Cleaning the Bathrooms

I figure that it would be appropriate for me to talk about the bathroom today.  Although this post will not be going up on a Tuesday, it just seems like it should be the next topic.  :)

I clean my bathrooms once a week.  Because I clean them once a week, they really do not get very grimy or dirty, so it saves me a lot of time.  Steve and I do not have kids (yet) and we are both pretty clean in the bathroom, so obviously those factors help a lot.  That aside though, I still believe that if you keep up with a routine of once a week you will feel like it's a breeze.  Sometimes, when I'm short on time, I do not necessarily scrub as much as I do other times... rather it's more of a wipe down.  But it makes our bathrooms sparkle and refreshed just the same.

My bathroom products were one of my first "go green" areas.  I have been able to simplify this area so much, which makes me very happy.  I turned a small bucket that I had laying around into the storage area of my bathroom cleaning supplies.  (These items also get dubbed in other places of the house, but today it's just about the bathroom!)  Here is what my bucket contains:

1. Disinfectant, All-Purpose cleaner:  1:1 white vinegar and water, tea tree oil for a little extra disinfectant and anti-fungal power, and sometimes a little peppermint essential oil for a little scent mixed together in a spray bottle.
2. Toilet cleaner:  flour shaker of baking soda and an old toilet bowl cleaner container filled with white vinegar.  I have also filled the toilet bowl cleaner container with soap nuts and used that.  Really either works, I just like to hear the fizzle of the baking soda and vinegar!
3. Glass/Mirror cleaner:  rubbing alcohol  (I am playing with just using the all-purpose cleaner for this, to simplify even further.  I have done it once... I plan to do it a few more times before I decide to make a permanent switch!)
4. Toilet Brush
5. Sponges
6. Rags

Everything (toilet brush, sponges, rags, etc.) is reusable in my bathroom bucket.  I wash the sponges and rags in the laundry.  And wash the other things as needed.  I definitely have a method to how I clean my bathrooms.  Obviously, I do not expect people to follow my step-by-step like it's a recipe... it's just what works for me and sharing is what I am here to do!  :)  So here's what I do:

1. Remove all items from sink, toilet, bathtub/shower, etc. and flush toilet
2. Spray sink, toilet, and bathtub/shower with all-purpose cleaner
3. While allowing the spray to sit, sprinkle baking soda into toilet getting as much of it to stick to the sides as possible.  (This is why you flushed the toilet initially.)  Squeeze the vinegar around the rim of the toilet -- listen to the fizzle!  :)
4. While allowing the toilet fizzle, wet sponge and scrub sink, toilet, and bathtub/shower -- some may prefer to use a different sponge of each or do this in a certain order.  I typically wipe down my toilet last, whatever you prefer here.
5. After wiping everything down and getting it nice a squeaky, scrub the toilet with the toilet brush.
6. Spray mirror with cleaner (alcohol or vinegar mixture) and wipe clean
7. Dry off all areas of the bathroom.  Again, since I use the same rag, I do this in the same order as the sponge: sink, tub, toilet.
8. Once everything is dry, you can put everything back in it's place, refill anything that needs to be refilled (cotton balls, q-tips, etc.), empty trash can, etc.
9. I often times go ahead and vacuum the bathroom when I'm finished.  I do not always do this, and really I only do it in our master bath, because I'm convinced that I shed worse than any dog out there!  haha  It just makes me feel a little better!
10. You can give your toilet another flush if you wish, I usually just let it sit.  I figure the baking soda and vinegar can just keep doing work!  :)

It really does not take me long to complete my bathroom duty!  (That might sound gross... sorry!  haha)  I actually do not mind cleaning our bathrooms.  And I always feel so much better when they are done!

