleaning:  seasonal, deep and maintenance.  Last week I introduced you to a seasonal cleaning plan and today we are going to talk about the supplies you need. As a reminder, seasonal cleaning targets those areas inside and outside the home that you are likely to get to once-a-year.  Examples include washing windows and cleaning out the garage. … Continue reading →

Developing a Seasonal Cleaning Plan

Living in Wisconsin, I get to experience all of the seasons.  Of course, some last longer than others but I honestly wouldn’t give up the chance to sweat in summer, rake leaves in the fall, bundle up in the winter and observe new growth in the spring. One of the opportunities I take advantage of, because I get to experience these seasonal changes, is cleaning.  Now who thinks of cleaning as an opportunity, right? Seasonal cleaning allows you to concentrate on certain areas you don’t traditionally get to.  But you do it at a time that makes sense.  That is … Continue reading →

When Being Sick Is Not An Option

What do you dread more?  Dealing with a sick kid or running a household while running a fever and to the toilet every few minutes? When my daughter was an infant she got violently ill.  In a moment of utter fatigue and desperation, I tried bargaining with her doctor.  I offered him all of my appendages in exchange for a cure for my child.  I wanted to alleviate her pain at any cost, even if it meant dismembering my own body. It’s a scenario most parents can relate to; we’d rather be the ones suffering than see our children in … Continue reading →

3 Types of Cleaning

My first housekeeping blog for the year was sort of a challenge; in conquering what I feel has become a lost art in today’s society.  The care of the home isn’t always considered to be so important.  But I believe it’s one of the ways we show love to our family. I also mentioned how housekeeping has evolved into what we typically refer to as homemaking.  I suspect that some think of the word “housekeeping” in a negative light. No matter what you call it, my goal is to help you understand the importance of it and what it all … Continue reading →

12 Days of Housekeeping

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me: a steam mop under the tree.   On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me: two Swiffer dusters and a steam mop under the tree.   On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me: three magic erasers two Swiffer dusters and a steam mop under the tree.   On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: four bleach pen gels three magic erasers two Swiffer dusters and a steam mop under the tree.   On the … Continue reading →