Natural Cleaning Solutions

Last week while I was guest posting about Home Staging at Karen's blog, Strictly Simple Style, one of her readers enjoyed my post and asked if I would be a contributor to her blog for Earth week. So, instead of posting here, today you can find me at Sandra's blog, 'Healthier and more Prosperous Living' writing on the topic of natural cleaning using 3 simple kitchen ingredients.

I hope you will pop by to meet Sandra and get inspired to go green just in time for some spring cleaning!

I also have a deal for all of my U.S. readers. In honor of graduation season, my sponsor Pear Tree Greetings wants everyone to have thank you cards on hand. They are graciously offering a set of 6 generic thank you cards (2 each of the 3 shown above) for just $1 which includes free shipping! This offer is good for April.20th and 21st only until midnight and there is a limited 5,000 supply, so hurry!



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Living Well: Getting Organized

One of the biggest challenges I hear from both friends and clients is taming clutter and struggling with how to both get and then stay organized. Not only does it look messy but it affects stress levels and the ability to enjoy one's home to the fullest.

There are a few simple tips that I live by which can help keep clutter out of your home, keep your space clean and serene as well as save you time and money too.

1. Managing your Mail-One of the largest clutter contributors is paper, more specifically mail and junk mail like flyers, coupons books and newspapers. When you pick up the mail, set all of the important mail aside and weed out the junk mail. Toss it straight into your recycle bin before ever bringing it into the house. Next, spend 3 minutes immediately opening your mail, recycling the envelopes and then filing away what you need to pay or keep and toss anything that cannot be recycled. If you do this everyday, you'll keep mountains of papers out of your home.

2. Look before you Shop- Before ever heading out to buy more clothes, be absolutely sure that what you think you need is not something you own already. Many of my clients have 10 black t-shirts or white dress shirts because they forgot they had one already and kept buy more of what they already had in their closet. Take a few minutes one day and look through all or your closets and drawers. Make a note of what you do not have but need. Maybe you got rid of a little black dress that had a stain or no longer fits, or your perfect summer pumps got chewed up by your puppy and need to be replaced. Perhaps you don't have a single pair of jeans that fit you anymore.  These are items you know that you in fact need. This is a wise way of shopping which will save you money, time and closet space.

3. Taming your Closet- There are two tricks I have to keeping my closet and drawers from overflowing. I always donate or give away an old piece of clothing or pair of shoes for every new item I bring into the house. If we don't do this, our closets will explode and will be filled with items we likely don't need or wear. Also, get into the habit of spending an hour each season or (more often if you like, I do it monthly) and really use an objective eye to eliminate what you don't need and what no longer fits or suits your style-try everything on if need be. Go through both yours and your kids clothes and donate or bless a friend with some items you don't wear. Try to avoid thinking you'll wear it 'some day' because that day usually never comes. The rule of thumb is that if you haven't worn it within the past 12 months you aren't likely to wear it ever again and don't need it.

4.  A Little Every Day-Most people get overwhelmed at the thought of spending a whole day or even an hour working on a very cluttered space. However, if you start small and do a little bit everyday, you'll reach your organizing goal in no time. Maybe you have some messy kitchen drawers, cabinets or a cluttered office. Instead of trying to tackle everything at once, commit to just one drawer or set a time limit using an oven timer of about 10 minutes. Really, everyone can spare 10 minutes! See how much you accomplish, you might surprise yourself with how much you get done and may even feel inspired to keep going once you get on a roll. The important thing is to start. Even if it's just for a mere 5 minutes every day, you'll be so much farther ahead after just 2 weeks than if you had done nothing at all.

You can also do this while you watch TV, bring a stack of clean towels that need to be folded, or a bunch of old magazines and decide which to keep and which to recycle, or bring a drawer into your living room and work on organizing it while you watch a show and you'll feel a sense of accomplishment when tv time is up.

5. How to Organize- Some of you might be wondering how to begin organizing. No matter what the space is, it could be as small and simple as organizing your handbag, there are four essential piles you need to create. They are: Keep, Toss, Donate, Re-locate. Toss or recycle items you no longer need which are broken or expired. Donate items that no longer have a purpose in your life, do not fit, do not work with your style, do not make you happy or that you have duplicates of. Give them away to either friends that want them or to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army, your trash IS someone else's treasure. Remember to pick up your donation receipt for your taxes too.

Re-locate anything that is in its wrong place. A roll of packing tape doesn't belong in your purse, so place it back in your office or garage where it belongs. Make sure every item has a 'home' in your house so there is no confusion as to where it is supposed to go. Keep everything that has a real purpose in your life or that you really do need and will in fact use.

*psst....want to know how to keep a clean car? Click the blue link for tips on maintaining your home on the road.