On occasion, I also like to "deep clean" my bathrooms.  What I do here is also very simple.  Fill the sink/tub with as hot of water as you can get.  (Just put turn it to the maximum heat and let run for a second.)  Fill completely... I'm talking to the brim!  While it's filling, mix in oxygen bleach into the water.  Make sure to stir it up to get it dissolved as much as possible.  Let the filled sink sit for about an hour... none of my sinks plug up correctly, so I do not get to wait this long as all the water drains out before then!  Dang it!  haha  After an hour, drain the "bleach" water.  Sprinkle the sink/tub with baking soda and scrub with sponge.  You can add a little water to make the baking soda into a paste.  Put some weight behind your scrubbing!  Get it really clean!!!  After scrubbing, spray white vinegar around area and listen to the fizzles... can you tell, I love the fizzle reaction!  :)  After a few moments/minutes/whatever clean the sink as normal -- to get the baking soda, vinegar, and probably some of the bleach out/off of the sink/tub.  Wipe dry!  This truly does make you sinks and tubs feel so clean!  After doing this, I hate using my bathrooms!  haha  Because this does use a lot of water (especially when you're doing the tub), I only do this every few months... basically quarterly.  Really, your bathroom should not need it more than that... but I do find myself wanting to do it in between, just because it feel so clean afterwards! ...

Now go!  Get your bathrooms clean!  :)

Laundry Day

As I talked about last post, I do laundry on Mondays.  I also already posted a little about my laundry habits, as I talked about soap nuts before... so this post will probably be fairly short.

When I was working full-time, I basically found that I was not able to do laundry more than once a day.  I was working a 2nd shift job, so my days usually consisted of: getting up, going to work, coming home, eating dinner, going to bed... and repeat.  It was at that time that I deemed Sunday as my Laundry Day.  After Steve and I moved to Michigan, I went back to school and did not return to work.  This opened up my schedule quite a bit, but I decided that dedicating one day a week to laundry worked for us.  I wanted to just keep it that way.  Laundry Day slowly transferred to Mondays, as most weekends we spend in Ohio, visiting family and friends.  After getting more and more into trying to conserve energy, saving money, and making this chore more simple, dedicating one day to laundry made even more sense.

Steve and I keep our dirty laundry in three locations:

1.  Laundry Basket - we have a laundry basket in our closet that we throw our dirty clothes and personal bathroom towels in throughout the week.

2.  Utility Sink - any cleaning rags, dirty dish towels, rags Steve uses in the garage, etc. -- the really dirty stuff you don't want to touch your clothes -- gets tossed in the utility sink in our laundry room.

3.  Plastic Bag - Our dog is pad trained, meaning she does her "business" inside.  We use reusable pee pads, which do not smell pleasant when they are dirty.  I used to keep them in a plastic bag tied up in the utility sink, but because the room is so small, it would start to smell like urine in our laundry room.  Yuck!  So I moved this spot out to our garage.  Because the area is bigger, the oder dispenses and is not as noticeable.

On Monday mornings, I carry the laundry basket to the laundry room and begin making my piles of different loads.  I wash everything, with the exception of Carmen's (my dog's) pee pads, in cold.  This is one way to save on energy.  Unless your clothing is extremely soiled, there really is not any reason to wash on anything but cold -- and honestly, even then, I have found that cold works just as good as warm or hot.  I use hot on the pads, because it does help get the smell out.  Because I wash everything in cold, I disregard color.  Yes, I wash reds with my whites, blues with my pinks, and everything in between.  There are a couple exceptions to this.  One is when I have a brand new red, bright/dark pink, or dark blue (like jeans) clothing.  These things can bleed, even in cold water, so in my first few washes of these articles I try to break my loads into "like" colors to avoid any mishaps.  The other exception is my white towels.  I got my beautiful, eco-friendly towels as a wedding gift and I want to keep them in their perfect white condition.  I usually make those towels into one load, but sometimes I'll bend and throw in a couple other items... but they are always white and only white.  Those two exceptions are basically my only color exceptions that I have.  Next, as I sort through all the articles, I make piles based on the fabric.  Here is another helpful tip!  A natural guard against static: washing (and drying) like fabrics together.  The static typically is brought about from the different fabrics rubbing all together in the dryer.  If you wash, for example, only cotton articles together you will not need to use those expensive, chemical-filled fabric sheets anymore!  Now, do not misunderstand, I do sometimes (usually in the winter) have static cling happening in my clothing, but this method really does help.

