Don’t Clean Your Checkbook Out, to Clean Your Home

Summer has arrived, kids are out of school, and the Fourth of July party plans are underway. The stress begins to build on how to keep the house clean with visiting in-laws, and to get our rambunctious children to help. As mother of two, and my home always used as the gathering place, I can relate. So off we go to the store to buy cleaning supplies-a cleaning item for this, this one for that. . . by the time we are done, the only cleaning that we have done is one on our checkbook. No longer do you need to run to the store. Everything to clean quickly, effectively and safely for our family, is right in our home.

Starting with those irritating stains in the bathtub, make a paste by using hydrogen peroxide and cream of tartar. Use an ole’ toothbrush to rub into the stain and rinse thoroughly. No more having to open bathroom window, closing the door and wearing rubber gloves.

We all know how frustrating it is, when we are in a hurry, to jump out of the shower to have the bathroom mirror fogged up. A simple solution for all of us- apply regular old shaving cream to the mirror in small amounts in a thin layer and wipe off with a clean rag. Mirrors will stay fog free, giving us a few extra minutes for ourselves. I tend to do this once a week. This also works well on the inside of your vehicle windows.

Say goodbye to mildew with one word: bleach. Use lemon scented bleach and only 10% of it mixed with 90% of water in a spray bottle. Mildew is gone and you just saved an hour from using elbow grease. Don’t forget to mark the bottle and keep out of children’s reach.

We all love the Van Gogh renditions that our children do on the walls; too bad they can’t do them on paper. As much as we would like to keep them, they must go -no not the children, the Van Gogh renditions. Spray WD-40, wipe off immediately and bye bye to the crayon marks. If the little tykes used permanent marker on any non-absorbent surface moisten a cotton ball with regular rubbing alcohol, rub it on the surface, and off it goes.

With all cleaning jobs, I make it a point to have my children help. This teaches them responsibility from early on. I have learned that it makes them feel grown and surprisingly enough, after they have done the task repeatedly, it sticks with them. My daughter, Tiffany, who is 8, and son Christopher who is 6, make their beds every morning for me. This alone has saved me time. I made the mistake, as all mothers do, of trying to do everything myself. I soon realized that nothing was getting done. There was no more time in my schedule to clean my home. When I opened the phonebook to call for a maid service, I realized enough was enough. It’s ok to ask for help and simplify our lives. We deserve it. In the long run we will do justice for ourselves, our children, and our checkbooks.

Now if only there was some home remedy cleaning solution for those visiting in-laws.

-Dr. Zoe Simmons
http://www.gardenandhearth.com/House-Cleaning/cheap_cleaning_alternatives.htm