Daily Cleaning Tips to Free up your Weekend
Most families have a daily routine that involves, getting ready in the morning, drop the children off at school, go to work, pick up the children from school, cook dinner, clean the house, relax for a minute, then go to bed. But don’t you wonder why you are still left with so much housework on the weekends when you are cleaning everyday. The answer is simply, you are probably cleaning certain rooms and neglecting others. I would like to share with you a few tips I have read to help put an end to constant cleaning.
Bathroom cleaning tips:
Shower: Keep a cleaning towel in the bath tub/shower and wash down the walls while you are showering or after. You can keep multi-purpose cleaner within arms reach or use a little shampoo or shower gel and rinse the walls when you are done… 2 minutes.
Sink: Hang a cleaning towel somewhere near the sink (I hang mine on the cabinet door under my sink). Once you are done washing your face or brushing your teeth use the towel for easy clean-up. Liquid cleaner is not necessary; I just use water…15 seconds.
Floor: Keep either a cordless handheld vacuum cleaner under the sink or use a small broom or dust pan to easily pick up hair, make up powder and dust…1 minute.
General: Keep disposable cleaning wipes and a toilet brush in each bathroom. As soon as you start to see a ring forming in the toilet, clean it, don’t wait until the weekend. If you have boys, you know that a toilet can get real nasty, real quick, grab those wipes and do a quick clean…2 minutes.
Kitchen cleaning tips:
Counter tops: Have a home for everything. Don’t clutter up your countertops with mail, purses, keys, or book bags. Have mail slot that can hold your mail, newspaper, calculator, pens and coupons. Use hooks to hang the children’s book bags, keys and purses, etc. Keep a junk drawer. BUT, if you have more than 2 junk drawers, it might be time to go through the drawers, organize and toss unused items.
Floors: Do a quick sweep and mop everyday. Keep these items in the pantry for easy access. Just use hot water to avoid dirt build-up. Make sure you rinse your mop so you are not spreading around the dirt…12 minutes
Garbage bags: Sprinkle baking soda on the bottom of the garbage bag to absorb odors until it is time to empty. Also keep a few bags at the bottom of the garbage can to easily replace the bag once the garbage is emptied. Baking soda also works wonders with diaper pales.
Refrigerator: Make spills easier to clean by placing parchment paper under the produce draw at the bottom of the refrigerator.
Family Room cleaning tips:
Toys: Have a designated area for toys, toy chest or basket. At the end of the day, have the children place all the toys in that area…5 minutes, children can be slow.
General cleaning tips:
· Reduce the amount of dirt on the floor by having heavy-duty floor mats at each entrance. I also have a basket right next to my garage door for us to put our shoes in as soon as we walk in the door. This eliminates tracking dirt and mud through the house.
· Stop spiders from forming cobwebs by spraying a vinegar and water solution (1/4 vinegar, rest water) in corners that are susceptible to cobwebs.
· Dust less by getting your air ducts cleaned annually, and change the filter on your furnace and air conditioner every 3 months.
· Wash a load every day or at least every other. Take clothes out of the dryer immediately to significantly reduce the need to iron. Fold or hang clothes neatly.
· My all-time favorite…stop mold by spraying the vinegar water solution on the walls and corners. This will keep you from deep cleaning your bathroom as often.
If you follow these steps, you should only have to tackle to bigger chores such as vacuuming and waxing on the weekends OR just spend quality time with your family.
3 Steps to Save Money on Your Grocery Bill
Over the years I have be forced to learn how to save money on my grocery bill. When I got married I began using a budget expense sheet and looked back at old statements to see how much I was spending on groceries. I was spending about $500 and as our family grew we had to cut cost and grocery shopping was on the chopping block. I reduced our grocery expense to $400 and had to figure out how to stay within my budget. I have found that the most effective ways to reduce my grocery bill is through meal planning shopping the sales ad, and using coupons.
1. Shop the sales ad:
Everybody has their favorite grocery store(s) and every store has a sales ad, so before you head out the door you must look at the sales ads!! I shop Meijer, Kroger (Food for Less) and Aldi. Their sales ads come out Wednesday and start Thursday. I review all ads and if needed create a shopping list for each store. In order to save money you have to be flexible and know that no one store will have all the best deals and you will need to visit multiple stores. You might think this will take up even more time, but if you have a list, I guarantee it won’t. However, I understand it is more convenient to shop at one store, especially if you have children, so try to plan your shopping trips when the children are at home or at school. REMINDER: At least ½ of the items you buy should be on sale. AND if it is a great sale, clean out the shelf. You will always need paper products, meats and vegetables, so stocking up when prices are low could be cost-effective. Buy wholesale portions and store them or freeze them for later use (like chicken and corn).
2. Meal Planning:
We already don’t have enough time in the day and running to grocery store several times a week eats away at valuable time and money. The solution is the take that extra time running to store and use it for meal planning. At first it will seem to take more time than you are willing to give, but the reward is saving money and time.
To start meal planning you can use a printable menu planner or check out Meijer’s cool mealbox widget that does everything for you. You search through there collection of recipes and it will automatically generate your shopping list. You can also customize the list by adding and deleting items. I discovered this little gadget earlier this year and love it. Even if there isn’t a Meijer in your area, you can still use it to plan your meals. For more on meal planning click here.
This part is cut and dry. Check out your local newspaper or Sunday paper for coupons, then get on the computer and go to www.coupons.com and get your printable coupons. DONE!!
Once you put these 3 easy steps into action, you will start saving money on your grocery bill. Soon it will become like a game and you will do the ‘happy dance’ when you see that you just saved $35!!