today is my birthday.

but that doesn't mean that things don't need to be cleaned. Thankfully, because of my cleaning schedule, my home is so clean that I can take a day off and the only thing I miss is doing laundry. I strongly urge you all to have a cleaning schedule and to keep it, it will make your like less stressful! The big perk in my day, having dinner with my extended family and a surprise visit from my army-cousin who is on leave!!!! Happy birthday to anyone else who had a birthday today. Sit down, rest and let yourself eat cake!!

the kitchen monster!!!!!

My husband took me out to the one place I asked him to take me for my birthday, IKEA!!!!! Yes it is a sickness, but it helped me with today's blog.

Yesterday, I gave you some quick and simple cleaning tips to get your kitchen super shiny and clean on the quick!!! so let's top off the clean kitchening by organizing all the junk in our kitchen drawers. Our kitchen can become a veritable junk drawer in itself, and to counter that trend in kitchens I'll share some secrets from my kitchen.

First, your counters, as I said yesterday, you need to de-clutter your counter tops. Nothing should be stored on your counters unless it is used DAILY or is absolutely essential to the decor or flow of your kitchen. take my counters for example;

there is nothing there that isn't used everyday, with the exception of the 2qt pot and it was only out because I was cooking when I took the picture. Everything has it's own place on the counter and it's never too cluttered.   all of our daily tools have a place and are displayed as nicely as I can get them on a limited budget. The scissor holder is a mod-podged formula can, the spoon holder was a big birthday splurge at $5.99 at ikea!!! The old spoon vase we had was just that, a vase, and because of it's height, it corralled all of the spoons together at the top which made it hard to put one in or take one out, this has a short body and wide top that allows all of the spoons and spatulas to breathe easy, and makes them all handy and tidy looking!!!



We used Command hook on the back wall to put the pans that the hubby uses every day within easy reach and to fill that space a little. I'm big on baking so we used more command hooks to hang the measuring cups/spoons in a handy dandy location and the oven mitts so my mitts stay safe, the only thing that is ever on our stove unless we are cooking are our salt and pepper shakers which we keep readily available lest we need something to season with, our s&p shakers are princess house. we keep the dog food bowl out of reach from the munchkin because he likes to sample the flavors.

again, another command hook to hold our dish scrubber and bottle brush, and a lil decor, some sunflowers (which were actually my bridesmaids bouquets from our wedding) and our dish drainer which is used every day. and then stacked up underneath that cabinet you see nearby. the teal things on the dish drainer are my rubber gloves and then there's the lil munchkin's rubber duck that got a rinse today!

now for a look inside the cabinets and drawers!!!!

 of course our top drawer by the sink is for cutlery and so to keep it all together we have a cutlery tray, which we got at target when we were first married (that's how essential it is!)we keep our steak knives at the top but one day soon we hope to own this which would really help keep our serrated knives from rubbing together making them...not serrated

 the drawer below that has all of our baking/cooking tools, we corralled the little stuff together in a rubbermaid storage box and then put all of the parts to our blender in an ikea food storage tray. Of course, the things we use daily are the most easily accessible like our cheese grater.

the bottom drawer has been divided using cardboard cut from an old diaper box (neat idea!) to divide our towels, place mats, and trivets/ cookbooks

I really hated our old sponge dish which not only looked awful, would drain onto the counter and leave a mess, so we went to ikea, and got us this dish, which is technically a soap dish but the drainage designed for wet soap works just as well on a wet sponge





What?!?! yes those are dishes in my sink but that's a view of our sponge storage for excess sponges, dish plugs










across the kitchen, is our spice drawer, cookie tray drawer and knick nack drawer, all well organized with a spice tray from ikea and some dipping bowls from target

just above our spice drawer is out "pantry" we have a small casa so this is about it, everything within reach, labels out and most frequently used items well within reach!

This is by far my favorite cabinet!!!! Ii got this plate organizer at the container store and the bowl stacker at lakeside trading co. and voila, all of the frequently used dishes well at hand and the infrequently used ones at the back so I don't have to "go around" them to get to the ones I use most...which are plastic because of the kidoo










We got this handy dandy plastics dispenser at ikea and basically with the exception of a few drawers that are organized very similarly to the first (this is becoming one loooonnnnnggg post) that's about it

so there you have it, utilize boxes and tupperware you already own to corrall things and when in doubt shop places that are CHEAP, or DIY, join me tomorrow for my bathroom under-sink overhaul!

