Using Time Wisely

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Cleaning: Bissell PowerSteamer PowerBrush Deep Cleaner

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Photograph Credit: Wal-mart

Most people would request a new gadget, clothing item, or service for their birthday present. Since I am far from “most people,” you might be surprised to learn that my birthday wish was a carpet cleaner. Yes, I really wanted a cleaning helper for my carpets.

With baby one and baby two, I was able to keep up with the messes they made. I would use Resolve Carpet Cleaner on the spots, and keep my carpets nice and clean. With baby three, my schedule is much busier. If I can stay on top of the laundry and meals, then I had a successful day.

The little messes on the carpet are no longer a high priority. By the time I vacuum the floors, the spots are too much for hand scrubbing. I would be exerting lots of energy and spending precious time cleaning.

Dining Room Floor - Before using the Carpet Cleaner

Desiring to have a clean, organized home and balancing home life, family activities, and blogging, I needed some added assistance with the carpets. Though hiring a carpet cleaning service would have solved the immediate issue, I still would need to keep up the spot cleaning.

In looking for a more permanent solution, I found this Bissell PowerSteamer PowerBrush Deep Cleaner for carpets at www.walmart.com for $125. Paul and I compared some other carpet cleaners, and this model had the options we deemed necessary for our household.

With my birthday around the corner, Paul purchased this steam cleaner. We used it the weekend after it arrived, and my carpets sparkled (if that’s possible). I have been thrilled with this carpet cleaner!

Dining Room Floor - After using the Carpet Cleaner

Favorite Options

1. The Settings. This model offers normal, heavy traffic, and water rinse settings. On the first pass, Paul used the normal setting which brought up dirt, dust, and hair. After allowing the floor to dry, he then water rinsed the area to remove all the cleaning solution. The heavy traffic setting was needed on our hallway to bring the carpet back to its “normal” color. 🙂

2. The 2 in 1 Tank. Having used another carpet cleaner where the solution and water were mixed in the same container, I really like how this cleaner keeps the solution separate. The solution does not need to be refilled when the water is replaced. Having the solution in a separate compartment stretches the solution which saves money.

3. Attachment for Stairs. With little spots from sippy cups, drool, and super-saturated diapers on my stairs, I really like this attachment. Though we have not used it yet, I am thrilled to have this option. Most of the other carpet cleaners, within our price range, did not offer this attachment.

4. 25’ Cord Length. Some of the other models had shorter lengths. With the longer cord, I can complete an entire room without having to change outlets.

5. Deep Clean. This cleaner pulled up so much dirt. You could see the difference immediately. I love having clean carpets!

Possible Drawbacks

1. Type of Carpet Cleaner. Though the title is a PowerSteam, this cleaner is NOT a steam cleaner. The machine does not heat the water like a steam cleaner instead hot water, added to the container, cleans the carpet. To get the carpets clean, you need to add the hot water and then clean immediately. This option works fine for our family. We only have fish for pets, so most of my spots are food or liquids.

2. The Weight. This cleaner is heavy. It weighs over 20 lbs. The pushing and pulling to clean a large area is a lot of work. Paul was sore after cleaning all the downstairs’ carpets in one weekend. However, if you space out the cleaning, then the weight may be more tolerable.

3. Hard Floor Scrubber. My model will clean hard floors, but the attachment must be purchased separately. I have limited hard floors, so I do not need this attachment.

For me, this Bissell carpet cleaner has been a blessing! I can do a surface cleaning of a spill and wait to use the Bissell carpet cleaner at a later time. Though this model may not work for others, I have been thrilled with my birthday present resulting in clean carpets. Thanks, Babe!

Question: What is on your birthday list? Please add your answer in the comments.

Breaking Out of my Organizational Funk

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Anne Stauf)

Fluctuating between high energy and low energy days this week, I struggled! My motivation was non-existent, and I was in a funk.

