You CAN Make Your Own Household Cleaners

If I can make my own household cleaners, then you can too! I should be using more homemade cleaners than I do because they're SO simple to make, good for the environment, and they save you money <----yay for that one!

Here are a few links to natural/homemade cleaner tips I've shared before...

Microwave cleaning: Easy Microwave Cleaning
                                   Sterilize That Sponge & Clean Your Microwave

Shower cleaning:  Homemade Shower Cleaner

Oven cleaning: Natural Oven Cleaner
 
Vinegar is a great thing to have on hand for cleaning. Using it can be as simple as diluting some distilled white vinegar in a spray bottle and cleaning your kitchen counters with it! For more great ideas on how to use vinegar, check out the Big List of Creative Uses For Vinegar over at The Frugal Girls.

I also use baking soda and vinegar to clean my drains. Basically, you put 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, then slowly pour 1/2 cup or so of vinegar, which will cause it to foam up. Cover the drain and wait about 5 minutes. Then you flush it with a gallon of boiling water. Definitely helps though it may take more than one try if you have a drain that's really clogged.

Keeper of the Home has an awesome post: 67 Homemade, All-Natural Cleaning Recipes. Pick a few - you might already have some of the ingredients in your cupboards! These recipes are easy to try, so I know you can do it! C'mon - try a new one this week!

You CAN make your own household cleaners!

Do you make homemade household cleaners? Have you avoided homemade cleaners for some reason? What's your favorite homemade cleaning tip? Share in the comments!

Day 20 of #31Days. Find all the posts in this series by clicking the pic...

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Have a blessed day friends!

So I Think I Need To Clean

Whenever I'm doing a lot of cleaning, you can usually picture me like this - pout included. I don't like to clean. I said on Twitter the other day that motherhood should come with free maid service. :)

But I know that I have a duty and a calling to keep my house clean since I'm a wife and mom {OK - actually I would need to keep my house clean even if I wasn't either of those things - LOL}. I want to do it with joy - not with a pout. And I do so love the end result of the cleaning! Is there anything better than a shiny, sweet-smelling, tidy, comfortable home? Keeping the end goal in mind and the "why" of it all {plus a few many prayers} will help me to find the joy in cleaning.

And it seems that this is the week to get going on it!

• We've mostly finished with homeschooling which frees up some time. 
• Sarah Mae just happened to begin her 31 Days to Clean {The Reboot} this week - so I'm joining up! 

• Christin from Joyful Mothering has a series on Mothering and Homemaking this week. Good advice on how to get your kiddos involved in cleaning! 

All signs seem to point to "Clean that house up now, girl!" {Can I still call myself "girl" if I'm in my 40's?? Please say yes.}

So now you know what I'll be doing this week! Are you with me or is your house fabulously spotless right now? Do you find joy in cleaning? How do you motivate yourself to clean?

Have a shiny, sweet-smelling, tidy, comfortable sort of day friends!

31 Days to Clean...

...or as I like to call it *93* Days to Clean!!  I love this book and this challenge, but it's been hard for me to keep up with the daily Martha challenges.  May is a very busy month so I'm not home as much to clean and these are projects that I usually avoid (which is why I so desperately need the challenges!).  So not only do I have to get my regular cleaning done, but also the challenges which often can't be finished in 1 or 2 days for me.  I'm s.l.o.w. when it comes to chores, or anything actually.  I'm a daydreamer...*stops to look outside at clouds, squirrels,and the dog (and I'm not even kidding)*...now what was I saying??  :)


If you are diligently following along with the 31 Days to Clean challenge at Joyful Mothering, then you should be around Day 19ish.  I am starting Day 6!  And you know what?  That's OK, because I am actually getting things done and I'm so happy about it!  Besides, the Martha challenges aren't even the most important part - the Mary challenges are great and just reading the book is so helpful (Thank you Sarah Mae!).

The best thing about this is that it doesn't matter how you go through it - just do it!  Some people do well with a shorter term challenge and some people...*gets up to check on neighbors; decides more coffee is required to finish this post; starts making coffee*...now where was I??  Some people *ahem* need to take things at a slower pace.  Take it fast or slow or start over or make a list of Martha challenges and do them in any order - whatever works for you.  But most importantly, do read the book and work on the Mary Challenges.  You won't regret it!

And bonus with the Martha challenges, I've been running across some good cleaning tips!  I'll share some next week...*gets fresh cup of coffee; wonders if Kim would like knowing that I'm using coffee cup from FL; counts how many days of school are left for the kiddo (4 1/2!)*...aren't you amazed that I ever actually complete a task??  LOL!

