Saving Paper Towels

Since having children three and one half years ago, we have used a crazy amount of paper towels. During every meal their little hands and faces need to be cleaned. The table and high chair need to be scrubbed instead of a quick wipe of crumbs and often needed a bit more than just soapy dish water.

 Until recently, I used a lot of paper towels. Around the same time that I started using vinegar to clean, a friend explained to me how she is able to not use so many paper towels. This may be common sense to most people, but I had never really considered it before.

 So I'm sharing it. Taking my friend's lead, I bought some simple waffle weave dish cloths . I don't prefer them for washing dishes, but they are fabulous for cleaning the counters, stove top, and table. (I love knit and crocheted dish cloths best for washing dishes. If you have never tried them, I recommend it!) I bought some just for cleaning because 1.) I wanted a lot of them and 2.) I wanted them to be easily distinguished from dish cloths, dish towels, and the old cloths/rags that can be used in the bathroom.

 I don't know how many paper towels I am saving, but it is a lot! We do still use paper towels to wash the children's faces and hands, as needed, but unless the mess is awful, we rip a paper towel in half before wetting it.

 I have a good reason for using paper towels instead of a dishcloth or other wet cloth...when I was a child, my mom would clean my face with a dishcloth and I hated it! A paper towel is somehow better...and I know it is clean.

 Cleaning with vinegar and using dishcloths to clean are just some simple ways that I am trying to be nicer to my home planet while saving money. I may not be too green, but every bit is helpful in being a steward of God's creation. Do you have any other simple tips for me? (I know Earth Day is this week, but I had fully intended to post this for the past month, and just finally wrote about it.)

Laundry

Yesterday I asked readers to guess how long it took me to go through 250 dryer sheets.  I opened the box on August 1st, so Jenny was right.  The box was empty 7 1/2 months later.

But that is not the end of the story.  Last night I was telling Derek about it, and how I wrote the date on the box so I could average how many loads of laundry I do a week.  He asked me, "Don't you use TWO dryer sheets?"

Apparently in the past when I was loading an unusually large load (or maybe blankets?) I suggested putting a second sheet in for good measure.  That was before I was careful to only use one per load.

I don't know how often Derek throws the wash into the dryer, but he's not afraid to do a bit of laundry to help me out (and get clothes washed in time for work on Monday morning).  I am guessing he helps with a load every two weeks or so.

At least I know that I have not been doing 8 loads of laundry for my family of four each week!  I am guessing 5-6 is more accurate.  (There were weeks when I am certain I did at least 7 due to two children's leaking diapers though...We have since switched to nighttime diapers.)

In case you are curious, I do plan to keep track again.  I'm curious.  How about you?  How many loads do you do a week?

Guesses?

A while back I purchased a 250 count box of dryer sheets.  I wrote the date I opened it on the box, curious as to how many loads I average a week.  I used one per load of wash and all loads went into the dryer as far as I know.

Would anyone like to take a guess as to which month in the year 2009 I opened the box?  I opened it on the first of the month.

I will just tell you that I was quite surprised!  I will post an answer tomorrow...and pass out the high-fives then!
Just a reminder...we are a family of four.

Why My Husband Hates When I Clean

Really, I drive my husband crazy when I clean.  It's a new thing, really.  And it's not like I need a perfectly clean house.  (HA!)  It's far from clean.


In fact, our house is quite "comfortable."  You know, it's lived in.  We have toys throughout.  Our island always has a pile or two growing on it...and often a stray butter knife and some crumbs leftover from the previous meal (or more).  We are both the kind of people that can go to bed without picking up the clutter and toys.  Some might call that laziness.


So how is it that I am driving him crazy?  Vinegar.  I started mopping with a vinegar and water mix a year or so ago.  I only mop, at most, every two weeks, so that was tolerable for him.  I like that it is chemical free.  Vinegar is environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and incredibly frugal.  What's not to love?  Well, a little smell.  All cleaners have an odor though, right?  Apparently not all odors are created equal.


A couple months ago I decided I wanted to start using a vinegar as my all-purpose cleaner, especially in the kitchen.  Though I know good ol' soapy water cleans the counters and table just fine, sometimes I want a bit more kick to remove the syrup, medicine, or jelly.  (Oh, yes, E's anti-seizure medication is very sticky!)  I used to turn to whatever was under the kitchen sink, but then I read somewhere that using a 1:1 ratio of vinegar to water would be very effective in cleaning...and it's safe for kids.  It took me quite a while to get an empty spray bottle.  (Do NOT reuse a bottle that had chemicals in it for this.  Just recycle it!)


