I’m almost to the end of my challenge and giveaway (enter please if you haven’t already) and here are some of my reflections on this whole hanging the laundry to dry thing….

• I have plans to keep this up for the rest of the summer. At least while it’s so hot. It keeps the house cooler, cuts on our energy usage (smaller bill), and things dry so quickly in this heat.
• I’m keeping up better with the laundry since I only have so much hanging space.
• It’s not that much more work than using the dryer and I feel very vintagey, homemakey while attending to the task
• An apron is a good thing to have while doing this. It holds the pins well and adds to the feeling mentioned above.
• Note to self keep clothes pins away from Peanut. She managed to remove the springs from half of my collection. It’s a little difficult to put them back together so I’m just going to get some more.

So heres some great techy information on what’s in many laundry detergents.

Masking Agents: What Are They Hiding?

·         Truly fragrance free products have a scent. If there is no scent, it is likely that the product contains a masking agent.

·         Masking agents are actually synthetic fragrances that neutralize the scents so that there is no appreciable odor in a product.

·         Masking agents have similar effects to fragrances – some people have skin and respiratory sensitivity to them.

·         If a product does not contain fragrance it may still contain a masking agent – “no masking agents” claims indicate to consumers with sensitivities to fragrance that there are no fragrances present.

Optical Brighteners: Not a Brilliant Idea

·         Optical brighteners are chemicals that make fabrics seem brighter or whiter than they are.

·         They remain behind on clean laundry as a coating and when invisible ultraviolet light hits this coating; they convert it into visible light to create an optical illusion that tricks the eye into thinking our clothes are super clean.

·         Optical brighteners are designed to remain behind on clothes/laundry which means they come in direct contact with skin.

·         They can cause allergic reactions in some people.

·         Some are poisonous to fish and other aquatic life.

·         Many are not biodegradable and remain in waterways.

Why Seventh Generation Laundry Products are Different

·         Plant-based laundry detergents are non-toxic and biodegradable

·         Hypo-allergenic

·         Free of phosphates and optical brighteners

·         Safe for septic and greywater systems

·         Not tested on animals and are Kosher certified

Learn more about Seventh Generation’s line of laundry products at http://www.seventhgeneration.com/Natural-Laundry-Detergent

This is one of those things everyone runs into but nobody really knows how to deal with it. Cleaning up packing peanuts. Made worse when your small angelic looking child gets into them. I have to open packages on the sly because Peanut LOVES packing peanuts.

When her father came home today he brought in a package and happily told her it was for her (it wasn’t). Inside were some of my goodies and…(danger music here) packing peanuts. She shouted for joy grabbed up all the packing peanuts and proceeded to make soup out of them, use them for a landing pool for her dolls, rub her head in them to get them to stick to her hair and then finally take her tricycle and ride through them (yeah I let her ride her bike up and down the front hall in the house) to break them up good and tiny. So we have a mess. This is all on carpet.

Surfing the internet I found countless stories to use a balloon. That did not work for us.

We know that static is the problem so get a paper bag so they don’t bounce around on you like happened to me many moons ago when I had a huge pile to dispose of.

So what did we do? Tape. Packing tape wrapped around every member of the family’s hands and start patting. When the tape is full toss. Vacuuming would work a bit too but can clog your vacuum and fill those not so cheap bags fast. Won’t really work if you have bagless either because once you opened it…WHAM! Back they come.

I hope this helps someone.

Making Your Home Sing Monday. I didn’t think I was going to join another meme. They do take up time and many times they were took me out of my regular schedule so things would get out of sync. But alas during the Ultimate Blog Party hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom I found out about Moms the Word and Making Your Home Sing Monday.

Monday is my day to get the home back in order from a busy weekend. I know a lot of people clean up house on Saturday and the vintage schedule was to clean up on Friday but for me it’s Monday. I clean the bathrooms, do oodles of laundry, straighten up and even start some deep cleaning that I’ll finish up later in the week.

So LA LA LA LA LA LA LAAAAAAAA! Today to make my home sing I’m doing the regular Monday duties of cleaning two of the three bathrooms, washing towels, kitchen linens, darks, kid’s clothes, and work clothes, and cleaning up from the birthday party we hosted yesterday. I’ll also start spring cleaning the master bedroom.

And get this. Our vacuum died a couple of weeks ago. We have a new being delivered this week but I’ve been making do with a handvac. Oh well. No biggie.

We also have been deep into perfecting our cooking and that really makes our home sing but I have write up another post for that. It is involved.

To find out more about Moms the Word and Making Your Home Sing Monday, and what other’s are doing for a singing home visit Moms the Word

Even though I have some Spring Cleaning articles on the website I haven’t talked about what is going on in my own home.

Well up until maybe a week ago I was doing precious little in the deep cleaning in the home department.

Was I waiting for Spring Cleaning? No I don’t think so. I was just…waiting.

The winter can do that to you. But I knew it was time to kick it into gear and getting some things done. So here is what I’ve doing.

I like to focus on one section of the home a week because that means if I forget something one day I can do it  the next. Or if I’m too busy I can clean any other day of the week. Or I can clean as long or as short as I like because I have a whole week to get around to it or get it done.