Even Sarah Mae gives you permission to start fresh!  And my friend Stephanie is tackling the 31 days her own way.  Or be encouraged by Stacy, who has kept up with the reading but is plugging away at the challenges slowly.  Each Friday, Christin has a link-up for your 31 Days to Clean posts.  I encourage you to read those - you'll find that everybody is in a different stage - no pressure to be perfect or do it the same as anybody else!

So that's where I'm at!  Can you believe I'm finishing out the post without getting sidetracked again?  :)

Hugs to all!  Be encouraged and do it whatever way works for you!

You can stop over here for more info on the 31 Days to Clean book.

A Keeper Of The Home

Time for another old guest post of mine!  I wrote this one over 2 years ago as a guest post for Sarah Mae at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee.  I've made no secret here of my struggles with housework and this post tells a little of my story.  I still struggle, but know that the Lord is my strength and all things are possible through Him!

I want to make sure that you understand that we are in no way called to be *perfect* homemakers and will never be able to do it "all."  When I say that we are called to do it ALL (in my post) - I mean that we are called to do the good, the bad, and the ugly - not just the fun or easy parts of keeping a home.  As a sinner I often find myself resting too comfortably in the fact that we will never succeed in doing it "all", saying that the Lord won't mind me letting the laundry pile up while I put my feet up and read a blog or two...ahem.  Sometimes we do need rest!  And sometimes the Lord does want the laundry to pile a little while we attend to ministering to our husband or children in other ways!  But sometimes we need the Lord to work in our hearts and remind us of our priorities.

I would love to hear about your struggles with being a Keeper of the Home!

Originally published at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee on August 14, 2008:

In her 31 Days To Clean posts, Sarah Mae has talked about self-discipline and why we need to keep working at the daily drudgery. I agree with her and wanted to share some of my thoughts on the subject.

Being a good keeper of the home is a big struggle with me, so I’m really talking to myself here! Before I was pregnant with my son, I was Miss Career Woman and a terrible Keeper of the Home. God started helping me to realize that I needed to make a shift at that time. Eventually, I found myself an inexperienced Stay At Home Mom.

Domesticity did not come naturally to me. I did the bare, and I mean bare minimum of cleaning and I let my husband do the cooking. I was doing good at taking care of my baby boy, at least! At some point, I realized that Keeper of the Home was a most important job and I hadn’t been treating it that way. If I was working for “pay” outside the home, I did a great job and took pride in my work. Why wouldn’t I do the same for my more important job? That way of thinking about it helped me – I created some routines, did a little better with cleaning, and took over all the cooking duties.

Later on, it all became a struggle again and it still is. I understand the concept of taking pride in my home and keeping up with things because it’s the job that I was called to do. But that isn’t enough. I realize that there is more to it. This is what God has called me to do. It’s not an employer who gives me a job description and will give me money and recognition for a job well done. It’s God. If God somehow spoke to me and told me my job description for Keeper of the Home – would I say, “You know, I’m kind of tired. Maybe I could do the dishes just when they pile up and start the dusting next month?” I think not.

Maybe knowing that God calls us to do ALL of it, not just the parts that we like, can help us with our perspective and motivation. And there is a reward – a heavenly home with our Savior. There is even recognition. It will come when we hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

I’m not saying that we won’t struggle. We’re sinners after all. But maybe we can do a little better and ask God to help us grow as home makers and keepers. I pray that the Lord blesses your home keeping endeavors this week.

Backwards Works-For-Me Wednesday: Effortless Toilet Cleaning?

**Update - I neglected to ever post about this - a very kind PR Rep had pity on me with my toilet cleaning issues and sent me Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel to try. It was easy to use and I liked that you didn't need to have any contraption hanging on your toilet. I enjoyed the fresh scent and my bowl was cleaner for longer. I still had to scrub occasionally, but it was definitely an improvement. See? Backwards WFMW really helps people - LOL!**


Works-for-me is backwards today! That means that I get to ask you a question, and you have to help me - HAVE to!!

OK, so here is my not-so-lovely dilemma. I really want to know a way to keep a toilet clean without effort - you know, like how a daily shower cleaner keeps the shower pretty.

Do you have any tips for something (preferably frugal) that you can put in the toilet to keep it shiny and clean without all the scrubbing? I would LOVE your ideas!!

Check out Works-For-Me Wednesday at Rocks In My Dryer to see more dilemmas answered and to share your expertise!

Thanks for your help!