I pretty much didn't do anything on NYE and NYD, so I started by catching up yesterday - and the remainder of the week. In the cleaning mode!!!!!! Must clean something...must clean something....
I am all about keeping things easy and simple. You all know that! I also don't like spending a lot of money. I buy very few cleaning products - I make most of my own cleaners (will do a post later on that).
BUT - that being said, keeping our lives simple, frugal and clean doesn't necessarily mean NOT spending money. Sometimes we need to spend on a tool or product that makes our lives easier. That is cool.
I received a product as part of a gift this year that I have to say is WONDERFUL! I did a quick check to see the price point - not because I care what she spent on me - but so I could report to you. I have to say, I probably wouldn't have tried it myself at the price point - but I will now, if I ever need to replace.
You need NOTHING besides the cloth to clean - no product, no chemicals, just the cloth and water!
I misted the windows (some had steam on them from cooking) and cleaned. Not a streak or dust particle to be found. Much cleaner than they have been in ages. I clean windows often. I used on mirrors and on my glasses! Fantastic!
Now I had my doubts about the cleaning cloth. Water and a cloth to clean grease, dirt, grime, anything(?) Welp, it worked. I did my stove top - which had been very neglected the past few weeks and had lots of grimy grease spots (don't judge). Sparkling!!!! - hot water and cloth only!
So I am now a believer.
They ranged in price from $33 - $38 online for the 2 cloths (combined). Not sure about the jar of cleaner. BUT $38 and never buying a cleaning product again - works for me. All natural too! They say they remove bacteria as well.
Yes, I use towels on some of my frig shelves. It makes me smile when I open up the frig! It is just bright and cheery. It also serves a purpose. Things often leak or spill and it makes cleaning up a lot easier. Remove the cloth and launder. My frig is VERY old!!! You can see the cheese drawer handle is broken and there are lots of scuff marks on the metal - but it works! (and it is clean and cheery!)
I took on the inside of the fridge as well. I cleaned everything and sadly threw away some stuff. I took all out of the door racks and scrubbed the racks. There were several partials of this and that - which when I could I combined. Otherwise they got trashed - just been in there waaaaayyy too long! (You know that took a lot for me - I don't trash things).
I rearranged and now things look good, and I have room. Got things together I plan on using this weekend for company (condiments and sides).
I have a couple shelves that I put towels on. I have red check, green check and blue checked towels - I got them all as a gift. You could use pretty towels or even cheery fabric. Easy to clean and fun to look at.
I love any trick that makes clean up easier.
So, there are a couple tricks to my cleaning in the kitchen. I like to promote any product that WORKS and makes life easier. I love the cloths - just my opinion!
Have a lovely day make a little cheer in your home. Spruce up a place that normally isn't!
Have fun. Have a great day!
Happy New Year, Cheryl. I'm still basking in the glow of the Christmas tree lights. Usually it's down by now. Bedding has been laundered & beds remade. Slowly but surely putting away the holiday dishes, etc. I did the fridge clean-out yesterday after the kids left on Monday. I won't have to cook for a week with the leftovers in there. I put all the candy in the basement cold room; out of sight, out of mind?! I have used microfiber cloths in the past. I am a creature of habit & returned to old practices. Like you, I use very few cleaning products. I still maintain the best cleaner is elbow grease.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have a god handle on things. Always nice to put the clutter to bed! Yay on leftovers.
DeleteI am not a fan of traditional microfiber - but these feel very different. I like them. A little elbow grease goes a long way.
Thank you for sharing your new stuff, Cheryl! That is amazing!
ReplyDeleteI too would like to share what I found the other day at Walmart. If you have PET FUR on clothing or pet bedding etc. you pop these in your wash and dryer and they are reusable and WORK. It's called: "Furzapper". Zaps fur off your laundry. It's a two pack of these soft rubber sticky type discs in bright yellow and green with a paw print on front. It cost $14. something and I found it *hanging* in the plasticware container-next aisle to clothes pin and basket section area, with pet lint roller brushes. I tried it last night on two pet bed covers that were *very* hairy with sand too. Shook the sand out of course but yes...They work so well! Usually I have to wash things like that twice and then have to clean the washing machine barrel out too. Not this time! : ) I threw our daughter's dauchshund scarf in there with the load too, it had become quite dirty over holidays. Clean as a whistle! This is also going to be great for any clothes in my closet that the kitties decided to get a back scratch from! lol
I made a huge pot of vegetable soup yesterday so I'll probably have that for supper. The split pea base makes a good velvetie soup. I put white beans and spinach in it, celery, onion and garlic sauted in olive oil with a couple of cans of tomatoes, a few pieces of little carrots. Lot's of Italian type seasonings. I wish I would have added two packs of split peas now so it would be more creamy but oh well. Next time. I may add some tomato sauce cans to it to make it a bit more Italian tasting.
