Microwave nastiness

The problem with preteen children is their love for the microwave and their inability to clean up spills. My kids love coco wheats for breakfast. I don't mind. It is hot, fairly healthy and fairly cheap. The problem is that when you make coco wheats in the microwave, if you don't keep a very close eye on them, they tend to explode. I broke my cardinal rule of avoiding photographing anything that can be described as nasty, dirty or disgusting just for today's very special post.

Exhibit A: I rarely use the microwave so this lovely mess may be up to 3 days old by the time I discovered it.

So, I am going to share my secret with you. It takes me less than 4 minutes to have it sparkling again. Ready?

Step one, get a clean dishrag sopping wet with plain water.
and throw it in the microwave.

Microwave it on high for a minute and a half.


I then take the microwave carousel out and simply wipe the crap away. It is that easy. No scrubbing. It is very very hot though, so please be careful.


I then run a scrubbrush over the carousel, top and bottom. This takes less than a minute as the grime on it too was softened, and I am back to a sparkly clean microwave.



Now, if only I had the solution to getting my spawn to want to keep it clean as well...

Laundry Detergent: A product review

I am sick and tired of running out of stuff like laundry detergent, soap, and trash bags. My husband happens to work for a company that sells many things, including janitorial supplies. I decided I am going to start bulk buying for real. My first order:Now, I hate cheap laundry detergent. My sister once bought a big box of Sun detergent when she was staying here. That stuff was awful. I mean really really bad. My kid also has sensitive skin so I have to be careful what I buy. This is a 40 lb bucket of detergent. 272 loads worth so I was taking a pretty big risk.

The stuff is great. It's a powder, which I normally hate but it is a much finer powder than the stuff you buy at the store. It has a wonderful lemon scent while in the bucket. The clothes come out clean. It even managed the get the roof shingle funk off my sweatshirt. The smell of the clothes was completely neutral. No smell at all which is awesome.

The retail price of this is $36.38 which puts the price per load at $0.13. That is what I was paying per load for the purex free and clear that I normally buy. Since my husband sells it, we get a pretty good discount and it's more like $0.09 a load. Either way, there is less waste, it is phosphate free and biodegradable. This will last at least 6 months. I don't have to think about it everytime I go to the store, if I am getting close to running out or not. I figure when I get about halfway through it, I will have my husband place another order. If my husband ever finds himself working for another company I would still be willing to pay the retail price on this stuff.

**Both kids: Costume making for halloween Me: Ionic compounds**

Cutting cleaning costs

I love the smell of a clean house. I have 4 animals that have complete access to the house, so I vacuum and mop daily. It's the only way to keep up with the shedding, and that lovely doggy odor. Dishes need to be done 1-2 times a day and don't even get me started on the laundry. So I have developed some time and cost saving things that I do.

I dedicate an hour a day to cleaning. That is it. I am a full time student, I homeschool my kids, and my daughter is on the swim team with daily practice. I don't have time to play around. The only exception is after dinner cleanup which takes another 15 minutes or so.

I have two pre-teen girls. I make up a list of all the rooms, and each room has 3-6 tasks which are divided up between the three of us. There is also an extra 3 tasks to make sure things like cleaning out the fridge and dusting and baseboards get done at least once in a while. An example would be
Living Room:
1. Pick up floor
2. Clean off furniture (this includes couch, table, piano, shelves and so on)
3. Vacuum and mop the floor

The girls take turns picking what task they want to do out of each room. I take what is left. Cleaning time is cleaning time. This cut down the whining, complaining, and the time it takes me to clean the house.

Now, as for cleaners. One thing I use is Simple Green. I bought 1 gallon of the concentrate and I have been using it what feels like forever. I bought it for $8. I use 1/4 cup in a bucket. I start with kitchen counters, tables and so on, then move on to bathroom and floors. I can clean my whole house with it for $0.13 a day. It is also non-toxic and biodegradable.

For kitchen counters after meal prep I do bring out the big guns. I do buy the 409 antibacterial spray but it only requires a few sprays to make sure my counters are bacteria free. I use this on the toilet seat, flush handle and the bathroom faucet as well because I am not sure how well the simple green kills things. Either way a bottle costs me $2.50 and lasts at least a month which is a cost of about $0.08 a day.

For the tub to get rid of soap scum I use baking soda. It's completely natural, works better than comet or other powders and only takes a few minutes if I keep up on it. I can get a box of baking soda at Aldi for $0.49 and it will clean the tub a dozen times, so it is a cost of $0.04 a use.

I swish the toilet with the brush daily, but I also have well water so once a week I have to deep clean it. I dump in 2 cups or so of white vinegar, which I buy at Aldi for $1 a gallon. I let it set for an hour, swish with the brush and flush. Voila, no buildup, and a total cost of $0.13 a week.

Windows can also be done with white vinegar, which is another $0.04 a week, if that.

If you have any other cost, or time saving ideas, please feel free to share. I finally have a system down and my house is cleaner than it has ever been.