Dryer Lint

Have you EVER moved it? Pulled out your dryer from your laundry room away from the vent that directs the heat to escape? Have you noticed that your dryer cycles are taking longer and longer?

We recently updated our laundry room so I had to remove my washer and dryer. Holy lint! Yes! Lint, a plenty! I took time to vacuum around, under and in my dryer vent that exits my house. Now my drying times are down from 60 to 45-50 minutes.

Saves time, energy and is much safer too. I'll be doing this annually from now on.

~Amy

Don't Sleep On It

Who's shoes are these?

Play the "pick up" game.  

Picking up before bed should not be an opportunity for procrastination. 

Before you get ready for bed take a look around, put dirty dishes in the dishwasher, straighten up the sofa pillows, put away shoes and items from daily living left on the floor.  

Get the family to do their part.  In the morning, children (and their parents) will be happier and spend less time looking to find their items for school or the work day.  Early in the day will seem much brighter with a cleaner house!

~ Gretchen

Is that a bucket under your sink?

Collect towels in this bucket.

Using dish towels and smaller dish cloths saves greatly on paper towel use.  I find that  white wash cloths or bar mops, available in multi packs at Walmart or Marshall's work well as a substitute.  I especially like microfiber towels for cleaning.  After using them sufficiently, I toss them into a bucket under the sink filled with water in which I have dissolved a scoop of Oxi Clean.  I dump the contents of the bucket in the washing machine and wash with a warm water load every other day or so. 

My cousin decided to give up paper towels all together after she stopped buying them during a time when she was out of work.  She said that once she developed the habit of using dish cloths, she never needed to go back to paper towels.  I don't know if I can ever totally give up paper towels, but it's a good goal.  Think of the money and trees we could save if we all just gave it a try.

Roomba - Does that thing really work?

What if I told you that you could afford to own a robot and that it could make your life easier even while you are asleep.  I wouldn't have believed it myself until a month ago, when I purchased my first Roomba.  It vacuums carpet, wood, or vinyl and returns to it's base to recharge when the job is done.  With almost no set up and very little maintenance, it seems too good to be true.  My whole family is sold on it except our dog.  His hair is one of the reasons we need it most!

I suggest mopping your wood floor thoroughly and then using Roomba to maintain that fresh swept feeling, although Roomba picks up way more than any broom or stick vacuum I've used.  I run Roomba every other night when we all head upstairs to get ready for bed.  The next morning the floor is ready to mop, if you're ready to mop.  I have found that I can mop less frequently because the floor is staying cleaner.

The Roomba performs on carpet as well,  getting up way more hair than I thought collectively that we and the dog have.  I love that it vacuums under the sofa and bed!  Be sure to routinely clean out the brushes when using the Roomba on carpet.  Brush removal is literally a snap and the Roomba will tell you if it needs, cleaning, charging or is stuck.  I empty the dust bin drawer after the Roomba vacuums one room.

I can't say enough good things about it and I only bought the less expensive model.  I would be willing to pay way more if my  Roomba could be trained to climb stairs and vacuum those.

iRobot 530 Roomba Vacuuming Robot, White

Spring Cleaning is for Workspaces Too!

What does your desk look like?

Start at the top, whether office, cube or nook. Remove any paper or decor that is no longer timely or necessary. Check for spider webs and dust bunnies and brush those away. Remove items and paper from shelves, desk, or cabinet one surface at a time so as not to overwhelm the space or your employer. Go through paper and recycle as you clean off each surface. 

Wipe each surface and item before returning things to their proper place. Disinfecting wipes are great for this purpose and a handy thing to keep in a desk drawer just in case of a future coffee spill or lunch mishap and to regularly disinfect your phone and computer keyboard. 

Look through drawers and and discard things that do not belong, such as ketchup packs or dried up ink pens. When you have freshened to your satisfaction, don't forget to empty the trash and use a disinfecting wipe to clean the garbage can before putting in a new liner.

Home offices are all sizes!

Cleaning Out a Closet

Messy Closet?

Cleaning out your closet can be a daunting task. Breaking it down into a few steps can make it less overwhelming. Try the following method seasonally.

Start by separating your closet into two sections. Hang warm weather clothes in one area and cool weather clothes in the other. The next step is odd but really tells the tale. Turn all the hangers around backwards on the rod. Each time you wear something turn the hanger back. At the end of thirty days you will know what you are truly wearing at least for that season.

Take a hard look at what is left on the backwards hangers for the current season. Consider taking what you are not wearing to a consignment shop or donating some items to charity. Consignment shops will want recent styles, in very good condition on hangers. Charities typically do not require hangers or even prefer hangers. Call to check before you toss everything in a bag.

The rule of thumb for donating is if you wouldn't give something to a friend or family member because of its condition, then don't give it to a charity either. Clothing that is stained, torn, or even missing a button will be thrown away. Charities have to pay employees or use volunteers' time to inspect items and then end up throwing a good many of them in the dumpster because of their condition. Charities also have to pay disposal fees for every dumpster they fill. The less a charity has to spend on its operating cost, the more resources it has to fulfill its mission.