I also ordered some green, pretty smelling cleaners. I needed some inspiration. And I did put together a nice upbeat gospel/southern gospel cd via iTunes to sing to with my daughter while we clean. That helps too.

So I have been cleaning the kitchen the last week or so. A little every other day or so but today I wanted to start focusing on a room per week. I’ll be coming back to the kitchen because I need to  workup a nightly quick clean set up like I  had in the last home. Did I mention that cooking is our family hobby (which I don’t write about nearly enough) so our kitchen gets kind of a workout.

Today I started with the Front Entrance. I have a small pergo floor there with plant, a small table for incoming mail and a chair which we pull in for dinner parties.

1. Pulled all items off the floor which included a boot drip tray or whatever they call it and an indoor rug for catching dirt. It has been said that you should have one on each side of the door….so I do.

2. Dusted high ledge above the door.

3. Dusted blinds (3 windows) and low ledges.

4. Dusted plant stand and polished small table

5. Cleaned windows (inside)

6. Wiped down walls and front door.

7. Vacuumed corners

8. Vacuumed throw rug (I should wash it but I need it right now) and swept floor

9. Mopped the floor

How long did it take? I have no idea. Maybe an hour with breaks to do something or other. I had dusting help from my 5 year old.

What’s next? I’ll check out the hall closet tomorrow and next week I would like to tackle the Master Bedroom dresser drawers mostly.

What else do you call a blog post that is nothing but a lovely list of all the gorgeously scented home cleaning products. Most of them are eco or environmentally friendly and I know that resonates with a lot of people. But here is the story before I go rambling on again.

I like a clean home and I do my best to keep the regular cleaning going. As with most people the onset of Spring makes me want to brighten and shine up the home a little more. Declutter some area, some extra dusting in a long forgotten corner and fresh scents to accompany all.

I love scented home cleaning products and there is no end to the ones out there. I’ve already made my way through Mrs. Meyer’s and Method, both of which are readily available at local stores. I’m kind of skipping Caldrea` because they are made by the same company that makes Mrs. Meyer’s so the hunt was on to find a couple of new surface sprays for the bathrooms and kitchen.

Now if you don’t already know these luxurious lovely scented home cleaning products are not your normal $2.50 but can run several times over that amount so I wanted to be sure, as sure as I could be, that I would be happy.

So the hunt was on. Instead of telling you all in detail about each brand etc., which I cannot because I have yet to try any of these, I’ll just list them for you.

The reason I’m making this list is because I searched high and low for one like this and couldn’t find a complete on. This is not complete but more comprehensive than what I could find.

• Mangiacotti: I leaned towards this one hard. The clementine scent was calling my name. Called by Michele’s last name (the founder)she created the Mangiacotti line of products to add whimsy and something special to every day tasks.
• The Laundress: Founded by two women formerly in the fashion design business The Laundress is first and foremost a line of specialty products for your laundry. The all purpose cleaner is newer. The clean lines are especially attractive.
• Sweet Grass Farm: Simple household products with kind of a vintagey, farm girl feel. The prices were good too.
• Stonewall Kitchen: Lots of choices in the scent department.
• Thymes: I had no idea they had cleaning products. I have a lotion and perfume I got as gifts about 10 years ago that I just love and that has me sniffing the bottle just to smile. I probably would have gone for them but I wanted more than one scent.
• Williams Sonoma They’ve got some new cleaning products out. It looks like it only comes in lavendar. I love lavendar but I wanted something new. Back to the search engine.
• JR Watkins: Who hasn’t heard of Watkins? Natural all purpose cleaners.
• Maison Belle: This is the brand that won out. I kept finding all these great articles about this company so I picked up a bathroom and a kitchen surface cleaner. They are out of London (I think) so to buy them in the US head over the The Beauty Habit (go figure, beautiful countertops)

As it stands now I’ll make this a ongoing list to see if I land upon anything else.

With all of the gardening, bug collecting, and outdoor adventures it has been duly noted that my home was in need of some TLC.

After a run to the library and some other errands I came home and donned the old cleaning apron.

I’ll pause here and link to some sites and information on cleaning aprons for you…

Clean Team Cleaning Apron (I have a red one sans logo)

Make Your Own Cleaning Apron( I thought about this but I am admittedly lazy)

Restoration Hardware Apron (I looked at this long and hard but when I did they only had white)

Too beautiful to clean in apron but I want it anyway

Back to cleaning…

I stuffed a few microfiber cloths in my pocket and a spritzer of all purpose cleaner/deodorizer

I dusted and straightend, for it was not much more than that,…

1. The office
2. Peanut’s room
3. Front entrance
4. Vacuumed whole downstairs

WHEW!

Honestly each of these areas has their own time and place to be cleaned but being out more than in I’ve let them go and it was showing.

I’ll get back on track this autumn… I promise.

I think I’ve mentioned how much I really like my aprons because they sort of give me this homemaking energy and I seem to get a ton done when I have one on (hmm I should be wearing one now)!

