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SuzanneG
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| Posted: March 10 2007 at 6:04pm | IP Logged
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Scheduling these two errands on a MONTHLY BASIS has helped me tremendously:
Once a month, I schedule a trip for dh to load up the back of the pick up and go to the dump (keeping in mind that we have lots of "dump stuff" from dh's job, but I make sure there are "household bags" in there too.
Once a month, I schedule a trip to St. Vincent de Paul for donations. I set a minimum of bags/boxes.
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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ChristinaK
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| Posted: March 10 2007 at 10:05pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for all the input ladies.
Molly - That article was a very swift kick in the rear and much appreciated. I printed it out because I am sure that I will need to reread it.
Floors - I should have been more specific. I use the swiffer dry cloths to pick up dog hair. I have the Wet Jet but only use it for quick cleanup of sticky spills. I'm seriously considering chunking the wet jet though. I have a dust mop similar to the Schmop that I use along with a special laminate floor cleaner. I'm just frustrated that I can sweep and swiffer with the dry cloths and 30 minutes later it looks like I never touched it.
I think what I have decided on is mostly Flylady with some tweaking to fit our lives. I am working on a control journal/homekeeping notebook and am working on routines and cleaning schedules using Flylady, some stuff I found on the web, and the schedules in the Martha Stewart Homekeeping Handbook. I'm sure I will have to do some tweaking as I work on things but for now I am thinking of having a daily to do list plus areas for more intensive cleaning each day such as:
Monday - kitchen/dining room
Tuesday - living room, entryway, front porch
Wednesday - master bedroom
Thursday - bathrooms
Friday - boys rooms
I don't think that Flylady's zones will work for me because I think that each area of my house needs intensive attention each week for me to improve in this area.
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Philothea
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| Posted: March 11 2007 at 7:54am | IP Logged
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I saw a product by Method ast Target yesterday that is a microfiber Swiffer-type mop (only ergonomic) with an all-natural cleaner. It was $24. I haven't tried it, so I don't know how well it works, but their regular wood cleaner smells divine, like fresh baked cookies.
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Angel
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| Posted: March 11 2007 at 8:02am | IP Logged
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I would like to know how the schmop works, too. I actually own one  , but we were just using it to dust floors. The terry cloth became horribly dirty -- like the dirt won't come out in the wash.
But from the link it looks like you wet it at the sink, not in a bucket if you're using it to wet-mop? And it's got two different cleaning pads, one for scrubbing, one for drying/dusting/etc.? Our Wal-Mart is woefully understocked, so I'm not sure it has things like extra cleaning pads. The nearest Target is an hour away. 
If you're using a vinegar-water solution, do you use a bucket?
All these basic questions...
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: March 11 2007 at 8:57am | IP Logged
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Christina, I can't help you much, as I am a pretty poor housekeeper, but I do have one suggestion for the dog hair.
She is now an outside only dog, but I used to let my lab inside and she shed quite a bit. The one thing that helped was to make it part of our morning routine to brush the dog really well(outside) and shake out her bed every morning. It really cut back on the hair and the kids loved taking turns grooming her. Perhaps you could give it a try with your little pooch?
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Karen T
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| Posted: March 11 2007 at 11:04am | IP Logged
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ChristinaK wrote:
Thanks for all the input ladies.
I think what I have decided on is mostly Flylady with some tweaking to fit our lives. I am working on a control journal/homekeeping notebook and am working on routines and cleaning schedules using Flylady, some stuff I found on the web, and the schedules in the Martha Stewart Homekeeping Handbook. I'm sure I will have to do some tweaking as I work on things but for now I am thinking of having a daily to do list plus areas for more intensive cleaning each day such as:
Monday - kitchen/dining room
Tuesday - living room, entryway, front porch
Wednesday - master bedroom
Thursday - bathrooms
Friday - boys rooms
I don't think that Flylady's zones will work for me because I think that each area of my house needs intensive attention each week for me to improve in this area. |
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That's the key, to tweak whatever tips you use to your own house/family/schedule. That's the only way it will work for you as an individual.
however, I would caution you on your last sentence. It sounds like a prescription for burn-out quick! one of flylady's best quotes is about "it didn't get dirty/cluttered in a day, there's no need to clean it all in a day" you may not want to do her zones, but I would seriously recommend not trying to do EVERYTHING every week. I made a very brief list a few yrs ago for a weekly schedule that included which loads of laundry would get done each day, and which weekly chores, such as dusting, mopping, vacuuming, etc. Then I would also spend 15 min/day in a particular area just decluttering.
