how i got the streaks out of my stainless appliances.

we moved into this house 18 months ago and it was not clean {not even close}.  so, being 4 months pregnant, i hired a woman to clean the house.  but, that didn't go so well.  even after her service at the house, it was not clean {not to my standards}.  so, i had to take matters into my own hands.

my stainless appliances had crazy streaks that i couldn't remove with microfiber cloths or stainless steel cleaner.  so, i searched for ways to remove streaks and found an easy solution that worked for me!

drumroll...

plain old olive oil and a paper towel!

first, i clean up the appliance {get rid of any spills or drips}, usually using my norwex cloth.

then i {and my little helper} drip some olive oil on a paper towel and rub it over the stainless, in the same direction as the grain of the stainless steel.  that's it!  sometimes there is a little lint from the paper towel or a little excess oil so i go over the appliance again with a dry towel.

my range had purple streaks going against the grain and i thought for sure there was no hope, that is was damaged and i wouldn't be able to fix it.  after about 3 applications of olive oil, it looks perfect {seriously}.  amazing!

One Hour Alone

On Monday, my hubby took both of the boys for just one hour after work and before dinner.  I think he came home and the big boy was hanging from the rafters and the little boy was screaming bloody murder.  Not really.  But I think he could tell right away that it had been one of those days.  So, how awesome to have a whole hour to myself!  It was seriously a big deal.

"So," you ask, "what did I do with those whole hour to myself?!"  Well, get excited...

I cleaned the fridge, did laundry, and put our new oven liner in the clean oven.  Whew.  I know, pretty great stuff!  It was actually great because instead of having to fit each of those tasks around the needs of those I love, I did it without interruption and without the feeling of guilt for neglecting anyone!

I was inspired to clean and organize the fridge after I read this post of Megan's at Honey We're Home.  Cleaning the fridge is a gratifying, relatively easy task.  It does, however, take some undivided time and attention.  Thanks for the inspiration, Megan...I'm so happy with my organized fridge that I actually took a photo.  I'm weird.

Over the weekend, I ran the self-clean cycle on our oven (peeeeeewwwwww!).  So, my second task while the kids were out was to clean up all the ash inside the oven and clean around the doors, gaskets, etc.  Once I was finished it was so shiny!  My mom bought me this nonstick oven liner a while back, but I didn't want to start using it until I was sure the oven was so clean.

Doesn't it look so nice and shiny!  Now, with the oven liner, I can easily wipe up any spills on the bottom of the oven.  I'm hoping it will stay a little cleaner and fresh smelling!  The liner was a little too big for the bottom of my oven, but it was easy to cut-to-size.

The third task was laundry.  Blah.  Nothing exciting to share about that!  But it was so nice to have a little time - just an hour alone to accomplish a few things around the house!  Thanks, hubby!

Laundry Room Reveal

Hopefully you aren't too excited about this post...it might let you down!  I have a dream for my laundry room that includes new paint, stacking my front-loaders, hanging new cabinets, adding some open shelves, a drop down drying rack and ironing board...the list goes on and on.

As you may remember in this post, I realized that with some organization and fun color I could revamp my laundry room!  So, five months later, I've finally made enough strides to share with you!  Let me be clear - this room is not exactly "shabby chic" - a little more like just "shabby".  But, its better than it was before and for me that's progress enough for now!

I Think I Canvas Mega Sorter from Land of Nod

This hamper was a hinge-pin in my laundry room.  I had a dilapidated hamper that was the bain of this room.  This hamper is a lifesaver because its great quality and it can serve a double purpose: once clothes are clean, I can load them up in here and easily deliver clean clothes around the house!

The labels used are the ones I mentioned in this post.

The labels on the outside of the cabinets are mostly for Hubby, so he doesn't have to ask "Where....?".  (Maybe.)

Instead of moving and adding shelves, I used an under-shelf basket for a little extra space.

