Cleaning House

{via}

Sorry for my lack of posts lately,  I've been working on a lot of new projects and am managing some new changes around our home too. I'll be back again tomorrow with a a fun celebratory giveaway that you won't want to miss!

Speaking of the house, since today is a cleaning day for me, I thought I'd share how I keep house here at the Davis residence. My friends who know me well know that I love to clean and organize. In fact, they coined a term several years back called 'Karla clean' referring to how involved and detail oriented I am when cleaning. I can thank my dad for that -he taught me well!  It feels so great when everything is sparkling clean, and fresh doesn't it?

Before getting married and moving in with hubby, things in my own home always remained really clean and I loved returning from work or a trip to it that way. Being married presents different challenges, as I've learned over the past 4 years. Learning to work together and seeing how the other person does things is interesting to say the least.

For instance, I'm the type of person who likes to clean up the kitchen sink/counters while preparing food and dinner is cooking so that when everything is done there are virtually no dishes or mess to attend to. Hubby on the other hand is happy to leave them and come back to it when he feels inspired to put them in the dishwasher. LOL. I suppose some would say it's a 'guy' thing. It's probably a good thing that I do 90% of the cleaning because I can spot dirt where my darling husband does not. I've always firmly believed that the inside of a microwave can tell you a lot about the rest of someones home. Don't worry, I don't go snooping in people's microwaves. ;)

Thankfully we don't have any pets to clean up after and being sans kiddos at the moment, cleaning is actually a pretty easy task which kinda makes me a bit fearful for when they eventually arrive. I don't know how you moms do it! Taking care of children and a home is really two full time jobs wrapped up into one-kudos to all of you who take this on everyday! Don't ever let any working mommas or others tell you different!

With the chaotic week that I had last week, I have to say that my usual cleaning schedule became de-railed and instead of my 'a little bit every day' approach, I've left myself with 'a lot in one day' as I want to knock it out so I can enjoy this upcoming weekend.

Here is what my schedule normally looks like for our house of two:

{click to enlarge and view}

Since our master bathroom is SUPER tiny (literally a stand up shower, toilet and sink) there is no way that Paul and I could share, thankfully he let me have the bigger bathroom complete with a linen closet and bathtub. It gets used heavily as the main bathroom for our house and by visitors so I really like to keep on top of it. I sometimes take over the guest bedroom too, it happens to be my office. Aside from that, hubby has a very active dream life, sometimes I hear him mumbling in his sleep and even in a king size bed I'll wake up to the odd arm in my face which is when I take my cue to walk across the hall to the other room. Thankfully he doesn't snore though!

We only use eco-friendly, non-toxic cleaners in our home. Often I'll make my own, here is post on how to make natural cleaning products for your home too. My store-bought favorites are Seventh Generation, Ecover, Mrs. Meyers and Method. I have tried Greenworkds products in the past when I've had coupons but they're still made by the Clorox company who manufactures (and makes the majority of it's profits from) way too many chlorine-based, chemical laden cleaners in my opinion and I don't want to support that.

{Smarty dish is my fav dishwasher tab with white vinegar as my rinse aid. I LOVE Seventh Generation Disinfecting Spray/Wipes-kill germs and they're 100% natural! Ecover and Seventh Generation make a great toilet bowl cleaner-commercial brands and toilet tabs contain loads of neurotoxins like napthalene, the same ingredient in moth balls-avoid them at all costs!}

For those of you who feel overwhelmed with the new school year, beginning a  new job or getting back on track as the summer months wind down and don't know where to begin, perhaps you could use my cleaning chart as an example, filling in the dates as they make sense for you and your home.

How about all of you? What type of cleaning schedule have YOU implemented? Maybe you prefer to cast schedules aside and clean when you feel inspired or when things really pile up? I'd love to hear how you tackle the cleaning in your own home. Maybe you're blessed to have a maid service to help you out or a hubby that takes on more of it? What tips and tricks allow you to spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying life?

