Dishwasher Cleaning

Silly as it may sound, this is a reminder that your dishwasher needs to be cleaned now and then.

It's so fast and Lazy, you'll want to do this! Check and clean the food trap at the bottom. Then just run a regular cycle without adding any dishes. About 10 minutes after it's started, throw in 1-2 cups of cheap white vinegar. (If you put in the vinegar at the beginning, it just drains away. If you add vinegar with soap, they neutralize because one is acid and one is alkaline so the vinegar doesn't do the best job it can)

The vinegar freshens and cleans the dishwasher. Done!

Like the live dangerously?  Do the following disinfecting clean with caution... since these chemicals cause a reaction and a potentially deadly gas if mixed. Since the bottom of your dishwasher sees so much food drips and remnants, before starting the cleaning cycle, splash about 1/4 cup bleach mixed with 2 cups water into the bottom and let it enter the drain. Start the dishwasher, and 10 minutes in, add the vinegar. Since the dishwasher should drain the bleach away, the bleach and vinegar should not have had contact. If your dishwasher does not drain before starting, this is dangerous... don't do it.

Spring-Cleaning the Kitchen

Today I cleaned my kitchen. Deep cleaning, spring cleaning, and organizing my kitchen.

If I am very honest I will have to say that this is a day-before-yesterday, yesterday, and today job. I haven't wanted to dedicate the entire day to cleaning, but I have put 2-3 productive hours each day into it and it's now done. It's not rocket-science, but it is a Big Job. And yes, it does deserve those capital letters. Every single thing in every single drawer or cupboard was taken out, assessed, cleaned, and put back. With a little re-organizing of course!

First I cleaned my normal kitchen-clean so that my surfaces were clean and ready to handle things coming out of the cupboards. I worked 'one at a time' (you won't believe how much fits in one!) and from left to right, top to bottom. I washed each cupboard as I went, and while one was drying, I'd begin to empty the next one.

My spouse does all the shopping and cooking so the kitchen is a bit of a battleground for us. Well, more like an uneasy peace. I do the cleaning in the house. And the organizing. And the decorating. So in the kitchen, two worlds collide. I've retained his placements of pots, pans, and implements. We are both strong-minded (two leos, both strong signs in the Chinese zodiac, and both smart-@sses). It took him visiting his parents for a few days for me to tackle this job.

Here are a few tips if you do yours:

• Use a cleaner without a residue, so you waste no time in re-washing things, surfaces etc
• Throw out anything broken. If it's not working, it's just clutter. If there is something you genuinely love and it's broken, get it fixed immediately so you can enjoy using it again. Don't put it away until it's fixed.
• Ditch any past-date foods, sauces, cans etc - this is the perfect time to check those things that get pushed to the back. Any foods you have bought and not used and don't need that are within date can surely be used by a food bank.
• If you never use something, maybe it needs to go. I am donating my bread-maker, napkin rings, big salad spinner, and one set of martini glasses - do I really need 3 sizes of martini? Do not feel bad about giving away gifts - these are guilt-anchors around your neck. Donate them to a cat-shelter garage sale or to a friend who will use it, and it will feel good. 
• Do you have multiples of things like kitchen scissors, wine bottle openers, serving sets? We tend to re-buy things we can't find or are unhappy with. Keep the one you like the most, throw out the broken ones, and donate the rest.
• Do things collect? I have a big ziplock full of soy-sauce from take-out. And a big ziplock full of unused freebie plastic utensils that also come with take-out. Why do I keep these?? Find places where this will be appreciated and just let these go. (Turns out my mom and aunt sometimes use soy for stir-fry's but don't often buy soy sauce. The office lunch room is always short of plastic utensils). Whatever your collections of excess are, let them go to be used.
• Keep a pen and pad convenient and list things you genuinely need to buy. Last time I did this, I went to the store for an armload of plastic trays and baskets. They have worked wonderfully to keep things neat and allow me to wash them so easily if there are spills etc.  This year my list was short... only about 4 small plastic trays and some rubber drawer-liners. It's tempting to buy all sorts of organizing tools, but if they don't get used, then they become part of the clutter problem.
• As you work, keep considering what can make your use of the space easier or more efficient. Keep your most used things close at hand and near where they are used. The biggest change for me was being able to finally put all my glassware together and in the cabinet closest to the table - this will absolutely make a difference. I'm going to put some thought into a built-in lazy-susan for the lower corner cupboard (you know which one!) It would require some construction and that space is not a real problem so I've got to think it through.