So now, our clothes are in piles based on fabric, not color.  For our household, we typically have a very large pile of cotton clothing.  This is perfect, because I (usually) only wash in large loads.  This is another energy saver.  By washing one large load verses several small loads, you save water and electricity/gas... plus, it's less trips to the washer and dryer!  Because I have a family of two and a dog, my weekly laundry is usually loads of:

1.  Towels and Sheets

2.  Cotton - tshirts, socks, underwear, etc.

3.  Other fabrics and/or Gentle Cycle load

4.  Pee Pads and other cleaning supply rags, etc.

I'm sure the rest of my laundry routine is much like everyone else's.  When the washer stops, I transfer to the dryer.  When the dryer stops, I mope all the way to the dryer, pull everything out into a laundry basket, fold the laundry, and put everything away.  I do try really hard to fold the laundry right away.  If I do not do it immediately, it is not uncommon for it to sit in the laundry basket for a couple days.  So the best method that works for me to to keep on it and not let it sit, even for a little bit.

I am still kind of testing this out, because I am really not sure if it works or how well it works, but when my clothes are in the dryer I throw three tennis balls in with the clothing.  Way back when, my mom told me that you should do this when you wash and dry a comforter and/or pillows, because the tennis balls help dry them quicker.  So one day I was thinking, if that works for that why wouldn't that method work on all laundry?  I have tennis balls that are dedicated for laundry.  They have not been touched by a tennis court or racket, nor have they seen the mouth of a dog.  I am not a germaphobe, but I do have some standards!  haha  So anyhow, I do throw those into my dryer with each load.  I figure it cannot hurt anything, so why not!?  If anyone else has does this and believes it works, I'd love to hear about it!

In the future, I would love to cut out the dryer portion of this process as much as possible.  I dream of days with clothes lines!  We currently do not have a yard, so I am not able to do this... and I do not really want clothes scattered everywhere throughout my home, so I'm stuck with the dryer for now.  Someday though, someday!

I feel that the main way that I keep my laundry simple and inexpensive is the products I use -- or lack of products!  I use:

1.  Soap Nuts - I use these to wash all our laundry.  I typically have to make a batch every other week, depending on how much laundry we have.

2.  Vinegar - On occasion, I fill a Downy Ball with white vinegar and put it in with Carmen's pads.  I do this to help get some of the odors out.  This would work for those of you who use reusable diapers!

3.  Oxygen Bleach - I use this as a laundry boost for Carmen's pads or heavily soiled clothing.  I use this in addition to the soap nuts.  I also use this as a stain remover.  (Warning: I have only tried on white clothing.)  I make a paste with the oxygen bleach and water, scrub in with a toothbrush, let sit (I've let mine basically dry), then throw in the wash as normal -- worked beautifully!

4.  Dish Soap and/or Peroxide - I also use these for stain removers.  Peroxide is amazing at getting blood out of fabrics, colored and whites.

5.  Laundry Bag - I use these for bras or other articles that I wish to be handled with more care.

6.  Tennis Balls - I use to "beat" dry.  :)

So that is my basic Laundry Room Necessities!  I feel that through the changes I have made in my laundry habits, I have saved my family a lot of wasted money and doing less towards the "carbon footprint" I will leave behind.  I still hate doing laundry, but having a more simple routine makes it less dreadful and I hope with time it will only get better.

Chore Schedule

What is the method you use to keep your home clean and organize?  Do you follow a schedule or just do things as needed?  I try my best to follow a schedule.  My typical week is:

Mondays:  Laundry
Tuesdays:  Bathrooms
Wednesdays:  Dust
Thursdays:  Vacuum and Mop
Fridays:  Kitchen (and Mop, if I don't do it on Thursday)
Weekends:  Pickup any clutter, etc.

Having a schedule helps me keep on top of everything around here.  It also helps keep the timeframe down that it takes to do each chore.  If I do everything once a week like planned, it usually only takes a half hour or so to get the chore done.  The more you do it, the less time it takes.  I have been following this cleaning schedule for a few years now and although there are times that the mess gets ahead of me, I am usually able to stay on top of everything this way.  Each thing has its own day and that makes it easy for me to remember what I need to get done.  Makes life simple.  :)  Doesn't get much better than that!

May in the Cruz Home

I have been absolutely terrible about posting... as I mentioned in one of my first posts, you'll have to bear with me.  I'm not always good about keeping up with things!

