Cleaning

I feel like all I do is clean. I live with two little boys, a grown man (boy) and three dogs so needless to say I have a lot of dust, dirt, smears, accidents and whatnot all over my house. Brennan suffers from bad seasonal and environmental allergies so I really do have to be a conscious housekeeper. Skipping a dusting or being laxed on vacuuming can mean a world of difference to him, especially in the autumn when his asthma symptoms are at its peak. I used to just clean and wipe and scrub and spray without much thought. I was (am) busy and just wanted to get the job done. I'm not really sure when or how I started to re-evaluate the way I cleaned, but somewhere in time I decided I needed to start being more responsible. If I care about the food I put on the table I should care about what is actually on the table touching our bodies, right?

My absolute favorite cleaner of all time is plain old white vinegar. Some people think it smells, but I do not mind it. I have added some lemon to it in the past, but usually it is just vinegar in a spray bottle. I clean almost everything with vinegar. My windows, stove top and the bathroom faucet shine beautifully after a vinegar wipe down. It is great for cutting through grease on the counter tops and stove top. Alex has a bit of an aim issue so I use vinegar to clean out that old gross pee smell. I also throw a little into the rinse cycle of the washer when I am washing towels and undies (the laundry doesn't smell like vinegar so don't worry).

Baking soda is a great mild abrasive. If you have a stain on your counter make a little paste of vinegar and water and apply it straight to the stain. Wait a few minutes and then rinse with clean water. I have never been unsuccessful with this trick. Sometimes my kitchen drains gets a funky odor. I dump some baking soda down the drain, add a little vinegar and lemon juice and let it sit for a few minutes. Then I toss in some ice cubes and turn on the garbage disposal followed by a hot water rinse. So far so good on drain odor! Baking soda is also great at absorbing odors. Try placing some in a small dish in your car and/or the fridge and freezer. I keep a small container under my car seat.

If you like to just buy a store brand I recommend Method and Seventh Generation brands. I love Method brand's citrus scent (pink bottle). I use that spray everywhere possible! Seventh Generation makes an all natural anti-bacterial spray that I really like. I am trying hard to steer clear of anti-bacterial soaps and cleaning products, but the germaphob in me just cannot resist, especially during cold and flu season! Seventh Generation and Method brands make a variety of cleaners including all purpose sprays, glass cleaner, dishwasher detergent, laundry care products, toilet bowl cleaner and dryer sheets.