Clean yo kitchen! quick and easy tips

so it's been a few days and we're going to do a two day thread on cleaning yo kitchen! day one is the cleaning and day two, organize that mess!! My kitchen is always clean (as is ninety percent of my house because it's truly a sickness) but also because we make our food in there and my son plays on the floor in there and it's important that what we eat and where he plays are all clean!

today is the one day I will suggest doing floors anything other than last, you should always do floors last but we're soaking the sink after this and once it's clean we don't want to make it grimy again, so follow my three step foot mopping from my tips for bathrooms and then fill your sinks as described below (unless you have hardwood floors which you should always use hardwood cleaner on and a gentle mopping device!!!!)

for your sinks,  you're going to start by doing a bleach bath  (of course after you've done the dishes and put them away), nothing makes me happier than a shiny clean kitchen sink because when I see it sparkling up at me every morning I can't help but smile!!! So fill your sink with warm water and add one cup of bleach. let sit for an hour.

while that is happening go around the counters and put EVERYTHING that is not essential and used everyday, or has a storage container on the counter (like spoons and spatulas in a storage cup like this:
after you have done this, spray your counters with windex and happily wipe away the grime and yuck that has been collecting on top of them with a paper towel, do not, however, use windex on your cooking surfaces because if you fail to rinse them the heat from cooking can release some nasty fumes into the air. I strongly suggest a magic eraser type sponge which if anyone cares is simply melamine foam that you can buy in bulk from amazon.com, melamine foam is also used in sound proofing, thought you should know. use your melamine sponge to wipe away all the yuckies on your stove and, voila, your kitchen is almost done!!!! if you haven't cleaned your burners you can clean them with a mix of vinegar and cream of tartar. who knew?! or if you don't have those products i personally use, especially on tough super grime, bar keepers friend.

to clean out your microwave, and they can get gross, put a bowl of vinegar and water in the microwave, and cook on high for 3 minutes. Wipe down with a clean cloth and you're finished!

you can do a super simple scrub in your fridge with a mix of kosher salt and club soda, fyi kosher salt and regular salt are not the same thing, kosher salt is more coarse and works better for the scrubbing of your fridge, sea salt is too coarse and may scratch the surfaces of your fridge.





if you do coffee daily like I do, clean your coffee maker by running a mixture of 1 part water to 1 part white vinegar through the brew cycle, rinse and run two rounds of fresh water, or until the vinegar smell disappears. also, make sure you are washing your coffee pot daily after you have finished the coffee because mold loves the dark warm and moist bottom of a coffee pot!

you will finish this all hopefully long before your sink has finished it's soak so rest mama you're doing great!!!!

once your sink has finished it's soak, remove the plug with tongs or with glove covered hands, bleach eats away at the top layer of your skin when it comes into contact with it which is why your skin feels slimy when there is bleach on it, also it dries the layers out too so best to be gloved or use tongs. once the water has drained rinse your sink, scrub with a baking soda water paste, comet, or bar keepers friend, and rinse again  Clean your  garbage disposal with a cup of baking soda, followed by a cup of vinegar,  let sit for five minutes, then pour in a kettleful of boiling water. rinse once again and dry with a paper towel then spray with windex and wipe out with a paper towel!!!

the more you clean the faster you clean and the easier it is!

so daily you should  :

• Wipe countertops and stovetop
• Scrub sink
• Sweep floor and do a light foot mop
• Rotate dish towels
• wash your coffee pot
• wipe out the microwave

weekly you should:

•  do a real mop on the floors
• flush the garbage disposal
• clean the coffee maker (only if you don't use daily, making coffee daily runs enough water through that you can do this monthly)
• wipe down the appliance

and monthly you should:

•  Wipe cabinetry
• Clean oven (run an auto self clean or scrub the inside with borax and white vinegar)
• Clean fridge interior
• Clean coffee maker (if you are a sporadic coffee drinker and do not use it daily)
• Clean toaster (empty the crumb trap and scrub with a toothbrush if necessary)
• Scrub garbage can and deodorize with baking soda!

yay your kitchen should be crystal clean and Gorgeous!!!! join us for day two where we organize that mess

the importance of being earnestly organized

I don't know of a single organizing or cleaning website or blog that doesn't stress the importance of having a home binder. This is a place where you keep your daily cleaning schedule, important information, budgeting sheets, grocery lists, etc. some of my favorite places to get my binder ideas and sheets, (credit where credit is due because I do NOT have the technology to create these brilliant forms) are iheartorganizing.com  and The Good Wife, these two ladies are marvelous organizers and I use both of their printables every day.

