Cleaning the house: {10 Essential Cleaning Tools}

A question I get a lot is What are the best tools to clean?  Over the years in the business I've got my list of essential tools every home owner (or renter) should have.

So here are my 10 Cleaning Essential tools I can't live without:

1. Spray Bottles and Shaklee Basic H2:  Making your own solutions from an organic concentrate product is not only healthy for your home but also for the planet.  Hundreds of plastic bottles are saved from going to landfills.

2. Microfiber Cloths: You can use them dry to dust or damped to clean virtually every where in your home.  You will use much less paper towels which will save you money as well!

3. Sponges:  A sponge with a hard/scrub side is great to get rid of soap scum from bath tub and bath in general.  I personally have two different sponges for the bathroom, one of them is cut on one corner to use exclusively on toilet.

4. BonAmi:  Great for scrubbing and hard work without the chemicals of traditional powder cleansers.  Best part?  It's only $1.19.- can't beat that!

5. Gloves:  Cleaning the house requires a lot of washing, which will destroy that nice manicure you just got last weekend.  Using cleaning gloves will help to protect your hands.

6. Magic Eraser: I really love what this little thing can do.  You only have to add water and will get rid of every tough dirt on wall, shower glass doors, etc.

7. Swiffer:  Get to those hard to reach places, especially where the vacuum can't get to such as under furniture, cobwebs, etc.

8. Mop:  My favorite one is this one from Bona.  It won't wet your hardwood floors as much as the old fashion style.  I like that the microfiber cloth is washable and the cartridge refillable.

9. Paper towel:  Although I like to use microfiber for general cleaning I still stick to some paper towel when cleaning the bathroom, just for hygiene reasons :)  I like Bounty Select a Size because you can choose to get just a tiny piece for small areas.

10. Vacuum:  Last but definitely not least is the most important cleaning tool of all... the Vacuum!  I always recommend my clients to get a vacuum no matter what kind of floors they have.  If you have carpets a good vacuum is key to get them properly cleaned, however if you have hard floors this is a huge help to avoid dust going on the air after using a regular broom.

My favorite one are Miele and Dyson Animal.

And there they are my 10 Essential cleaning tools I can not live without.  Do you have a favorite tool?  I would love to hear what you guys use to clean your homes!

Thanks for reading!

xo,

Marcela

Pillows

I love how pillows can totally change the mood of a room.  They add glamour, a dose of color and coziness to any space!


{caitlin wilson}

{the pink peonies}

{via with love from kat}

{centsational girl}


{via la dolce vita}


{emily clark}

{west elm}

I have a few pillows in my mind (including this one from west elm) that I would love to get to revamp a little our home!

How do you like to decorate with pillows?  Do you love them as much as I do?

Thanks for reading!

xo,
Marcela

Cleaning the house {Lint Roll}

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Today I'm going to reveal a little secret I like to use when I clean around my home and at our clients homes.  It is the lint roller!  We use this little guy for quick touch ups where the vacuum will be too strong.  

Tip:  Usually the one that says 'pet hair' works faster as it is more sticky...

Or if you want to go green there are some new washable options...

{via}

Here are just a few examples where we use it...

Lamp shades

Roll it around the shades and all that dust will be gone in seconds!

{west elm}

{pottery barn teen}

{pottery barn teen}

Bedding

I actually make my bed with the lint roller on hand every single time.  I know it might sound crazy, but please give it a try and you will be surprised at all the dust sheets accumulate every day.  If your duvet cover that is white or light color it will look much nicer after rolling the little trick :)

Before making a bed

After making a bed...

{west elm}

{via}

For a quick touch up...

If you had an 'accident' on your couch (like my daughter here after eating sesame crackers) and don't want to get the vacuum just for that little space...

Have you tried a lint roller around the house?  Did you like it?

Thanks for reading!

xo,

Marcela

Chop-Chop

A couple of months ago my daughter had a hair cut and she donated her hair to Locks of Love. You can read the story here.  

She was very proud and I told her I would do the same soon.  So the time came and it was my turn.  On Sunday we were running errands and I asked her if she wanted to come with me to the hair salon.  And this is what happened.

I got to the salon with an absurd amount of hair...

My hairdresser said it would be better to make four pony tails instead of just one big one (yes, four!)

My daughter in the back taking pictures :)

Ahhh, nothing like a good hair massage...

Now, let's style it...

The guy got excited with so much hair to cut.  I had to stop him, otherwise I would've got a pixie style!

And this is how I look now with much less hair...

All this was packed and sent to Locks of Love.  I'm happy to know that it will help a child in need. 

Hope you have a beautiful weekend!!

Thanks for reading!

xo,

Marcela

Copper lamps

A few months ago I saw the picture below and fell in love with the lighting!

I can't get enough of round copper lamps and want them now!!!
Seriously, how stunning this little thing can be and what an impact it creates in a room!

Here's one on a different shape, equally gorgeous!





{all pictures via pinterest}

What do you think... Do you like this style, would you have them at your home, Do you have one!?

Thanks for reading!

xo,
Marcela

Cleaning the house {Kitchen sink}

Hello everyone!  Hope you all had a great 4th of July weekend!

After a week of hosting parties, cooking or barbecuing we probably have a house to clean now.  I know that's nobody's favorite task but with a few tips it doesn't have to be that bad!

Did you know that your kitchen sink might have more bacteria than your toilet?  I know, pretty disgusting if you ask me.  Luckily there are some super-duper easy steps to clean and disinfect 

{via}

First make sure the sink is not clogged.  There's a simple way to fix that: Baking soda + Vinegar

{via}

Also, vinegar is great to disinfect!  Pour a little directly on sink, you can also put some in a spray bottle to make sure it covers every area of it, let it sit for few minutes and then rinse. Polish with baking soda and a little bit of dish soap.  Don't forget the faucet and edges and with the help of a tooth brush or cleaning brush clean inside/around the drainer too.

{via}

To deodorize the garbage disposal, pour ice in the drainer add salt and cold water...

{apartment therapy}

Then add some lemons and run the garbage disposal.  Your drainer should be unclogged and smelling fresh now!

{via}

Do you have a white sink?  Do not worry, if baking soda doesn't work you can try something a little stronger, it doesn't have to involve chemicals or bleach.

Try Scour off from Shaklee.  Apply the paste and let it sit for few minutes, then scrub and voila! We did this for a clients sink and she was totally amazed by the results!

You don't have to do this only on deep/spring cleaning, it's really super simple and quick and most importantly you can rest assure that your kitchen sink is truly clean every time you prepare your meal!





{last three pictures via pinterest}


Do you have a special way to clean/disinfect the kitchen sink?  Share your methods with us!


Thanks for reading!

xo,
Marcela