What's lazy about all this? It's lazy because I love creating a system that works. Time and effort up front means that for the next 2 years I will save a little time and frustration every single day because things just work. You know the system and placement of things work if things are exactly where you expect them to be, you spend no time searching, you don't have to constantly work to re-organize things. Lazy-smarts? I hope you think so!

Carpe Diem!

What wonderful thing did you recently shirk housekeeping for?

New Towels!

If you think I'm a geek about my existing towels, I shouldn't admit that I get giddy about new ones. Only because I don't buy them often, I splurge and buy good ones and I love colour.

If you want those new towels to be beautiful for longer, treat them right! Always launder towels before using them for the first time. Here are a few great things I have learned with new towels:

• For new, coloured towels, soak and then wash them in a vinegar/ water solution to help 'set' the colours. Salt (regular table salt) also helps set colours, so if you wanted to do a second 'soak' you could do this as well with about 1/3 cup of salt. With bold, saturated or deep colours, this is particularly important;
• Deep colours may bleed for a few washes even when treated, so be careful what you wash them with for the first 10 washes!
• Fabric softeners reduce the absorption of your towels. They also reduce the 'loft' of your towels. This is because they coat the cotton. If you are starting with new towels, never use softeners on them. If you have used softeners on them in the past, wash them with a 1/2 cup of baking soda to help minimize the silicone build-up. If you use dryer sheets, these too add build-up. Use a 1/2 sheet or old sheets (ones used already) if you must use them at all;
• Always wash sets of towels together to keep them the same colour and 'fading' at the same pace;
• Use less detergent than a normal laundry load to avoid build-up... about 1/2 to 3/4 is sufficient;
• Only use bleach on white towels. A colour-safe bleach might be used on coloured towels but it won't have the same disinfecting effect. Either sunlight or regular vinegar washes will help disinfect your coloured towels;
• Wash coloured towels in warm water. Cool water keeps colours fresh but hot water gets rid of body oils, dirt or staleness;
• Using lower heat to dry towels will increase softness/ reduce shrinking. A gas dryer is more gentle on all fabrics, if you have a choice; 
• Towels do create more lint at first and it might continue for a few washes.This is normal for good towels - just clean out the lint traps and don't stress it;
• Lint from cotton towels is perfect nesting material for birds... plush and natural and biodegradable. Won't hurt baby birds. I put some out in a suet cage and let the birds take it from there. Oh - and won't they have pretty coloured nests??
• Avoid using towels on sink areas or directly on toothpastes etc; some face creams, toothpastes, and cleaner residues have lightening agents which will discolour your towels permanently. Watch for terms like 'whitening', 'brightening' or 'peroxide'.

What kind of towels do you like? Did my tips help you? 

Is Fall the New Spring?

Is fall the new spring? Do you actually clean your whole house in spring?

Spring cleaning has always been a challenge for me. I try to do it but when the weather is still cool in March and April, I can't air out the house and really get to that cleaning. As soon as the weather is nice in late April and May, I certainly don't want to be cleaning. I get 'some' of my house done by my May 1 deadline.

Photo Pixabay

From the days of being in school and starting a new school year at this time, fall has felt like a new start to me. Summer is winding down, the days are getting shorter, and the air has a bit of crisp cool to it. To me, this is a perfect time to get to those things I am too lazy to get to in spring.