I wanted to get things done, but I really did not feel like cleaning, organizing, or making progress on any of my To Do list items. Coming off a sick week, I really needed to get motivated, but my energy level was not there.

My Problem

After operating in survival mode while I was recovering from my cold, I needed to change my thinking. As I began to envision a clean, organized household, my motivation slowing recovered. In “seeing” where the clothes needed to go and wanting that space clean, I found myself wanting to pick up the clothing and put it away.

My Current Solution

As I walked to the cleanest room first, I tidied it up – just needed to add pajamas to the hamper and pick up two toys. Now I had one room picked up. Momentum was beginning.

Then I walked to the next room, I picked up a book, made a bed, and fixed a rug. Two rooms down, and then I just kept going. Before I knew it, the entire upstairs was uncluttered. After running the vacuum, I felt so much better. By now my momentum was in full swing.

With the added motivation, I picked up the downstairs, and my energy level did not drop. I was thankful to have the mess under control, and my house back together. With my surroundings organized, my thoughts became organized. I finished a menu plan for the week based on what I had at home, created my grocery and drugstore lists, paid bills, and filed insurance paperwork.

My Evaluation

Though my week was full of ups and downs, I was thrilled with my week’s progress. Most of the progress took place on the weekend, but I did not feel behind starting a new week.

If you find you are in a funk with your household items piling up, then try cleaning or organizing a small task. Once that task is complete, work on another small to medium task. As you gain motivation, you will be tackling that monster project with gusto.

Keep using time wisely to accomplish the goals you have set for today. Think about the final project, envision a nice clean space, and work to that end. You may not master success today, but moving forward is better than standing still. Happy organizing!

Question: How do you get out of an organizing funk? Please add your answer to the comments.

Cleaning: Microwave Oven

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Bella)

Keeping the microwave oven wiped down and clean is an on-going task. Knowing that 1 minute now saves 5 minutes later, I try to keep messes at bay by wiping up messes before they dry.

Though I am not the only one who uses the microwave in my home, I do, on occasion, choose to leave a mess. There are times when soothing a hurt finger or changing a diaper takes precedence over cleaning the microwave. 🙂

When I find a baked-on mess, here’s my simple solution:

1. Take a glass measuring cup and add about 2 cups of water.

2. Place the measuring cup with water into the microwave.

3. Zap the water for 5 minutes on high.

4. At the end of 5 minutes, allow the water to remain in the microwave for an additional 2 minutes.

5. Carefully, remove the hot measuring cup.

6. Using a sponge or rag, wipe down the microwave.

In using time wisely, I can put on the water while wiping down the counters and loading the dishwasher. This cleaning method not only results in a clean microwave, but it also saves me money (no cleaning solutions), energy (no scrubbing), and time (just wiping out the mess without working at it). If your microwave needs a cleaning, try heating water and wiping away the mess. The results are worth it. Happy cleaning!

Question: What is your best tip for cleaning the microwave oven? Please add your answer to the comments.

Organizing: Children’s Clothing – Part 1 of 5

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It’s official. My kids have grown. As I went to my daughter’s closet for a long-sleeved outfit, I found one dress that was long enough for her to wear to church this morning. Besides sending up a red flag that it is time to reorganize my kids’ clothes, the smaller clothes reminded me that my little ones are growing up.

Though I cannot keep them little, I can add larger clothing for them to wear. In keeping my children’s clothes organized, I have a developed a system that works for us. My process occurs in 5-steps:

Step One: Prepare – gather all the supplies

Step Two: Purge – unload out-grown clothing from closets and dressers

Step Three: Pack – put folded clothes insides totes

Step Four: Place – unpack larger sized clothing into closets and dressers

Step Five: Preserve – place all the totes in storage

As I work through my process, I will take you along with me. In the first step, I need to gather my supplies.

STEP ONE: Prepare

Gather from Storage

All our children’s clothes are stored in large totes in our upstairs storage closets. To help me, my fabulous hubby brought out the clothing totes and placed them in our upstairs hallway.

