Home-made Swiffer cloths

Almost our entire downstairs is hardwood floors and boy, oh, boy are they hard to keep clean.  I invested in a Swiffer Mop when we first moved into our house and bought a large box of dry and wet cloths.  I went through them so quickly and just couldn't bring myself to buy more.  Too expensive.  I did some research and found some amazing ways to make YOUR OWN Swiffer cloths.  So after hiding away in a closet for a few months, my Swiffer is finally cleaning again.


1. Microfiber cloths: I placed this as number one because it is what I have found to be the most long lasting and cost effective.  You can usually find them at the Dollar Tree. Cut them down to fit the Swiffer and toss them in the wash after use. Reuse over and over.

2. Old Socks: All of those poor little socks whose pairs have been eaten by the dryer monster can be pulled out and put to work. Just slip them over the Swiffer and wash after use.

3. Rinse and reuse Swiffer clothes: They can only be washed and reused so many times, but it will make whatever stock of cloths you already have last longer.

4. Old washcloths: Just discard when they get  unbearably gross.

5. Old clothing: Several of my husbands old t-shirts have been cut up and used for cleaning.  You can cut them to the perfect size and use again and again.

There were a few more ideas that I came across but were not really worth mentioning if you are looking for a cost-effective solution.   If you love the concept of the Swiffer but hate the COST, here is the answer to your problem!!

Knocking Out My {To-Do} List

It's summer time and with that kind of freedom comes my never ending battle with laziness.  Really, all I want to do sit on my back porch with the over-head fan on, hold my dog, sip some sweet tea, and read a book.  That's ALL I want to do.

But, alas, my neglected house, piling projects, endless errands are calling my name and they will not be ignored.  If you've ready my post The Power of a Post-It, you know how serious of a list person I am.  Well, my list is quite long, but I'm proud to announce that it is getting shorter.

Things of which I am very proud that I've accomplished over the past few weeks while fighting my urge to veg:

• filed my state taxes
• jump started my car (first time by myself - thank you, YouTube), and took it to the auto store to get a new battery
• push mowed my lawn AGAIN (our riding mower is on the fritz)
• removed my riding lawn mower batter (first time by myself - found out I didn't have to but still proud of myself)
• loose-leash trained my dog (well, he's almost there)
• baked 50 cookies for our church camp (and I am NOT a baker)
• finally got an estimate done on our banged up car
• finished a decorating project that is long overdue (surprise - I'll post about it soon - that's still on my list)
• started P90X (fourth time through - excited to be doing it again)
• organized my sheet music (it was such a mess - I'll post about my new music shelf soon)
• learned two new piano pieces for church (I'm ahead of the game!)
• organized our office and all the millions of papers, manuals, pictures, and other misc items that are held within
• Took my dog to the vet (first time - I was nervous)
• Got my NC drivers license

Those are the major things.  This post was all about boring you with details.  Hope you enjoyed! Well, I hope you were at least inspired to make a list of your own and start checking them off.

The Secret of the Three Baskets

Baskets by Ziggi Ziggi

It's the age-old question: Should a laundry room be downstairs or upstairs? Well, maybe not an age-old old question, but didn't you think of it when you were looking for a home?  We sure did.  If it's upstairs, you take the risk of the washer leaking and soaking through your ceiling.  If it's downstairs, it's probably a long walk from the bedroom.  

When we built our home, my husband probably thought more about the hundreds of dollars it would cost us to fix our ceiling than the hundreds of trips I'd make up and down the stairs.  Totally fine, I need the exercise. So our laundry room is downstairs.  That means lugging laundry down and up the stairs is a several times a week routine.  

I had to figure out some kind of system so make this easier.  I'm constantly trying to figure out how to do the tasks around the house more efficiently. This is what I came up with:

We have three laundry baskets (not including our lights/darks hamper in the laundry room.  One basket stays in our master bedroom, one stays on top of the washer, and one "floats."  The bedroom basket is where we toss our clothes.  The washing machine basket houses clean clothes, and the floater basket carries clothes up and down (and any other items around the house that need transportation).

And here's the process: When the floater basket happens to be upstairs, any dirty clothes from the bedroom basket (whether it's full or not) goes into the floater.  When we are ready to go downstairs (no extra special trips allowed), the dirty clothes are emptied into the laundry room hamper.  When clothes are clean they are emptied into the washing machine basket, folded, and loaded into the floater.  Then, when we are ready to go upstairs (no special trips allowed), the clean clothes are put away.  Then the floater is already upstairs readily waiting for its next refill. 

We also use the floater for any items that need to go downstairs or upstairs.  We use the same process.  It helps me stay on top of things a little at a time.  This way, I'm not hauling loads worth of clothes up and down the stairs.  It works for me!

Here are some snazzy baskets I found online, just for your entertainment:

Apartment Therapy

Crate and Barrel

Anthropologie

Clever Tricks: Repurposing to {Organize}

I love to repurpose.  If I think it could store something, decorate something, or double as something, there's no way it's going in the trash.  It may take me awhile to get around to actually using it again, but I eventually get there.  Here are a few of my favorite repurposed items that have made organizing around the house so much simpler.  

Coat Rack as Jewelry Holder

Even a jewelry box won't keep your necklaces as untangled as this will.  Only costume jewelry here, though.  No pearls or diamonds please!!

Tissue Box as Bag Holder

Decorate your box and you'll be proud to have this helpful item sit just about anywhere in your home. 

Binder Clips as Linen Organizer

Make sure your clips don't clamp down to tightly or they will leave creases.  Believe me!