Today, I thought it would be nice to do a little update about what we've been doing lately.  (Maybe this will get me back into the swing of things??)

On my birthday with my ice cream cake!

My little family!  <3

May is typically a busy month for both sides of our families.  It feels like we have a birthday every other day!  Since we live in Michigan and all our family is in Ohio, we were not able to make it home for all the little birthday parties, but each and every person was in our hearts on their special day!  The first weekend was actually my birthday.  Steve's sister, Jenna, had her Prom, so we went to his hometown to see her.  I went to her different appointments with her, my mother-in-law, and one of their cousins.  It was actually fun getting to see her get all done up!  Made me kind of miss those high school days!  After seeing her off, we had a little birthday dinner for me, including some ice cream cake (yum!) and hanging out with his family.

My family at Eddie's for my birthday/Mother's Day!

The next morning we woke up early and headed to Columbus to meet up with my family.  It was also Mother's Day weekend, so I wanted to spend a little time with my mom too that weekend.  We had lunch at Eddie George's Grille 27 -- super awesome food and highly recommended if you're in the area!  My grandparents and aunt and uncles from my mom's side joined us.  It was nice to see everyone!  Afterwards, we did a little shopping at Easton.  This part I only enjoyed because I got to see my sister -- I'm not a big shopper.  haha  Anyhow, we spent the rest of the weekend with my family and then headed back to Michigan on Monday.  (Steve took off work to make a long weekend of it.)

Me with my friends from class after our Pinning Ceremony

A week later, I graduated with my second degree!  My focus was Health Information Technology... I will hopefully be working with the medical records.  It was such a relief to finally be done with school.  I did not walk for graduation, so I don't have any pictures or anything of that.  Since I already graduated from Ohio State, I didn't really want to do this one.  I didn't want my family to feel like they had to come up here to watch.  Being done was enough celebration for me.  I graduated with high honors, so I was happy about that.  Now, it's just studying for the RHIT Certification Exam and applying for jobs... oh joy!  haha  Wish me luck!

Steve and me at T-Rex Cafe in Orlando 

About a week after my final class, Steve and I headed for Florida!  He had a conference down in Orlando to get some continuing education credits (CEUs) for his field, so we decided to make a vacation of it.  It was nice to go and have time to just relax and soak up some sun.  We enjoyed going to Disney's Epcot for one of our days there and also Universal Studios for another day.  The rest of our trip we tried to just relax... when Steve wasn't in meetings.  We were there for six days... funny, how vacations never seem long enough!  We definitely enjoyed our time down there, though... and getting to spend the time together was awesome too!  :)

We've been back for just over a week now.  I've been working this week on getting back into a routine.  Steve and I (re)started P90X this past Sunday.  I actually started a separate blog that I'm using as my online "workout journal."  I thought maybe if I committed to blogging about my eating and exercising everyday that I might just do it everyday.  So far, so good!  :)  I am going to try really hard to stay on track with it.  I'm sure that there will be a weekend or so during the process that I will miss, but I intend on posting that, which will hopefully keep me "on the wagon" after the weekend is over!  I'm also trying to get back into a good housekeeping routine.  Being organized and having a routine is what keeps me driven and helps me stay with things.

... on that note, I think I better jump off here, make a little breakfast, and do my daily chore (vacuuming today).  Hope everyone had a fun month of May as well and I hope June only brings more sunshine to everyone's life!  (Literally and metaphorically speaking!  haha)

Homemade Chapstick

I am a chapstick feen!  I apply it to my lips probably way too often and probably more out of habit than out of necessity, but I basically always have it with me and love it!

Because of my love for chapstick, I find myself in a whirlwind of decisions when it comes to what to buy.  My two favorites are Carmex and Burt's Bees.  With my desire to go natural and green, Carmex has become something that I really would like to give up... and Burt's Bees is lovely but somewhat expensive, not to mention there's the whole idea of really not knowing for certain what is in it and what I'm putting on my lips.  When I stubbled upon the idea of making my own chapstick, I was obviously more than excited!!!

