How to Clean in 5 Easy Steps…..

I love it.  Day one of summer vacation and my plans are to clean the bathroom, do loads of laundry, and to make my mother proud, even hang some of it on a clothesline instead of tossing it in the dryer.  I am even excited about all the cleaning and organizing I plan to accomplish this summer.  I have several magazines including RealSimple, Good Housekeeping, and Better Homes and Garden that all tell me how to clean more efficiently and effectively.  My friend, Kim, sells Norwax cleaning products so I have all the supplies I need to disinfect healthily.  My diffuser is misting Peppermint, Lemon, and Lavender oils so the air we are breathing is cleansed free of gremlins trying to destroy our health.  No harsh chemicals here.  So my first day of playing Cinderella has commenced.  As I am going about my business humming “Bibbledee Bobbidy Boo” I am thinking about the classroom I just left 24 hours earlier.  Didn’t I just do this?  I remember walking into the room with my arsenal of cleaning supplies, just like I have now,  and yes, my diffuser was misting away the germs, and, my game plan was similar.  Clean cabinets, wash counter tops, scrub tables, purge papers, and organizer everything. Then I started thinking how much time we spend everyday cleaning.  No wonder there are countless articles on how to clean, keep it clean, stay organized, and if I’m honest, I have probably read thousands of them looking for better solutions.  And if I’m really honest, I will have to admit, that I have only implemented a few of the suggestions from those articles which usually involved spending money to purchase the item needed to achieve the result the article touted.  So, I guess mother knows best after all.  My mom kept an immaculate house and she did it with cleanser, a wet rag, and putting things away.  “Clutter” was a four letter? word in our house.  If you didn’t use it, you didn’t need it, and you donated it.  My mom was a master organizer.  She would come over to help me clean when my children were babies and one time my husband commented that when he opened the cabinet to get coffee, the packages were standing at attention.  Every now and then I will get into my pantry and strive for the same result but my packages often look like Barney Fife instead of NCIS.  So even though I have my breathe easy cleaning solutions, I also have my Bon Ami.    Because when it comes to the tough stuff, elbow grease and cleanser often save the day.  And, Bon Ami’s motto is “No Harsh Chemicals, Never had it, Never will” so I don’t feel too guilty using it.  While I am on my cleaning rampage for a healthier home and being so insistent that no harsh chemicals are used to endanger my family’ s health, my husband walks into the kitchen with a frown on his face.  He states, “Algae in the pool again.”  “I am off to the pool store for more chlorine, shock, and chemicals.”  “See you later.”  I look at my arsenal of gentle yet effective cleaning supplies and cannot help thinking of the irony here.