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for all the details of our next giveaway! :)



*I am in no way sponsored by or compensated the above mentioned cleaning product companies. These are my personal preferences.

Happy Earth Day!

Are you celebrating Earth Day today? It's actually the 40th Anniversary, and while some say that our planet is in greater peril today, I strongly believe that we can begin to turn this ship around. If we all do our part, we can create a brighter future, a greener earth and a better place to live.

Last year I picked up and planted 3 baby trees from a local neighborhood earth festival in Winter Park, they were giving away trees to anyone willing to plant them. I picked up two maple trees and an oak. I thought the maple trees would help remind me of my home Country and they would be great at providing shade, cleaning the air and also providing a little more privacy from the neighbors. I love oak trees and we have a beautiful 50-yr old oak tree on our front property.

I regularly take part in neighborhood and local lake and river clean ups, where we remove trash and undesireable items from waterways so that unsuspecting wildlife don't become entangled in them. It really is such a great feeling to give back knowing that collectively our overall effort makes such a huge difference.

This year however, I have been so busy that I haven't researched what I wanted to do. It will be a litte more low key for me. We started a compost pile a couple years ago and I'm going to work on making it more efficient so the plant matter breaks down quicker. Exciting stuff, I know. LOL. I'm going to be incorporating some shredded newspaper as I realized this was a missing component, and I am going to start writing down the days when I need to turn everything in my calendar, which is once per week. :)

If you haven't thought too much about Earth Day, here are some events you can take part in within your own home town. Just type your zip code in to get the details. Also, you might be thinking about making a greater commitment going forward. Here are some great ideas, many that you can also involve your children in so that they may learn to make the best choices for their generation.

12 Steps to Becoming Greener

1. Use Less Packaging- Buy products with no or very little packaging and those make from recycled materials.

2. Recycle- Be sure to recycle all newspaper, cardboard and paper (includes paper towel and toilet paper rolls, envelopes, cereal boxes), glass, appropriate numbered plastics (without the lids/tops), metal cans and  foil.

3. Commit to creating a Compost pile- Start a compost bin to break down all of your fruit and veggie scraps.

4. Receive Automated bills online- Unsubscribe from all of your current service providers' paper invoices.

5. Bike or Walk vs. Drive-Now that spring is here, vow to walk or bike for small errands vs. drive. It'll keep toxic chemicals out of the air and will require less oil resources so it you money and may even help you stay in shape.

6. Get on the Reusable Bag Bandwagon- Not only are they far more durable, they keep millions of plastic bags out of our landfills, waterways, trees and help keep our planet beautiful and green. Many stores now offer 5-10 cent bag credits per bag each time you shop, like Whole Foods and Target.

7. Banish Chemicals! Start using eco-friendly cleaners that are safe for your skin, your home, the air you breathe as well as our precious fish. Try Method, Seventh Generation, Ecover, Mrs. Meyer's clean day, etc. Here are some of my natural ingredients and tips so you can spring clean the natural way. BTW, did you know that vinegar has over 1001 uses? Check it out HERE.

8. Say No to Receipts when offered-this will not only save paper but it will eliminate the amount of BPA you come in contact with. Receipts are loaded with them!

9. Don't Toss, Post on Craigslist-if you have unwanted, unused items you can keep them out of our landfills by posting them for sale or free on craigslist. Let someone else enjoy them. You can also donate to goodwill and salvation arymy.

10. Keep Electronics out of the Trash-Target as well as several other retailers have recycle bins suitable for not only their plastic bags but also for mercury- filled electronics such as cell phones, PDA's and MP3 players. Mercury is a growing problem, help stop this cycle today.

11. Skip Bottled Water- Eliminate your intake of BPA and your carbon footprint by avoiding bottled water. Instead buy a stainless steel (not Aluminum) bottle and continue to fill it up with filtered water. We use a Brita filter and it is so much cheaper than buying bottled. Brita offers a lot of $5 coupons online too.

12. Save Energy-If you leave a room, flip off the switch or turn off the fan and don't let water run. It's easy to get distracted and leave a room to realize the light has been on for hours. If YOU are not using it, turn it off. It will save you money and the constant drain on our power grid.

