10 minutes is plenty.

As an addendum to my post yesterday, on cleaning the working girl way, I wanted to point out that there's always a few minutes here and there, everyday, to clean and keep up with chores. There's certainly not enough time to say, organize the closet or bake a batch of cookies, but laundry can be folded and the bed can be made.

Now, my weekdays go something like this:

8.00: Wakeup. Shower, dress, make coffee, etc.
9.15ish-6.15ish, sometimes 7.00: Work. My office is about 5 miles away, and I usually go home for lunch at noon.
6.15/7.00: Home: Dinner.
8.00: Gym.
9:30: Home: Shower, tv (read: relax and decompress), snack.
11.00: Bed.

There's obviously not a lot of free time. If I'm not running late, however, I can usually find a few minutes to do something. For example, when I wake up, I can easily make the bed in under 2 minutes. Whew, the room instantly looks cleaner. The couch cushions can be fluffed on my way from the kitchen to the front door. Have a system. Dirty clothes automatically go in the hamper -- not on the floor. Empty containers go in the trash. A container of lysol wipes in the bathroom makes for a quick clean in under a minute. It isn't the end of the world if the sink holds the breakfast dishes all day, or if the coffeemaker doesn't get cleaned until the next morning. If it's important to you to have a clean place, then you'll simply just find the time. If you have a boyfriend/husband/roommate, then share the chores.

I think I'll try to clean the coffeemaker when I go home for lunch.

The peachy way to clean

I guess, in a perfect world, I could be as well put together as The Hyper Homemaker. Not having a speck of dirt in sight, perfectly pressed linens, fresh flowers in gorgeous vases, etc. She even lists how to be organized, complete with tips on how often to do chores.

I pride myself on a clean and happy apartment. But.....I just don't have the time to iron my sheets! In fact, I have a set of Ralph Lauren (bought at Ross!) sheets that are forever wrinkled. Can't help it, but wow, they're soft!

I don't clean on a schedule or have days set aside for certain chores. My free time is unpredictable. No two Mondays are the same. Instead.....I get things taken care of as I think of them. Scott does a great deal, too. It's not all on me.

Here are a few of MY tips:

--Once the clothes hamper is full, sort into loads and do them when you have a chance. Just no time for laundry? Sometimes, I start a wash load just before I go to sleep and then put that load in the dryer the next morning. Or I'll start a wash load while I'm getting ready in the morning and then toss them in the dryer on my lunch break. I fold & put away the clean laundry when I get home from work, while Scott is making dinner. I'm not sure what I'd do if we had to go to a laundromat. I can't even imagine. Having to use the dorm laundry room in college was bad enough.

--No time to clean? Pick a free Saturday or Sunday. For me, there's absolutely no time for this during the week. If I'm at home on a Saturday morning, that's when I'll scrub the bathtub or vacuum the carpet.

--Find shortcuts! I cannot stress this enough. Martha Stewart has all the time in the world to do crafts and bake bread from scratch. I don't.

Any quick cleaning tips out there?

The Joys of Vinegar

I've almost always liked cleaning. Organizing, straightening up, laundry, dishes.....

Lately, I've discovered how awesome vinegar is. Yes, vinegar. Apparently, it does more than get thrown into pasta salad. It's a natural disinfectant (look out, bleach!) and is a greener way to clean. It's so versatile.




Ways to use:

1) Add into the laundry as a booster; use instead of bleach with the linens. Be sure not to mix with bleach.
2) Sunburned? Take a washcloth and soak with vinegar. Let the washcloth sit on the burn for awhile, and the vinegar will take away the sting. (My mom has always done this.)
3) Dirty shower? Spray some vinegar where needed, and then sprinkle baking soda. Or, you could make a paste. Let sit for a few minutes, then take a sponge and clean. This method is easier on the lungs, than say, lime away.
4) Dirty countertops? Vinegar can actually cut grease. Take a spray bottle, and fill half with vinegar, half with water. Spray and wipe dry. The vinegar smell will eventually fade, but the results are amazing.
5) Need to clean the coffeemaker? Fill the resevoir with equal parts vinegar and water. Turn on the coffeepot and let it go. I usually repeat the process once or twice with water, to rinse. The vinegar will help remove the build up, especially with hard water.

Want more? Try this site: All-Natural Cleaning