Place clothes near bedrooms

Having the totes near their bedrooms helps me in using time wisely. I can unload and reload without wasting energy or time in transporting the clothes to another room.

Place shoes in bonus room

Paul continued to help by bringing the totes of shoes into our bonus room. Besides keeping them separated from the clothes, my girls enjoy playing with the shoes. (It is amazing how both of my daughters love shoes. My son could care less. :-))

Stack labeled storage totes

Having all the totes labeled with “girls or boys,” “clothes or shoes,” “winter or summer,” and the “size,” I can easily find the totes needed for each child.

For my youngest daughter, I will need totes from 12 months to 2T. I will be putting away her 12 month to 2T summer clothes and getting out her 18 month – 2T winter clothing.

With all the totes gathered from our storage area, I am ready to start Step Two: purge. Next week, I will bring you along on my journey as I purge my children’s closets and dressers of summer clothing and articles that are now too small. In using time wisely, I will soon have more than one option for my daughter’s Sunday wardrobe. Happy organizing!

Question: What type of storage system do you use for clothing? Please add your answer to the comments.

Organizing: Children’s Clothing – Part 2 of 5

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Going to the closet in the morning only to find clothing that is too small, too short, or in the wrong season does not help in using time wisely. Instead of getting my daughter dressed, I am taking time to sort through her clothes searching for something in the right season that will fit.

After finally recovering the last clean suitable outfit, I get her dressed and sent down to breakfast. When I arrive downstairs, I find that spilled milk soaked her top and bottom, and I am back to finding another outfit. Been there? I have more than once. Staying a step ahead of my children’s growths spurts is an ongoing battle, but a great use of my time.

Though I cannot control their growth spurts, I can plan to change their clothing at least twice a year. I prefer spring and fall before the heat and cold arrive. With fall upon us, I am in the process of organizing my children’s clothing. Last week, I shared STEP ONE of my 5-step process. Today, I will take you along as I purge my youngest daughter’s clothes.

STEP TWO: Purge

In my daughter’s nursery, her clothes are housed in the closet and dresser. There are also items in the coat closet, diaper bag, and car. In switching out her clothing, I began with the largest supply found in her closet.

Closet

As I checked each label for the size, I took out any 12-18 month clothing and most of the summer items. As I went item by item, I folded the clothing and set them in piles by size and type (winter or summer).

If I never dressed my daughter in an item of clothing, then I placed it in a donation pile. I would rather someone use the item than to save it for the off chance that I might use it someday.

After purging one rack and placing those items in piles, I went to the next. When the closet was complete, I moved to the dresser.

Dresser

In checking these labels, I kept her 18 month bottoms since my daughter has just outgrown her 12-month pants. As I pulled out items too small for her, I rearranged the piles of clothing in the drawers to allow more room for larger sizes.

Each out-grown item was folded and added to the correct sized clothing pile. Going drawer by drawer, I quickly purged the entire dresser. Then I searched the rest of the house for her clothes.

Coat Closet

In the coat closet, I purged the winter hats, mittens, and coats. These items were added to the appropriate piles in her room.

Diaper Bag

Since I keep a change of clothing in her diaper bag, I needed to take out the smaller size and replace it with a larger size when I get to STEP FOUR. For now, I just removed the smaller sized items.

Car

The last place I checked for her clothing was in the car. My children have a tendency to get dirty, so I keep a spare set of clothing in the car. These items were now too small for my daughter, so I added those items to the piles in her room.

Whew! With lots of clothing piles waiting to be packed away in STEP THREE, I am left with a bare closet and a semi-empty dresser. Though my process is still underway, the progress is moving forward. In using time wisely, I will soon have the correct sized clothing in place making the morning routine less eventful. Happy organizing!

Question: Do you consign your clothing or give it away? Please add your answer to the comments.