What did you do this weekend? seems to be the burning question on everyone’s lips come Monday morning. Usually I try to have something interesting to say, like maybe we saw a movie or went to dinner, went out with friends, went shopping, or away for the weekend. But this weekend, some unknown creature took over my body and before I knew it, it was Monday morning and I didn’t have anything to show for my weekend.
Except a really, really clean house.
When I got off work on Friday, Michael & I began to formulate a plan of action (over Mexican food). We’ll call this plan Operation Sell This House. After a trip to our local Home Depot, we were armed & ready for action. The rest of the weekend was spent with me tackling our house & him tackling our yard, stopping only for Chinese take-out & the occasional “How’s it going?” or “It’s looking good!”
Saturday was spent going through each room in an attempt to purge my house (and my life) of anything unnecessary (one of my 95 in 1095). I made a lot of progress, with only my bedroom & office left to go. I have a pile in my dining room of “Stuff to Giveaway,” so if any of you are looking for some random odds-and-ends, feel free to stop on by & rummage, I probably have just what you’re looking for.
I look exactly like this when I clean, right down to the spiky heels, pearls, & red lipstick. Try not to be envious of how put-together I am.
My friend Corlene helped me on Sunday to tackle the cleaning portion, and all I have to say is SHE IS A TRUE FRIEND. When a friend comes over & is all, “Hand me a mop,” you know that person will be your friend forever. We cleaned & cleaned & cleaned some more, & at the end, I stood back, looked at my house and thought, “It will be a lucky person who moves into our adorable little home.” Seriously, my floors are so clean I’m thinking about using my kitchen tile as a serving platter for our next dinner party. I LOVE a clean house, there is something so refreshing & pure about the openness & airiness of everything. And I swear, there is something downright emotionally cleansing about getting rid of old stuff by the boxful.
Okay, maybe not that clean.
I still have a long to-do list, which I’m hoping to accomplish a large chunk of next weekend; we’d really like to list our house no later than April 1st. Michael has now been accepted to 4 schools, so for the next couple of weeks we’ll also be playing the Make A List Of The Pros & Cons game, which is exciting & scary all wrapped into one.
Housewife Note: Real Simple is my favorite magazine, & I had read an article from the February issue about Speed Cleaning Your Bathroom In 10 Minutes. Since cleaning my bathroom is probably the most hated thing in my life, I gobbled up the instructions & quickly purchased everything needed. My conclusion: It only works for those people who actually clean their bathroom once a week. (Who are you people? Also, I hate you.) The Alka-Seltzer was sort of a joke for a cleaner, but it might be nice as a bowl freshener. I couldn’t find a Method microfiber cloth, so I bought a knock-off one & I could tell it was a poor version, so that might’ve made a huge difference. However, I did discover that I ADORE Clorox disinfecting wipes. I mean, it’s like cleaning everything with a baby wipe, how much simpler can it get? They’re great for tiny bathrooms with tile floors when it’s not really worth busting out the mop, & don’t even get me started about how wonderful it is not to have a load of rags & towels to wash after cleaning. I don’t know how I ever lived without them.
All of that being said, I feel a little disconnected right now, since weekends are usually my time to catch up on blogging & emails; still, I know that in the end, when we’re listing our house & able to really enjoy our last free summer for a couple of years, it will all be worth it.
What are some of your favorite cleaning products/methods? Inquiring minds want to know!
Jillian says:
I’ve had the Real Simple article on my table for a while… I’m glad someone road tested it for me (and so I don’t have to go out and get a box of alka-seltzer)! Thanks for motivating me to get my spring cleaning done!
jenferlouise says:
I love Real Simple! My pseudo-mother-in-law buys it for me at Christmas every year! I should probably read that article …. or give it to ManFriend. :)
RootsAndRings says:
Based on your definition of a true friend here, I am not one… nor will I ever be. I love you to death but I will not mop your floor. I hardly even mop my own floor!
Jaimi says:
The magic eraser. It. Removes. Everything. Even the paint, so be careful.