This may not work for everyone, but for me I found that doing all the dusting for the whole house one day, and all the mirrors/windows another day is better than doing all of one room, where you have to change activities every few min (dusting, windows, vacuuming, etc)
Karen T
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Karen T
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| Posted: March 11 2007 at 11:14am | IP Logged
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Re: floor cleaning
I just posted something about this on another thread about pethair, but I use microfiber cloths on an old Swiffer handle. I don't like throwing away their "cloths" - not very environmentally friendly. the microfiber towels I have mostly came from the Solutions catalog but now they also sell them at Target and WM in the automotive section. They are great at picking up dust/pet hair etc that sweeping and vacumming miss. My 5 yo dd loves this job and does it several times a week in the kitchen for me (we have carpet most everywhere else)
I mop weekly with a sinkful of hot water and about 1/4 cup of pinesol. I don't rinse usually unless it's very bubbly.(this is vinyl flooring) I usually do it after lunch when the kids have their quiet time in their rooms - it dries in 30 min. Other days when I don't have time to mop but the floor needs it I wet one of the microfiber towels with plain water, put it on the Swiffer and just damp mop.
My biggest problem is that often when it's time to mop, it's raining or about to rain or has just rained, which means muddy dog feet coming in (they go in and out through our kitchen/deck door) so I put it off and just spot-clean until it's unbearable!
We do have hardwood floors in our finished basement which get vacuumed and swept by ds13 weekly. Every few months I enlist all the kids and do the floors with diluted Murphy's oil soap on rags, on hands/knees, and have 1 kid come behind me to rinse and another drying behind them.
Karen
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lilac hill
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| Posted: March 11 2007 at 12:25pm | IP Logged
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Angel wrote:
I would like to know how the schmop works, too. I actually own one , but we were just using it to dust floors. The terry cloth became horribly dirty -- like the dirt won't come out in the wash.
But from the link it looks like you wet it at the sink, not in a bucket if you're using it to wet-mop? And it's got two different cleaning pads, one for scrubbing, one for drying/dusting/etc.? Our Wal-Mart is woefully understocked, so I'm not sure it has things like extra cleaning pads. The nearest Target is an hour away.
If you're using a vinegar-water solution, do you use a bucket?
All these basic questions...
--Angela
Three Plus Two |
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I wet and squeeze my schmop cover in the sink, them put it on the handle assembly and use a spray bottle with vinegar water to dampen the floors. When it is filthy, I rinse and reuse or switch covers. I run them through the wash so although stained, they are clean.
No buckets.
I use a scrubby pad and a bit of scrubbing for the stuck on spots.
V
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Viv
Wife to Rick (7/83), Mom to dd#1(6/87), dd#2(1/90), and dd#3(6/94) in central PA.
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MicheleQ
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| Posted: March 11 2007 at 12:53pm | IP Logged
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Angel wrote:
I would like to know how the schmop works, too. I actually own one , but we were just using it to dust floors. The terry cloth became horribly dirty -- like the dirt won't come out in the wash.
But from the link it looks like you wet it at the sink, not in a bucket if you're using it to wet-mop? And it's got two different cleaning pads, one for scrubbing, one for drying/dusting/etc.? |
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Yes I wet it at the sink before I put it on the mop. When when I need to rinse I take off the cover, rinse it well in the sink, wring it out and put it back on the mop. I don't use the scrubby thing just the terry covers.
I bought a Schmop years ago through a specialty catalog. I thought it was a great idea for mopping. I think I paid $20 for it and my friend told me I got ripped off paying $20 for a mop - but I didn't think so. Turns out they have become pretty popular huh!
My steam cleaner now replaces the Schmop for heavy cleaning but nothing beats the Schmop for a quick efficient mopping.
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Michele Quigley
wife to my prince charming and mom of 10 in Lancaster County, PA USA
http://michelequigley.com
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KASB
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| Posted: March 11 2007 at 3:03pm | IP Logged
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Michele,
I can't figure out how to use my steam cleaner on my floors I have the the Reliable 730A model which I think has the same attachments as the 630. Can you give me a quick explanation ? I would be so grateful - I love how clean the steam gets the bathroom and with 7 boys under 14 in the house I NEED all the help I can get in that area 
Blessings,
Kym
mom to 9 - 8 boys (24,14,11,9,7,5,3,19 mos.) and 1 girl(22)
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MicheleQ
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| Posted: March 11 2007 at 3:12pm | IP Logged
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KASB wrote:
Michele,
I can't figure out how to use my steam cleaner on my floors I have the the Reliable 730A model which I think has the same attachments as the 630. Can you give me a quick explanation ? I would be so grateful - I love how clean the steam gets the bathroom and with 7 boys under 14 in the house I NEED all the help I can get in that area |
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nak
quick answer - i do my floors like this picture shows:
the cloth over the floor attachment.
and yes i too am thrilled with how well the steam cleans the bathrooms!!