Honestly here are a few things that are smarter to do in fall:

• Steam clean the carpets.Before the house is closed up for the winter months and after the open doors and dirty feet run through the house. 
• Paint. Spring can be cool and damp and who wants to be painting when the nice weather finally arrives? The over-hot and humid days of summer are not the best time to paint and neither is any day under 12C. Fall is fresh and those low-humidity days are perfect painting weather - inside, so you can take advantage of a drying breeze and outside because you are so weather-dependent
• Wash the baseboards. This is not a fun task; it's not hard it's just dreary. I will put on my headphones and listen to a book on audio and get to it. It's a perfect fall task because you are cleaning off all the summer dust from the open windows and blowing breezes before the house gets 'sealed' against the weather. 
• Wash curtains. For the same reason, the drapes collect dust all summer long. I like to wash my drapes and hang them wet in early November. Why? Because the house has less windows open to let dust in and because I usually  have the heat on so the drapes dry easily. 
• Wash blinds... yep same reasons. Then they are clean through the winter and just need the regular cleaning to keep them in great shape. 
• Attack paper clutter. When there are cool or rainy evenings or afternoons, that is the perfect time to get rid of the build-up of magazines (consider donating them to an emergency room or doctor's office), piles of flyers or junk mail, and the other assorted piles of papers.

Besides, if you are a gardener, this is the perfect time of year to put in trees and shrubs! They have a couple of temperate months to settle into the ground before the winter comes, the earth is warm, and there is none of the full burning sun of June/July.

My version of LAZY means being smart about when I do my big cleaning jobs. My goal is to have the easiest time of it, have it stay clean for the most number of months, and get it right the first time. There is nothing I hate more than having to do something twice or having something half-done!

How about you? Do you clean in fall? How do you get your 'spring cleaning' done? 

Housekeeping Chuckle (3)

@The Lazy Housekeeper

Housekeeping Chuckle (2)

@The Lazy Housekeeper

A Housekeeping Chuckle (1)

The Lazy Housekeeper

A Little Sass

What is life without a little sass?

Well, boring! That's what it would be! So I'm going to spend a week sharing a little fun each day. I really hope you enjoy it, go with it, share it, and come up with your own sass to get though the dreary bits of your day!

This one will launch us... it's not by me.. .it's by purple pixie:

Supplies Shopping Spree

While parents begin the joyful refrain of 'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year', the flyers list myriads of organizing implements and school supplies, and retailers use their large-volume buying power to get deals on all things back-to-school.

It might be that it's been a long time since a new pack of pencil crayons, a gorgeous new binder, or a shiny pencil case excited you, but you shouldn't lose the excitement for this season. It's the best time for the savvy housekeeper to do some supply-replenishing: you have the widest selection and the best prices of the year. I generally buy what I need for the full year - but the trick is to not go bat-crap-crazy and over-buy so make a list and keep to it. Bring on the happy... go on a spree!

Here are the things I pick up at this time of year:

• A big pack of pens I love using (yes - spending more and getting ones that are smooth and easy-to-use matters)
• A pack of tape - one each for the desk drawer, utility drawer, and 3 for the gift wrap bin
• Note books... for beside the computer, one for TV watching, a little one for my purse... I make notes constantly! 
• Sharpie markers... I love these and the bright colours they come in (and they are great for labeling things) 
• A white board for the mud room (dorm and locker sized whiteboards, blackboards and corkboards are very handy)
• Great travel food containers (for lunches, picnics, storage of all sorts)
• Vinyl pockets for projects (I love these more than I should! All notes, clippings, photos, etc for a given project go into one of these until the project is complete)
• Paper clips
• Staples

Of course, your list will be different. That's the fun of it!

1-Minute Microwave Clean

I hesitate to even post this tip, because I think so many people already know it. However, it's so easy and fast, that even if this reaches one Lazy Housekeeper who isn't already using it, it would be worth it!

Microwaves are infamous for having baked-on-food bits which can take time to scrape and clean. Don't waste your time! Here's the 1-Minute solution with two different recipes:

• Mix 1/3 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it to boiling point. The amount of time will vary with your microwave. Mine is about 2 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes in the closed microwave to let the steam soften all the food, then wipe clean. Your only work is wiping it clean! 
• After many years of using vinegar, I've changed to lemon because I like the smell much better and the cleaning is just as effective. Add two lemon wedges to one cup of water and microwave in a microwave-safe bowl to bring it to the boiling point. Let stand for 5 minutes without opening the microwave for the steam to loosen the food, then wipe clean.

Why is it 1-minute? Because it takes 10 seconds to put a bowl with the ingredients into the microwave and turn it on. You come back about 5 minutes later and use (at most) 50 seconds to wipe the inside clean. How perfectly Lazy is that? 

