Desperate for a bare minimum house cleaning plan? I have one for you here. Learned the hard way in my own home, as someone who doesn't love cleaning.
EDIT: This post, which started out with about 6 comments from my followers when first posted back in 2012, has now gone viral on Pinterest - as of 2/24/16 it has received well over 5 million views! Insanity. Clearly I am NOT alone in my quest to get rid of the moldy grout. :) I simply shared my story of removing my nasty, embarrassing mold from my window-less bathroom. I am not a contractor, a plumber, or any kind of house expert. I'm just a stay-at-home-mom with a mold problem in her shower that wanted to get rid of it before her mother-in-law came to visit. :) I used to respond to comments on this post, but there are simply too many for me to keep up with. Using bleach is not for everyone, so I encourage you to make your own decision about whether this will work in your house - I simply shared what worked for me. Thank you for stopping by and I hope you'll poke around This Blessed Life a little while you are here! Have a great day. :) {And as a VERY important disclaimer....if you have old caulking, like I did, REPLACE IT! We have since replaced ours since I wrote this post years ago. Using the bleach is a temporary solution, but I highly recommend replacing it or hiring a professional so that you don't have water come through behind your shower wall!} --------------------- I’m lowering my pride today and showing you something only because I think it will help others in my predicament. Okay, are you with me? :) When we first moved into our new house last May, the shower was pristine. The woman who lived here had 5 little boys, was pregnant with the 6th, homeschooled, and the house was always ridiculously clean and uncluttered. I can’t decide if she was crazy or superwoman – or maybe a touch of both. :) Anyway, over about 6 months, mold started to creep in on the grout along the shower. It kept spreading and spreading, and there was really nothing I could do because my husband told me not to scrub too hard or else the grout would disappear and then we’ve have mold inside the walls and then we’d have real problems, not just cosmetic ones. Then one day while browsing Pinterest I came across a post that showed how to get rid of shower mold with just two simple items: bleach and cotton beauty coils, used for perms. (I am SO sorry to the smart person behind this idea but I do not have the original link – I also apologize for how dark these photos are but our bathroom doesn’t have a window.) So I went to Sally’s Beauty supply and picked up a package. I’m pretty sure it was only $1.99 – and I already had bleach, obviously, so this project only cost $2! Whoo hoo! Here is the before shot (barf - remember, our bathroom has no window since it's in the interior of our house, so it's pretty dark in there and it's not like sunlight can beam into the shower all day long): I cut a piece of the cotton coil, soaked it in bleach, and let it sit overnight on the mold. (Tip: I put a disposable pie pan in the tub, poured the bleach in the pan, then soaked the cotton in there before transferring it to the mold – helps with the dripping! Then I just used a q-tip to press it into the mold so I wouldn’t get bleach on my fingers): Look at the difference just on that little bit! Isn’t that incredible?! And here’s a picture after I was finished - I ran the fan ALL NIGHT LONG to ventilate: A-mazing!! I did this almost two months ago, and the mold has not returned – but it’s so awesome to know that if it does, I know what to do now! Hopefully this helps someone else out there who just can’t get rid of the mold in their own shower. Don’t judge me too harshly – I promise I really do keep a clean house otherwise! Although seeing these pictures makes me realize that the walls of my shower could really use a good scrubbing. This is the trouble with a bathroom that doesn’t have a window in it – you don’t see things very clearly. Okay, I guess I know what my next project is! lol Linking up to: Homemaker’s Challenge
1. Poor Joseph has come down with a cold this week... all of his sniffling, runny nose and coughing is so sad :( However, being sick doesn't really slow him down much - he still plays
Real house-cleaning experts share brilliant cleaning hacks that only the professionals know.
Tips for how to enjoy deep cleaning your house + a free whole house cleaning checklist + free cleaning kit from Mrs. Meyers and Grove Collaborative.
I made this list to show you how to clean your bathroom. I also included some hacks as well. I will also go in-depth on how to clean your bathroom walls, floor, bathtub, etc. 1.USE DRYER SHEETS TO CLEAN THE TUB A dirty bathtub is really disgusting to look at. Especially when you are
I read yesterday that somewhere in North Dakota the snow and wind chills registered at 52 below zero. If you’re snowed in like half of North America, make ...