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Michele Quigley
wife to my prince charming and mom of 10 in Lancaster County, PA USA
http://michelequigley.com
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KASB
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| Posted: March 11 2007 at 4:45pm | IP Logged
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Thanks, Michele. My husband was using the cloth over the attachment, but the floors didn't seem to be getting clean, so I thought we might be doing something wrong since the cleaner works so well everywhere else. We have commercial tile (military housing) and I think we have lots of ground in dirt I'll give it another try and hopefully will have better results.
Blessings,
Kym
mom to 9 - 8 boys (24,14,11,9,7,5,3,19 mos.) and 1 girl(22)
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Elizabeth
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| Posted: March 11 2007 at 4:49pm | IP Logged
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Can you use the steam cleaner on wood floors?
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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MicheleQ
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| Posted: March 11 2007 at 7:02pm | IP Logged
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KASB wrote:
| Thanks, Michele. My husband was using the cloth over the attachment, but the floors didn't seem to be getting clean, so I thought we might be doing something wrong since the cleaner works so well everywhere else. We have commercial tile (military housing) and I think we have lots of ground in dirt I'll give it another try and hopefully will have better results. |
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Kym,
I would probably try a few spots of the tile with the high pressure nozzle first - to see if the tiles are even going to come clean. If so try using a terry cloth (old bath towels cut to size) instead of the one that came with the steamer and wet it instead of using it dry. I think you might see better results.
If it's really bad try using it with just the brush, no cloth over top. You might find it really hard to get clean at first but once you do get it clean you should be able to keep it clean.
Elizabeth wrote:
| Can you use the steam cleaner on wood floors? |
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I do but my floors are really old anyway. I HAVE seen it advertised as able to clean "sealed hardwood floors" though.
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Michele Quigley
wife to my prince charming and mom of 10 in Lancaster County, PA USA
http://michelequigley.com
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kingvozzo
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| Posted: March 11 2007 at 11:24pm | IP Logged
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Because I have the patience of a 5 year old ... I just bought this mop at the Home Depot. It was $15, and the refills are $5. I tried it out tonight with a spray and mop type cleaner (on my wood floor). It worked well. I think it will be a good thing to have, because I vacuum my floors just about every day, and I can use this mop without a huge hassle.
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Noreen
Wife to Ed
Mom to 4 great kids and 10 sweet ones in Our Lady's arms
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mary
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| Posted: March 12 2007 at 8:42am | IP Logged
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michele, how does the steam cleaner work on wooden floors? mine are old and due to be refinished in the summer while we are on vacation. do you follow with a towel to clean up the water? i drool over the steamer and then think, well, aside from the bathroom, what would i clean with it? all of our floors are either wooden or carpet.
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Elizabeth
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| Posted: March 12 2007 at 8:57am | IP Logged
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I fill a large bucket with warm water and cleaner (currently I'm usingMrs. Meyer's because my vinegar solution really seemed to attract fruit flies). Then, I throw 6-8 schmop covers in the bucket. Wring one out, cover the schmop and mop until it's dirty. Then, they cover goes in the washing machine. Get a new cover from the bucket and repeat. The point is to keep the bucket water clean. There's never any dirt in the bucket so you don't end up finishing the job with dirty mop water.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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KASB
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| Posted: March 12 2007 at 9:04am | IP Logged
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I'll try your suggestions, Michele. I did use the high powered nozzle to write "gross" on a spot on the floor. I haven't tried just the brush, so that might work.
Mary, you'd be surprised at all the steam cleaner can do. I used mine on my stove top and was amazed at all the grime that came out. We have gas burners and the sugar bowl fell over on to one of them, then the sugar that we couldn't get to carmelized. The high powered nozzle blasted it right out, along with lots of other grime. It was great. I've used mine on counter tops, the kitchen sink, all around the baseboards and corners where dirt builds up, the dishwasher, walls, windows. I've only had it a couple of weeks, so I haven't tried everything it's supposed to do, but so far I've been really pleased.
Blessings,
Kym
mom to 9 - 8 boys (24,14,11,9,7,5,3,19 mos.) and 1 girl(22)
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Maria B.
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Any particular brand for a steam cleaner that you recommend?
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Maria in VA
Proud Mom to 10 Great kids!
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: March 12 2007 at 1:23pm | IP Logged
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Elizabeth wrote:
I fill a large bucket with warm water and cleaner. Then, I throw 6-8 schmop covers in the bucket. Wring one out, cover the schmop and mop until it's dirty. Then, they cover goes in the washing machine. Get a new cover from the bucket and repeat. The point is to keep the bucket water clean. There's never any dirt in the bucket so you don't end up finishing the job with dirty mop water.
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This is how I do it too. What's so great about the concept of this mop is you're are not spreading dirt around by using a dirty sponge and dirty water.
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Housecleaning/Decluttering/Organizing?