the biggest reason to have a cleaning schedule, in my opinion, is to be up to date on things that need to be cleaned every day, like kitchen sinks and counters, because honestly, if you clean it every day, it becomes easier to clean, as with your bathroom floors, if you do a light mop every day the "real" mopping once a month will only take you about two seconds. I use a cleaning schedule every day and my total cleaning routine takes me under an hour for my entire house. This isn't a deep cleaning, we deep clean a different thing each month, this is those things that need to get done everyday so that you're able to have a chaos free home and the ability to invite anyone over and nearly any time. another great place to organize your cleaning is to get the motivated moms 2011 app for iphone and android. you'll be "scheduled to do certain things every day and you can add or delete from the list which will keep your home tidy and manageable!!!

Happy cleaning!

Wrath of the Great Baking Soda the final chapter, cleaning

This is where my heart really melts, cleaning!!! I haven't always been a neat freak but one of the ways I manage my time is by having a clean house that I don't need to stress over, so here you have it, the cherry on top, uses for baking soda in cleaning:

If the denture tablets aren't your thing, or, like most people, you already have baking soda; add a cup to the toilet, leave it for an hour, and then flush. It will clean the toilet and absorb the odor.

I know I already shared this in our clean bathroom blog but you can use it to scrub sinks, showers, plastic and porcelain tubs, baking soda becomes a non abrasive scrub when mixed with water which is why it wan be used on just about anything from babies to toilets to hands

similar to the idea about cleaning wall paper with baking soda by dipping a dampened sponge into it, spray it on walls, mirrors, and countertops, wipe off with a moist rag, or, if you're not looking to clean brush off after it has dried to give your room a clean smell.

we all need this,  add a spoonful to your dishwasher to make scrubbing dishes easier.

or if you're the dishwasher,  remove grease from pots and pans by adding some to your dish water, did this today and helped with our "bacon pan".

you can "Dry clean" carpets and upholstered furniture by sprinkling baking soda over the fabric and gently brushing it. Leave it for an hour or overnight, then vacuum.

I've already shared this one but you can boost your laundry detergent’s cleaning power by sprinkling a handful on dirty clothes or into the machine when you add soap.

I love this, I do this on my sink fixtures every day! Combine baking soda with water to make a paste for polishing stainless steel and chrome.

If you have kiddos like me, remove scratches and crayon marks from vinyl floors and walls by rubbing them with our baking soda water paste.

Clean your shoes with it (and sprinkle some in to absorb the smell).

Clean garbage cans with it, again this is that baking soda water paste, you can go a step further by adding a teaspoon of white vinegar.

If you are a cloth diaper user, use it to wash diapers, baking soda removes stains and smells and is gentle on baby.

Clean the fridge with it (this is that miracle past again) leave a box in there too to absorb the smell but remove it after 30 days.

soak brushes and combs in a baking soda solution, you can also soak them in ammonia and rinse them in a baking soda solution if you are a super neat freak!

Mix it with water to wash food and drink containers and to remove the smell of whatever they had in them, we all know that container, the one we stored chili in, that has that red ring and smells faintly of cayenne pepper.

Put three tablespoons of baking soda to a quart of warm water, then use the mixture to wash marble-topped furniture, this is wonderful because marble is so delicate and needs tlc!

another tip for finicky counters, absorb it with a damp sponge, then clean Formica countertops with the sponge.

you can use it to get rid of stale odors from cooling containers and thermos bottles.

 this was a God send, run your coffee maker with a baking soda solution, then rinse. Especially if someone before you has made a roast darker than yours or with a contrasting flavor

For all you clean mamas, combine with hot water to clean baby bottles.

Sprinkle it on barbecue grills, then rinse it off.

Baking soda is a super grease fighter, scatter it on your greasy garage floor, scrub the floor, and rinse.

Remove burned-on food from a pan by soaking it in a baking soda solution for 10 minutes before washing (or add a dryer sheet to the water and soak over night instead of baking soda!).

Clean your ashtrays with a baking soda solution (or kick the habit).

you can keep your drains clean by putting four tablespoons of baking soda in them each week. Flush it down with hot water. this works similarly to drano and is much less toxic, one fingers worth of drano can do long term damage to your child!!!

