THE FOLLOWING WAS FIRST PUBLISHED, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2010!!
My Dear friend, Carol, thought it might be "fun" for me to republish this post!!! A reveal of The True me so as to speak! I guess it's time everyone gets to know the real, crazy Patty!
There are quite a number of readers that never read this post! It was published over three years ago....
So here goes.....ENJOY!
HOPEFULLY IT WILL BRING A GIGGLE.
IT'S ENTIRELY TRUE AND I DO IT EVERY DAY!!!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
WHAT.....NO PAPER TOWELS !!!!!
Gotcha!!!
What is she writing about now???
What I am writing about is an idea from Erica. She asked me over the weekend to let everyone "out there" know the REAL ME !!! She was referring to the "cleaning freak"!!! But, in the same breath said that everyone would love to know my cleaning secrets....What wonderful magic solutions do I use? What methods? So on and so on...
I have to say now that.. I don't consider myself a cleaning freak! You that know me, don't laugh! I consider myself SMART!! I call my house keeping style PREVENTIVE CLEANING !!!
Just think about it.....I use a system that allows me the freedom of never having to really have to clean in the sense of CLEAN ... Why??...because it is ALWAYS clean! It never gets DIRTY... Now, do you Get It????
The system or routine is very easy. I lightly, and I repeat, lightly wipe down counters, tables ..just about all the surfaces daily. This includes the windows as I pull up the "wiped" shades. It takes no more time to pull up a shade wiping it as it would without. I always hated the blind and window job and now I don't have it. It also includes a little "wipe" in the refrigerator as I prepare breakfast. Again no more time to do it as you are removing food ....Tonight I was asked about the appliances. And yes, I do them also. The biggest job is the range top after Master Carpenter (Master Chief also) has cooked a meal. But again, I use the vinegar solution and it removes all the cooking grease and mess. Doing it daily keeps it from building up.... and...the best invention in years has been the self cleaning oven. Use It!!!
The only secret I have is what I DON'T use. PAPER TOWELS !!
I buy washcloths from a discount store in a package of 24 for $9.99. They last forever. I never buy or use paper towels. I save a fortune and for those "green" followers....look at all the paper I don't throw away.
I lightly dampen the wash cloth with a solution of white vinegar and water (one third vinegar to two thirds of water) I keep it in a spray bottle and just spray and wipe! Actually I just have to spray once or twice and the cloth is damp enough to go over most of the house, except for the baths. This solution works on everything......counters to windows to mirrors to tile floors!! It's fabulous. I do have a cleaning product for the wood floors that I use with a cloth mop.
Note new formula that I now use for glass, mirrors and granite. The vinegar is still great for tile and tiled floors!
I was having a problem with the stainless steel appliances. Janet, a loyal reader and our Sales Associate, shared with me a great idea. Wipe them with olive oil!!! It works!!! I bought some in a spray can and found I could spray a dab on a cloth. I wipe it over the appliance and then wipe it off with a clean cloth. I only have to do this every once in a while. The vinegar solution works on a regular basis.
(about 6 months ago, I did find a fabulous stainless steel cleaner....I have it pictured below. But in a pinch, the olive oil works!)
I do vacuum and go over the wood floors daily, but it takes 15 minutes at the most. If I miss a spot you can bet I'll hit it the next day!
So there you have it.
Patty's Preventive Cleaning.
The benefits are great! The house is always clean. If I can't do it one day for some reason, it doesn't really matter...it's not going to get that dirty in two days!!!!! No big long dreaded days of scrubbing, etc.
Another benefit is the physical exercise it gives me. Think about it. I am up and down a step stool many, many times, on the floor wiping the tiles and pushing the mop and vacuum around.
The best benefit is the cost............supplies are cheap and the labor is free!!!
There is a product I do use for the shower tiles and glass. This product also removes most spots off painted walls. It's Arm & Hammer's Scrub Free with OXY.
After I have all these little chores done I am ready to meet the day!!!!!
(over all I would say the time involved is less then one and a half hours)
Erica, I have opened my secrets to the world and now everyone knows how crazy everyone will think I am.......but I have a clean house!!!
VINEGAR AND WATER FOR TILE
A NEW FORMULA FOR
GRANITE
TILE
GLASS
MIRRORS
HAS BEEN
ADDED TO THE END OF THIS POST
MOP AND CLEANER FOR WOOD FLOORS
MY FAITHFUL BUDDY (CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT HIM)
NEW ADDITION
THE ORIGINAL BEE'S WAX
PERFECT
FOR
ALL
STAINLESS STEEL
TWO WEEKS AGO A NEIGHBOR GAVE ME THE FORMULA FOR A CLEANER FOR GRANITE, MIRRORS AND WINDOWS. I HAVE BEEN USING IT AND IT WORKS BETTER ON THESE SURFACES THAN THE VINEGAR. I NOW USE THE VINEGAR FOR SURFACES THAT ARE TILED.