Open an under-the-sink cabinet and you’ll likely find a hodgepodge of half-empty plastic bottles: countertop sprays, floor cleaners, shower cleaners, and m
Ingredients 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast 2 cups uncooked spaghetti noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces (about 7 ounces) 1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices celery 1 cup chopped red bell pepper 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 (10.75-ounce) cans condensed 30% reduced-sodium 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted Cooking spray 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided Preparation Preheat oven to 350°. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine broth, salt, pepper, and soup in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add soup mixture to chicken mixture; toss. Divide mixture evenly between 2 (8-inch) square or (2-quart) baking dishes coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over each casserole. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Source: 99cooking.com
Lemons and vinegar are the great dynamic duo of green cleaning, but there’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh grapefruit. It’s fresh and sweet, and can give your bathroom that extra boost of freshness that is usually only obtained with heavily scented candles and other cleaning products that aren’t so earth-friendly. I recently moved into a home that had sat empty for a year and while it was in great condition, the old cast iron tub looked pretty rough.
What to inlcude in a New Client Welcome Kit for your cleaning business. Creat a positive first impression and wow your clients.
Is there anything more annoying to clean than window tracks? I don't really think so. But, there is a trick that leaves you with no scrubbing and NO TIME!!!
Learn how to start your own house cleaning business with my Quick Start Guide and Insider tips that only years in the cleaning business can offer.
Many people don't like to be called cleaners, but then many people don't get paid to scrub floors and wash carpets and clean windows. The commercial cleaning business can be profitable, flexible, and can grow quickly, making it a great home business preference, if you key into the right path. Professional Cleaning Business has the tendency of lower up-front costs than other businesses, and this is one of the few businesses you can begin working on immediately with little capital investment and start making a profit. Formal training or certifications are not necessarily required for typical home and office cleaning. For those that have a high level of work ethic and customer demeanor, the cleaning business can be a lucrative and rewarding experience. The following are the reasons why you should try your hand in the commercial cleaning business: i. Constant Market: Businesses need their offices cleaned whether in a good economy or bad one if it wants to keep a professional and clean environment. Commercial cleaning maintains a steady market with steady demand. ii. Simple Service Offering: Whether an entrepreneur decides to tap from an existing franchise model or build it from the scratch, what businesses need is fairly similar across the board such as emptying wastebaskets, cleaning bathrooms, dusting tables and chairs, washing toilets, and the typical sweeping and mopping. iii. Business Is Stable: Commercial cleaning is a continuing service business. This means that companies and other businesses need the service regularly, which brings in steady business for you as well as a secure, regular income. iv. Entry-Level Workforce: The good thing about it is that your employees don't need formal education or training, so you don't have to spend money on expensive training or recruiting costs. v. Overhead is low: Outside of cleaning supplies and other essentials, someone interested in a commercial cleaning franchise doesn't have to commit a lot of cash to buy cleaning equipment such as vehicles or inventory. This book is a complete guide for starting a cleaning business with unpopular strategies for maximizing profit with minimum cost. It also provides tips on determining the right location for a successful and flourishing business. More facts and strategies are explained in this book to help you start your own commercial cleaning business without a sweat!
How to wash walls fast, the painless way. This cleaning method saves so much time, energy, & takes most of the stress out of washing painted walls. Learn how to clean and disinfect walls the easy way.
15 Things to Clean More Often. Check out these easy Cleaning Tips and Hacks. The ultimate list of cleaning tips and tricks for the home!
Here are three tracks based on doable time limits—designed to give you a bathroom that's clean, cleaner, or cleanest.
If your home needs a deep clean, you need to follow these tips.
A 14-step guide to clean your most-used room in a few hours, or over the course of a few days.
I just bought a huge container of white vinegar at Costco and came home to realize I already had a huge jug that was hiding from me in the corner of the cabinet. Whoopsie– so since vinegar is so crazy cheap I decided not to return it and instead find new ways to use vinegar...Read More »
Knowing your home is truly clean is deep-down satisfying, so here's a handful of my favorite little-known tips to clean those areas that typically get overlooked.
A microfiber cloth works better than, say, an old sock, because it picks up more dust instead of rubbing it around or brushing it off. Here's the full tutorial.
For many moms, cleaning is just one more task that has to get done each day. And the goal is to get it done as fast as humanly possible. Do you walk around loathing this duty? Here's a gentle reminder that our daily chores and house upkeep are an act of love and service.
I often get asked how we keep such a tidy home with 3.5 year old and a dog. The truth is, while our home is probably a little tidier than mo
As a housewife I am allowed to have a rant every now and then. This one is about all the reasons why I hate being a housewife!
These cleaning professional secrets will make your house sparkle from top to bottom.