This is my everyday cleaning basket.  Its used mainly for bathrooms, but can help out anywhere in the house.  Contents: disposable wipes, glass cleaner, all purpose cleaner, my magic cleaner, Mr. Clean Erasers, tootbrush, rubber gloves.  I used to use a large bucket full of supplies, but I wanted something that fit better in the cabinet, so I downsized to this Dollar Tree bin.  Because I couldn't fit everything I needed to clean the bathrooms into here, I put a small basket under the sink in each bathroom that includes: toilet cleaner, toilet brush (you can find small scale ones at dollar stores or IKEA), alka-seltzer (foir toilets), glass cleaner, 7th Generation Bathroom Cleaner, Mr. Clean Erasers, and rubber gloves.  I try to do some bathroom upkeep daily and having the cleaning supplies right under the sink helps.  Its also a great idea to work on cleaning the bathroom while your kids are in the bath!

Under the washer.

Dryer pedestal drawer.  If I stack my washer/dryer someday I might miss the pedestal drawers.  

Anyone have an opinion on that?

I made this little ditty last night since the little boy went to bed soooo early.  

That's all!  Hope you are inspired, mamas!

Laundry Revisited

You may remember my confession about my laundry room.  That was a while ago.  Well, I'm still in the process of getting it organized to the point that I want it to be.  So...I am thinking of putting these labels to use and wanted to share them with you, mamas!

Images from BHG.com

If you like the labels, you can print them here!

Paired with some wire baskets from the dollar spot at Target, I'm almost there (or here).  

Happy organizing in 2011!

My Magic Cleaner

On this lovely American Holiday, I cleaned.  Yep.  And not just cleaned....cleaned my bathrooms.  What a nice way to celebrate, right?!  Well, who are we kidding: moms don't get holidays...am I right, mamas?

As I was cleaning, clutching my lovely spray bottle (from the Dollar Tree) and my Mr. Clean Eraser sponge with my yellow-glove laden hands, I decided I should share my magic cleaner recipe with all of you!

This recipe was given to my years ago when I wanted to get rid of harsh cleaners in my home and start making some of my own cleaners.  Since then, I have seen the recipe posted in newspaper and magazine articles, so apparently more people than just me are loving it.

So, get ready...its tricky...

Magic Cleaner
1 part Original Formula Blue DAWN Dishsoap
2 parts white distilled vinegar

Phew...did you get all that?


So simple, right?!  It's what I use to clean everything in my bathrooms.  Everything.  Bathtub (that's where the Mr. Clean Eraser comes in handy - cuts that soap scum like nothin'!), toilet (along with a couple tablets of Alka-Seltzer), and sink.

I also read that some people use the solution as a spot remover, but I have not tried that yet.  I decided to call it "Magic Cleaner", since its like magic to me.  Cutting down on cleaning supplies, making my bathroom quicker to clean, and keeping my home fresh is magic enough for me.

My method is just to grab my cheapo spray bottle and fill 1/3 of the way up with DAWN (only the blue kind will work!), then fill the rest of the 2/3 with vinegar.  Then I shake it up a little and VOILA!  You are set!  Say goodbye to any other cleaner...you will love this one.

Happy Labor Day, Mamas!

*As with any cleaner, test before using on any new surface and keep away from children and pets.

Confession

My laundry room is a huge mess.  The laundry is piling up, overflowing out of the hampers.  The drying rack is full.  My cabinets are packed with un-useful array of old stuff.  My cleaning supplies are stacked, shoved and thrown anywhere they fit.  My craft supplies are bursting out of bins too small to house them properly.  The kids' creative supplies are almost impossible to reach.

Yikes.

I've been living with it like this for so long because I can't find the uninterrupted time to do the complete overhaul (what mama can find the time???).  But I think I've reached the breaking point.  I'm sick of the mess.  I've been inspired.

My laundry room needs rehab.


I happened to find this super beautiful, super organized laundry room at Just A Girl.  I would like this laundry room, please.  Its inspiring to me because she houses everything I need to house in my laundry room, too.  She has found a place for everything and I think I can, too.  Plus, don't you just love the turquoise bins and glass jars?


Yes please, I would like a laundry room like this.

Photo from Just a Girl

Photo from Just a Girl