We shared before that you can clean your shower curtains by soaking them in baking soda and water and every time they are not in use pull closed to keep water and mildew from building up in the creases

Put it on a small brush to rub canvas handbags clean or diaper bags!!!

like using baking soda as toothpaste, use it to clean your retainers and dentures.

Make a thick paste of baking soda and water, and used it to scrub enameled cast iron and stainless steel but be sure to use a plastic bristled brush or a wash cloth,  never use the scrubber side of a sponge on any non- stick cookware or stainless steel or serrated knives for that matter!.

if your oven self clean setting melts your counter tops like mine does, mix four tablespoons of baking soda with a quart of warm water, and use it to clean the inside part of an oven.

Use it to unclog gas stoves (I have an electric so disclaimer is I have not tried this).

that's all for the great baking soda, what a half-week!!! Over 70 uses for a $2 product, some amazing, some unheard of, and some a little gross. Tune in tomorrow when we talk about scheduling time to clean that will actually save you time on cleaning!!!!

Revenge of the Great Baking soda, uses in cooking

Alright, on to more amazing ways to use baking soda, today, in an area where we all already use it, cooking.

I love tips like this because I am not always able to run out to the store to buy some ingredients, you can use baking soda as a substitute for baking powder by mixing with it with cream of tartar or vinegar.

you can wash fruits and vegetables with it.

I don't know who this might be helpful to (maybe someone on a farm?) When boiling a chicken(a whole chicken, like the entire bird!!!), add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water. Feathers will come off easier, and the flesh will be clean and white

 Soak dried beans to a baking soda solution to make them more digestible (because these days regularity is a big deal).

again, not sure who would use this but maybe for all you hunting mamas, you can remove the distinctive taste of wild game by soaking it in a baking soda solution (then it has that distinctive baking soda taste that we all love).

crazy! Make a sports drink by mixing baking soda with boiled water, salt, and Kool-Aid

 Remove the fishy smell from your fillets by soaking the raw fish in a baking soda solution for an hour inside the fridge or be like me and don't eat fish).

this one I love, use and have made part of my cooking bible, make fluffier omelets by adding half a teaspoon of baking soda for every three eggs used.

and you can reduce the acid content of your tomato-based recipes by sprinkling them with a pinch of baking soda.

besides all of that there are TONS of recipes which include baking soda from bagels to cookies. My fav way to use baking soda in the kitchen is to boil home made bagels in a baking soda water solution before I cook them in the oven, hardens the outside and leaves the inside fluffy as a pillow!!!!

The Great baking soda revisited! uses in your home

so yesterday we shared some AMAZAZING uses for baking soda for your health and today I am going to share with you some general uses for baking soda in your home that I personally use and some that I've just discovered:

did you know you can keep cut flowers fresh longer by adding a teaspoon to the water in the vase. depending on the flowers, they can last up to a week longer!!

baking soda can be used to put out small fires on rugs, upholstery, clothing, and wood, if you have curious kids in the pre-teen stage, you may need this, most home fires that are not caused by household appliances are cause by kids! scary news

I'm sure we all know this one, put an open container of baking soda in the fridge to absorb the odors. but be sure to write the date on the box and rotate every 30 days or it could contribute to the funk in your fridge!

you can get rid of icky smells by sprinkling it on your ashtrays to reduce bad odor and prevent smoldering although, you should really quit smoking especially if you have kids see this site for tips and help if you are trying to quit : no fail guide to kick the habit

Sprinkle it on your slippers, boots, shoes, and socks to eliminate foul odor, you can also use baby powder for this purpose if you have more of that than baking soda!

Turn baking soda into modeling clay by combining it with one and 1/4 cups of water and one cup of cornstarch, this one I had NEVER heard of but it's awesome and I happen to have cornstarch around for when I make the most amazing vanilla pudding,  find the recipe here:  yummy vanilla pudding (I don't add the vanilla bean)

After feeding your baby, wipe his shirt with a moist cloth sprinkled with baking soda to remove the odor, no lie, my son is a crazy messy eater and this one comes in handy because I just can't change him every time he eats.

this one is helpful because that rain off stuff is some kind of expensive: Wipe your windshield with it to repel rain

similar to the use of putting baking soda in your washing machine , improve the smell of dishrags by soaking them in baking soda and water

don't spray your house with dangerous toxic bug spray, put baking soda under sinks and along basement windows to repel cockroaches and ants

if you are a gardener like I wish I could be, scatter baking soda around flowerbeds to prevent rabbits from eating your veggies or  sweeten your tomatoes by sprinkling baking soda on the soil around your tomato plants.(who knew?!?)

obviously, sprinkle it onto your cat’s litter box to absorb the bad odor, but litter boxes are the main reason why we don't have a cat but for dogs, sprinkle it on your pet’s comb or brush to deodorize their fur and skin

that's it for today, I assume most of you have gone out and stocked up your cupboards with baking soda but if you haven't yet, tune in tomorrow for even more extraordinary uses for baking soda!!!