I have seen some crazy tips on the web for excessive microwaving times. I don't understand why so long would be needed - and you'd risk scalding yourself or breaking whatever vessel you are using. There's also a chance of damaging the microwave elements with some of the 'tips' I saw. What works is the steam... so keeping the microwave closed after bringing the water to boiling point is sufficient.

The hot lemon or vinegar water is very good for de-greasing the stove top, wiping a counter-top, or for pouring down a smelly drain.

An alternative is to buy a food cover for using the microwave - this can be put into the dishwasher if it's dirty. No work! Or, if you prefer, grab a coffee filter (which is clean and food safe) and put it over whatever food you are microwaving - it's cheap, fast and easy.

Snap Countdown for Surprise Visits

Yes, of course, my house always looks like this! 

Everyone should have a 15-minute panic-cleaning process if unexpected company is about to show up. For most friends and family, I let them see the chaos of everyday life. But sometimes... someone you need to impress just a little is about to show up. You KNOW this happens!

Don't just panic... have a plan for that panic! I'm not kidding... plan it out based on what areas of your home get seen by guests and what seems to be your clutter magnet. This is not about cleaning - this is hiding the detritus of life. Channel your panic adrenaline ... expect to run around for the next 15 minutes. Improve your routine each time you use it.

I will share my panic-routine ... time-worn and effective (and customized for my home):

1. Hall & Entry: Keep a little basket stored in the front closet - a plug-in air freshener and my most effective pet-fur brush. I plug in the air freshener near the front door and swipe up any pet fur on seats. Straighten the area throwing everything into the beautiful woven baskets under the bench seat... hidden storage is your friend!
2. Living Room: Pull chairs and furniture into their proper places in the dining room and living rooms. I have a storage ottoman which I leave empty (or virtually empty) I have a 2-minute grab-all-the-living-room-mess and dump it into the ottoman. Fluff the pillows and fold the throw - generally neaten. Fabreeze the couch, chairs, and carpet;
3. Bathroom: Refold the hand towel inside out or put in a clean one. Disinfectant wipe - a quick swipe of the counter, sink, toilet seat (top and under). The nice scented wipe in the garbage also adds a fresh smell and hides anything under it. Light the scented candle in there (a nicety for the guest and easy solution for you);
4. Kitchen: Quickly disinfectant-wipe the counters and fling everything into the dishwasher. Don't sort - fling. If you have clutter on the counters or magnets on the fridge throw it into bags and put them in the ottoman or front closet. Fold the dish towels;
5. Breathe: Put on some lipstick and just get centered.

• Floor Swipe: IF there is time, run the vacuum quickly (this never happens for me because I have to drag long hoses which are invariably upstairs!) or one of those wet-pad mops over the main areas. I love these because they are so fast, easy, and when you put the pad in the garbage it gives the room a smell of 'clean'... when people smell 'clean' they think 'clean'! 

Towel Reboot

If you find you are not loving your towels, if they feel stiffer, if they are not as absorbent as they once were, or if they feel weighed down and 'greasy', then these 3 simple 'DON'Ts' are for you:

1. Don't use too much detergent with towels, in fact use a little less than in a regular load. It's harder to wash out detergent from towels. Use a HE (high efficiency) detergent with them to minimize excess sudsing. Using vinegar in your towel wash will keep towels always smelling fresh. You can put the vinegar in the bleach dispenser (just don't ever let the two mix!) for use during the wash cycle or in the fabric softener dispenser for use during the rinse cycle. I think it's most effective in the rinse cycle.
2. Don't use fabric softener with towels: it weighs them down with buildup over time. There is a light 'coating' and there will be less loft to the towels. The scents can also aggravate some sensitivities. If you've been using fabric softener, run them in a wash with 1/2 cup of regular baking soda to help remove some of the build-up.
3. Don't use dryer sheets with towels - you don't need them and they will make your towels less absorbent. Just don't over-dry your towels - treat them with a little care and they will love you back.

Reboot and refresh them using the other towel tips I've posted - and keep them fresh with a cup of vinegar each time you wash them. 

