Why Have Default Cleaning Supplies/Methods?

One of the things I mentioned in our discussion of routines was that the less you have to think about your day-to-day tasks, the better.  (Paraphrasing myself here. 😉 )  In other words, you want to attempt, in as many instances as possible, to remove the mental effort from your day-to-day so you aren’t making decisions, you’re just doing.  One area where I’ve found this to make a big difference is in my cleaning.

If I have to stop to figure out what tools and products to use to accomplish a particular cleaning task, I’m likely to put it off.  That’s just too much work.  I have input coming at me from all directions (“Mommy.  Mom.  Mama?”) and I just can’t process the additional information to figure out how best to clean something, multiple times a day.  But if I already know what I use to clean a given item/surface, I can just grab it and do it, no thinking required.  So I need defaults.

(Side note: If you have this written down, it also makes it easier to pass on the skills/instructions to your children, as in the How-to-Do-It cards in my mom’s book.)

Our Cleaning Defaults

Once upon a time, I had these (defaults).  And then I began working toward eliminating all the chemicals from our cleaning and…well, I’ve just never sat down to figure out the new defaults.  So it’s on my list of things to do this year — and, preferably, this month, so I can make use of the list throughout the remainder of the year.  I thought I’d share it with you in case any part of it is helpful for someone else.

Honestly, a few of these are tentative at this point.  But I figured it’s better to have a default and change it later if I decide it doesn’t work, than to have nothing in the first place.

• Wash dishes: bar mop cloths and/or Norwex SpiriSponge, w/ whatever natural liquid dish soap we have on hand
• Load dishwasher: Seventh Generation dishwasher tabs & Rinse Aid  (These are the only natural alternatives we’ve found that actually WORK.)
• Mop: steam mop (w/ water only)
• Wipe down small appliances: Norwex Envirocloth (w/ water only)
• Clean stovetop: Norwex Envirocloth and/or Kitchen Scrub Cloth.  (Burner pans come out and get soaked/washed in the sink with dish soap.)
• Clean oven: I “cheat” and use the self-clean.  (I’ve yet to find a natural cleanser version that works for non-self-cleaning ovens.)
• Clean oven hood/fan: baking soda and water, as described in this post, found via Pinterest.  (I haven’t actually tried this yet.  In fact, I think our filter might actually be missing.)   Kitchen Scrub Cloth for the hood.
• Clean refrigerator: bar mop cloths and/or Norwex SpiriSponge, with liquid dish soap for the removable parts (in the bathtub); Envirocloth and/or Kitchen Scrub Cloth for the non-removable parts (depending on scrubbing power needed); Envirocloth for the exterior.
• Clean top of refrigerator: Envirocloth.
• Clean freezer: Um…I do this so rarely…I’m most likely to use an Envirocloth and/or Kitchen Scrub Cloth here, too.
• Clean under/behind refrigerator: This is mostly dusting.  My mop covers are the most probable tool here, along with the vacuum cleaner.
• Clean microwave: cup of water w/ lemon juice, vinegar, or vanilla extract in it, heated for a couple minutes.  Then wipe out with bar mop cloth or Envirocloth.  (I’ve seen all three options listed online; I need to try them and compare them.  You heat the water with the acid for a few minutes in the microwave, and its steam should soften the junk on the inside of the microwave so you can just wipe it off.)
• Wash sink stoppers/strainers: Pop them in the dishwasher.
• Wash dish drainer: same way I wash dishes
• Wipe counters, table: Norwex Envirocloth (once I’ve accumulated enough.  Right now I only have a couple, so I’m more likely to use my bar mop cloths.)
• Clean coffeepot, teakettle: Run with white vinegar (or white vinegar in water) to remove hard water deposits.  Then wash the teakettle (and removable coffeepot parts) like dishes.
• Clean stool: Wipe with Envirocloth.
• Clean booster seat: Wash like a dish (in the bathtub).
• Disinfect sponges: Run them through the dishwasher.
• Wash inside of windows: Norwex Envirocloth, followed up with window cloth.
• Wash outside of windows/screens: Hose off screens.  Haven’t decided on how to wash the exterior windows.  Soapy water and squeegees sound good, but they only work if a) you can reach the windows and b) you’ve already removed all the screens.  So we’ll see what ends up working.
• Clean bath toys, stool, scale: Clean off stool and scale with Envirocloth.  Wash bath toys (in tub) like dishes.
• Wash shower curtains: Remove and run through the washing machine with the towels for scrubbing power.  (Don’t run through the dryer!  Just hang back up to drip dry.)
• Clean bathtub/shower: This is another area where I haven’t settled on a system yet.  Thus far, nothing has really worked.  Norwex has a bath scrubbie, which I don’t yet own.  But nothing chemical-free has really cleaned my tub.  I tried an experiment with the Dawn+vinegar method seen all over Pinterest, and it seems to have been the most effective so far, but still didn’t do the trick, at least not by itself.  White vinegar should be good for hard water stains, and Dawn (or shampoo) are good for cutting the body oils that make the bathtub ring.  Norwex has some other items — descaler and such — that I have not tried yet, so I can’t say they work or don’t work. [UPDATE: The descaler works!]
  
