Monday, October 10, 2011

Organization and Cleaning...

When I was in my teen years, growing up with an identical twin, I wasn't the cleanest of the two. My sister and I shared a room and a closet. Our room usually always looked clean, but not because I was the one doing it. I hated it. I fought my mom on a daily basis about doing anything that involved cleaning. Hated to dust and absolutely refused to clean the bathroom. She finally gave in and quit asking me because it was just easier to have my sisters do it, instead of arguing with me constantly.

When I was older and living in my own home and single, I still had my sister come over once a week and clean my house. More than once she would get so mad about how I kept my house that she would often walk out. She would always come back and finish because she is that kind of person, plus it probably helped that I was paying her. It wasn't that I was lazy, I just hated it.

Now, as a married adult with children, my hate for cleaning has changed. I don't love it, I just know that it's my job as a wife, so I do it. However, a little confession - my mom still comes over and cleans my microwave, but that's it I swear. As I mentioned before I really hate to clean bathrooms, even my own. But when I find something from the store that really works and makes my cleaning easier I am all for it. For the past two years I have been using Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Step Toilet Bowl Cleaner. It came with a wand and a brush type thing that you hook into the wand. You scrub the inside of your toilet and when its clean you push a button and it drops in and is flushable. Now this is my idea of a great product. Only problem is our local Walmart has quit selling or stocking them. Much to my dismay, I am back to square one looking for something that requires little effort on my part.

Each week, I grab the 'All You' Magazine off the shelf because it always has great ideas, coupons and great stories that are written mostly from moms, housewives, etc around the United States. This is my kind of magazine. Well the first issue I bought must have known that I needed a solution. Because on page 146 there is a section called "Make your own household cleaners". I'm thinking, yeah right who has time for that. But as I am reading it says Toilet Bowl Cleaner. I'm instantly hooked. It says, fill a small empty dish-soap bottle with half water and half dish soap (I suggest Dawn) and use it to squirt around the bowl. Scrub and your done. That seems simple enough. I have tried this and it works. Who would have thought. I don't have the trouble of wondering if they will suddenly stop carrying dish soap because the chances of that is unlikely.
I realize this may not be for everyone but I was in need of something that would work great and would be fast and easy.

Here is another great orgazinizing idea. You can pick cheap ones up at Walmart for a dollar if you don't want to spend the money on expensive ones. But either way you will get the same result. I have an obession with handbags and scarves among other things. My problem is I have no where to put them in my closet that looks neat, so they usually end up under the bed, not organized. So recently when I was reading MSN they had this wonderful idea. It says to use shower curtain hooks to hang scarves and handbags on your clothes rack. I'm thinking what a wonderful idea, why haven't I thought of that. Recently my daughter got married and moved out. So we have a spare bedroom that will soon be our office but the closet in this room is too big not to enjoy. Since I used a majority of the closet in my room and my husband's clothes were always crammed I opted to move my clothes to her old closet and let him have ours. Since there is so much room in that closet I have been able to utilize the shower curtain hook idea for my scarves and handbags. It makes it look so neat and organzied and I love it. See picture below, not my closet but you get the idea!


I hope that some of you will be able to use these wonderful ideas. I am always looking for great things so if you have any wonderful idea please post them in the comment section. Thanks for reading and hope you all have a blessed week! :)

6 comments:

  1. ok, I am entirely jealous of you having family members that actually want to clean your house for you, can you share? :)

    And I swear Walmart looks at our receipts and systematically quits stocking something that we buy. I've had to find new deodorant, cereal, yogurt, juice etc. or scour stores in the area for who still carries them because they just quit carrying it--it's a conspiracy against me, I tell ya!

    Love it when things in your house are capable of doing more than one thing, less items to store.

    I don't have any wonderful ideas, my wonderful idea lately has been how much of my stuff can I make myself donate to the thrift store because if I have less stuff, that's less stuff the kiddos can scatter ALL over the floor.

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  2. Hooks are very under-utilized little pieces of hardware! I use them whenever I can, in the closets, the kitchen, the utility room...anywhere!

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  3. I saw this idea in a magazine where you take two screen door springs (long and skinny) and screw all the ends vertically into the inside of cupboard door. Then you can slide your folded paper grocery bags on the inside of your cupboard door.

    It's a great idea . . . um, if you can get your hubby to actually by the springs and put them in the door. We've had the springs for about a year now. Maybe hubby will find time to finish the job soon? Well, I can always dream. :-)

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  4. Melissa most people think that I am crazy that my family still comes help me clean. My mom is wonderful like that. I tell her she doesn't have to do it. I don't think she really minds. I try to be mindful of her when she is here so that she doesn't think that is what she has to do when she is here. I appreciate her very much. As for Walmart I hate them most of the time, but since its the only decent place to shop where we live I have no choice. So I just grumble every time I have to step in there. My husband is also not well with getting things that I need done around the house, of course there isn't much time when he works during the day and Malachi wants all of his time when he gets home. But when he does get time he is usually pretty good at it.

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  5. Great organizational ideas! Keep them coming!!
    I use two shower curtain rings in the kitchen on my towel bar (on the end of the counter where my cook-top is) to hold my hot pads. I don't have a drawer for them so shower curtain rings are an easy solution!

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  6. That is a great idea! I never thought about using them for my hot pads. I am going to do that. My hot pads just sit on the counter cause I have nowhere to put them. Love it. Thanks.

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