Oh, I LOVE the Word CLEAN

Anyone else? 

Clean makes my heart flutter. Clean makes my energy soar.  Clean helps me focus.  Clean empowers me.  Jesus does too.  But today we are focused on clean. I absolutely love for my house to be sparkling clean.   But keeping a nice, orderly, clean home is hard with three little ones.  Hard, I tell ya.  And it has become harder and harder with each child to find time to set apart to scrub the house.

I saw that Kelly @ Kelly's Korner had a great post yesterday where people left cleaning tips and ideas.  I cannot wait to find new, efficient tips.

A few tips that I have learned...

1. Like Kelly, I never leave dirty dishes in the sink.  I rinse dishes immediately and I run the dishwasher every night.  I unload the dishwasher while the kids eat breakfast and then load them throughout the day.  I detest scrubbing dried food off of dishes. Eck.  Noah helps me unload the dishwasher and he does a great job!

2. I use vinegar water to clean most things.  It's disinfecting, natural, cost efficient and works great.  The only place that I don't use it is on our granite countertops.  Mix half water with half vinegar in a spray bottle.  It also neutralizes smells like the microwave or refrigerator.  I add a splash of vinegar to warm soapy water when I disinfect the kids toys.

3. I keep Clorox wipes under each bathroom sink.  That way, it is easy to grab the wipes and do a quick swipe of the counter top, toilet or tub without having to completely clean the bathroom.  I do this most nights while my kids are in the bath. While they play, I give the bathroom a quick wipe down.

4. I sweep with a sweeper similar to this multiple times each day.  I sweep the kitchen at least twice, if not three times each day. It's easier to get crumbs and food up before they are tracked all over the house. Not to mention my children are messy eaters. One in particular. :)

5. I clean in intervals.  I dust one day, clean glass one day, mop one day, etc.  I wish I could do it all at once, but I don't have that amount of time. The down side to this method is that I never get the extremely clean feeling.  The upside: at least something is always clean.  I time myself for fifteen or thirty minutes and I clean all that I can in that time frame.  It's amazing how much I can accomplish before my timer goes off.  I also do a lot of five minute cleanings.

6. I NEVER leave clean laundry piles laying anywhere.  I fold clothes straight from the dryer.  It is much easier for me and our clothes are not wrinkled.

7. I wipe down the kitchen sink and all appliances at night.  It is so nice to wake up to a clean, orderly kitchen.  Shining the kitchen sink is a tip that I learned from Fly Lady.  Check out fly lady for quick tips to de-clutter and clean.  I used it for several months, and learned many helpful tips.


If only I could find tips for helping my (almost four year old ) boy keep his room clean.  Oh, the stress. Any suggestions? What are your cleaning tips/hints? By all means... share them!

p.s. One day I WILL have a cleaning lady. I have confidence in this.  And I will hug her every single time that she comes to my home. A big bear hug!