After you have eliminated what you are not wearing you can begin to categorize your clothes for that season in a way that works for you. Some people prefer to keep all shirts together, pants, jackets, etc. For women and particularly children, sometimes hanging outfits together is more convenient. You may decide to make an adjustment to your closet system. What matters is determining what you wear most because generally it is what you wear most that looks best, feels comfortable and determines your personal style.

Woodwork - Paint vs. Cleaning

Tray catches drips!

Think it's time to repaint the woodwork; think again!

Painting the wood work in your home is much more time consuming and much more costly, if you hire someone to do it, than painting a room. As a first option, consider cleaning all baseboards, doors and door frames, and cabinetry, before you decide to paint.

Gather the right tools for the job:
Small (6 quart) bucket
Mild water based detergent
Micro fiber cloths
Mr. Clean Eraser sponges
Terry cloth hand towel
Rubber gloves with a drip proof cuff
A large plastic tray or rimmed baking sheet
Blue masking tape
Vacuum with attachment

Mix a small amount, generally less than the recommended amount of detergent,
with very warm water in the bucket. You should empty your bucket frequently
so only fill it half way and try to keep detergent minimal, maybe only a
teaspoon full. Put all your supplies on the tray along with the bucket.
The tray keeps all your supplies together, is easily scooted around on the
floor, and most importantly, catches drips and keeps them off your carpet or
other flooring.

Put your rubber gloves on and think systematically. Begin in the corner of
your home, top or bottom level, and work your way around that room first,
baseboards, door frames, and doors, before moving to the hall or next room.
You may want to vacuum around the tops of the baseboard with a brush tool
and or the area where the baseboards meet your flooring with a crevice tool
before wiping. Use a micro fiber cloth that you have wet and squeezed out
in your bucket. Microfiber cloths don't leave streaks or excess water that
a sponge or terry cloth might. Start at the top of door frames and doors
and work your way down to prevent drips.

Use the Mr. Clean eraser sponge for heavily soiled areas such as around the
door knob or for scuff marks at the base of the door. Wet it completely
under running water in the sink, not your bucket as it contains its own
detergent. Squeeze it completely and then put it on your tray. Rub gently
and repeatedly any marks on the door or baseboards. If you rub too hard you
may discolor or remove paint. Avoid using the eraser sponge for the entire
door. They are expensive and deteriorate as you use them. A mild detergent
in water and your elbow grease with the microfiber cloth should do the
trick. Remember to wipe off the residue of the Mr. Clean eraser using your
microfiber cloth.

Nasty Garage Baseboard

As you are cleaning, if you notice chips or scratches in the paint that cleaning won't take care of, dry the area with you terry hand towel and put a small piece of blue masking take by the area. If at the end of your cleaning you have a sea of blue tape, painting the wood work may be the way to go, but at least you have a clean surface on which to work. If blue tape is minimal consider touching up chips in the paint.


Unfortunately if your left over trim paint is over a year old or has been stored improperly it will probably be unusable. It is fine to test the paint after shaking it thoroughly in an inconspicuous area. Let it dry completely (like 12 hours) before making a decision. Your best bet might be to take the old paint to the manufactures paint store and let them use the color code to mix you a quart of fresh paint. If they are nice and so are you they might properly dispose of your old paint for you.

When touching up paint on wood work use a small craft brush or maybe two; one brush could be less than an inch wide and flat, the other might be truly small, for filling in a tiny chip in the wood. Avoid using sponge brushes for this kind of project. Use a light hand and a tiny amount of paint. Usually just dipping your brush in the paint thats on the lid of your quart of paint will suffice. The idea is to fill in the chip only, not to start painting the door. Most likely, new or left over paint will not match exactly, so try to keep the touch up as minimal as possible.

Again, work systematically around each room, removing the blue tape as you touch up each
spot so if the phone rings you will know exactly where you left off when you were interrupted. Hopefully, a fresh cleaning will yield the result you are looking for in your trim. If you do have to do some painting keep in mind these tips:

Latex paint cannot be used over oil based paint without the wood work being
first sanded and primed. Your paint store or professional painter can
instruct you as to how to know if you have oil based paint on your wood
work. Chances are if your house is less than 20 years old you have nothing
but latex, however it never hurts to check. Cabinets that are finished or
painted bookcases are often finished more durably and may need to be sanded
and primed before painting.

If you home is very old or considered historic, consult a professional
before you paint. Older paint may contain lead which can be extremely
harmful to you, your family and pets if sanded or removed improperly. It
may not be in the paint on the surface of your wood work but could be in
subsequent layers underneath. Read up on lead paint on the internet. The
Environmental Protection Agency provides brochures to paint stores
concerning lead paint that you can pick up, just ask.

Do not dispose of old paint by pouring it down a sink, in a storm drain or on to the ground. In many cases water based or latex paints can be opened and filled with kitty litter and left open until the kitty litter has absorbed all the paint and completely dried and then you can pour out the "crumbs" in the trash and throw the can away. This is not safe with oil based paints. Check with your local waste management system for the proper disposal recommendation.




Place Paint on Tray to Scoot