But I had been having a bit of an issue trying to accomplish serious cleaning with the ones I had. For kitchen cleaning they were kind of okay but having the strings of my apron drag across the toilet (that never happened but I sure did imagine it) as I’m cleaning was a horrific vision that kept me from wearing one when I deep cleaned.

Instead I just mussied up lots of outfits. Casual duds but nevertheless…

Rereading my Speed Cleaning(Yes go on and sneer at me. I often read homemaking, organizing, cleaning, and cookbooks for pleasure. Old ones too.) I studied Jeff Campbell’s diagram of the cleaning apron. Then I went to his website and studied the actual thing online. I decided it was too expensive and shut down the browser. Then I reopened it. Then I closed it. Then I thought about it all day. Then I called their offices. Then I decided I didn’t want the logo on my cleaning apron. Then the very nice customer service rep. told me I could get it without the logo. Then I decided my daughter needed one too. But then her’s would cost as much as mine. So I scrapped the idea. Then I thought… “she doesn’t help me with cleaning anyway”.

So I placed my order and 2 months later I couldn’t be happier. I stock my red (favorite color after chartreuse) apron with sprays, brushes, and rags and get to work).

Next on my list is one of these…

It’s late Friday and I had meant to blog all day but kept forgetting. But I’m hear now so…

I keep my Peanuts shampoo and baby soap in a little bucket I cart back and forth from her room to the bathroom. Just my way but that’s not the point. I shove this bucket under her changing table (a badger basket folding thing). So the other day I accidentally kicked it over ONLY I didn’t notice I had kicked it over until much later when half the bottle of baby bath had nicely soaked into the rug

Well hubby came to the rescue. He told me he would clean it up and I of course grilled him on exactly how was he going to do this as I may need this information for future reference. He made cute little comment about the pointers on my website (honey I have none for an occasion such as this) and got busy on the job.

So ladies in watching him rectify my error here is what he did.

1. Scooped up as much soap as her could with towels.
2. Got a bucket of water and this brush we often use to get spots out of the rug
3. Add a little bit of water with the brush to the soap spot and then used the shop vac to suck up the suds.
4. He kept doing this until there were no more suds to suck up just water.

Would I do it this way ? I would call him again! Hopefully it won’t happen anymore. Bad me
Of course that section of the rug looks fabulous!

We all know how difficult stains are to remove. The stains baby’s acquire can be some of the most challenging. From baby formula to pureed foods. Well my sweet baby had a juice fest with her father and got some nice deep purple grape juice stains on her once lovely white onsie and a cute pink top . I was so disgusted I dumped the tops in the laundry hamper and didn’t think about them for about 2 days. Well okay I thought about them but with great disgust.

I didn’t even bother to research my stain removing guides or the numerous laundry tips I have around. In my state of continuing disgust I just picked up my new tub of OxiClean Versatile – The Original! and followed the directions for treating a stain on clothing.

Making a paste with 16 oz of water and 1/4 cup of OxiClean Versatile. I let both of the tops sit in the sink with the paste on them for a about an hour while I did other things and then I dumped them in the wash with a load of laundry (toddler clothes). Again, to make sure I really got the stains, to the laundry I added a scoop of OxiClean Versatile and then filled the washer with hot water. I soaked her complete load of laundry (minus a blanket that likes to color everything) overnight and then completed the laundry this morning.

Boy was I surprised! I truly expected to find a least some trace of the stain because as we know grape juice can be a bear to get out. They were all gone!!! Both tops are like new! The OxiClean Versatile got all of the grape juice out and of course the rest of the laundry is wonderfully clean.

I was and am still very happy.

So today is Tackle it Tuesday time. This is the time when you get something done that you’ve been meaning to do or better yet procrastinating about.

My main goal for today is to unclog the bathtub drain. I keep forgetting to add the drain cleaner to my weekly grocery list. If I’m not walking past the list when it’s on my mind then sheesh! Forget it!

I make these wonderful detailed grocery lists and keep forgetting this one small badly needed item!

I think that is a clue to try another method. So I’m going to do just that!

This month in honor of my Vintage Homemaking site I’m going to attempt to unclog our bathtub drain using natural methods.

I’m trying not to think about what is making it clogged in the first place. My goal is just clean it!

Want the recipe?

1/2 cup baking soda
1/4 cup vinegar (I’ll be using white)
1/2 cup salt
Pour them in this order down the drain and let gurgle and bubble for 15
minutes.
Then, wearing gloves, and holding your face waaaay back pour a pot of
boiling water ever so slowly in after them.

* I can’t be held responsible for any accidents or unforeseen problems
so please use this with caution meaning be careful of splattering hot
liquids etc. Hold your face and your hands back from the happenings please.

For more Tackle it Tuesday people visit 5 minutes for mom here.

Update: I did the drain unclog and sat waaay back as I was really expecting Mt. Vesuvius but it was not so. It did gurgle and toil but I was extra zealous and kept pouring half cupfuls of vinegar down there (total of 3 to be exact). I did the salt too as I have a big box left over from last Thanksgiving’s brining.

I now need to fill the tub and watch it empty. Pretty cool. I’m going to have to share this with my sister. I also need more baking soda…