Hopefully I can start cleaning out my studio today.
Still enjoying Christmas lights in my home. : ) The lights and trees, doggy ornaments will stay for a long while... I love the coziness it provides. Thank you for your encouragement on that, Cheryl! : )
I love your towels in the fridge, that is such a great idea! Yes, things do drip out many times. That's really cute, Cheryl. I'm going to have to try that!
Have a sweet day! Try those FurZappers! : ) ~Amelia
Yummy on the soup, Amelia! I have white beans and spinach (in bags in the freezer) I'll use for a pot of soup soon. Snow is expected in the coming days. Always "soup days" for me.
DeleteI'll look into the FurZappers. Thanks! --Elise
Elise, the price on the Fur Zapper is $12.88 not 14. Sorry! One of our daughters suggested curbside pickup too from Walmart.
DeleteI love soup! So cozy. : ) ~Amelia
On the FUR ZAPPERS. Sorry, the price was $12.88. Not 14. So that's even better. : ) As I wrote Elise, you can do curbside pickup at Walmart too. ~Amelia
DeleteAmelia, I have seen that product advertised and wondered if they really work. Thanks for the endorsement!
DeleteHubs is heading there today to get (fresh date) OTC meds. I've asked him to pick up 1/2 pint jars for me--we got a 1/2 gallon of juice from the oranges and I'll make jam with the 4 cups of seedless pulp. I'll ask him to look for the FurZappers, too. Thanks! --Elise
DeleteThanks for tat recommendation Amelia. That is something anyone with pets could use. It is so very hard to get rid of the fur - little stinkers! Great price really.
DeleteYour soup sounds really good. I bet your house looks lovely!
Donna, they *really* work! : D Elise, I hope he finds them! I posted on my blog over to the right with photos so you can identify it! : ) My Forest Cathedral.
DeleteThank you Cheryl, you are a blessing.
Thanks gals for the replies! ~Amelia
I did a frig/freezer clean out yesterday. I got many future meals put back in the freezer. I have many baggies of bananas to make banana bread or cake to use up. I did make a minestrone soup yesterday, I tried to replicate the Olive Garden one. I think I got close!
ReplyDeleteYou know I LOVE soup, Laurie, and using up the bits and bobs in the fridge often makes a great soup. --Elise
DeleteI plan on doing the big freezer next week. How do they get to messy? Nice to have all those meals made ahead. Bananas is something I have a lot of too. I need to do some smoothies or ice cream one of these days.
DeleteI bet that soup was good!
Oh, my goodness! I'm having a V-8 moment, Cheryl. Last year Sis sent me microfiber towels that I put in the linen closet and forgot about. I'll have to give them a try! Cleaned the stove top and counters my usual way just a few days ago, but cleaning the fridge is on my January "to do" list. I, too, keep towels in the fridge, especially under meats from the freezer that are slow thawing.
ReplyDeleteMy spring cleaning this year will start now and get stretched out over the 1st months of the year. Those microfiber towels will come in handy for dusting baseboards, windowsills, cabinets, etc. I used to use the Swifter thinggies, but stopped a few years ago. Too expensive. Thank you! --Elise
Get those babies out and try them. They are really something.
DeleteI need to use the window one on the back window of the Blazer nothing gets that clean - I am anxious to try.
Those will be great for catching dust of all sorts - indeed. I used to do the Swifter's too - but such a waste of money and just to throw in the landfill.
Thanks for telling us about your new find. I love things that make cleaning easier and safer. I don't like to use harsh chemicals in the house. While I was off I tackled the linen closet, the hall coat closet and my dresser drawers. This is the time of year I like to go through everything.
ReplyDeleteIt is that time of the year for sure. I think we all get in that cleaning mode - I mean there isn't much else we can do!
DeleteSounds like you got a lot done.
I have heard a lot of good things about Norwex from people that use them here. Glad to read your recommendation of the product.
ReplyDeleteHere I am catching up on a few things. Yesterday I cleaned all the ceiling fans, and sterilized the door knobs. Today I have cleaned the microwave and cleaned the dishwasher as well.
God bless.
I had never heard of them before - but they are good.
DeleteSounds like you got a lot done. Oh, the ceiling fans - another good use for them!
Don't work too hard!
