Cleaning products - Keep it simple and Natural

Just as I prefer to use natural remedies for my health, I prefer natural cleaning products for my home.  I don’t buy ready made cleaners because they are expensive compared to pure natural ingredients that I want to use and because I want to control what I’m being exposed to.

I built my cleaning regimen by researching the internet.  I did some trial and error mixing and cleaning with natural remedies, some with essential oils, but found that the complexity was unnecessary (to me) so I decided to keep it really simple with straight up and pure products. I've been successful with those! However beware, that even with natural cleaning products, gloves are important to deter skin sensitivities.  If you aren’t worried about your skin, consider that your fingernails can suffer from exposure too. Also, try wearing a surgical mask when you are using the finely ground powders that I’m recommending. You really can’t see them in the air after you’ve sprinkled them and you can't help but inhale them.  I went without a mask several times and found that the next day I sneezed all day long.

Here are my favorite natural cleaners:

• I spray vinegar on tile surfaces and chrome bathroom fixtures to break down lime deposits. Sometimes I spray peroxide on tile if I feel it needs a bit more muscle. I let it sit for a few minutes while I wash the sink and then wipe it from the tile.  It might take another application. I use O-Cedar’s microfiber glass cloth for mirrors and glass surfaces. Sometimes I use it dry, just to dust the surface. When cleaning is needed, I spray the cloth lightly with vinegar.

• I use Bon Ami cleanser for all porcelain surfaces. I’ve recently used Bar Keeper’s Friend on porcelain and I think I am liking it even more than Bon Ami. It seems to leave a better shine. That said, it is a stronger acting agent so I don’t use it where it isn't really needed. 

• I always use Bar Keeper’s Friend on stainless steel sinks. They buff out lustrous after drying with a cloth towel. Bar Keeper’s Friend can be used on rust stains in toilets, on sinks, etc. I use Bar Keeper's Friend on glass stove tops as it won't scratch it. First, I spray with a little distilled water, then sprinkle the Friend, and spray again so a paste forms. Then I use a sponge to rub the surface with the paste. I wipe it all off with a wet towel and buff dry. Tough cooked on spots can be treated with a paste and left to sit for a few minutes before rubbing with a sponge or even a toothbrush which works great!

• I use peroxide and Bon Ami to form a paste in moldy shower corners. I spray the peroxide, then sprinkle Bon Ami, then spray it all again. Then I let it sit for about 10 minutes while I clean the toilet. Then I clean the shower walls and floor with Bon Ami and a mop. Once I’ve rinsed and dried the floor and wall surfaces, I re-treat any corner that looks suspicious. I just leave it then to its own demise and check it later to see if the mold is gone and if mold stains are there. Without some bleach-y compound, I can honestly say I have had little success removing the mildew stains with anything. That is why you must stay on top of the killing so you won’t have as many stains. I am open to any solutions you have found for removing mildew stains without using any bleach. 

• I spray distilled water for all things marble and granite. If I see no lime deposits on chrome then I use distilled water instead of vinegar.  I use distilled water on stainless steel appliances and stainless steel flat surfaces (i.e. a kitchen back splash) and use a microfiber stainless steel cloth specifically engineered for use on stainless steel. It’s made by O-Cedar.  If the stainless steel is greasy I use a little Dawn to spot clean then use distilled water to rinse. I find that stainless steel surfaces respond well to rubbing, drying, and buffing with a microcloth.

• I use baking soda and vinegar in the toilet bowl so they can chemically react on the rim. First, I spray vinegar on the bowl insides and under the rim, then I sprinkle baking soda on top of the vinegar. Finally, I spray vinegar on top of that to make it all foam up before I scrub it with a toilet brush. 

I avoid using synthetic chemicals as much as possible.  

• I use Windex as a last resort because I don’t like the smell of ammonia.  I apply it sparingly whenever glass has a caked on element and my microcloth with vinegar won’t break it down. 

• Rarely, I use a chemical toilet bowl cleaner if I’ve neglected “the ring” and it doesn’t want to budge with my natural products.  

• I use Dawn detergent to break down grease so I use it on non-wood floors and non-marble surfaces. If I have to clean a greasy marble or granite counter top, I will spot clean with Dawn.
  