• Clean toilet: Nothing has quite worked on my toilets here yet, either.  They still look pretty awful even after cleaning.  Right now I’ve been using a tea tree oil-based shampoo with my toilet brushes, and sometimes baking soda.  These aren’t any less effective than the harsh chemical cleansers, and at least they aren’t tearing up my lungs!
• Clean bathroom sink: You may be noticing a theme that the hard water here makes the bathroom a real pain!  I do get the sinks mostly clean with my Envirocloth (which also works great on the faucets, the counter surrounding the sinks, etc.) and SpiriSponge, but there are still a few hard water stains I have yet to eliminate.
• Clean mirrors/other inside glass: Envirocloth, followed up with window cloth.
• Clean telephones: Envirocloth
• Clean light switches: Envirocloth
• Clean computer screen, keyboard, mouse: Will be trying the Norwex optic cloth.  (The Envirocloth can be used on non-screen components.)  Also, the sticky end of a sticky note helps get dust from under keyboard keys.
• Clean television, VCR, DVD player: Will be trying the Norwex optic cloth.  (Again, the Envirocloth can be used on non-screen components.)
• Dust surfaces: Dust? I’m supposed to dust?!  Just kidding.  Mostly.  I don’t dust often.  I haven’t really tried the Norwex dusting mitt.  (Mom has one but I don’t.)  I was using an ostrich duster from Wal-Mart, but it suddenly disintegrated one day, so right now I’m just using birdseye cloth diapers (my pre-Norwex cleaning rags).
• Dust/sweep cobwebs: broom
• Clean baseboards: Envirocloth
• Clean light fixtures: Remove them and wash them like dishes.
• Vacuum furniture: vacuum cleaner (um…duh)
• Polish furniture: birdseye cloth diaper w/ lemon juice & olive oil
• Wash clothes: I confess, I still use All Free & Clear much of the time.  When it goes on sale, I can get it for about $2.99/bottle (64 loads).  When I have the time, I make my own powdered detergent, and that works well for us, too.
• Dry clothes: with wool dryer balls
• Clean washer/dryer: Vinegar through the washing machine to eliminate the hard water deposits.  And Envirocloth on exteriors.
• Wax floors: I dunno.  I’ve never done this.  Seriously.
• Clean carpets: Does anyone have a natural carpet cleaning solution that could run through a Bissell? We have a carpet cleaner.  But I’ve been afraid to experiment with anything in it other than what came with it, for fear of messing up the machine.
• Clean trash cans, diaper pails: I wash these out with soapy water first, then wipe them down with a diluted bleach mixture.  I will probably be switching to a Thieves oil-based disinfectant spray, though.
• Wash car(s): Mostly, we use biodegradable soap and water for this, with one of those giant peanut-shaped car wash sponges.  On the rare occasions our cars actually get washed.
• Disinfect: I have a couple of disinfectant options.  A study at…I think it was Virginia Tech…showed that vinegar + hydrogen peroxide killed as much bacteria as bleach.  You don’t mix them ahead of time, though; you spray on one, then (immediately) the other.  When they combine, they temporarily create some other chemical that’s strongly antibacterial.  (It dissipates quickly, though, which is why you don’t mix them.) It’s safe for use around food, so this is what I’ve been using in the kitchen.  I also just made a Thieves essential oil-based disinfectant spray.  Three drops of Thieves oil (a Young Living blend, ’cause that’s what my mom had, but you can find similar blends elsewhere, or make your own) to a cup of water.

Your Favorites

What are your favorite tools, substances, or products for natural, “green” cleaning?

*My mom recently started selling Norwex, after we learned about it, saw it in use, and decided we loved how well it worked.  (Her a bit more than me.  I still have a few stubborn cleaning problems in my house.)  The cleaning cloths are a bit pricey, but we compared them to their competitors, and they have more fibers per inch, as well as a longer expected lifespan.  Almost all of the cleaning cloths contain silver “fibers,” so they kill any bacteria that might be left in the cloths after you use them.  What you see listed above is not a trick to post a sales pitch post — feel free to use whatever you want — it’s what I actually use at this point, for these purposes.  And you’ll see that there are a few items that appear over and over (and very little actual cleanser).  That’s the beauty of these. 🙂