Tuesday, January 6, 2009

cleaning 101...

i think i have told y'all this secret before- i really am not good at cleaning....like it's a huge struggle for me. my husband doesn't get how one person (now two, tay has inherited my gene) can be so messy. which explains why i was really excited yesterday when i found a guide to cleaning (how dorky does that sound) on the real simple website. it broke things down in time frames: ie. if you have 15 min. do this...so with my "positive outlook" i decided to give it a try....it worked....i think i dreaded cleaning b/c i was doing it wrong (who knew that you had to let the disinfectant sit in the sink for 15 min in order to get it clean??). also, my old school tactics (like i still used the powder comet) took so long. now with these helpful hints, i feel like it's something i can try and be better at. i even went as far as going to target to buy the "supplies" they suggested. and my cute neighbors were so nice and gave me an electrolux for christmas b/c they know how much i despised my current vacuum....(it makes vacuuming a daily activity). so, stay tuned and see if this "new shannon" hangs around...

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Shannon--Thanks for the inspiration, the Christmas tree is coming down today, I am going to try and clean the house top to bottom, that is if I can stop visiting all my favorite design blogs! I read the Real Simple ideas, and while the ideas are great, it did seem so complicated with all the different products to buy! I love the micro fiber cloths and want that mop, but all the cleaning solutions seemed silly. I am trying to go greener. My daughters elementary school recently did a green cleaning fundraiser, it was one of Oprah's favorites. It's a Shaklee product, you mix it with water for different cleaning solutions. A few drops mixed with water, and it is the best window cleaner ever! I make my own anti bacterial by mixing water and alcohol, I am not very scientific, but my friend taught me that...I save sooo much money, and I don't have the bad smells from the cleaners. I changed cleaners when I felt like the Lysol anti bacterial cleaner I used in my kitchen was making me sick. I coughed from November to June, started on asthma meds to help. I quit with the windex and spray disinfectants, I now I am back to normal....Sorry for the rambling! Thanks for the tips, it's the time management I have the hardest time with, so those tips I will use!

Anonymous said...

5 words: clorox disinfecting wipes - orange scent

changed my world.

High-Heeled Foot in the door said...

Oh I'm going to have to take a peek into this article and get some tips. I'm so tired of constantly cleaning my house. It's only 2 of us in it plus 2 dogs and I'm not sure how we make it so messy. Anything that would cut down on cleaning time would be great.

What nice neighbors! How is the new vacuum working?

Anonymous said...

Maybe you'll win the "cleanest room" prize!!!

love you--mindy :)

Maria Killam said...

I find that my house gets the cleanest and seems like less of a chore when I'm about to have a dinner party or have friends coming over to visit. So the trick is to invite your friends to dinner often :)

Jennifer said...

I love that article! I have a series cleaning issue too, but managed to get my house super-clean while on Christmas vacation. It is sooooo nice and I am determined to try to keep it that way!

let us know what you think of the vaccum. I'm still using the dinky one my mom gave me to take to my college dorm room, and I know there must be better ones available.

paula said...

too funny. cant wait to check out the list too.

Alison Duffy said...

Now I am counter crazed, I'm not sure if I should thank you. Ha!

Unknown said...

Maids are a nice addition to any household...

La Maison Fou said...

Two words.....Mrs. Meyers!!!!!
Great green cleaning things!!! Even a resfreshing spray for the doggie!!
lamaisonfoublogspot.com

Courtney said...

I think I could certainly take some pointers from the article- I am going to have to check it out!