There are numerous tips on how to get and stay organized and there is no right or wrong way, it's about what works best for you. These are just a few key tips I use and encourage my clients to implement as well to simplify their life. Now, I want to hear how YOU like to stay organized!




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Friday Eye Candy & Weekend Plans

I mentioned the other day that I was really excited for the weekend. No, I don't have a calendar full of parties and fun outings to attend but I do have a date with my washer and dryer to catch up on some laundry and another one with my food processor and oven so I can make some fresh cranberry-orange-walnut muffins..YUM.

Actually, my mind has been fixated on organizing lately, which is perfect since my warm weekend weather dreams have all but disappeared. The high will be 60 degrees which is forcing me to stay inside and go into an early spring cleaning mode. I have to capitalize when the mood strikes me because these past few months I have not felt like organizing at all which is so unlike me but I don't know when I'll get the urge again once the pefect warm and breezy temps returns.

I got a bit distracted  from work this afternoon and all caught up in a whirlwind of dreamy and beautiful images I found online. With the cold, snowy and gray days of winter, I thought I'd share some HAPPY with you so you can get a little pick-me-up for the weekend too! Let's dream together, shall we, of everything cheery, cozy, colorful, lovely and pretty.....

Make a wish!

What lovely things do you have planned? I hope your weekend wishes come true!

XO

~Karla

*Source for all images.

{What was happening at Classy & Fabulous 365 Days ago}

1001 Uses for White Vinegar

Did you know that there are literally 1001 uses for the plain old white distilled vinegar that you have in your pantry? From cooking and cleaning to caring for your pet, there are so many reasons to use eco-friendly and inexpensive vinegar.


I'm always looking for new ways to use something I already have. I love it even more when it allows me to replace toxic everyday products with something that is better for my family and our planet.


Here are some great tips and some additional links for the many vinegar uses.


12 USES FOR WHITE VINEGAR


1. Make nail polish last longer. Wipe fingernails with cotton balls dipped in white distilled vinegar before putting on nail polish.


2. Keep a cat out of a garden area- Place a paper, a cloth, or sponge there that has been soaked in white distilled vinegar.


3. Get cleaner laundry! Add about 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar to the last rinse. The acid in white distilled vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics, yet strong enough to dissolve the alkalies in soaps and detergents. Besides removing soap, white distilled vinegar prevents yellowing, acts as a fabric softener and static cling reducer, and attacks mold and mildew. * This is my favorite use and a great way to avoid toxic fabric softeners (unless they are pure, natural and eco-friendly brands, they are toxic to lungs and skin. I promise your laundry won't smell like pickles!


4. Deodorize and clean the garbage disposal- Make vinegar ice cubes them by freezing full-strength white distilled vinegar in an ice cube tray. Run several cubes down the disposal while flushing with cold water.


5. Get decals off walls or doors-Let undiluted white distilled vinegar soak into them for several minutes before trying to peel them off. Repeat if necessary.


6. To clean and disinfect baby toys- Add a good-sized splash of white distilled vinegar to soapy water. You can also clean vinyl baby books or board books by wiping with white distilled vinegar. Wipe clean with a damp sponge or cloth.


7. Loosen chewing gum stuck to carpeting or upholstery- Do this by soaking it in white distilled vinegar.

8. Make onion odors disappear from your hands- Rub them with white distilled vinegar.

9.  If you’ve added too much salt to a recipe- add a spoonful of white distilled vinegar and sugar to try correcting the taste.

10. To Keep Boiled Eggs from Cracking while Cooking- Add a tablespoon or two of white distilled vinegar to water.

11. Remove Baked-on food from your Microwave- Place a mug with 1/4 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup water in the microwave for 90 seconds. Once done leave it in the microwave as the acid and vapors will help remove the baked-on food. Now you can clean it with ease.

12.  Use Vinegar as a Dishwasher rinse aid- Instead of high priced rinse aid, you can fill up your rinse aid container with vinegar. It does an amazing job of making dishes sparkle. You can also pour a little inside the dishwasher before it begin to help create vapor to remove stubborn baked-on food. It can also be used between loads to keep the dishwasher smelling fresh.

I go through quite a lot of white vinegar in our home for cleaning vs. cooking. I like to spray it in the shower area and on the shower curtain liner to keep mildew and hard water stains away. I love it for the dishwasher, especially at the beginning of a load along with my eco-friendly Method dishwasher tabs and I never experience baked-on food. Nothing rinses floors better than white vinegar and water, it leaves them clean and shiny.

My favorite usage as listed above is in the clothes washer. It really does keep soaps from dulling dark clothing, it helps lighten whites and makes all my clothing and towels fluffier without the need for harsh chemicals. My clothing, towels and sheets NEVER smell like vinegar afterwards. I've also used it many times to make perfect boiled eggs.