One final tip would be to incorporate more natural, organic design into your home too such as organic hemp or cotton fabrics that contain vegetable or soy-based dyes. Don't forget to use low-VOC paint, there are so many brands to choose from. One of the best things you can do is reuse something you already own in another way or find some great pre-owned treasures from a thrift store.

For those of you that live in the Orlando area, there will be a Central Florida Earth Day festival this coming Saturday from 10-6pm at Lake Eola. I will be attending again this year, so maybe I'll even see you there!

With so many great ways to contribute, what will you be doing to celebrate our earth today?

WARNING-Wash Before You Wear!

Do you know where you newly purchased clothes have been before you put them out for a night on the town? It may have never occured to you that the very 'new' articles of clothing you purchased are actually downright dirty!

When shopping for clothing and trying it on in the fitting room, we always want to believe that we were the only ones that tried it on-until we find a dark ring of foundation around the neck or lipstick on the sleeve, but that's not even the tip of the iceberg on the type of 'dirty' I'm referring to.

Most of the clothing widely available in the U.S. was not manufactured in the USA at all. Most clothing comes from China, Indonesia, Taiwan, etc. What you probably didn't know is that all of the clothing and any fabrics are first sprayed with toxic chemicals that prevent fungal or insect contamination. If clothes are not washed first before wearing, you are in effect wearing pesticides on your skin and breathing them in as well. This is also prevalent in baby clothing which is why it is also key to wash all baby clothing in fragrance-free natural detergent first before every putting it on baby's delicate and sensitive skin. A baby's liver has to work much harder to remove such toxic compounds which is why infants are not supposed to wear even sunscreen at a very young age.

Did you know that most of the clothing that you'll buy has also probably wound up on the floor of a store at some point? When I was young, and fresh out of highschool I had a chance to work at two different clothing stores and I can tell you first hand that the clothing has a tendency to collect dust and when tried on in a fitting room, often winds up on the floor, sometimes stepped on and when being re-hung by store employees, has often been dragged on the ground if the article is long such as a bathrobe. Doesn't sound too appealing, does it?

Last week I was behing a woman at the checkout at a local Target store and I heard her tell the cashier that she didn't want to put the clothing on the conveyor belt (I don't blame her). After all-groceries such as packages of chicken run on the same belt so it's liable to become stained or dirty. She surprised me though when she then commented "I don't want to have to wash it BEFORE I wear it". That part I didn't agree with so much because of the reasons mentioned above. It's important to wash everything including undergarments and bras in packaging also, they are also treated before being shipped.

We never know what fabric or clothing goes through from the country of origin all the way to the truck or boat it was packed on to the point that it reaches a warehouse and then finally makes its arrival at the store. It may look clean, but I assure you  that ALL clothing is in fact dirty. As annoying as it may seem, after all it IS another step and another thing we need to worry about, I promise you the 2 seconds it takes to pop it in with your other laundry will be well worth it in the end!

While we're on the subject, if you're unsure of which type of pure, natural and eco-friendly detergents to use that are also safe for your skin (mainstream commercial detergents are not safe and can irritate delicate skin with harsh chemicals and fragrances causing allergies and skin irritations, and also pollute our waterways and fishy friends), here are a few great choices:

1. Method 'Squeaky Green'- Laundry detergent for adult/baby (they also offer dryer sheets)
2. Seventh Generation- Offer Adult and Baby detergents
3. Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day-Lavender Laundry detergent (other natural scents available)
4. Ecover Delicate Wash -Great detergent for lingerie, intimate apparel
5. Purex Natural Elements-Least expensive eco/skin-friendly detergent.

I have tried all of these above. They are a little more expensive than the traditional soaps however you are not only helping the environment, but are adding less chemicals to your skin that it absorbs and that your liver then has to process and detox. These are all concentrated formulas so you need less of them.

After learning the truth about what is really in our clothing, will you be washing before you wear?

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?