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JennGM
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Betsy wrote:
I wanted to add a tip that I learned a long time ago that worked well for us.
Someone who had pets recommended a product that is used when pets pee in the house to get the smell out. I don't know what the name is but I am sure that any pet store would be able to point it out.
Like Krista, we had a vent on the floor about 12 inches from the toilet (not smart, even if you don't have lots of small boys!) but we would put it down the vent and around the toilet and it really did get rid of the smell.
We have since moved and I haven't needed it again, which is why I don't remember the name, but it was honestly one of the best tips I have ever received!!!!!!! |
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Was it Nature's Miracle? We used that when we moved into a house that had cat urine. I tried everything until that magic. It didn't work right away, but after a bit it was all gone and amazing! It contains enzymes that breaks down the urine and bacteria.
I'm sure there are other brands with similar results.
Thanks for the reminder. My bathrooms aren't out of control, but it's good to keep on top of it.
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Mackfam
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CrunchyMom wrote:
I must admit I am continually amazed at how much of my parenting energy is focused on excrement and its appropriate disposal. I had NO IDEA going in, and I really would have thought this whole "we don't want our persons or our house to smell like pee or poop" thing would be much more intuitive and something my children would naturally desire.  |
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I thought I'd add to this thread and say that as soon as the boys were old enough and could be trained to clean the bathrooms they used, MIRACULOUSLY, their aim and sense of depositing waste products in appropriate places improved dramatically.
For my 6yo, it was the day the wall got hit and I put gloves on him, an apron on him, and stood in the doorway while he COMPLETELY and TOTALLY washed every.single.wall in the bathroom (did that because in his explanation of what he did, he "wasn't sure where he hit the wall", so we washed everything since he wasn't sure!!) and then wiped them down with Clorox wipes. I have noticed that since that investment of my time and his effort in clean-up his aim has been notably well centered in the center of the bowl! So....another strategy I wanted to recommend is make them clean up their gross messes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Weekly, my boys (6 and 11yo) do this in the 2 bathrooms they most frequently use:
** Scrub toilets which includes wiping down the ENTIRE outside of the toilet
** Vacuum bathroom
** MOP ENTIRE bathroom, paying special attention to floor around toilet
** Wash sinks and counters in bathrooms
** Clean mirrors
** Scrub the tub!!!!
I wash my hands of it!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
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Mackfam
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Oh, and Nature's Miracle is good stuff! We use it for the dogs and....anything else needed. 
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Pilgrim
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Just thought I'd add...I have had issues before with little girls spray, as well. Sometimes with little girls the spray can go everywhere, and a particular area that it will get stinky is the little knobs/feet on the bottom of the seat, and under the front rim of the toilet. I noticed this when we had a dd and no little boys potty trained yet. Not to say that the "boy" areas of stink around the toilet aren't true, but that there are "girl" areas to watch for too. 
Another option that some families I know have done is to have all boys and even menfolk just sit down to go. They may balk a bit at first, but there's no reason they can't and it sure beats cleaning up their messes. 
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Servant2theKing
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I'm home from mil's for a couple days and so can feel your pain. I think teenagers must actually lose their sense of smell somehow ~ our bathrooms (and the rest of the house) have become rather "odorific" in my absence. 
A few years ago dh brought home an enzyme-based commercial toilet cleaner which worked like a charm up under the rim of the toilet bowl and all around the bottom where it meets the floor ~ I sprayed as far back as I thought that handy-dandy spray could reach, let it set for awhile, then repeated the entire process again! I don't know the name of it, but I think it's time to reinvest a bottle!!!
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Grateful in VA
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Servant2theKing wrote:
| I'm home from mil's for a couple days and so can feel your pain. I think teenagers must actually lose their sense of smell somehow ~ our bathrooms (and the rest of the house) have become rather "odorific" in my absence. |
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You mean they will still be doing this when they are teenagers??? My boys are all under 10... 
For everyday cleaning I my boys take turns wiping down the whole bathroom with clorox wipes everyday. Once a week we do a thorough cleaning with scrub brushes.
The smell and mess doesn't seem to offend them at all. So far there has been nothing I could come up with that would convince them to be more careful.
I'm going to look into Natures Miracle. I remember using that when I worked in a pet store.
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CrunchyMom
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Mackfam wrote:
CrunchyMom wrote:
| I must admit I am continually amazed at how much of my parenting energy is focused on excrement and its appropriate disposal. I had NO IDEA going in, and I really would have thought this whole "we don't want our persons or our house to smell like pee or poop" thing would be much more intuitive and something my children would naturally desire. |
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I thought I'd add to this thread and say that as soon as the boys were old enough and could be trained to clean the bathrooms they used, MIRACULOUSLY, their aim and sense of depositing waste products in appropriate places improved dramatically.
