These are things I wish I knew about when I had young children!
I wanted to share with everyone what I've learned recently that has made cleaning my house SO much easier, quicker and healthier.
First I need to tell you of the "tools" I've discovered and then I'll do a room by room strategy of what I have so far.
First the "TOOL"- the best cleaning device that I've discovered is the E-Cloth. Another option is a Norwex cloth but I prefer the E-cloth because of the cost and ease of getting them. You can click on this link to see why the E-cloth works so well and how it removes over 99% of bacteria. I seriously have rubbed butter on a glass door and cleaned it easily with my cloth with just a little water on the cloth. One thing to note with both brands of these cloths is DO NOT wash them with any sort of fabric softener or dry with dryer sheets; it will diminish their work ability (however if it does happen I do believe you can wash it lots to get it back to it's original condition).
Now, the room strategy:
The Bathroom: I keep one general purpose E-cloth hanging in my bathroom and after every to every other shower I just quickly wipe down the shower with the cloth. It works like a "magic eraser". You don't have to do anything with the cloth, just start wiping; the water left from the shower and the cloth cleans the shower beautifully! From there you can clean the sink and faucet (or vice versa). This will keep your tub and sink sparkling every day. Then, whichever day is your sheet washing day, you can use your damp cloth to wipe down the toilet and the floor (whichever order you prefer with a hot rinse in between). The cloth works well on a regular swiffer mopper, you can just push it into the little holes and mop away. Then, when your bathroom is all done, just throw the cloth in with the sheets for a hot wash. If you want, you can also keep a glass and polishing cloth to wipe down the faucets and keep the mirrors spotless after the general wipe down. (I just get a dab of toilet paper to make the sink faucet sparkle after using the general cloth and clean the mirrors once a week with the polishing cloth while I clean other window/glass surfaces.
The Kitchen: There are two cloths I like to use in the kitchen. The E-cloth glass and polishing cloth and a mesh cloth. (My aunt used her general purpose cloth for washing dishes and it worked very well. During the whole stay there, I never noticed a bad smell coming from the cloth.) I learned about the mesh cloth from a Norwex party and now it's a staple in my kitchen. Here's how I get 2 mesh cloths for about 68 cents each.
From Walmart, I purchase a "Lingerie Bag". Any bag of the sort would work though.
Then, I cut the binding and zipper off.
I don't have the final picture after cutting it, but you get the idea. These are two cloths together so once I was done cutting, I just separate them and start cleaning with them. They are stiff at first but after they're first washed they soften up.
These mesh cloths are great for:
-washing dishes and the cloths don't stink even after a week
-cleaning dough and other stuck on things on countertops, sinks, microwaves, refrigerator shelves...
The glass and polishing cloth with just water is great for cleaning:
-faucets
-Glass stove top even with grease splattered on it. Just get the cloth wet and wipe it off.
-Refrigerator inside and out
-Microwave inside and out
-Countertops (I like to wipe with the mesh cloth and then follow up with the e-cloth)
-Windows
-Anything that needs cleaning or polishing!
Dusting: General Purpose cleaning cloth, dry
Windows/Mirrors: Glass & Polishing (I have rubbed butter onto a glass door and wiped it right off with a wet polishing cloth.
Hard Floors: You can put a general purpose cloth on a Swiffer mopper and either sweep with it dry or mop with it wet. It will get your floors REALLY clean!
Vehicle: I tried this out earlier this month and couldn't believe how well the E-cloth cleaned the WHOLE vehicle! I started with dusting the dash board and cleaning the hard surfaces with a slightly damp cloth. Then, I thoroughly rinsed the cloth and wiped spots on the upholstery and carpet (that I never thought would come off) and it got several spots out and lightened the others. Then, I rinsed it out again and cleaned the outside of the vehicle (not a small vehicle either). I used the mesh cloth from the laundering bag to clean off the bugs and hard spots and was able to get the rest off with just the E-cloth. When it got dirty, I'd take it in and rinse it off and keep going. I couldn't believe how easy it was, how well it worked and all I used was one general purpose cloth, one mesh cloth and one glass and polishing cloth for the windows and water, no other cleaners!
Some before and afters: this was after cooking bacon.
We recently took a trip and while on the road our youngest daughter got car sick. I was able to pull over and use the e-cloth and some water to clean her, her car seat and the seat and seat belt. I just wished I had had it with me when a milky, sticky drink got spilled on me and the driver's side floor board several weeks later! I hope this is helpful. If you have any questions or testimonials, please leave a comment.
Thanks!
