by Sarah Festa
I heard someone say that cleaning your house with a toddler in it is like brushing your teeth and eating oreos. So true!
The past few weeks have been busy around here, and we just got back from a quick trip to Rehoboth. I returned home to find my kitchen in a funk. No seriously, something was funky because there was a smell in the air. I decided I needed to tackle three things—mop the floor, clean out the fridge of old food, and put a new, better smell in the air. To Pinterest I go!!!
I heard someone say that cleaning your house with a toddler in it is like brushing your teeth and eating oreos. So true!
The past few weeks have been busy around here, and we just got back from a quick trip to Rehoboth. I returned home to find my kitchen in a funk. No seriously, something was funky because there was a smell in the air. I decided I needed to tackle three things—mop the floor, clean out the fridge of old food, and put a new, better smell in the air. To Pinterest I go!!!
The Floor
I am not opposed to chemicals; I have my share of 409 and Shout, but if I can get away without using them, I definitely do. I found this heavy-duty floor cleaner recipe on Pinterest and went to town on my floor. The mixture didn’t have much of a scent, which I was ok with since I had enough smells going on as it was. The cleaner worked great—definitely going to be using this again.
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon liquid dish soap
1/4 cup baking soda (I used the Super Washing Soda)
2 gallons hot tap water
I am not opposed to chemicals; I have my share of 409 and Shout, but if I can get away without using them, I definitely do. I found this heavy-duty floor cleaner recipe on Pinterest and went to town on my floor. The mixture didn’t have much of a scent, which I was ok with since I had enough smells going on as it was. The cleaner worked great—definitely going to be using this again.
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon liquid dish soap
1/4 cup baking soda (I used the Super Washing Soda)
2 gallons hot tap water
The Fridge
There were definitely some culprits for the smell inside the fridge. I took care of throwing those things out and wiped down the shelves. I have seen lots of people on Pinterest pin the idea of using Glad Press ‘N Seal on your shelves to protect from spills and general mess. Once they get dirty you just replace it, keeping your fridge relatively clean. I tried this. I didn’t like it. The size of the product didn’t match my shelves not matter which way I tried to put it, and I thought it was wasteful to have to use 2 pieces on every shelf. Also, it didn’t stick very well. I had just wiped down the shelves and they were a tad wet, so I dried them off and that didn’t even help. Oh well!
There were definitely some culprits for the smell inside the fridge. I took care of throwing those things out and wiped down the shelves. I have seen lots of people on Pinterest pin the idea of using Glad Press ‘N Seal on your shelves to protect from spills and general mess. Once they get dirty you just replace it, keeping your fridge relatively clean. I tried this. I didn’t like it. The size of the product didn’t match my shelves not matter which way I tried to put it, and I thought it was wasteful to have to use 2 pieces on every shelf. Also, it didn’t stick very well. I had just wiped down the shelves and they were a tad wet, so I dried them off and that didn’t even help. Oh well!
The Aroma
I found a few recipes for stovetop potpurri on Pinterest and after consulting with my friend, I decided on the recipe below. This definitely put a pleasant smell in the air. I didn’t recognize it right away since I was in the kitchen working, but once I left and came back I could tell it was there. It’s not overpowering; it just happily lingers. I love that you can continue to use this time and time again. Again, this was another great chemical-free solution to my issue. Success!
One whole orange, quartered
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 T whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
A shake of grated nutmeg
Overall, I was able to get a lot of this work done during nap time. As to not feel like I am cleaning all day long (which I still feel like I am), I set my microwave’s kitchen timer for cleaning. I usually set it for 30 minutes, but because of the scope of today’s work, I set it for 60 minutes. I find that I am way more productive when I am racing against the clock; you can get a lot done in 30 minutes! When that timer beeps I drop what I’m doing—hands up, Top Chef style.
For now, my kitchen is funkless, but give it about 24 hours for something else to happen; I have a toddler and lots of meals to cook. Oh well, better enjoy it while it lasts.
I found a few recipes for stovetop potpurri on Pinterest and after consulting with my friend, I decided on the recipe below. This definitely put a pleasant smell in the air. I didn’t recognize it right away since I was in the kitchen working, but once I left and came back I could tell it was there. It’s not overpowering; it just happily lingers. I love that you can continue to use this time and time again. Again, this was another great chemical-free solution to my issue. Success!
One whole orange, quartered
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 T whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
A shake of grated nutmeg
Overall, I was able to get a lot of this work done during nap time. As to not feel like I am cleaning all day long (which I still feel like I am), I set my microwave’s kitchen timer for cleaning. I usually set it for 30 minutes, but because of the scope of today’s work, I set it for 60 minutes. I find that I am way more productive when I am racing against the clock; you can get a lot done in 30 minutes! When that timer beeps I drop what I’m doing—hands up, Top Chef style.
For now, my kitchen is funkless, but give it about 24 hours for something else to happen; I have a toddler and lots of meals to cook. Oh well, better enjoy it while it lasts.
my kitchen before...
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and after!
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