What you need:


2 tbsp beeswax (about 1 oz)
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp shea butter
optional essential oil of your choice
14-15 lip balm containers
dropper
crock-pot







What you do:

• Melt the beeswax in your crockpot on low heat

• When wax is completely melted, add coconut oil and shea butter and melt completely
• Add in any essential oil, if you wish.  
• I added peppermint essential oil.  I don't believe I added quite enough (I put in 1/2 tsp of oil... next time I will try 1 tsp) for flavor, but the light scent is nice.
• Stir liquid

• Using the dropper, fill each container with the melted chapstick mixture
• Add a few more drops to the tops of each chapstick to "top it off" as the mixture shrinks as it cools.  To keep the tops looking nice, add these additional drops while the mixture is still liquid, rather than waiting until it cools too much.

• Allow to cool completely before capping
• Label and decorate as desired!  :)

I only purchases 12 lip balm containers, but had more wax than that.  I quickly found an empty container around my condo and filled it up.  I, personally, don't really like lip balm that you have to use your finger to apply, but it's just what I had to do.  I definitely think 14 or 15 containers would be enough.

So far, I really like the chapstick.  It isn't as 'wet' as the store bought chapstick, but I actually think this is probably a good thing.  I believe that the store bought chapsticks actually dry out your lips, hindering your lips from producing their own natural moisturizer.  I am hoping that this natural, homemade chapstick will be better for this and will encourage my lips to produce their own moisture.  We'll see!

I also think it would be fun to add in some different essential oils and try different flavors and maybe try adding color by adding pureed or juiced fruits or something!  I am also hoping to make cute little labels for them... just for fun!

Hope you all enjoy!

... I almost forgot!  The cost of these homemade chapsticks are approximately $0.68 per stick.  This was a rough estimate on my part... I actually suspect that the cost is less than that, but it's around there.  Compared to the cost of the store-bought lip balms, I think the $0.68 is much more appealing!

Natural Laundry Soap

Commercial laundry detergents have sulfates, fragrance chemicals, and who knows what other ingredients that not only can cause irritation to your skin, but also do not assist in the preservation of our plant either.  I tried several homemade versions of laundry soap, which were ok... but I was not 100% happy with it.  One was really chunky, so it was difficult to pour from my reused laundry soap dispenser.  My second recipe was pretty good, but I believe it may have had Borax in it, which I later read is not as natural as it is made out to be.  Then I stubbled across soap nuts!


What are Soap Nuts?


Soap nuts are the dried shells from the soapberry off the Sapindus Tree.  The shells from this tree contains a substance called saponin, which is the substance that produces a soaping effect.  Because the saponin found in these shells are 100% natural, it is perfect for use for individuals with allergies or sensitivities to commercial laundry agents.

Benefits and Other Interesting Facts about Soap Nuts

• Excellent at removing odors
• Can be used for reusable diapers or pet pads!
• Naturally anti-fungal and anti-microbial
• Hypoallergenic
• Perfect for individuals with sensitive skin or infants
• Can be used for other housecleaning, not just laundry!
• Eliminates the need for other laundry agents, such as brighteners, fabric softeners, and dryer sheets
• If kept dry, shelf life is basically endless
• 100% biodegradable and does NOT pollute the water 
• Also great for composting!
• Not tested on animals and cruelty free
• Not harmful to animals

Basic Directions

• Warm or Hot Water Washes
• Place 4-5 shells, or about 1/2 oz, in cotton, drawstring bag and tie securely.
• Toss in washing machine before you add your clothes.
• Remove from washer at end of the wash.  Leave in bag to dry.
• Reuse 3-5 times, or until shells become thin, mushy, and/or very light tan or gray in color.

• Cold Water Washes
• Make 1 cup of soap nut "tea"
• Soak 4-5 bagged shells in 1 cup of very hot water for approximately 3 minutes.
• Pour soap nut tea and bag into wash
• Remove from washer at end of the wash.  Leave in bag to dry.
• Again, reuse 3-5 times.

I have been using soap nuts for over a year now.  I absolutely love them!  Because I wash everything on cold (with the exception of my dogs reusable "pee pads"), I make batches of soap nut liquid.

