Spring Cleaning

Happy Earth Day everyone!!

This week we'll be focusing on doing some deep-Spring cleaning.  And what a great way to start a Spring cleaning on Earth Day using only non-toxic cleaning products, right?  I've been using Shaklee products for a while now and I'm in love with them!

  I know all of us love the idea of having a deep clean home, but not everybody likes to do it. 

This week I'll share some tips with you so you can do this like a pro.  You will love the results and the feeling of a clean home.
As a bonus, this week I have a special guest.  My friend Anjie Cho, an Architect, Interior Designer and Feng Shui Consultant.  Pretty impressive if you ask me!  She'll give us a few feng shui tips on each room we clean this week!

So let's get started!

First thing is to gather all your products together.  Nothing worse that going back and forth to the kitchen or broom closet to get that one spray you forgot.  I like to keep everything in a caddy or bucket or even a shopping bag so you have it handy.

{Martha Stewart}

You'll need:

Vacum
Mop

Microfiber cloths

Microfiber duster (or Swiffer extender)

Lint roller

Magic Eraser

Non toxic cleaning products:  Bathroom cleaner, all purpose cleaner, window cleaner, dish soap, (this are my favorite).  Also some powder cleaner for easier scrub, I like BonAmi.

Now that you've got all your tools, let's do the bathroom!  I'm not really going to tell you how to clean a bathroom, we all know how to do it, right?  But let me tell you a few tips so you can save time.

{bhg}

1. Run the shower for a few minutes with hot water, the steam will loose dirt and soap scum.  Then spray bathroom cleaner and add powder scrubber, like Bon Ami or baking soda and let it sit while you clean the medicine cabinet or other areas, that way the cleaners will do their own work and scrubbing will be much easier.

2. When cleaning the toilet don't forget to clean the water tank as well as sides and behind the toilet.  We always seem to forget this areas.

3. With the help of a small brush, scrub all corners, edges and shower shower head.
Tip: If shower head is getting mildew you can attach a thick bag with white vinegar and tight it around the shower and let it work for awhile.

4.  Clean inside medicine cabinets and cabinet under the sink.  Make sure you throw away everything that has expired or you no longer use as they are taking precious space. Use a small cup or container to gather small items such as nail clipper, twister, bobby pins, etc.

5. Vacuum and mop the floors and you're done!

Anjie's  Feng Shui tip for bathroom:
The bathroom is a place where water is always coming in and out of the home.  In Feng Shui, water represents wealth and money flow.  Make sure you keep the toilet seat closed, as well as the bathroom door.  This will keep the wealth from flowing away from you!
For more info visit: www.holisticspaces.com


That was a great tip, thank you Anjie!

Please make sure you visit Anjie's Holistic Spaces for more tips :)

And you my friends, how do you keep up your bath?  Please share your tips and ideas with us!

Thanks for reading!

xo,
Marcela

How often should I clean my bathroom?

Cleaning the bathroom is probably the least pleasant chore in the house.  However it's what says most about ourselves.  I remember my mom used to say "If the bathroom is clean, the entire house will look clean".  So it's always been very important to me to keep this little space of my home as clean and tidy as I can.

Couple of months ago a posted about how to clean your bathroom, you can find the step by step here.

Some people clean their shower after each use, which I find great but we have to be very careful with those "After Shower" cleaners as they might contain lots of chemicals that are not good for you.  I think that giving your bathroom a deep clean once a week is great.  If you wait longer the grime and soap scums become very hard to remove and if you have a big family you might consider cleaning it even more often.

Via House Beautiful

It is important that you keep your bathroom well ventilated.  Unfortunately most bathroom in the city don't have a window which the best way to give a good ventilation.  In that case maintain the vent (which is usually either on the ceiling or near the shower) clean and don't let dust accumulate because it won't let the air flow.  Turn the vent on and leave it on for few minutes after you finished. Leave door slightly open to allow air circulate.

Shower curtain can also accumulate mold so it's important that you clean it on a regular basis.  Hopefully dry it after each shower.  But we all know that's almost impossible to do so just make sure you put it back in the right position in order to air dry properly.  They can also go in the washer machine, put them in hot cycle and add some baking soda and vinegar to kill germs and then hang them in the rod to air dry.

Via BHG

Prevention is the key and ventilation is the best way to prevent mildew.  And if you have the right products to disinfect when you clean it will help.  Try to choose a bathroom cleaner that disinfects, I like this one which is a germicide and it's safe for you.  If you can't find one that you like white vinegar will do the job.  Just make sure you rinse it and dry it properly to avoid the smell.

So, how often do you clean your bathroom?

Have a great Monday!

XOXO

Marcela

Beautiful Spaces.... Bathroom Shelves

I love the look of shelves in bathrooms. Besides working as great storage for towels and other items you can accessorize them with endless options giving your bathroom a spa or hotel room looking.


Image via BHG


Image via Focal Point


Image via BHG


Image via BHG


Do you like the look of shelves in bathrooms?  Send me some pictures of the ones you like!

Best,
Marcela

Spring Cleaning Part ll... Room by Room

Now that we got all our cleaning supplies, vacuum, mop, etc,  and we have figured out how we'll do it (all in one day or different tasks at different days) we are ready to start. Always start from top to bottom, if you have a 2nd floor start from there and from back to front of your house.   I always find helpful to start from the bathroom since this is probably the area that will need more work.

Bathroom
1. Start spraying bathroom cleaner and sprinkle baking soda (or Natural version of cream scrub or paste) on sink, bathtub/shower, toilet.
2. Scrub all areas, corners, edges, shower head, and rinse. When cleaning the toilet don't forget to wipe around and back of it.
3.  Clean inside medicine cabinets and cabinet under the sink.  Make sure you throw away everything that has expired or you no longer use as they are taking precious space. Use a small cup or container to gather small items such as nail clipper, twister, bobby pins, etc. Use small plastic bags for cotton balls, lady products, etc.
Do you keep hotel toiletries? I think is a good a idea to keep some just in case you run out of your own products but when you already have a full shoe box is probably time to sort out and give some away.
4.  Now is time to make your bathroom shine! Spray window cleaner on a microfiber cloth and clean mirror, polish faucets, shower door. For toilet use paper towel.
5. Vacuum and mop the floors and you're done!


Images via: House Beautiful

You can read more about how to clean bathrooms here.

Bedrooms
1. Wash all sheets, duvet cover, and mattress pad in hot water.
2. Dust blinds.  Wash or Dry Clean drapes (before putting in washer machine make sure you read instructions as they might shrink).
3. Flip mattress if you can, if that is not possible you can vacuum the mattress on high.
4. Ever wonder why sheets on hotel rooms don't come out? Here's what you can do to keep it in place. Put fitted sheet and flat sheet on top, make sure the top part reaches the top part of your mattress, put blanket (if you use it) a little bit below the sheet so you can fold the flat sheet over it. Now put the sheet and blanket under the mattress like and fold the corner so it doesn't come off. Like it shows on this pictures.


Images via My Home Ideas

5. Clean headboards, if your bed has an upholstered headboard vacuum with attachments. Dust and polish the rest of furniture. Always from top to bottoms, pictures on walls first, etc,
6. Vacuum floors, with brush vacuum window sills and baseboards. If your bed is low and vacuum doesn't fit use dry swiffer to get dust.
7. Mop

Now you have your bathrooms and bedrooms done. Yay!!  We'll talk about Living/Dining area and Kitchen next so stay tuned!

In the meanwhile, do you spring clean your home?  What tips would you like to share with us? Let us know!


Best,
Marcela