5 Simple, Surprising Cleaning Tips You’ll Love

Ideas for how to make cleaning up at home more fun and rewarding for weary moms.
Cleaning can feel like such a chore for moms. I have to admit it’s probably my least favorite thing on my constant to-do list. But because it’s how I spend a lot of my time, I’ve put some thought into ways to make it feel less like a grind, and I’ve discovered some simple, surprising cleaning tips you’ll love:
1. Make it social and fun. Swap help with a friend or group of friends, for instance, and make it a social get-together. Each month, tackle one friend’s home or one area of her home. Put on some fun music, order takeout, and maybe share a bottle of wine while you catch up and help each other sort, organize, clean, and de-clutter. You’ll have fun and be productive, and you’ll look forward to these days! Plus, you can get so much done with a couple of extra hands!
2. Find charities that are meaningful to you where you can donate your extra stuff. There are charities that help struggling women get back on their feet where you can donate your professional clothes and accessories, for example. Or consider organizations that recycle phones and electronics for women and kids at risk or living in shelters. A quick Internet search will give you many possible leads to choose from. You’ll de-clutter and do good, and you’ll feel great about it when you’re done.
3. Set an effective cleaning schedule. Cleaning can seem like an endless, all-consuming, daily chore. But don’t let it be! Make a point to clean, for example, either 20 minutes each evening or one hour for two or three mornings a week — and leave it at that! Like every other kind of work, this should not take over your life, and it won’t if you just schedule a time for it and stick to that.
4. Change your attitude. Sure, cleaning is annoying. But you can also look at it as meditative, healthy, and timesaving, in many ways. For instance, you can dance while you vacuum or sing while you do anything. It’s much more physical than sitting at a desk, and therefore better for you! The result of a clean home brings peace and calm and offers you and your family more room to rest, play, and breathe, so be sure to enjoy that feeling and the results of your chores, too. And, when you clean up, you put things where you can find them faster when you need them, so you are saving everyone time and frustration. Think of all those benefits, and don’t just focus on the annoyance of cleaning.
5. Reward yourself. Let’s face it: Moms are rarely thanked for cleaning. But cleaning is work and hard work deserves a reward, I think. So after you’ve scrubbed and dusted and washed and folded and sorted and stacked, go take a nice long walk, have lunch with a friend, see a great movie, or take a good nap. You earned it!

6 home cleaning remedies that actually work

Modern advances in home-technology are great, but when it comes to cleaning, good ‘old-fashioned home remedies still get the job done. Next time you go on a cleaning frenzy, hearken back to your grandma’s wisdom and give one of these home remedies a shot.
Disinfect your toilet with denture tablets.
For a no-fuss bacteria banisher, drop a couple of denture tablets into your toilet bowl and flush. While it won’t get rid of stains, it will rid your toilet of dangerous bacteria.
Erase a bathtub ring with baking soda.
If your DIY bath bombs created a ring around your tub, erase it with a box of baking soda. Simply sprinkle baking soda on the ring and let it sit for up to an hour. When you rinse it away with water, the nasty ring will be rinsed away with it!
Use coffee filters to wash windows.
Coffee filters are great for cleaning windows because they leave a streak- and lint-free shine. Plus, this inexpensive option won’t leave residue on your hands as the newspaper does. Bonus: They work on mirrors, too.
Use ice to remove wax from the carpet.
If your candles have melted right down to your carpet, start the cleanup process with ice. First, fill a plastic bag with ice and lay it on top of the wax stain. Let the bag sit until you’re sure the wax is frozen. Then, scrape off the wax with a dull knife (a butter knife will work well).
Clean copper with lemon and salt.
If you’re a Moscow Mule fan, your copper mugs probably need a quick shine every once in a while. Just grab a lemon and some salt. Microwave your lemon for 10 seconds, and then cut it in half. Dip the juicy side of the lemon into the salt, then vigorously rub your copper. The stains will disappear and your copper will shine like a new penny.
Shine your silver with banana peels.
If you have tarnished silver, look no further than your fruit bowl to shine it up. First, blend a banana peel with water until it forms a paste. Rub the paste onto your silver with a soft cloth and then rinse your silverware thoroughly. Be sure to dry your silverware before putting it back into a drawer, or you’ll be stuck with moldy silver.

