Pages

This blog has moved.....

This blog has MOVED to a new location! Please visit my new site by clicking here.
Showing posts with label cleaning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cleaning. Show all posts

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Better Swiffing with Trouble on Thrifty Thursday & a tutorial!

Meet Trouble the Dog. Trouble is a Border Collie, arguably one of the smartest breeds of dogs out there.....and he expels his hair all the time....all over....everyday.

Sometimes I think I could make another Border Collie everyday with the hair that is collected.

For this reason, I LOVE my little swiffer-type broom that whizzes around our terrazzo & tile floors and picks up another border collie's worth of hair off the floor. I have an Omop made by Method and sold at Target. I like it a lot better than a Swiffer. The head is larger and you have the option of disposable corn-based dusters or a reusable microfiber pad that you can use wet or dry. I really like the green aspects of the Omop as opposed to Swiffer's petroleum based cloths and cleansers. But I don't like the prices, so naturally I set out to find some diy alternatives.
First, I noticed the bottom was microfiber, backed by some sort of absorbent batting, then a felt back. It was quilted and had serged seams. Perfect, except I don't sew.....at least not well. So instead, I opted for a backup refill head and purchased 2 microfiber dishtowels. I actually bought those at the $1 store.
I took one of the disposable cloths measured and cut my microfiber cloths to size. I made four out out of two microfiber dishtowel size cloths for $2. Awesome!
Two clothes cut from one microfiber dishtowel.
The width of the towel was perfect so I only ended up with one side that is unfinished. I reasoned that I could attempt to finish that side if it frayed. After several washes, the cloth is not fraying so I plan to leave unfinished (rather than battle my arch nemesis, the sewing machine. Method also has some great cleaning products that come in good looking packaging but I can make my own for pennies on the dollar. The mop kit I purchased came with a sample of floor cleaner so I make enough to refill that bottle because I really like the nozzle. You could also use a plain spray bottle. I make a version similar to my counter spray that I posted last week. This is a much greener way to keep those floors tidy!

By the way,
Trouble has his own website. Have a good day! Live Aloha!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

clean and sparkly with Thrifty Thursday

these cleaning gloves from JulieMeyer just make me want to clean! would also make a cute hostess gift...
Keep that kitchen clean and sparkly with these tips. Hint: you might save enough money for some new pretty tea towels and a pretty kitchen rug.

Baking Soda: Baking soda makes a great scrubbing cleanser. Baking soda is a mild abrasive and absorbs odor. Simply sprinkle (a pretty glass container with a perforated top makes it nice!) and scrub with a cloth or scrubbing pad.

Distilled White Vinegar: Mix with water and soap to make a great surface spray recipe below. Buy it in the largest container available to save packaging and money!

A Good Concentrated Dish Soap: I like 7th Generation Lavender Eucalyptus or CalBen Pure Soap DishGlow. They both smell wonderful, contain no petroleum based detergents or synthetic fragrances and can be used in conjunction around the house for a host of cleaning efforts.

This is a great all purpose cleaner, great from washing sinks and showers to floors.
Vinegar helps prevent mildew and mineral buildup if you have hard water.

My favorite all-purpose cleanser:
1/4 c. liquid soap or detergent
1/2 c. white distilled vinegar
2 gal. water

mix together in pail. and rinse well.

aloha!