I hate cleaning the toilet, but I have a pretty good tried-and-true method. Clorox (a few glugs) and ajax scrub sprinkled all around the bowl. Leave it for as long as you can. Scrub with the toilet brush, and flush. The soaking loosens all the grossness. Not very green, but it’s how my momma taught me.
Samantha says:
I was going to say the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, but I see it’s already been mentioned! It works wonders, even when I accidentally let a pot of sugar water boil over and had it stick all over the stove. Oops. :)
We have wood floors downstairs, and I swear by the Swiffer sweeper to clean up dust and dirt between mops, and I love the Swiffer dusters, too. So easy to use.
I also love disinfecting wipes! I use them in my kitchen and bathroom.
Holly says:
I second (or third!) the Magic Eraser! It’s fantastic, it gets rid of just about anything.
Victoria says:
I comletely agree about the Magic Eraser! Also the Swiffer duster is AMAZING and also there is a Shark steam mop that is GREAT on tile floors!!!! You can find it anywhere, Bed Bath and Beyond for sure :) (I registered for one, we have a lot of tile in our house)
Oh yeah and I also look like Donna Reed when I do house cleaning also, it is just so darn refreshing to clean! I clean my new house every Saturday :) or on my lunch break :)
Oh and my in-laws are having a 3-day garage sale if you wanted to sell any of it and make a little moula to pay for some of your cleaning/redecorating to get your house ready to sell :)))
Kathleen says:
I am nervous that you are going to move away from me. :(
Kyla Roma says:
Good luck with everything that you have on board! Are you guys staying in Texas? (have I asked before? lol)
My favourite method is to wake up early on a Saturday morning, go crazy on cleaning, and then go out for brunch. It just feels like you’ve earned it =)
E.P. says:
Like you and everyone else here, I adore Real Simple and all the tips they have. I’m going through withdrawals because I don’t get it anymore, and I have to rummage through my old magazines to see what I should do.
Also? Kudos on being a cleaning machine! Do you want to come to Tennessee to help us out? We’d love you forever…
Cio says:
a) I think that deep down inside we hadn’t seen each other in a long time, cause you were giving me a glimpse of what is to come. I’m sad, in every way.
b)Magic Eraser = buenooooooooooo
I prefer Lysol Wipes over Clorox wipes, they’re thicker…
c) I love you Owen!
Emily Jane says:
Good luck! And I think it’d be totally fun to get dolled up all retro-style and do the cleaning, lol. And a great excuse for red lipstick!
Where are you guys moving to?
heirtoblair says:
Clorox wipes are AMAZING mid-week. Just grab one & wipe down the counter in 2.5 seconds & BAM! you have a “clean” bathroom.
I’m also a big fan of dusting. LOVE dusting. Endust & a rag. Nothing better.
Stephanie~LittleInsights.com says:
What happened? Your husband did not step through the ceiling in your attic while spring cleaning? Ugh! I guess it only happens here! LOL! On the brighter side the duct tape patch job is holding up nicely!!
steph anne says:
We did spring cleaning last weekend too and we didn’t even really need to deep clean anything since our house is still new, it was mostly organizing and dusting. I REALLY hate those dust bunnies, jeez!!
Amy says:
I read and love that same Real Simple article. I too ran out and bought the Clorox cleansing wipes and LOVE them! I use them all around the house! You have inspired me to spend Saturday morning deep cleaning our apartment…the weather has been beautiful here and that also puts me in a spring cleaning mood :)
Erin says:
I do love a clean house. People think you’re joking about looking like a Stepford wife when you clean- but I know it’s true.
Melissa says:
Baking soda is my secret weapon. I have cats and they leave, uh, odours. Baking soda nullifies them and it’s gentle enough that it doesn’t tend to damage fabrics. It’s also what I use when something is spilled on the carpet.
Jill says:
I love Real Simple, and read that article. I think I’m slow because there’s no way I could get that done in 10 minutes. But I do not clean my bathroom every day/mid week/etc, nor do I even put things away on a daily basis. Kudos to you for getting all that cleaning done! I’m jealous!! Oh and my fav cleaning product is Method spray for bathrooms in the blue bottle. Smells like Eucalyptus Mint…yum-o :)