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New Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel

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Photograph Credit: SC Johnson

When my husband was shopping at Sam’s Club, he received a sample of the new Scrubbing Bubbles continuous clean toilet cleaning gel. He brought home the cleaning sample, and I added it to my cleaning supplies.

THE PRODUCT

In preparing for company to visit, I cleaned the half bathroom and decided to use the new product. I cleaned the toilet from top to bottom like I usually do. After the toilet was cleaned, then I used the new Scrubbing Bubbles continuous clean toilet cleaning gel:

  • Opened the box and read the instructions.
  • Put the dispenser together.
  • Using the dispenser, stamped one star-shaped gel dot onto the inside of the toilet near the rim.
  • Flushed the toilet to activate the gel.
  • Put the cleaner away and out of reach from my children.

The gel will dissolve a little with each flush. The instructions state that each stamp should last for 1 week. After 2 weeks of use, our stamp is still in place. It has not yet dissolved all the way. When the stamp has dissolved completely, then I will just stamp another gel dot on the inside of the toilet. Our 1 dispenser holds 6 stamps and will last at least 6 weeks. Woo Hoo!

ENTER CHILDREN

Since I cleaned the bathroom after my children had gone to bed, I did not consider that they would notice that there was a star-shaped object in the toilet. (You see where I’m going with this story? It’s not really that bad.) The next evening, my son calls my husband into the bathroom to show him this object in the toilet. My husband recognized the cleaning product and explained the process to our son. Then our son shared that he had touched it because he “wanted to feel it.” My husband had him wash his hands and then brought our daughter into the bathroom to show her as well.

LESSON

Remember that children are inquisitive. They like to explore and are not afraid to try new things, like touching cleaning supplies that look fun and interesting. Now that I am aware that they are observing changes, I will be more careful to inform them of any changes. We will need a field trip (in this case, to the bathroom) with an explanation and demonstration. If my children understand the new product, then they will know to leave it alone. I will also allow them to watch me stamp the next star-shaped dot on the inside of the rim. Including them in the process usually keeps their curiosity at bay.

I’m thankful our son came to an adult for an explanation. This situation could have resulted in a trip to the hospital had our son decided to taste it instead of feel it. I hope this warning not only reminds me to include my children when I try a new product, but also helps you remember that little ones are very curious.

1 Minute of Cleaning Now, Saves 5 Minutes Later

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Do you clean messes as they occur? A wet mess is easier to clean than a harden mess. If a glob of toothpaste falls on the bathroom counter, then the minute to stop and wipe it up while wet saves me 5 minutes of scrubbing later. If I were to wait until bedtime to address the sticky mess, it will be hard and require extra time and energy to scrub it clean. Here are some other messes that save me time by cleaning them now rather than later:

  • Boiled over pasta water on the stovetop
  • Heated spaghetti sauce in the microwave
  • Leftover food on dinner plates
  • Spilled milk in the refrigerator
  • Cups knocked over onto the carpet
  • Drips during a meal on the table/high chair
  • Fabric softener dribble on the washing machine

When I notice that these messes have occurred, I do my best to clean them up immediately. Though I want to clean up every mess quickly, I don’t always succeed since I may be in the middle of helping another child or just don’t know that the spill happened. When I find the mess, I try to clean it while it is wet. By doing so, I save myself lots of time and energy from scrubbing a baked-on or hardened mess.

Do you attempt to clean up spills and messes right away? By staying on top of spills, my home will be a cleaner place, I’ll save time and energy from having to scrub, and I can spend my time wisely with my family.

Time to Clean

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When I was a teenager, Saturday mornings were deemed cleaning the house time. My brother and I had a list of chores that had to be completed before the fun activities commenced. I quickly began to dread Saturday mornings.

Up until this year of my married life, I have worked hard to keep the weekends free of housework. This plan worked for me as I am a stay-at-home mom. This year was a big change for our family. Our eldest child started school. My week days are spent driving to and from school, and my time at home is broken up into small sections. I still attempt to keep Saturday mornings free, but the cleaning must be done.

My cleaning schedule is currently in a transition phase. I am trying to clean one room at a time on different days. With each day having a different schedule, I am still testing out ideas. Here are some ideas:

  • Clean the same type of room on certain days of the week? For example: Mondays – bathrooms, Tuesdays – laundry, Wednesday – bedrooms, Thursday – heavy traffic areas, and Friday – laundry.
  • Start at one room clean in geographical order? For example: start in the upstairs bathroom, and then move counter-clockwise to a bedroom, then to the next bedroom, etc.
  • Choose an order based on my answer to the question, “What must be cleaned first?” For example: clean the downstairs bathroom since guest will be arriving, or the kitchen since milk was spilled all over the floor this morning, etc.

As I continue to try these options, I have a better understanding of why my mom used Saturday mornings to clean. With a block of about 4 hours, my mom, with help, could have her whole house cleaned. Though it is nice to have the entire house clean at once, I still do not like cleaning on Saturdays.

Have you found a system that works for you? I would love to hear your suggestions and guidance as I adjust to a new cleaning schedule.

Little Time, Little Project

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What do you do with little bits of time? I try to get little projects completed. For example, when waiting in car line to pickup my son, I can be found:

  • Cleaning out my vehicle.

Tasks like putting the toys in their assigned spots, shaking out the car mats, folding blankets, and dusting out car seats. My oldest daughter likes to help while my younger daughter enjoys the extra kisses she gets as we work around her.

  • Reading to my daughters.

I like to bring along some of the books we chose at the library. The girls enjoy hearing the stories read over and over and over again.

  • Singing with my oldest daughter.

We often listen to music CDs in the car. My oldest daughter loves music, and she loves to learn new songs. My youngest daughter enjoys babbling along with us.

  • Solving puzzles.

I love the Sudoku puzzles in the newspaper and magazines. I cut them out and save them for a time when I have a little time to spare. When the girls are occupied with toys or books, I can sometimes get a little time alone.

The car line is a dependable 5 to 15 minutes of wait time. By preparing purposefully for that time, I can accomplish a little project in a little time while using my time wisely.

Rising above Household Disorder

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If you are like me, then you have those days when everything in your life feels unorganized and chaotic. As a wife and mother of three small children, I have days like this at least once a month. You might not have these feelings or you may feel overwhelmed more often, but I do understand the feeling of crawling out from under the mess and getting back on track.

To keep my home running smoothly, I must have a system that works for me. What works for me may or may not work for you. My organizational system has changed many times over the years. I can no longer take three to four days to clean my house top to bottom. However, I can break the cleaning schedule into bite-size pieces to make the task manageable.

So please join me on Mondays as I share with you how I work to keep my home organized. Next Monday I hope to reveal how we efficiently pickup a room of toys.