As a working mom I find where I struggle the most is keep my house clean! The last thing I want to do after working, making dinner, playing with the kids then putting them to bed is clean up. But I also really hate looking around and seeing the mess that consumes my home. I decided recently enough was enough, and I needed to come up with ways to keep things mostly decent looking around the house (I am not a cleaning perfectionist after all). These methods needed to be quick, inexpensive, and easily done because time and money are places I love to save.

Vinegar

Have you met my best friend vinegar? When I learned all of the things it can do around the house I became obsessed. It is effective with cleaning, leaves no smell or residue behind, and is very inexpensive. Listed below are my favorite uses

  • The shower-I heavily dislike scrubbing the shower. We have a walk in shower with six small shelves so I feel like I need to really scrub each nook and cranny well, and I dislike using bleach-based products in the windowless room because the fumes don’t agree with me. So I mix one part vinegar to one part Dawn dish soap in a spray bottle. I spray down the shower and let it sit for about 10 minutes. I find if there is a lot of buildup I warm the vinegar first, it helps break up the tough stains. And if you’re like me and want to get it done quickly, use a clean broom to scrub everything down! I keep a second broom in our closet for this purpose only, no more getting down on your knees and scrubbing, plus it cuts down on time!
  • The microwave-sometimes I open it up and wonder how on earth it became so messy inside the damn thing. At least clean up is a breeze! One part water and one part vinegar in a bowl or cup, microwave for 5 minutes or so to create enough steam on the inside. Wipe with a cloth and its good to go!
  • Produce-I would love to buy organic produce often but I honestly don’t feel like spending that kind of money. I read a long time ago that a good vinegar soak can remove a lot of residue from certain fruit and vegetables. As soon as I bring them home from the store I put berries or apples or tomatoes into separate bowls (because I don’t want to have to separate them later if I dump them all into the sink), and pour 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water into each bowl. I let them soak for 5 to 10 mins (pictured below ended up being 7 mins), then spread them onto paper towels and let them dry. I put berries into their original containers. Saves me so much time later when the kids want a snack (and they are never patient).

Microfiber cloths

I fell in love with microfiber cloths during a Norwex presentation. Learning how household chemicals can affect the body really left an impression on me. I try to use as few chemicals as possible (but cannot give up cleaning the toilet with them ew). When I wanted more cloths I tried the Amazon microfiber cloths. These have been working great, and I love that you only need water to clean. I don’t have to worry about keeping a cupboard filled with cleaner-they work on counters, windows, mirrors, stainless appliances, everything!

Schedules

So one of the struggles I have is time management. There are days where I cannot bring myself to move after an 8 or 9 hour work day. I find having a daily goal/schedule helps with keeping the house intact, and keeps my stress to a minimum. We also get the kids involved because they live here too!

  • During the weekdays my cleaning is pretty minimal, because again, I am tired. The dishes get done, counters get wiped, that’s about it. The kids are now responsible for picking up all of their toys from the living room and office before bedtime, it reduced the amount of stress I have when I can look at clean floors during my down time.
  • On Saturdays we do laundry. Sometimes we get it all done and sometimes it is just the kids loads. They are responsible for loading the washer, helping me sort and put away the clothes after they are dry. Oh, and my husband does his own, and I will not be changing that any time soon.
  • On Sunday I clean the parts of the house that didn’t get clean during the week. Bathrooms, dusting and vacuuming and any remaining laundry. I won’t lie to you, sometimes my laundry sits in the dryer for a few days after everyone else’s clothes are done. Perfection is boring after all!

I feel better in my daily life having just a touch more organization in my life. Sure there are plenty of mornings I wake up to dirty dishes in the sink but I try to finish what I neglected as soon as I can the next day. Overall my days are slightly less stressful if I stick to my own plan!

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