Honestly, natural products probably require more time and elbow grease but you will have less exposure to chemicals from which no one knows the impact of exposure. You'll also work up a sweat and get more exercise. So get your supplies together and go as chemical-free as possible. I’ve provided several links to my research areas below. The natural product recipes I tried smelled wonderful and were fun to make but I found I did not need them to make me believe that my house would be cleaner.

• Homemade_Grout_Cleaner 

• Homemade Cleaning Tips & Recipes

• The-organically-clean-home

• Detox-your-indoor-air

I’ve dropped the mop!

Ok. I knew this day would come. I’ve dropped the mop! Literally. I have done virtually nothing to clean my house for about 10 days, except I did change the bed and clean my bathroom because company was coming. LOL  Now I have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing and I can hear my cleaning calendar laughing hysterically in the background.  

Eventually, this will happen to you too, if it hasn’t already. Life has swept me into other details that are much more fun than cleaning house, like making jewelry, helping a few friends in need (i.e., cleaning THEIR house), cooking, and entertaining as my super clean house wanes back into unacceptable dirtiness.  I could continue on this vein but just realized today that I’ve lost control of my cleaning schedule. I actually forgot that I even had one! That is pretty cool for me--the disciplined housekeeper. But I will have to get back to it soon. I have childhood friends coming for an as-yet unscheduled dinner and I know my house has to be cleaned, if not for myself then CLEAN FOR COMPANY!  LOL

Here I go again.  My first step is to actually find the schedule (I know it’s printed somewhere) and then bring it up to date. That involves assessing what I've forgotten to do for all this time, integrating current stuff scheduled on the calendar, deleting any duplicate items, and then assigning new dates to get it done within a minor, self-imposed whirlwind. That’s when the panic and regret will set in and I’ll kick myself in the butt for actually FORGETTING about the schedule. On the other hand, I will be CONGRATULATING myself for having a life and enjoying it. That’s a good sign that my retirement has moved me into a playful state that is well deserved. WOOT WOOT, good job!  

So how is your cleaning calendar working out?

• Why do we clean?
• Retirement — What’s the Most Awesome Lifestyle?

Cleaning tools - Floor cleaning made easy

The days of scrubbing floors on my knees are over, unless it’s a very small bathroom and I’m already down there cleaning the toilet base. I think the scrub brush and elbow grease were needed before today’s cleaning chemicals were created. But I don’t use those chemicals or a scrub brush. I use steam when I need to fight grime. I am getting ahead of myself here because floors need to be prepared before deep cleaning. Here are the tools that help me clean floors. 

Vacuum cleaners are a must for anyone with a carpeted home. When I started writing about this piece of equipment, I became self righteous and felt compelled to dedicate a post on the subject of vacuum cleaners. Before they were invented (or people could afford them), people used rug beaters on big rugs hung outside. But I’m not THAT old. We used to just shake them out on the back stoop. I still do that because, today, not all rugs will accept vacuuming, especially fluffy bath mats and rag mats.  To save on having to clean hair that gets wrapped around the "beater bar", I instead use the wand accessory with a small brush to pick up excessive hair, especially in bedrooms and bathrooms.

Shaking out rugs brings back memories of my mom, Queen Aurora, as she shook them out in the fresh air. Today it seems like an old fashioned thing to do but I honestly enjoy breathing some fresh air outside in the midst of a day cleaning inside. The contrast between the two is a pleasant shock to the body. Our bodies are important tools used for cleaning and this physical workout of stooping, stretching and sprawling is good for the body. Your body may require some yoga before or after your cleaning session. That too is good for the body. Hey, it’s the only one you’ve got… and your house needs cleaning on a regular basis.

Now I might shock you. I prefer to use a swiffer on floors, instead of a vacuum cleaner,

whenever possible. This tool is lightweight and you can move from room to room without having to find an electrical outlet. It’s much more relaxing because it is quiet, I have more control, and it works just as fast--if not faster-- than the vacuum. Swiffers get into spaces that most vacuum cleaners cannot reach. Under the bed. Under the coffee table. Between the chair legs. A swiffer tool has disposable swiffer cloths, another great invention. I use both sides of the swiffer cloth and I buy the less expensive, generic brand. So much dirt is invisible to the naked eye. You will be shocked how much dirt a swiffer collects and how often you need to change them in just one or two rooms.