By now you must think I'm obsessed by towels! I'm not... but I think we should all expect soft, absorbent, sweet smelling towels. That's why I'm posting the truths I've learned in these tips - because making sure your towels are wonderful takes no extra time or effort!

Last to the Party

image found on the web - original source unknown

Those who know me will not be surprised to learn that I only discovered Pinterest a couple of weeks ago. Was I living under a rock? Am I a Luddite? Am I a technophobe? Either way, I'm last to the Pinterest party.

The truth is that I opened an account well over a year ago, but I couldn't dream of what to use it for. I forgot the password and then forgot about it. Determination drove me back. I wanted to have a great place for photos of my naughty fabulous cat Nuala. I almost forgot about it again, but then I needed to find a recipe for a cocktail I'd invented for my sister Sharon. When I wasted 2 hours looking for it and found it (only to learn days later that her mother-in-law had my recipe), I created a visual recipe for it on a drink board. Then I indulged my obsession of courtyard cafes and bistros... oh crap... I lost literally an 8-hour day wandering through sigh-inducing photos!

I'd much rather be curled up at a bistro or cafe with a coffee in hand than doing any form of housework!

It's a given that I just had to look at housekeeping tricks now that I've started this blog of hard-earned wisdom. Wow - there is SO much out there... from decor (always an obsession with me but that is a story for another time), to organizing (which is like catnip!), to cleaning solutions. After losing about 4 hours in this rabbit's warren of links and articles I started to realize that a good deal of what was posted was crap, some bad advice, lots of useless time-wasters, and some genius bits.

Of course I created a board - and named it after this blog. I'm going to put things on there that I either a) know to be true or b) am willing to test and try in my own home.

I might test a few Pinterest solutions I find intriguing and post my findings here. Anyone Pinterested in that?? 

Do you use Pinterest? What do you think of the housekeeping info on Pinterest? Is it only as good as the pinner? Is a good part of it nonsense? Do you lose hours and days lost in articles and images there?

Mattress Tango

One of the best investments you can make is a good mattress. Get the best mattress you can afford - that doesn't mean the most money, it means you do the research and get a mattress that is right for you and your back. You spend 1/3 of your life in bed and you only get one spine... you're worth the time and money!

When you get that good mattress, make sure it sticks around for a long time and stays healthy too. Flip your mattress to balance the wear!

If your mattress is the same on the top side as the underside, then there are 4 possible positions:

1. The way it is right now
2. Turning your toes to where your head is
3. Flipping the mattress over to the underside
4. Turning the head to the toe position on the underside

If this describes your mattress, flip your mattress every 3 months (seasonally). To keep it sane, grab a permanent marker and write Jan-Mar, Apr-June, July-Sept, and Oct-Dec - one on each of the sides described above. This will take you about 20 minutes and lots of effort (2 mattress flips) - but it will save you lots of time, mental energy and hassle in the future. Every time you change the sheets you will be reminded that the current month should be written where your head is.

If you are like me and have a pillow-top mattress, there are only 2 possible positions because you can't flip your mattress over. I'd suggest writing on the top and bottom (since it's a great no-brainer visual reminder) Jan-Mar and July-Sept on the top and  Apr-June and Oct-Dec on the bottom. You will be turning your mattress every 3 months.

Picked up this wisdom working in a 5* hotel.

Lazy Housekeeper Advanced - If it's viable when the weather is below 0C, take your mattress outside and let it air. Freezing temperatures and sunlight both kill dust mites in about a half hour. If this is not possible, then steam your mattress at 120F (50C) to minimize the vile critters.

Stinky Towels RX

I know - it happens to the best of us! Towels can get stinky fast - whether they are thrown into a hamper damp, hung on a hook so they don't dry properly, or they are hung in a place where there is so little air flow or such high humidity that they don't dry. Smelly towels are a big YUK.

Make them smell better! Fix the smell the Lazy way: put the towels into a bucket and add just enough water to cover them then add 2 cups of inexpensive white vinegar and mix. Let them soak for 6-8 hours. Wash the towels in hot water with a little soap and the soak-water. Dry immediately.

