Spring Cleaning: my top 5 clean spots

I am proud to say I keep our place clean. I just have it in me. Some call me clean-freak but I like to call it just «clean». So when Spring cleaning season comes, I get really excited like if it was a Holiday.

I use baking soda and vinegar like crazy. These are my two secret cleaning weapons.

1) I wash my pillows. Yes, some pillows can be washed. Make sure you read the instruction sewn to the pillow though. I throw just two at a time in the washer with tennis ball inside a sock.(This prevents bumps in the pillow). I wash them with the «dedicates» option with 1/2 detergent and 1/2 baking soda.

After the cycle is over I put them in the drier with two tennis balls in the «tumble dry low» cycle. They never dry completely so I take them out and leave them in a sunny spot for a couple of hours. New pillows for you.

2) Refresh my mattress. I take 4 cups baking soda, some drops of lemon essential oil and mix them together. Then I swift the mix with a strainer on the naked mattress. I leave it for a couple of hours and then I vacuum throughly. Let me tell you it smells amazing afterwards. 3) Clean washer. (Oh yes, that get’s dirty too.) I pour baking soda into the detergent dispenser and a cup of vinegar in the bleach dispenser.(Never mix bleach and vinegar together). Then I run a short cycle. This eliminates the moldy smell. 4) Same here. Clean the dishwasher. Instead of dishwasher detergent I use baking soda for this cycle. In a glass bowl I pour 2 cups of vinegar and put it in the top drawer of the dishwasher. I run the hot water cycle.

5) I fill the coffee maker with vinegar and water. For every cup of vinegar use three cups of water (The smell is a little bit nasty so try to keep a window open). I run two times the coffee maker with this mix and then run three times the coffee maker with just water. (Believe me you do not want your coffee to taste like vinegar espresso).

I have to confess I do this every two or three months because you know me, I just like everything really clean.

So, do you guys have any particular Spring cleaning spots?

 

 

 

 

Let’s organize: closet edition

Photo credit: DeliciouslyOrganized

Don’t we all wish to have a big walking closet where all our wardrobe’s pieces would lay there like a fancy and glamorous store? Off course we do. Unfortunately most of us don’t have the space and end up asphyxiating our clothes one on top of the other or one next to the other if we are lucky.

I usually follow this guide that I hope will help you out:

1) Choose a day when you know you will have time to take everything out from your closet. (When I say everything, I mean it.) You will be able to have a perspective of everything you own in your closet.

2) Clean the space. I like to use a natural cleaning spray that is a mix of water, vinegar and a little baking soda to clean everything from top to bottom.

3) I am terrified of moths. These little fellows have a passion for eating my lovely shirts and I refuse for my clothes to smell like naphthalene. I bought some essential oils that are natural moth repellents and make your closet smell amazing. (Mix in a small bowl the next essential oils: lavender, spearmint, cedar wood and cinnamon. Pour in a spray bottle and spray where you cleaned before. Let rest until dry.)

4) Now it’s time to move to your clothes. I usually have two boxes. I label my boxes with «donate» and «maybe». Then I start dividing my clothes in piles depending if they are skirts, dresses, pants, shorts, bathing suits, shoes, etc. I also divide my eyewear, jewelry, scarves, hats, belts, everything.

5) I start by returning to their original place all things I wish to keep and start putting in one of the boxes all the things I wish to donate. The pieces that I am having second thoughts with, I put them in the «maybe» box.

6) When you put the things you are going to keep back in the closet, divide them by type. Dresses go with dresses, pants with pants, etc. I like to organize my clothes by color because it is easier to find things when I am in a hurry. (Yes, I am that kind of girl.)

6) When I am done organizing the things I want to keep and the things I want to donate, I go to the «maybe» box and start trying everything on. Clothes that are not flattering or I haven’t worn in a really long time go to the «donate» box and the things that I like go back to the closet. (It’s ok to have pieces that have a sentimental value to you, but please don’t become hoarders. The point here is to make some space and get rid of things you don’t use anymore.)

There you go! Now you know everything that’s in there and you probably have more space.