Well, a month or so ago I finally bought my empty spray bottle!  I promptly wrote on it that it was vinegar, since I didn't want it to mistakenly get sprayed, and filled it with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of white vinegar.  I went to town cleaning my countertops and our kitchen table.  I went on to clean E's high chair.  I spot cleaned under his high chair.  It felt great to clean!


Then Derek came home from work.  The smell really does disappear as it dries, but he really hates it!  He noticed it immediately.   I think he may have gagged a bit.  Sorry, Dear.  He told me he was surprised I could stand it since I tend to be sensitive to bad odors.  But I continue to clean with it, though I do try to do most of the spraying/cleaning several hours before he gets home from work.  He has asked that I light a candle, so I do if I'm still cleaning when he is in the house.


Our three year old has noticed the stink, too.  She tells me about it when I am cleaning...but she also puts her nose to the table to really inhale the full vinegar scent.


Vinegar has lots of uses.  One of these days M, E, and I are going to make a volcano erupt.  In the meantime, you can visit Vinegar Tips or the Vinegar Institute if you are interested.  Both sites have tons of ideas for cleaning with vinegar.


A friend suggested I use essential oils to change the smell of the vinegar and water solution I use.  I don't have any, so I have not done this.  Does anyone have any other tips for me?  I want to continue to use vinegar, but it really is not much fun to torture my husband.

Organizing Efforts

In an effort (once again) to try to be better organized in my life, I think I may have finally found something that works for me. Weekly lists just don't work, but I have found that keeping a calendar on my refrigerator does work to keep track of therapy (in the past), school, meetings, appointments, and due dates (not babies, library books). However, I like my calendar normal size, and I have plenty to write on it already. Knowing my inclination to use calendars, I created a weekly calendar personalized for my needs. This is what it looks like. Ready for the best part? I laminated it! So now I won't be wasteful of paper! I already had a wet-erase marker, so that is effective for now. As you can see, I included my "issue" areas: cleaning and dinner (and other stuff that I might forget about. As for cleaning, I tend to vacuum on Mondays, but the rest of the house is just "as needed." The bad part is when I finally get around to it, the cleaning is no longer just needed...it's past due. I really think this will help me to clean more. Maybe not a lot more, but more. I have tried monthly meal planning, and I find that I miscalculate leftovers and such. So I'm always "off." This, used in conjunction with my dinner ideas list, should be effective for knowing what we're going to eat and when. Then there are things I just need to do. Of course there is always those pesky phone calls to make that I easily forget about like to make an appointment. It might also be when I need to go some where. If you would like to try this idea and don't want to create your own chart, I'd be happy to email it to you, just be sure I have your email address. (You could even change the text to make it more personal.)

Cleaning Confessions

I am not a good house cleaner. We have lots of clutter around the house. I like my piles. Part of my clutter problem is that sometimes I just don't clean up after myself (like in the spare bedroom where I sew and do some paper crafting). Unlike a lot of women, I can go to bed with unwashed dishes and toys on the floor. Shameful, huh? I guess I was never really taught how to properly clean (in my teenage years I lived with my bachelor dad), and it's just not a priority for me, though I do value when we have company and the house is clean! In my mind, I'd like to start doing a cleaning task (other than dishes/laundry) on a daily basis. I figure I have to start some where. And it seems like if I plan for something daily, maybe several days a week a cleaning task will be accomplished. I've been pretty good at vacuuming on Mondays (though I often vacuum a second time in the week, too). This weekend when I was cleaning the bathrooms, I realized that I could use some help choosing cleaning products. Will you help me? Soap Scum- What's the best cleaner and method (brush, cleaning towel, or scrubbie pad) that works for you? Toilet Bowls- What's the best cleaner that works to remove stains? Though we've been in our new house for only a year, and I clean the toilet bowls on a regular basis, they are still stained! Vinyl Floors- I don't mind using vinegar and water, but if you have a suggestion, I'm all ears! OTHER?- What else do you suggest for me? I have tried Fly Lady, but it just did not work for me. Thanks for your thoughts!