Towels always do best in a warm to hot water wash because they accumulate body oils - the hot water removes them.


Tip ~ This works with stinky clothing too, but you do need to be wary of the fabrics and not everything is compatible with a hot water wash.

No Wining

Friends and red wine... it's all good until someone knocks over a glass or spills on your light carpet. It happened at my place with some friends. I was just a rock-star while everyone else gasped and panicked  I just headed to the kitchen for the white wine and splashed a liberal amount on top while laughing and chatting with them. I was as cool as a cucumber and felt like a goddess.

Do you really want to know the science behind it? There's an enzyme in white wine which prohibits the colour of the red wine from setting. The white wine has to be added immediately, and then blot with a towel ... and go back later and clean your carpet in the normal way if the fibers feel a bit stiff from the sugars. Lazy Housekeeper's genius!

Dangerous Liasions

Adventures in housekeeping? Here's how NOT to turn your house cleaning into a toxic experiment:

Vinegar + Bleach = Chlorine Gas
Undiluted Bleach + Ammonia = Hydrochloric Acid + Chloramine Gas
Bleach + Dish Detergent (some) = Mustard Gas 
Rubbing Alcohol + Bleach = Chloroform Gas

You can actually kill yourself while re-inventing WWI chemical warfare. I am not kidding... I have unfortunately tried  two of these in my own home and you get dizzy, your eyes burn, and your lungs start to react almost immediately. You must go somewhere safe and breathe so you don't collapse, and air out the house for a few hours.

Be aware that some cleaners may not be clearly labelled as 'bleach', 'ammonia', or some substances (such as cat pee) are ammonia but you may not be aware that they are. 

Be careful out there... I want you Lazy, not Sick!  

 

Oscar the Grout

An ounce of prevention...

Grout is the perfect example of this principle. Make sure it never gets the opportunity to mold, because once you've got mold, it will keep coming back. (Yes... the black stuff is household mold and it will create spores you breathe.) What would take you seconds in prevention will make you frustrated and take hours to clean.  Grout is a porous substance to hold the tiles in place, but it actually doesn't do well when it remains wet or damp because the water actually seeps into it. It's a great medium to grow mold. Once it begins getting mold, it gets harder and harder to get rid of as it grows and deepens.

• Keep good ventilation of grouted spaces and let it dry as completely as possible
• Clean it regularly - take the Lazy route and put undiluted white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the whole thing weekly for a heavily used bathroom or monthly for a lightly used, well ventilated one. Let it sit for about 15-20 minutes and then rinse with water. I'd suggest doing this with open windows - it doesn't smell like roses but there are no harsh chemicals. This works because vinegar is acidic and 80% of mould cannot survive in that environment.
• Keep your grout maintained so it never molds and you will save hours and hours of cleaning time and grief

If you do see a spot of mold, use the toothbrush and vinegar. Don't even rinse after... because if a little of the vinegar seeps deep into the grout, it can kill the spores living there.Vinegar can work with most household molds and is mild.

If you get some mold and want to use a harsher chemical, fill a clean spray bottle with 50/50 bleach and water and spray the whole surface. Scrub the mold spots with bleach and the toothbrush. Rinse after 10 minutes.

Important - This solution is for tiles. If you have a porous stone (marble etc), acids such as vinegar will etch your surface. This tip will not work for you. 

Keeping Towels Fresh

Avoid putting damp towels in the hamper, and add a cup of plain white vinegar to your towel wash every time to keep your towels fresh.  

It's one of my favourite tips - I've been doing it for as long as I've owned a washing machine. I genuinely love how people react when they try it for the first time. Maybe it's because people expect towels to come out smelling like vinegar. Maybe it's the universality of towels getting stinky from staying damp too long.


I have a huge jug of vinegar beside my washing machine... and a plastic marked measuring cup on top, so using vinegar in the wash is a Lazy no-brainer. Vinegar can be used with any colour towels and the wash never comes out smelling like vinegar. They just smell fresh.  

Tip - I put the vinegar in the bleach receptacle  so that the machine will dispense it evenly in the wash. Just don't mix vinegar and bleach.

Even Lazier! The vinegar keeps the washing machine smelling fresh and clean and helps avoid buildups.