By the way, I prefer not to cook with white vinegar (or buy products with that as an ingredient) as it makes your body more acidic when consumed, which isn't good from a health perspective. However, apple cider vinegar (Bragg brand is my favorite) helps restore the pH in your body and provides many wonderful health benefits like eliminating arthritis, curing skin conditions like acne, aiding in weight loss, strengthening the immune system, preventing urinary infections and the list goes on. HERE is a whole site dedicated to just that!

For many more vinegar tips for health, pets, cooking, cleaning, laundry and gardening, click HERE. It's my favorite site for vinegar tips and tricks! Here is another website for your reference also.

Check out our spring cleaning post on natural cleaning ingredients that make everything sparkle without polluting your home!

What is YOUR favorite use for white vinegar? How did you discover it?

Easy Tips for Keeping a Clean Fridge

As some of you know, I'm a writer and I have several published articles on the web. I thought this one in particular was appropriate as Thanksgiving draws near and the holidays are quickly approaching. I try to keep my cleaning tasks as manageable as possible by chipping away at them little by little instead of having them pile up on me, which then requires a huge spring cleaning. Here is a guide that I put together so you can stay on top of your largest appliance-the fridge.

FRIDGE CLEANING GUIDE

Cleaning our fridge is generally not at the forefront of our mind until things start piling up. To avoid this problem, a weekly quick clean is best. If you follow these simple steps you will never have to do a fridge spring clean again! Here's how:

 1. Wipe Down- Use a sponge or light, soft scrubbing pad and soak with soap and water or a kitchen cleaner to wipe down the exterior of the fridge. If you have lots of papers and magnets on the fridge, take those off first. Consider only keeping 3 magnets on the side or front of the fridge as this tends to instantly make a kitchen look cluttered. Remove all sticky marks, fingerprints and don't forget to wipe the top of the fridge for dust if you have access to the top.


2. To eat, or not to eat? Open your fridge and pull out a garbage bag. Do a process of elimination by sorting, keeping and tossing. Go shelf by shelf and start grabbing items and looking at expiry and best before dates. Anything expired goes into the garbage. Likewise anything that looks like a leftover (and you are unsure of when it was placed in there) goes too. Any other items that you don't need, want or use will also go. Anything you truly need and do use will go back in after the cleaning, set aside on the counter in one area. Do the same with the freezer


3. Clean on the inside. This is the most important part of the process. Now that the fridge is free from food items and containers you can take each glass shelf out and clean with kitchen spray or soap and water followed by a wipe down with glass cleaner. Make sure the inside corners and walls of the fridge are also wiped down. In the door of the fridge you'll clean each storage compartment then move to the fruit and veggie crispers etc. Take a good look and make sure that everything is sparkling. Wipe down all the bottles and containers with soapy water, dry and replace into the fridge.


4. Keep Odor under Control- Place a new opened box of baking soda at the back of the top shelf of the fridge. This will help keep odor in check as the baking soda absorbs bad smells. Always take a permanent marker and write the date on the box. Remember to change it every 3 months. In addition always place items in the fridge in either a plastic sealed bag or plastic container. If you leave an onion half-cut in the crisper, you fridge will smell like an onion and your milk and juices will taste like it. Smells travel so keep them at bay. Also add a baking soda box to the freezer and follow the same premise.


5. Keep Leftovers in the Clear. There is nothing worse than opening leftovers from a month ago and having to smell and see what is inside. Know what is inside of every container by investing in some inexpensive clear storage containers. You might want to use some clear labels to list the date and the contents. Leftovers will get buried in opaque containers. You are also more likely to see the item and eat it instead of wasting it as it winds up in the trash.


6. Everything in its Place- Set up your fridge so that like items are located in the same place. For example all condiments can live in the fridge door on one or two shelves All large containers of juice, milk and water are best on the top shelf of the fridge. Raw meat belongs on the bottom shelf as not to cross-contaminate should it leak. Each shelf can have a theme almost. Shelf two could be grain products like muffins, bagels, bread and maybe the associated spreads like peanut butter or butter. Use the fruit and vegetable crispers separately for what they are intended. This makes for faster cooking and preparation when you don't have to search the whole fridge for one item.


7. Stay on top of it! It is easy to see a gooey jam spill in the fridge and say "I'll get it later". Later usually becomes never and then everything else becomes sticky too. You'll do yourself a huge favor by selecting a day, maybe the same day you clean the rest of your home or a grocery shopping day, to keep it clean. When you look into your fridge weekly you'll only need to wipe it down, glass clean a few shelves, wipe down a couple containers and toss an item or two that has expired.