The Great (healthful) baking soda

So, last week we talked about cleaning the bathroom, and I shared with you three ways that you can use Baking Soda in your household cleaning; mixed with water to create an abrasive scrub for difficult grunge and grime in your bathroom, in your laundry to boost brightness and create an extra clean smell, and dipped with a damp sponge to clean wall paper. Today I will share more CRAZY-AWESOME ways that you can use a product that we all have in our homes for your health and the rest of this week we'll go over the great baking soda.

There are some health uses for baking soda, common and uncommon:


 baking soda mixed with water can for a paste to relieve the itch from bug bites

 the same paste can relieve the sting of a sunburn

use it with a powder puff or clean large brush as a deodorant (man I just realized how expensive deodorant can be but a box of baking soda only runs you around $2)

mix with peroxide paste to create toothpaste

use as a face and body scrub (these can get pricey at the store mamas use this tip!!)

add to your bath to soften your skin

remove strong odors by rubbing hands with a baking soda water paste (such as onion smells after making

dinner, or coffee scent, or for those smokers out there or people who have family members who smoke)

Put two tablespoons in your baby’s bathwater to help relieve diaper rash (save some money mamas!!!)

Apply it on rashes, insect bites, and poison ivy irritations 

Freshen your mouth by gargling half a teaspoon of baking soda mixed water

Relieve canker sore pain by using it as mouthwash

Apply it on jellyfish sting to draw out the venom 

Unblock stuffy nose by adding a teaspoon of baking soda to your vaporizer
 (other helpful tip, invest in a cool air humidifier for your children and get them a flu shot!!)

and the biggest what?!? I had was that baking soda can be used as an antacid! here is the recipe from armandhammer.com 
Directions:
Add 1/2 teaspoon to 1/2 glass (4 fl. oz.) of water every 2 hours, or as directed by physician. Dissolve completely in water. Accurately measure 1/2 teaspoon.
Do not take more than the following amounts in 24 hours:
      •    Seven 1/2 teaspoons.
      •    Three 1/2 teaspoons if you are over 60 years.
Do not use the maximum dosage for more than 2 weeks.
other info:
Each 1/2 teaspoon contains 616 mg sodium.
Refer to the ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda package for detailed instructions before using.
Warnings:
      •     Ask a doctor before use if you have a sodium restricted diet.
      •    Ask a doctor or a pharmacist before use if you are taking a prescription drug. Antacids may interact with certain prescription drugs.
      •    Do not administer to children under age 5.
      •    STOMACH WARNING: TO AVOID SERIOUS INJURY, DO NOT TAKE UNTIL POWDER IS COMPLETELY DISSOLVED. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT NOT TO TAKE THIS PRODUCT WHEN OVERLY FULL FROM FOOD OR DRINK. Consult a doctor if severe stomach pain occurs after taking this product.
      •    Stop use and ask a doctor if symptoms last more than 2 weeks.

stay tuned tomorrow when I tell you more household uses for baking soda

The dreaded bathroom part two the epic journey of the shower and floor

so yesterday we talked about some ways to clean your toilet and sink with products you already own today we're talking about your bathroom floor (yucky) and the shower/tub

