housekeeping…and I don’t mean the website kind

May 05

Posted by: Rachel in: blog, d.i.y., me myself and i, parenting, ramblings

I’ve often referred to my messy looking website during renovations as housekeeping, but with an impending surprise visit from my aunt and uncle, I had to hunt down all of my half unpacked cleaning supplies quick, fast, and in a hurry. We have a slow moving drain in our bathtub which affords me the lovely task of cleaning the bathtub every time I need to bathe Caleb. I tried baking soda and vinegar and I think I actually heard the drain laugh at me, although I can’t be sure. Anyway, I used one of my homemade cleaning concoctions and instead of feeling like I wanted to gag while scrubbing with my shirt collar pulled over my nose, I instead wanted to just sit back and sniff my cleaning solution for the rest of the day! Most of the scent was coming from the liquid castille soap I added…almond flavored. Mmmmm. I cleaned the whole bathroom, even the windows, and when I was done, it felt so fresh! I know it sounds silly, but it honestly gave me the best feeling to clean with natural cleaners that have no harsh effects on the environment and no harsh chemical smells for my family. Then reality popped my little daydream cloud and I ran and got the vacuum, then the dust mop to get up what my crappy vacuum didn’t get. I say crappy, it really isn’t crappy. It will nearly suck the fibers off the carpet. Carpet. Which I only have one room of now. Floors are a totally different story. I never thought I’d actually dream of a Dyson. Oh well, I’m hoping maybe if I dust mop every day, it will make my vacuum use minimal. *cough, I’ve been here ten days and just now broke out the dust mop for the first time…cough cough*

So I’m still trying to hunt down Washing Soda. I feel like it is the quest for the Holy Grail. Does anyone know where to find this stuff?! I keep doing web searches and people say, just look at Walmart or your grocery store, they should have it. Well not the ones here, I don’t think so buddy. I had no problem finding Borax, and everyone seems to indicate that washing soda should be in the same general area. I have looked at every single Arm and Hammer product of the laundry and cleaning aisles to no avail.

I digress, in a moment of weakness right after my fresh cleansing of the bathroom, I grabbed the swiffer. I just didn’t have time to dig out the mop and bucket. I have no proof, but I swear continual use of the swiffer actually makes your floor dirtier. I used it approximately every two weeks for a while at our old house and it was like suddenly every little piece of dirt clung to the floor for dear life. Even said crappy vacuum above was no match for it. Then I read about just adding a cup of vinegar to your warm mop bucket and wah-lah…film was gone, floors looked clean for more than twelve hours again. Dear Swiffer, don’t think you have earned your spot back in my cleaning closet. This was a one time thing. You have been used and your pad tossed in the trash (wastefully), and now my house wreaks of you. I’ll keep my old mop and bucket from now on, thanks. Respectfully yours, a mom who’s learning a new way to clean.

Honestly, when did we make the switch from cleaning up our mess to having to throw it away? Everything must be disposable now. We even have disposable toilet brushes for crap’s sake! Now that is marketing at its finest. We spend so much money and time worrying about germs and bacteria. Instead of cleaning it up, we now have to wipe it away and throw it in a landfill. Let them deal with it. Studies now show that antibacterial soaps are no more effective than just spending twenty seconds washing and rinsing your hands thoroughly with regular soap. Don’t get me wrong, I’m just as guilty. We are currently using up our antibacterial soaps. I have an economy sized Clorox wipes container in my closet. Guilty as charged, I will clean the whole damn bathroom with those things. And feel good about it! But do I really need to throw away all that mess? Could I do just as good of a job with a washcloth? Sure. Convenience ranks higher than environmental issues today.

So, do I have you convinced? Are you on your way to the store to buy baking soda and vinegar and swear off Clorox? No? Did I mention you will save lots of money? How about now? :)

If you need some recipes to mull over first, look in my sidebar for the going green category.  There are several great websites, and one direct link to an article listing everything you need for your cleaning arsenal, all on one page.

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