The Fridge can seem like a whale of a job but only if you let it get that far. Tackle this big job once today and the payoff will be well worth it as you will spend minimal time with its upkeep. Not only is it presentable to your family members and house guests, it is a way to keep your home more hygienic and your family free from unexpected food-related illnesses.

For another great home cleaning post using natural ingredients click HERE. For some quick tips on how to keep a clean car click HERE.

Out of interest, who does the cleaning in your home-yourself, your spouse, roomate or are the duties shared?

Spring Cleaning the Natural Way!

Classy Women not only respect themselves, but they also respect their home and their planet. Make every effort to keep our earth green, clean and healthy. Clean your Home the Natural Way with nature's finest ingredients.

Here are a four that are not only very inexpensive but are eco-friendly to boot!

1. Lemons

2. Baking Soda

3. Distilled White Vinegar

4. Toothpaste

Here's how you can use them:

Fabric Softener

Since most fabric softeners contain toxic ingredients both for the planet and for you, try something a little different. Use 2 tbsps in your rinse cycle for great results that will never leave your clothes feeling coated and won't irritate your skin. Don't worry-your clothes won't smell like pickles, I promise! Make sure you are using Distilled white vinegar, not malt, or something sticky.

Dishwasher Rinse Aid

Vinegar has yet another wonderful use and that is getting your dishes sparkling clean! Yes, that's right, just pour vinegar into your dishwasher's rinse aid dispenser and it will keep them clean and spot-free.

Carpet Deodorizer

Use baking soda as a carpet deodorizer, especially if you have pets. Pour some on, let is sit for about 15 mins and then vacuum it up. Since baking soda absorbs odors in your fridge/freezer, it will do the same for your carpet and rugs too! (On a side note-I had a lost rotton onion that stunk up my cabinet, and poured baking soda on it for a whole day. It absorbed the moisture and most of the odor, then I kept an open box of baking soda in the cabinet for a month and smell was gone!)

Shower Mildew Preventer

They say vodka is a natural mildew preventer. I don't know about you, but I'd prefer to drink the expensive stuff vs. clean with it. There is another natural alternative though. Vinegar will do the trick. I keep a spray bottle filled 3 parts vinegar, 1 part water and spray the shower after each use, especially the chrome. It keeps it shiny and free from hard water spots.

Garbage Disposal Freshener

While little citrus discs are available from the store, wouldn't you rather use something natural to clean and deodorize your garbage disposal? Use left over citrus rinds or rinds/flesh from squeezed lemons and oranges. Put one or two in with a little water into your disposal and voila, any bad smells will be gone! The citrus is biodegradable unlike the store-bought disks and do not contain artificial fragrance, phthalates, etc.

Cutting Board Cleaner

When you have finished using your cutting board whether it be wooden, plastic or my favorite-glass, always use the flat side of a lemon-half or slice to clean the cutting board afterwards. This is my favorite thing to use after cutting garlic, it takes the smell away.

Get Chrome Super Shiny

I mentioned that vinegar is great for getting chrome to sparkle, you can use a little baking soda too if you need a little paste for extra scrubbing on a stubborn hard water scale. However, another great alternative is toothpaste! Maybe you bought a brand that you don't prefer, don't throw it away-use it with an old toothbrush to clean stubborn hard water stains and grime. You can use it in your bathroom, kitchen, for scrubbing between tiles, etc. The best part is the natural mint smell you'll enjoy while cleaning!

Drain De-Clogger

Once my drains get a little clogged I always checked for hair first, as this is generally the culprit. Once you've cleaned that out, if your drain is still not working right, use a little baking soda and vinegar. First pour some baking soda in, maybe about 3 tbsp, then add some white vinegar and try to cover the drain and let it fizz and foam away. Once it sits for about 10-15 mins, pour boiling water (from a kettle or very hot tap) down the drain. It will start dissolving the grime naturally unlike the usual drano-type products that are horrible for the environment.

Window Wash

Use vinegar in a spray bottle and recycled newspaper to clean your windows/mirrors. This is a much more eco-friendly and non-toxic way compared to ammonia-based products.

There is a plethora of great natural products available to you, if you don't feel like mixing and making your own. Try Seventh Generation, Method, or Ecover. Those are my three favorite brands. They offer everything from hand soap to dishwasher detergent to dryer sheets and diapers! They can be found online, at a Whole Foods Store or in some cases your local grocery store.

I hope you will try these natural methods so that you can reap the benefits of Spring Cleaning without the toxic cloud that will pollute your indoor air quality as well as our waterways, fish and ground.

For some great tips on how to keep a clean fridge click HERE. You can click HERE for some secrets on maintaining a clean car.

Do you use natural cleaning products are ingredients? What are your favorites?