For my 6yo, it was the day the wall got hit and I put gloves on him, an apron on him, and stood in the doorway while he COMPLETELY and TOTALLY washed every.single.wall in the bathroom (did that because in his explanation of what he did, he "wasn't sure where he hit the wall", so we washed everything since he wasn't sure!!) and then wiped them down with Clorox wipes. I have noticed that since that investment of my time and his effort in clean-up his aim has been notably well centered in the center of the bowl! So....another strategy I wanted to recommend is make them clean up their gross messes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Weekly, my boys (6 and 11yo) do this in the 2 bathrooms they most frequently use:
** Scrub toilets which includes wiping down the ENTIRE outside of the toilet
** Vacuum bathroom
** MOP ENTIRE bathroom, paying special attention to floor around toilet
** Wash sinks and counters in bathrooms
** Clean mirrors
** Scrub the tub!!!!
I wash my hands of it! |
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Oh yes, my 7 year old rotates through all the toliets twice a week (the 5 year old wipes down all the sinks daily). I figure that if he's doing it twice a week, even if it isn't a perfect job, it helps.
I did have the 3 year old mopping because I thought surely that was a job he would do without a fight Sigh. But, I do need to figure out how to get regular mopping into the routine without overburdoning my oldest who does a lot by default of being the oldest and most responsible temperamentally. I might add that to the 5 year old's chores and now that the baby is moderately more predictable, make him my assistant since that's really the only type of chores he's interested in.
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Betsy
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JennGM wrote:
| Was it Nature's Miracle? . |
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Yes! That's it! Thanks Jenn!
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kristacecilia
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Mackfam wrote:
Weekly, my boys (6 and 11yo) do this in the 2 bathrooms they most frequently use:
** Scrub toilets which includes wiping down the ENTIRE outside of the toilet
** Vacuum bathroom
** MOP ENTIRE bathroom, paying special attention to floor around toilet
** Wash sinks and counters in bathrooms
** Clean mirrors
** Scrub the tub!!!!
I wash my hands of it! |
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Genius, Jen! I do have mine regularly wipe things down with vinegar and a washcloth. I think I will officially make it THEIR job. Each one can do each bathroom once a week (We only have two).
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10 Bright Stars
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Yes, I second replacing the seal....AND..my husband took the bathroom waterproof silicone caulk (in white) and put a wide bead of that ALL around the base of the toilet to seal it from pee getting down in that crack or underneath your vinyl flooring or even tile. (Which is what we have in 2 out of the 3 bathrooms.) HUGE difference and we never have trouble with this again! Also, I HIGHLY recommend getting the toilet seats that you can take off by just turning a little latch on each side and it lifts right off! You can wipe down the back of the toilet where boys tend to tinkle when they are little and then I put the entire toilet seat in the tub to wash with a little bleach(when I want to really deep clean) but I think the liquid can accumulate beneath those areas that hold the seat the the actual toilet. Our toilet seat is self-closing (once we initiate the closing..if continues to close quietly by itself. I can check the brand name if anyone is interested but I LOVE it!!!! ) 
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10 Bright Stars
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Crunchy Mom,
I agree with your statement about not realizing just how much I would be dealing with the more "earthy" side of life of parenthood too! I sometimes joke with people that I wish I had shadowed a janitor in school or majored in janitorial sciences since I end up unclogging drains, cleaning up "odd" things most days that I joke to myself, "I don't get paid enough for this!!" even though I don't get paid at all, of course. If my husband mentions not wanting to do this or that as far as a job repair around the house I tell him, "You have no idea how many gross things I have to deal with on a daily basis that no one will EVER know anything about since I NEVER mention it!! "
Kim
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JennGM
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Hear, hear, Lindsay and Kim. This is one big reason why I don't want pets. I'm tired of cleaning up so much nature!
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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SallyT
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OK: pet enzyme stuff has really, really helped. I got some from the maker of Pee Pee Pads (yucko name; I can hardly make myself type it, but anyway). I'm still doing a daily regimen of soaking and scrubbing, since we have company coming starting Friday, but I can see a big difference in the seal around the commode, as well as the overall atmosphere of the bathroom. Thanks for that suggestion!
Now, back to working up my Better Business Bureau complaint about the painters who quit on us mid-job last week . . . but maybe I won't hijack my own thread with that tale of woe!
Sally
PS: My dog is, for the most part, neater and cleaner than my kids. We got him as an adult, so didn't have to go through the whole house-breaking thing. That's not to say that I'd rather have a dog than children, but except for the eating out of the compost pile thing which the dog does, the kids definitely win the earthy award.
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keac
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Oh, so have lived this problem!!!
Definitely recommend placing boys in charge of bathroom cleaning.
But still, I have to get in there from time to time to do a THOROUGH clean.
In addition to soaking the toilet and floor (and wall) in Clorox/water mix or vinegar and walking away for some time, and replacing the seal underneath, and caulking at the toilet base to prevent urine from seeping under the toilet where it can't be wiped....we also replaced the toilet seat. They are porous and will absorb urine and they will STINK. There are some that are only slightly more expensive that are less porous or resist odors (I can't remember the reason why, but they work!) We replaced the seat a year and a half ago and now, if smelly, the clorox or vinegar soak-and-wipe work at eliminating odor in the bathroom. Even if you replace the seat annually, I think it's totally worth it!
