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DIY Carpet Stain Remover

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I’ll be honest, the carpet in my house is a complete mess. It doesn’t help that we live with a 2 year old, two dogs, and a cat. We try to clean up messes as soon as they happen, but some stains are unavoidable. One of my goals for the new year is actually to get the house completely clean and then have the carpets cleaned as well. However, I recently stumbled across this article by Carrie at Coupon Closet. Here’s her recipe for a homemade carpet cleaner that I may just try- it also uses ingredients you probably already have:

-Mix equal parts vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in a bowl

-Use immediately on a stain

-Take a clean towel/rag and blot the stain- it will begin to remove the stain immediately

-Let it dry, then vacuum- clean carpets again!

Photo Credit: Stephani Spitzer

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Deep Cleaning Tips

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If you’re anything like me, your house is probably wrecked during the holidays. Between all the shopping, cooking, decorating, and present wrapping, things get pretty chaotic…fast. But, once the New Year rolls around, I’m ready to get my home back into shape. That’s why I love these tips by Natalie Brown at Buzzfeed– here are tons of ways to deep clean your home! If you are considering selling soon, all of these will have to be done as well. Plus, they all seem to use items you’ll already have around your house, like vinegar, baking soda, or rubbing alcohol:

-Use rubbing alcohol to get stains out of microfiber couches

-Use an iron to steam clean carpet stains

-Vacuum your AC unit for cleaner air

-Use vinegar and water to clean your microwave and other appliances

Photo Credit: go_greener_oz 

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DIY Toilet Spray

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I’ve been seeing ads lately for the spray that you’re supposed to use before you use the toilet to prevent bad smells. I’m not sure if any of those products actually work, but if you have a chronically smelly bathroom, it could be worth a shot! However, some of them cost around $10. Personally, I think that’s a bit much to keep a bathroom from smelling like…well, a bathroom. That’s why I love this post by Karrie at Happy Money Saver. Here’s her recipe for “poo spray” that you can DIY for pennies:

1 tsp rubbing alcohol
30-40 drops of essential oil of choice- this time I used Lemongrass and Peppermint..
water

Pour rubbing alcohol in a 3 oz spray container and add essential oils. Add water to fill the container. Give it a good shake and you’re ready to go! I’ve found 3-4 sprays is enough to cover the bowl and trap all of the stink particles below.

Photo Credit: Roger H. Goun 

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Habits Of Maintaining An Organized Home

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Achieving your goals is all about forming positive habits. Want to lose weight? Make it a habit to go to the gym daily. Want to save money? Make it a habit to stick to a strict budget. These things are sometimes really tough, even painful, but must be done for us to accomplish what we want. Keeping a clean and organized home is no different- you have to form the right habits. For things to start doing, read this post by Sarah at Sarah Titus and your home will always be organized:

-Everything must have a home- Everything in your home must be put away in a designated spot when not in use. If not, then this is how clutter forms.

-Organize mail as soon as it comes through the door. Bills go in a folder, junk mail goes in the trash.

-If you haven’t used an item in 6 months, get rid of it.

-If you don’t need it, don’t buy it.

Photo Credit: Alison Headly 

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Get Your Closet Organized Today

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My closet is basically a black hole. When I’m cleaning, I kinda just throw everything in there and shut the door really fast so it doesn’t all come tumbling out. And it seriously needs to change, because I can’t find the clothes I want to wear half the time. That’s why I love this post by Julie Gerstein at Buzzfeed. It’s chock full of awesome organization hacks to get your closet (and your life) together:

-Assign different seasons of clothes to different colored hangers

-Use pants hangers to keep boots off the floor

-Use PVC pipe for extra storage

-Use all the wall space in your closet for jewelry storage

Photo Credit: Emily May 

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Keeping A Small Space Organized

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If you live in an apartment or smaller home, keeping it organized is absolutely crucial. Wit a smaller space, it’s much easier for clutter to pile up faster. Sure, there’s less to clean, but you really have to learn how to make a space for everything and keep it all together. For tips on small house organization, check out this post by Sarah at Early Bird Mom:

-Smaller spaces demand just the necessities. Only let in what you really use in your daily life to keep away unnecessary clutter.

-Smaller spaces require just one activity at a time- slow down and finish one activity before you start te next.

-When you have fewer things, it’s easier to take care of them all.

Photo Credit: Krystian Olszanski 

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Chore Hacks

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Cleaning is fairly straightforward- you splash soap and water on something, then scrub it off and dry it. Voila! Pretty hard to mess up, right? Well, it turns out that it can be even simpler than that. You may be doing lots of extra work and not even know it. Check out this post by Michelle Hainer at the Trulia blog for chores that you may have been doing wrong all along:

-Scrub shower doors and curtains- To remove stubborn soap scum from glass doors, sprinkle a used dryer sheet with water and start scrubbing.

-Keep your bathroom clean each day- Stash a microfiber cloth under the sink and use it (wet) to wipe down the sinks, countertops, and faucets.

-Clean your oven- pour salt into spills immediately, let cool, then wipe clean.

-Dust ceiling fans- Slide an old pillowcase over the fan blade and then pull it back. Voilà! All of the dust and dirt will be contained inside.

Photo Credit: Osseous 

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How To Deep Clean Bathroom Sinks And Tubs

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Let’s get real for a minute. After years of use, bathroom porcelain can just start to look scummy- no matter how many times you scrub it. It just seems like it’s a fact of life- the white becomes a dingy, yellowish color. However, what if I told you that there is a way to make your tubs and sinks sparkle like new- with items you already have? Look no further than this post by Jennifer at the Craft Patch blog. Here is her recipe for a “Pinterest tested” tub cleaner that is guaranteed to work:

– I mixed up a solution of one part Dawn dish soap and one part vinegar, sprayed it on half my tub (so I could compare the two sides for more clear results). About an hour later, I came in with a rag, wiped that side down, and it came away completely clean! No scrubbing required.

Photo Credit: Shanna Trim 

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