I've used Norwex cloths for a long time. It doesn't seem frugal when you look at the initial cost, but they do work well and with just water. I do also keep other rags for some clean-ups, and I make a disinfectant spray with a recipe from Faith and Flour on YouTube. Even though the Norwex is antibacterial, I sometimes feel I need to use the antibacterial spray (it's made with cheap vodka).
ReplyDeleteI use towels in my refrigerator, too. Like you, I have some bright, cheery ones that make me happy every time I open the door. Wanita
Glad to hear others like them too. They are kind of pricey to start, but last basically forever. I keep other rags around too - for all sorts of things. I have always made my own cleaners - just not a fan of chemicals.
DeleteYay, on the towels. It just brightens the day a bit!!! We all need little things that make us smile.
Have to consider purchasing the Norwex cleaning cloth set. Anything to make cleaning easier, more efficient. Next thing to tackle is the inside of the refrigerator. It has gotten some spot cleaning and general clearing out of old stuff but it could use a good scrubbing. Generally I don't use commercially made cleaning products. White vinegar is good and inexpensive.
ReplyDeleteDonna, I use white vinegar, too, but have you tried a 1/2 and 1/2 peroxide & water spray in the fridge? It's nice to see the bubbles and feel like it's killing all the bacteria. --Elise
DeleteP.S. Walmart has good sized bottles of peroxide for $1 right now.
DeleteA nice clean frig is a joy. I spot clean all the time as well, but yes, I did a major clean. I use vinegar in the frig as well.
DeleteSeems like cleaning is on everyone’s mind. I have also heard good things about this product. I use ENJO cleaning products and have had some of their range for over 20 years ( which does make me sound like I don’t use them much!!!!) but I’m always keen to hear a product recommendation from a trusted source. If something works I don’t mind to pay a little more.
DeleteI am making a pot of chorizo, white bean and tomato soup to feed us tomorrow as we demolish a shed whose roof was blown off in a recent storm. We lose storage but gain wood for the fire.
Take care everyone, Louise
I like recommendations too - that is why I try to share when something works. I think these cloths will last years.
DeleteYes, sometimes it pays to pay a bit more for something if it makes life easier! I am all about good tools.
Soup sounds good - shed sounds like work! Be careful.
That is such a cute idea for fridge shelves. I love Norweck I was also gifted some and they are wonderful, but egads so exspensive!
ReplyDeleteTanks - it just brightens up the frig! Yes, they are expensive - but since it is a one time price - not too bad. They sure do work well!
DeleteI've heard of Norwex cloths before but haven't used one. Good to know they work so well.
ReplyDeleteHow do you keep the towels from shifting on the shelf? I'm not the tidiest of person and like this idea for easy clean up of spills.
They work. I don't have any problem with the towels shifting. They just seem to sit there! I guess if I slid things around they may bunch up.
DeleteCleaning, huh? I'm not so much cleaning, but still decluttering. I'm not sure I'll ever be done. I think it might be multiplying without my knowledge!! Seriously, I did manage to reclaim about 3 sf of my house by making some gifts. I mentioned that I was painting some luminaries leftover from my crafting days. 9 of them to hubs' coworkers! I painted them with snowy scenes and they turned out so pretty. I bought some little tea lights from Dollar Tree and put in a cello bag of homemade caramel corn. Nice gift for about $2 each, even counting 20 yo luminaries! And I emptied a basement shelf. I also cleared some big 2" thick wood and made gnomes for another gift. All went well.
ReplyDeleteOh, cleaning! (I'm like my doggy... SQUIRREL!). Had to clean very well as we had the carpets and 2 chairs cleaned last week. The chairs cleaned up so well, they're like new. We also cleaned all the windows on Monday. I used an old body scrubber and it worked like a charm with an orange vinegar spritz. I needed to put up bird and tree decals because of bird collisions. I've been keeping the curtains closed until my new decals arrived. So, as I said, back to decluttering.
My grandma used to put towels in her fridge, as well. They always looked so pretty. I make my own Swiffer floofers from flannel. I got a sample kit of the wand and 2 floofers when they first came out FOR FREE!!! Don't you all miss coupons sometimes?! First I wrapped rags around them and then I saw a pattern for them online. So I've never bought a refill.
Carry on, fellow cleaners!
Decluttering never ends at my house. Have kind of taken a break for a few weeks with the holidays and all. Next week, all will be done (holiday) and back to it for me too.
DeleteHow nice to have the carpet and chairs cleaned. I bet they look lovely.
Those sound like some really nice gifts and you got some things out of the house, win-win!
Yes, I miss the old days of couponing. What fun I had back ten - so many free items. Then that TV show came along and kind of ruined it for everyone. (Ext. Couponing).