Swiffering a floor is never enough though. Its role is to show you just how dirty a floor is. It

prepares a floor to be washed. I use washable mop heads to clean tile floors, and I own two of them. While one is drying, I always have another available to use at a client's home. Thankfully, modern day mops are no longer heavy and they provide leverage and strength that you may not have in your hands. I prefer to use a mop on shower walls and inside the tub. It takes less elbow grease than doing it all by hand and I can stand up and use my hips for strength. A mop helps with rinsing too. Then poof! The mop head goes right into the laundry.

Got grime or small children? A steam mop sanitizes surfaces it cleans and it uses distilled

water which won’t leave any residue behind. I sometimes use my steam mop instead of a regular mop when I’m just not feeling as energetic. Steam tends to loosen up ground in dirt, especially within textured tiles. It isn't meant to clean grout by itself. That's a future post. My steam mop came with attachments of different shapes including one that funnels heavy steam to kill mold and mildew. It doesn’t remove the stains but it kills the fungi. More on cleaning mildew stains in yet another future post. I use my steam mop mostly on tile and sometimes on my real hardwood (timber) floors.

On my next post I’ll start sharing good old fashioned cleaning products that I use.

• How to steam clean your home
• Floor mopping 101
• The case against jute rugs

Cleaning tools - Beat those germs with simple protection

Thankfully, my cleaning calendar has helped me to relax and not feel rushed. With the right tools, cleaning is more of an enjoyment than something to be endured. I also listen to music which is a wonderful “tool” to accompany the physical workout I get from cleaning. Beyond the physical demands, I do struggle with using disposable cleaning tools while prolific growth of landfills besieges our country. We are still not recycling our waste adequately. But I continue to work on natural solutions for my cleaning routine.  I don’t use paper towels to clean glass or wash counter tops so I help to save the environment. Then I do laundry to clean my work towels, using up precious water as a resource. It’s an environmental dilemma, for sure. If you know of a cost effective biodegradable tool I can use, I am open to suggestions. But I digress. Here are a few of my cleaning tools, beginning with those that protect me from germs.

Gloves are important and necessary to avoid contact with any products you are using, keep your hands dry, and protect you from germs that you could absorb or spread. I sometimes use rubber gloves at home instead of disposables. I try to work quickly before my hands start to sweat; otherwise, I feel compelled to rinse them out and go through the drying process, inside and out. It’s a time sucker but necessary to prevent mold. I live in Florida, headquarters for mold and mildew. When I have no choice but to clean and reverse the gloves, I use a ¼ inch dowel that can reach into the glove fingers and push. When I clean for others, I use disposable, non-latex food prep gloves as they are time savers, less expensive than other disposables, and they fit nicely. I change gloves between bathrooms and, of course, for the kitchen.

Show some respect

Yes, I was supposed to write about tools I use to clean with. But as I got started on vacuum cleaners, I became self righteous about how we neglect them and decided this piece of equipment needed its own post, along with respect for what it does for us. Here goes... Nothing beats a vacuum cleaner for carpets and area rugs. Luxuriously fluffy bathroom shag rugs do NOT like vacuuming. They have to be shaken out, as do the trendy woven rag mats that have come back into fashion.  Despite my respect for a vacuum cleaner’s ability to do what I cannot, I have never found one quiet enough for me so I only use it when I have to.  They can also be heavy to manage and (yuck) they have to be maintained.  

The scourge of the sponge

What are your pet peeves for house cleaning? There are SO many to choose from.  I didn’t know I had one until I started cleaning for others (including my husband’s bathroom) and found a sponge in one condition or another either on the sink or nearby. It appears that these are used to clean the bathroom or kitchen, presumably the sink or maybe the dishes. Sometimes people use them like a soap dish which really raises suspicion. Have they left it there from cleaning? Does it have grease residue from dishes or pots? Do they wash themselves with it?  The problem I have with sponges is

Where Does All the Dust Come From?

Today one of my clients mentioned have recurring dust issues in her home.  I have had those issues too and it takes some detective work to get it under control. It's a constant battle that I am beginning to conquer.  

Before I replaced my leaky vacuum cleaner, the day after I dusted the dust had returned.  Even now I find that whenever I've been moving things around, bringing in new items (like Christmas decorations from the garage), or doing laundry (using the dryer and folding clothes), that more dust shows up on my glass tables, etc. We don't open our windows very often because we do live near a high traffic area but