First, the shower. first thing is first, if you have a glass shower door, I have one word for you, squeegee! Trust me, invest in one for around $6 it will be a major time saver if you simply squeegee the door every shower, besides who doesn't love a good squeegee? if you don't have a door, pull the shower curtain closed after you shower EVERY TIME so water doesn't sit in the folds and make yucky mildew. from top to bottom lets start with the shower head. I don't know about you but mine sometimes gets clogged up, to unclog, fill a ziploc with white vinegar (cheaper than any other build up remover and has a ton of other cleaning and cooking uses including, general cleaning and making deviled eggs) secure the ziploc around the shower head with a rubber band and let sit overnight then scrub with an old toothbrush or another cleaning brush. if you have kiddos, their bath toys need to be cleaned once a week to keep them from building up mold in their crevices etc. soak them in a 1:1 water vinegar bath to clean them for 1hr. if your shower or tub has tile and grout like mine, use a lemon wedge to scrub the grout and if it's really bad you can use a baking soda lime and water paste and scrub with a brush. If you have wall paper, scrub with a damp sponge dipped in baking soda and vacuum off the powder once it's dry. for the super grimey showers and for yucky tubs, you may have to break my cardinal rule this one time to get them clean enough to maintain cleanliness in the future, and for showers, fill a spray bottle with a 2:1 bleach: water solution and CAREFULLY spray your shower completely, close the bathroom door, let sit for one hour but make sure the room is well ventilated. rinse and wipe out with a washcloth several times before resuming use of your shower. I DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING THIS WHEN CHILDREN ARE HOME BECAUSE OF THE FUMES FROM BLEACH! for tubs, fill tub completely with warm water and add 1 1/2 cups bleach let sit for one hour then drain rinse and wipe down with a washcloth several times before using your tub, to be safe if children use your tub after wiping it down, fill and drain again. I again do not recommend doing this when children are present.

this is my kitchen floor, it has a pattern but it was just foot mopped

Bathroom floors are gross. (that's not a tip), so do them last. for the floor first thing is first, if you don't already have one, borrow from a friend, but use a vacuum that has an option to turn the rolling brush off, and vacuum your bathroom floor. Because we often have hair on the bathroom floor or shaving trimmings if you are a man or have a husband, a broom isn't the best option to get your floors "clean" before you "mop", and I say mop hypothetically because that's not what we're gonna do. The very best way to "mop" your bathroom floors, if this is the first time, is a three step process. Step one, you are going to use a warm water spray on the whole floor and do the foot mop (where you put a towel on the floor and swipe it around with your foot) making sure to get all the notoriously dirty places like behind the toilet. Step two, use a spray bottle with a mix of dish soap and warm water (this is the best part ever cause we all already have dish soap, and it cuts through grease; plus they make it in some awesome scents. so bye bye lemon floor cleaner, hello lavender dish soap!) I usually use two tablespoons of soap with 1 cup of water because that is all my spray bottle will hold. Spray the whole floor again and what I do is get down there and hand scrub the yucky parts but you can foot mop if your floors are pretty clean. Step three, warm water again. You can dampen a towel and just go over the floor one more time to make sure it doesn't have any left over soap residue because when you get out of the shower or tub you will slip if there is any residue. The BEST way to do your bathroom floors is a warm water wash and foot moping every day. It takes only seconds to do and will save you hours when you "dish-soap and water" mop it later! also, rotate bath mats weekly wash on hot in the washer and lay out to dry add baking soda to the wash for and extra good smelling extra-clean clean.

always remember to do a daily foot mop and spray your shower door or curtain with a 1:1:2 parts baking soda:vinegar:water mix to keep soap scum and mildew from building up and making the dreaded bathroom easier to handle

that's mama clean to you!

 Hi all thank you for joining me on my very first installment of mamaclean, my mister clean alternative, cause, let's be real, there are no misters out there cleaning your houses. Today I'm gonna tell you guys a few super simple bathroom cleaning tips that WORK! and they're all done with stuff you already have lying around.


For your toilets, don't use harsh smelling chemicals that can make you feel woosy let alone be hazardous inhalants for any lil ones you have in the house, instead, take two or more (I use three) denture tablets and drop them in overnight. Here's where some of you will not want to try this, using rubber gloves, take a scrubby sponge and scrub the inside of the toilet, flush and after the water has settled, take windex, spray your toilet bowl and wipe with a paper towel or regular towel, your toilet will look and smell amazing (if only temporarily)

for your bathroom sink, if you're doing a first time real cleaning do a hot water/bleach soak for about 30 min to sanitize and clean if it's already pretty clean simply use a little baking soda and water paste to scrub the grime off and rinse, then follow up with windex and a paper towel and your sink will shine like a diamond. the picture is my kitchen sink but it's still super shiny!





here's the biggest hint of all, windex is simply ammonia with coloring and scent modifiers, so you can use it on EVERYTHING!!!! from your counters to you table to your stainless steel appliances, windex is a go to cleaner, if you want to be super frugal you can go down and buy a big bottle of ammonia for the same price as name brand windex but it's twice the size you can even use ammonia in your laundry!!!!! join me tomorrow for the dreaded bathroom part two!!