cleaning

How to Clear your Clutter Once and For All 1

 in cleaning / organisation  tagged cleaning / organisation by

Learn how to clear your clutter once and for all with our simple to follow clutter cleaning strategies perfect for families. I love a calm and clean home but I am not a fan of all the hard graft that constantly cleaning means. Instead, I am all about working smarter not harder and the best way I have found to do this is by eliminating or embracing my clutter. By instituting small habits that break the cycle of clutter and eliminating the spaces and routines in our home which always seem to magically breed more work. So I want to share with you a system that works and you will not more »

How to Make Citrus Vinegar Cleaner 1

 in cleaning / environment  tagged cleaning by

Our Citrus Vinegar cleaner came about as I wanted a natural cleaner but my youngest son hates the smell of vinegar and even though the smell dissipates really quickly when you use it for cleaning I looked for an alternative. This citrus-infused vinegar cleaner is a brilliant way to clean naturally without the lingering vinegar smell plus it is an excellent way to use citrus peel that you would throw away.

Laundry Tips for Sensitive Skin

 in cleaning / parenting / Tweens/Teens  tagged cleaning / Eczema / laundry by

Laundry Tips for Sensitive Skin is a paid collaborative post with Surcare UK. We are a house where 50% of the household has eczema and skin issues (well 3 out of 5 of us if you count Alvin the dog as he has issues too) and this means that we have to take a lot of care over laundry products and such. I am always really are when it comes to moving from one product to another one.

Unusual Carpet Cleaning Methods You Can Use at Home 1

 in cleaning / parenting  tagged carpet / cleaning by

Sometimes some simple carpet cleaning methods can turn to be much more effective than the professional cleaners, which you find for hire in the supermarkets (you know the ones I mean)! So I have collected some of the most useful and affordable products you can use for domestic carpet cleaning. They are safe and can be used even if you have allergies or incredibly sensitive skin. They are child- and pet-friendly and can be found in any home!

Chaos cleaning for busy Mums 23

 in cleaning  tagged cleaning / home / organising by

Housework, cleaning and organisation, hate it or love it, the one constant is that it has to be done and seen as I can not afford a cleaner it mostly falls down to me.  In the past we have gone from control freaky clean, to total mess depending on my mental state!  Now we are somewhere in between.  The house is not always clean and tidy, but it is lived in and can be tidied in a flash. Want to know my secret? Today I am going to let you in to my tips for what I call a chaos clean.  You know the manic clean that you have to do more »

Make Spring Cleaning a Family Affair 4

 in house  tagged cleaning by

While we all tell our children little white lies every now and then, it’s best to avoid deceiving your little ones or conning them when it comes to getting them to help around the house or do chores. While it’s best to be truthful with your children about spring cleaning, you should also use a little charm and finesse. Ask or invite your wee ones to help you as most tots love being helpful and beam with pride when they’ve done a good job. Keep this in mind when you and your kids are going through their toys, games, and clothing. First, explain to them why you need to purge your home of some things that are old or no longer used. If you are donating some of their possessions, discuss with them the importance of giving their old things to other children who aren’t as fortunate as they are. Next, let them make a pile of items they want to keep and those they can part with or no longer use for items that are in dispute, make your children justify why it’s necessary to keep them. In keeping with these tips, you’re sure to have enough drawer and closet space ready for those spring and summer clothing pieces from Marks and Spencer.

Have Some Fun

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be a bore. Make a game out of cleaning with your children. Split your family into teams and assign them each a task or area to clean. Whichever team finishes first (and does the best job) wins a special treat. Turn spring cleaning into a scavenger hunt of sorts by hiding clues in places that need to be cleaned or organized, such as toy chests and closets. Again, be sure to reward your kids for participating and a job well done.

Spring Clean your Children’s Wardrobe

 in Featured and Guest  tagged cleaning / Sponsored post by

taking place.

I have a list of items that the boys need for next season or even in the next size in the back of my diary and I keep an eye out in Charity shops or any other shops that are having a sale. I work on making sure that each boy has at least 10 pairs of underpants and 14 pairs of socks (school socks, boot socks, trainer socks and regular socks!).

Now the boys are both at school they need much less clothes that what they did as preschoolers. They have at least five of each of their school uniform (trouser, shirts, jumpers and three pairs shorts for the summer.

The only time that they really need lots of extra clothes are during the holidays. I only wash twice a week and Mini is certainly a muck monster. So he needs more clothes that Maxi.

Now is also the perfect time to keep an eye out for thermals for next year. Both the boys wear thermals during the winter and they wear under layers when playing football in the winter.