10 Closet Faux Pas You Should Avoid

Your closet is actually a lot like a boyfriend. It keeps you warm. It’s (almost) always there for you. It never picks up after itself. And it doesn’t like to do laundry.
Also, you can make closet mistakes. They’re different from boyfriend mistakes (getting passive-aggressive with your closet isn’t really a thing), but they’re mistakes nonetheless.
Here are ten likely culprits – some have to do with the closet itself, and others are questionable fashion choices you might be making.
Acting Like You Only Have One Shelf
Turn one shelf into two by using storage boxes as a base. You’ll make room for purses, shoes, and more piles of clothes on top.
Continuing to Keep Skirts from College in There
You looked great in that miniskirt, you really did. And your legs would look fantastic in it now if you put it on. But let’s be honest, you’re not going to. Take all those nostalgic outfits from your undergrad days and get rid of ’em.
Mixing Your Clothing Piles
Sure, it may seem fun and exciting to stack those jeans right alongside your sweaters. But it’s an organizing disaster! Try these pile dividers for your closet if the temptation to mix and match is problematic.
Storing “Aspirational” Outfits That Don’t Fit
It’s tempting to get a pair of jeans or a dress that you’ll diet-or-exercise your way into. But we don’t think it’s a great habit. First of all, it means you’re taking up precious closet space with clothing you’re not wearing. Second, you should wear things you feel comfortable and beautiful in now!
Limiting Your Clothing Storage to Just Your Closet
If you’re running low on space, you can use stacked suitcases for extra storage. If it’s a stylish suitcase, you can use it as a bedside table or a table at the foot of the bed. Keep accessories, out-of-season clothes, or any items you don’t need every day in your suitcase storage.
Settling for a Single Level of Hangers
You can use a pull tab from a soda can to layer hangers. If you’re not a fan of soda, you can use these hangers for your shirts and dresses and these hangers for your skirts and pants. Cha-ching – one closet becomes two!
Letting Your Jewelry Get Knotted
Jewelry storage requires uber separation. This clear-pocket hanging storage will make your life easier on a daily.
Tolerating Empty Wall Space
Capitalize on every empty wall in your closet. Small hanging racks for purses, hats, or coats are a great way to fill the space across from your hanging clothes or in the inside of the closet door. You could also hang necklaces on a nail.
Pretending You Can See in the Dark
If you can’t see a piece of clothing, you probably won’t put it on. And a lot of closets suffer from bad lighting. If this sounds like you, throw extra light on the wall. These lights stick to the wall so they’re a good choice.

How to Clean the House Fast

Hi Friend!

Do you want to know a secret?
I don’t like to clean. In fact, I have to trick myself into cleaning my house. And when it’s time to clean up, I want it done FAST.
Now don’t tell anyone, but my house is actually pretty messy right now. So, instead of cleaning up, I decided to write a new blog post sharing my secret to clean up quickly.
Do you need to clean the house, but don’t feel like spending all day tidying up?
Are you so incredibly overwhelmed with the messiness of your house, that you don’t know where to start?
Or perhaps you just lack the motivation to clean your home…again?
Well, today I want to share a little trick I’ve learned that has motivation, a starting point, and speed cleaning technique all wrapped in one. Here’s a little trick to clean your house faster.

How to Clean the House Fast: Start with Easy!

1. Start in the cleanest room and repeat systematically.
If you entered my home through the front door, you would see the dining room on your left and the living room on your right. Except for the occasional toy or disheveled throw pillows, these rooms stay tidy most of the time.
When it’s time to clean the entire house, I always start in these two rooms.
A quick pick-up, dust, and vacuum are usually all it takes. In just three short minutes, I can have two spotless rooms in my house.
It’s a quick win!
2. Move to the next easiest area to clean.
Since the first two rooms I tackle are on the first floor, the next logical place to tidy up is the back entryway/hallway. Our drop zone is by the back door so there’s always something to be picked up and put in the proper place.
Next, I usually move to the downstairs half-bath.