Dryer Sheet as Drawer Sachet

One of my ultimate favorites!!  Dryer sheets help keep my clothes smelling fresh even after my clothes have been sitting in my drawers for an entire season.  Also, try placing them in shoes or between folded sweaters inside the closet.  Fresh, fresh, fresh!

Eyeglasses Case as Manicure Kit

Great for someone like me who does not where glasses but loves those cute cases.

Jewelry Boxes as Drawer Organizer

I NEVER throw away jewelry boxes.  Ever, Ever! My bathroom drawers are full of these boxes.

Zipper Bed-linen Bag as Art Supply Carrier

Don't stop at art supplies.  Be creative and use these for just about anything.

Photo Album as Business Card File

I haven't tried this method yet but what I love about this idea is that you have all of the adorable photo albums in the world to choose from : )

Plastic Bags as Wet Umbrella Holders

 Okay, all of my rained-on Washington friends, this one's for you.  What a fabulous idea!

Shoe Box as Ribbon Organizer

Poke holes through the front of the box and use the extra space for supplies.

Business Card Holder as Gift Card Organizer

Love this idea but don't have enough gift cards on a regular basis to use it.  Hope it can help someone out there.  

Shoe Box as File Storage

Since my shoe boxes don't come in these wonderfully brilliant and solid colors, I cover mine with wrapping paper.  I use the thick cardboard wrapping paper from the Dollar Tree. These boxes are incredibly useful.

Suitcase as Linen Storage

If using old suitcases like these (which I loooove), make sure they are clean and free from odor.  Otherwise, your linen will also smell. 

Hanger as Ribbon Organizer

After applying a little elbow grease to untwist the hanger, slide on the ribbon and twist the hanger back, you will enjoy an inexpensive and very efficient way to organize your ribbon.  

Zippered Plastic Bags as Soup Saver

My sister-in-law uses these whenever she freezes soup.

Zippered bags as Packing Material

No more paying for expensive bubbler wrap.

I get most of my repurposing ideas from REAL SIMPLE.  I love their magazines because of their practicality and variety.  If you've never read an issue, you should. Anyone out there have any other great ideas for repurposing to organize?

Keeping Up With My Bathroom

What is the one room that is used the most in your house?  In mine, it's the bathroom.  You can sleep on the couch and not use your bedroom, you can eat dinner in the living room and not use the dining room, and you can order takeout and not use the kitchen. But guess what you CAN'T do?....avoid using the bathroom!!!  It's impossible.  Because of this, it's probably the room that gets the grimiest the quickest.  But who has time to deep clean their bathroom as often as it needs it?  And because it doesn't get cleaned as often as it should, it takes even LONGER to clean when you do get around to it.  It's a vicious cycle!!
Solution: Lysol spray and disinfecting wipes.

Everyday, when I come home from work, I wipe down my bathroom counters with disinfecting wipes and spray down my shower and commode with Lysol spray.  I do this after work because I honestly don't want to do it in the morning.  Cleaning the bathroom right after you get ready is not a great idea. This simple daily (or every other day) routine keeps my bathroom smelling fresh and looking pretty.  It takes me all of about five minutes to accomplish. It isn't a substitute for a deep clean, but it sure helps the in-between days.  I HATE a dirty bathroom, and this is the one method that I've found helps me at least feel like I'm winning the bathroom battle.  Then when I have to really super clean my bathroom, I find it's much easier to handle. Now I know disinfecting wipes and spray ain't cheap (pardon my grammar).  Sunday newspapers often have Lysol coupons that I put to use when stocking up on cleaning supplies.  Couponing is an entirely different subject.  I won't open that can of worms, but I will tell you that you can get great deals using this method.
I'm always looking for ways to be smart about cleaning my house.  When you have 2,800 sq. ft. to clean and don't want to spend every spare moment cleaning, you have to get creative.

A cleaning schedule I can stick to

I've been "keeping house" for a little over four years now and all that time had searched in vain for a thorough yet doable house cleaning routine.  I would make charts and lists and check off each completed task as I made my way through my week.  But inevitably, I would get behind or have a busy day or get sick or have company and my schedule went straight our the window.  Then I would play catch up the next week with little success and feel like a total failure.  How could I be a good wife if I couldn't even keep my house clean?

I think the worst part of it all was the clutter that would pile up around the house.  My husband and I are the total opposite of pack-rats.  We actually throw away or give away more things than we probably should.  There have been many occasions when I've thought of something that I really needed or wanted but realized we had gotten rid of it.  Because of this, I'm was always surprised and frustrated when we had CLUTTER everywhere.  Where did all of this stuff come from?  I finally discovered it was just our everyday, normal things that weren't getting put away on a regular basis. 

While googleing "cleaning routine, cleaning schedules, how can I keep my house clean?, etc, etc", I came across a website called  http://www.flylady.com/.   Not exactly sure where the name came from, but it has an amazing cleaning routine.  The creator of the site separates the house into zones and you only work on a detailed cleaning list of one zone per week.  Then there is one hour of "blessing your home" that you choose to do one time a week that involves basic sprucing up around the house.  There are small tasks to do before you go to bed and small tasks to do after you get ready in the morning, all helping to keep your house clean without spending hours doing it. Very simple!!!  Very easy to follow!!!!  I've actually been using this cleaning schedule for about three months now and it works.  I used to feel like I had to clean my house from top to bottom every week.  With a 2700 sq ft house and ONE person to clean it, it's not going to happen.  This schedule keeps me sane, and I always feel like my home is in decent order.  Maybe not always spotless but definitely presentable. 

Are you feeling overwhelmed with your cleaning routine? Do you even have one?  Please, please, please check out this site!  It will change your life.  It's definitely changed mine for the better.

Flylady   http://www.flylady.com/