THIS IS THE NEW MIRACLE FORMULA:
I CUP OF WATER
1/4 CUP OF ALCOHOL
IT'S GREAT!
THIS IS THE NEW MIRACLE FORMULA:
I CUP OF WATER
1/4 CUP OF ALCOHOL
IT'S GREAT!
So now you know more than you ever wanted to know about "Patty"!!!!
Patty
Well you are one heck of a lady if you do the windows every single day! Whew, that alone would wipe me out. My Mom use to clean like you every day. Me not so much, except for the kitchen and bathroom, I have to have those clean and sparkly and you are right maintaining is easier than actually having to deep clean. It is working for you so I say go for it. Oh by the way I did some windows for my Mom with the vinegar, ammonia and water solution and no streaks and so, so easy!! I am a convert,
ReplyDeletexo Kathysue
you are awesome! these are great tips! with two kids, two dogs, and let's not forget the husband, i feel like i can never get ahead of cleaning. going to try this with the washcloths next time i get to the store.
ReplyDeletethanks girls.....I am nuts, I know!
DeleteWow Patty, I am impressed! I wish I can clean like you. With a messy kid and husband, if I clean (plus pick up after them) everyday, I would need to dedicate more than 5 hours daily and that will leave me no time to blog, cook and relax. :) Glad it worked well for you.
ReplyDeleteP/S: By the way, I just finished deep cleaning my whole house just now. Took me more than 5 hours.
Jessie
www.mixandchic.com
Jessie I hate to admit but I have never "deep" cleaned! :).....
DeleteI've always been a big believer in ammonia and water solutions for the bathroom tiled floors as well as using "rags" instead of paper towels. WTG Patty! I do remember someone saying from years back about cleaning stainless steel with baby oil so I suppose oil is the key factor.
ReplyDeleteThe man who installed my wood floors also said to use Bona for cleaning them as opposed to using soap. Funny side note about this...he had a thick accent and I had some difficulty understanding him and wrote down "Boner" not Bona to which he replied I had spelled it wrong. Oops! I don't think he realized how embarrassed I was in my mistake. I'm just happy it was corrected before I went to the store looking for "Boner". lol
That's funny!
DeleteUsed ammonia before I switched to vinegar for the tile flooring.
Cleaning....yuk...a four letter word. I also have 2 dogs and it is hard to keep up with it:)
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me that with only 2 of us how dirty my house can get in the few days after I clean....wish I was as disciplined as you:)
Sherry
Dogs would make it harder! For sure.....
DeleteNo pets has been a help....except for MC!
First of all, I am impressed you've been blogging for over 3 years!! Congrats! As for your cleaning tips and rituals: even more impressed! Come help Tom, Panda, Mocha and me, please!! :)
ReplyDeleteLoi, it would be my pleasure to help you, Tom Panda and Mocha....It would be an honor :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think its crazy! I wish I had enough time to clean as much as I want to. In the Fall, we will be down to just four in the house (as of today its down to 5)and I am hoping its easier.
ReplyDeleteWhen my kids were little I did the washcloth thing and only had paper towels for super gross clean ups. I may go back to that.
I think you are brilliant! I don't use paper towels either. I use microfiber cloths from the car wash aisle - super cheap and they last forever. I love them! True confession: I keep one roll of paper towels for "the worst of the worst." As in, it is so nasty that I would have to throw away the microfiber cloth because I couldn't bear to put it in the washing machine. But it takes EONS, and I mean EONS, to go through a roll of paper towels. I can't imagine going back to them! I need to keep a spray bottle of water and vinegar ...
ReplyDeleteI will be looking for those microfiber cloths next time out! Need to replace my wash cloths and I love your idea! Thanks...
DeleteI can't believe it has been three years since I first read this post but I still remember thinking that's why you are so skinny! You work daily cleaning your house! LOL!
ReplyDeleteCleaning is a large part of the art of home making. You are the Queen Bee and Home Maker. It proves difficult for most of us to master The Sparkling Clean House and beautifully decorated house. You make it look so easy!
ReplyDeleteIt's not difficult if it's done everyday! It's not hard and never a chore. Great exercise! As I said it's:
ReplyDeletePREVENTIVE CLEANING!
You are so smart, Patty. I try to do a little each day myself. It really does work if you have the time and discipline to do it every day. PS I just bought an enormous jug of white vinegar at Wal-mart. Only thing I don't like about vinegar cleaning is the smell. Wish someone would come up with a solution for that! Do you have an miracle recipes for spots on the carpet?
ReplyDeleteYES! The local Luster Kleen franchise owner sells a magic powder you mix with water. We had a number of stains on our new carpet when we moved in. The general contractor contacted this "guy" and he came out and performed magic with his secret formula ! Of course we bought some...It has removed every spot you can imagine including Georgia red dirt!
DeleteI wish I had a solution to the vinegar odor. Sometimes I think our home smells like a salad!
Delete