Boys in our house are only allowed to use one bathroom to confine the problem. Even in emergencies, I'll suggest any one of the 50 trees in our yard as an alternative (we do live in rural area) before I'd let them near my bathroom!!
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AmandaV
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Wow! I am relieved to see this topic. 4 boys , 7 and under here, and only one still in diapers :)
Do you have a mop that is just for bathrooms, or for each bathroom? In our kitchen we use a steam mop, and the idea of using that in the bathroom too icks me out. So mostly I am on my hands and knees. But they aren't getting cleaned enough, as I haven't assigned to my oldest, and I'm tied down with baby so much. He'll learn today. :)
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SuzanneG
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Mary's daughter wrote:
| Since we are talking toilets and such...has anyone heard of a Power Flush? We had one installed in our new toilet and it is fabulous. It will pretty much flush anything. We have had the plumber out one too many times for clogs we couldn't fix with a snake! We have had the Power Flush for about 4 months and no clogs. |
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OH MY GOODNESS!!!! This is one of my favorite things to RAVE about!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE our power flush toilet....it's one of our FAVORITE things we've done in the areas of home improvement! Both Pete and I VOW to get a POWER FLUSH TOILET in absolutely ANY HOUSE we live in.
They use way less water and we have NEVER had a clog and we installed ours about 6 years ago! AND...they are so efficient...it hardly uses any water when you flush, so for homeschooling families (kids home all day) with lots of bodies and peeing and flushing going on...it's SO WORTH IT!
I talked about it a few years ago on the Family Car Decal thread .
SuzanneG wrote:
MarieC wrote:
| This site has two adult sizes and four child sizes. |
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Bumping this just to say that we got our Family Stickers from here, last fall after getting our van, and we LOVE THEM! They are SO FUN, and one of our favorite things next to our super-flush-toilet and vita-mix .....everyone smiles when they see them!....the stickers, not the toilet |
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SuzanneG wrote:
Bookswithtea wrote:
| OK, so tell me about your super flush toilet |
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FLUSHMATE Technology!!!!!
Uses pressure instead of gravity. Uses "less than" 1.6 gallons per flush. We've had ours for 2 years....and we "very much appreciate" it ....that was my way of avoiding saying "love" in the same sentence with the word "toilet" |
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JennGM
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You do make it sound wonderful, Suzanne! Thanks for the endorsement. Maybe I should have it under the tree?
When dh reinstalled a toilet he read to NOT seal around the edge, which is what I've been doing all these years. Now I can't remember the reason, but there was a good one.
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SallyT
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Well, we have company coming all through the weekend (including the college girl's boyfriend, who's bringing her home), and I'm happy to report that the bathrooms are not . . . well, any more embarrassing than they have to be, which I feel I should say just to be safe. No telling what's going to appear between now and the first knock on the door!
I enzymed the toilets inside and out and around the base, plus the floor and walls. That took care of a lot of the smell. Then I broke down and got some bleach cleaner, which I haven't used for an age (I've been totally the vinegar-and-baking-soda housewife here), and I bleached over what I'd already enzymed, wiping down walls, concentrating on cracks and crevices and hinges -- anywhere anything could possibly penetrate. I soaked down the seats and lids. I bleached the tile grout.
And now that the bleach smell has dissipated, the bathrooms actually smell clean. No pee. I am so happy. I guess we've just needed a more intense deep-clean than we've been doing (which is embarrassing to admit, but there you have it).
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JennGM
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SallyT wrote:
Well, we have company coming all through the weekend (including the college girl's boyfriend, who's bringing her home), and I'm happy to report that the bathrooms are not . . . well, any more embarrassing than they have to be, which I feel I should say just to be safe. No telling what's going to appear between now and the first knock on the door!
I enzymed the toilets inside and out and around the base, plus the floor and walls. That took care of a lot of the smell. Then I broke down and got some bleach cleaner, which I haven't used for an age (I've been totally the vinegar-and-baking-soda housewife here), and I bleached over what I'd already enzymed, wiping down walls, concentrating on cracks and crevices and hinges -- anywhere anything could possibly penetrate. I soaked down the seats and lids. I bleached the tile grout.
And now that the bleach smell has dissipated, the bathrooms actually smell clean. No pee. I am so happy. I guess we've just needed a more intense deep-clean than we've been doing (which is embarrassing to admit, but there you have it). |
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I have to admit, bleach cleaning is very satisfyingly thorough. I find the same thing -- after the bleach smell is gone, it smells clean. I think pee and mold and mildew have lingering odors which we don't realize. After all, the molecules are in the air.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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SallyT
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I know. And I really notice it in our old house, whose natural "body odor" tends toward the damp-basement smell. Even when things are basically clean, it tends to be a little fusty. So I do like to do one of these big-guns cleanings several times a year, to kind of blow it all out for a while. But whew, that after-scent of bleach . . . it sure is potent while it lasts.
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Gross Cleaning Topic