Also why not keep an eye on the charity shop for winter coats for later in the year, as many people will be doing a spring clean and sending their children’s outgrown clothes to the charity shop, making it the ideal time for you to stock up.

Ella at Purple Mum has recently done a great post on how many clothes a child needs. I have top admit that I am guilty of over buying for both the boys and this is something that I am going to tackle this year.

Spring cleaning in the bedroom 1

 in bedroom  tagged bedroom / cleaning / spring clean by

The weather this time of the year is pretty changeable, but we tend to change over our winter duvets and clean and store them and replace them with our spring/summer weight ones. I also pop an extra blanket or throw on the beds for when the nights are really cold and to help the transition from winter bedding to lighter weight bedding. Now is also the time to review the state of your bedding. Perhaps your duvet or pillows are starting to show their age and it would be more economical to replace them rather than clean them. So search online for Duvet and pillow warehouse promotional code and see if you can find vouchers that make the cost less expensive.

My local laundrette offers duvet and pillow cleaning and it is much less expensive than the local dry cleaners. It only takes a couple of days and the duvet comes back all ready for me to store in the airing cupboard. By having getting it done as soon as I swap it means that it is ready to go back on and I do not have to worry. I do this for our super king sized duvet cover.

The boys single duvets are OK to go in our washer, however, I need to wait for a blowy day, so they can be line dried.

Spring cleaning shores:

Hoover the ceiling to remove any cobwebs
Swap bed linen
Clean the curtains (mine go in the wash and on the line)
Clean the inside of the windows, first wiping down the frames (I use a solution of vinegar and water for this)
Wipe down the doors, light switches and skirting boards
Clean any pictures, both the glass and the tops of the frames
Clean on top of doors and the door frame
Vacuum under the bed, chest of drawers, bedside cabinet and dressing table
Regular cleaning

Due to the fact that I am removing cobwebs etc, I may make more dust, so I also do my regular cleaning in the bedroom too.

Polish furniture
Clean all mirrors (we have mirrored wardrobe doors)
Vacuum
Dust light fittings and clocks
Empty the bin

Black and Decker Steam Mop Review 7

 in Review  tagged black and decker steam mop / cleaning / review / steam mop by

The Black & Decker® steam-mop™ with Autoselect® digital handle commands and steam burst technology easily gets rid of tough to move marks and germs with minimal effort, ensuring that your floors are sparkling clean. Ready to use in 15 seconds and it will run for 25 minutes on a single tank.

With Autoselect® digital handle command technology, simply push the button to select the specific floor type -hardwood/laminate, tile/ vinyl, or stone/marble – and the mop automatically releases the right amount of steam. Autoselect® helps to assure thorough yet delicate cleaning on all sealed hard floors and is even safe on sealed hardwoods. The addition of steam burst mode removes even the most stubborn dirt – it releases 50% more for steam in a concentrated 5 second burst when you need that extra cleaning power, you don’t get from ordinary steam mops. With the unique and innovative design of the delta lift off head you can, with a quick push of the foot peddle, use the triangular cleaning head to get in to all the corners of your home.

Kills 99% of bacteria and germs – no chemicals required.
Quick dry and streak free, it takes less time and work than a mop and bucket.
Swivel head for ease of use around furniture and awkward areas.
Self standing for convenience with auto shut off when locked in the upright position.
1600 watts.
6m power cord.
0.5 litre water tank capacity.
Ready to use in 15 seconds.
Steam ready indicator.
Steaming time 25 mins per tank.
Machine washable pads.
Suitable for all floor types.
Accessories included.
Weight 3.07kg.

Autumn cleaning naturally 4

 in cleaning  tagged cleaning / sponsored video by

There is something about Autumn that sets me off on a mad cleaning frenzy. I know I should do it in spring, but for both me and MadDad it is an Autumn thing. We have just decorated the lounge, sitting room and hall, well painted them and I have the kitchen next on the list.

Cleaning is not my favorite past time, but since having the boys it is something that I get them to help me with. As I want them to help it is important to me that we use natural products, so that I feel safe having them use them too. My cleaning kit at the moment consists of white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, a gentle soap, borax substitute, tea tree oil and cloths.

All purpose spray cleaner

1/2 cup of white vinegar
2 teaspoons of borax substitute
A dab of liquid soap
5 drops of tea trea oil
2 cups hot tap water
Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a sponge or rag. I have a bag full of old tea towels t shirts etc that we use in the kitchen, in addition to some microfibre cloths that we use for cleaning. I also have a post about 15 uses for white vinegar over on A Thrifty Mum.

The only time that I really use kitchen roll is when I am cleaning the bin or the toilets, as I can use the sheet and then pop it in the compost bin for hygiene reasons.