• Soap Nut Liquid
• Place 12-15 shells, or 1-1/2 oz., in 6 cups of pure, clean water.
• Place in crock pot on high for at least 4 hours
• I usually forget about them, so mine usually are in this process for 6 hours.
• If you prefer, you can bring the water to a boil, on the stove, and simmer the shells for about 1 hour
• Allow to cool and strain out shells or any shell fragments.
• Place in an airtight container.
• I recommend keeping in refrigerator.  After this process, they are said to have only several days worth of shelf life; however, I have not had a batch go bad, yet, by placing them in the 'fridge!

I use the liquid just as I would laundry detergent.  In fact, I use an old laundry cap, with the measurement lines for small, medium, and large loads to measure out the liquid.  I'll admit that I do miss the "fresh, clean" smell that my laundry used to have... but I really do like the smell of the soap nuts too.  I believe it has a very light woodsy smell to it, once the clothes are out of the washer and dryer.  I do not use any kind of fabric softer or dryer sheets.  I have not missed these items at all, either.  

The cost?  I buy my soap nuts at naturoli.com.  (If you visit this website, you can find out even more about soap nuts.)  The initial cost is kind of high, as you buy a large quantity of soap nuts at one time.  This lasts you a long time though.  I think my first order was for the 32 oz bag for $29.99... but the $30 I spent lasted me nearly a year!!  So, compared to the $10 per bottle of store bought laundry soap that only lasts you a couple months... soap nuts is definitely the more frugal way to go!  They run sales on occasion too... so both times I've purchased the soap nuts, I've purchased whatever amount was the best for the money.  I think this last time I got 48 oz bag.

I admit that sometimes it is a pain to have to make the soap nut liquid.  You kind of have to stay slightly ahead, so you don't run out -- but I guess you kind of have to do that with the store bought kinds too!  I do have some natural, store bought laundry soap on hand, in the case that I do run out and need to wash something NOW.  Overall though, I truly do LOVE this alternative to laundry soap.  I have not have any issues with them and definitely do not plan to go back to the commercial brands ever.

For those of you who feel that you do not have enough time to actually make your own soap nut liquid, NaturOil carries their version for you!  It is a little more expensive than the shells, so I personally have not tried it, but my guess it that it would work just as well!  If any of you have ever tried it, let me know what you think!

Going Green and Natural

My journey actually began a couple years ago.  I remember I was cleaning the bathroom, with your typical store-bought products, when I began to feel my chest tighten up and my throat became almost raw feeling.  I began thinking, "What is this doing to my body?"  I honestly had never thought about it before.  I wanted my house to be clean, I wanted to use the cheapest products I could find, I really never thought about caring about the ingredients that were in the cleaning products that I was using.  Once my eyes were open, I did what any 20-something person does... I went to the internet and began researching and finding out any and all information about natural cleaning products.

When I started reading about the different ingredients in the cleaning agents, I was honestly in disbelief!  Hearing that I'm cleaning my kitchen and bathroom with ingredients that may be carcinogens, I couldn't believe I was doing that to my body!  I began thinking about what effects this could have to my future children... I knew I had to make a change.

As I searched, I found several kinds of products out there, but my frugalness turned me off.  Cleaning your home with "green" products can get pricy!  So my search for homemade remedies began.  I've been kind of nonstop ever since.  I am always trying to find new recipes for cleaning better.  I am, by no means, perfect.  I am not an expert in any of this.  Whenever I find a new recipe or idea, I try it out.  I may like it, I may not.  I am hoping that as I find remedies that I like (or love) that I will come and share them with all you.  I have found many blogs of people who are trying to live a more natural lifestyle... I guess mine will just be another one to add to the list.  I hope mine will spark people's interest, as I know there are some out there that I just couldn't get too into.  My hope is just to help someone!

I guess I will add here, too, that sometimes I'm not sure that the whole "green" and "natural" hype is all that it's cracked up to be... meaning, the chemical cleaners may not be as bad as some may think.  I know this, but I have decided that I will still attempt to live this way.  Why?  Because what will it hurt to go towards this lifestyle??  I figure that using natural products cannot possible hurt me, at least not any more than the chemical-enhanced products can... so why not??  Especially because in many cases, this route is a whole lot cheaper!

I hope to share my natural secrets, recipes, and remedies with you soon!