Kitchen Patrol: Dirty to Clean in 10 Minutes

The summer after my Freshman year in college, I worked at a summer camp as a "kitchie". KP duty for a whole month. While it wasn't the most glamorous job- it taught me a lot. The kitchen was huge and had to be kept very clean and very organized. We ran a tight ship and meals and clean up were always really efficient. I loved that everything had its place and that there was a process and procedure for everything. It fit well with my Type-A tendencies.

I'm far from my college days but a few lessons from that summer have stuck with me.

Despite my best intentions, my kitchen now goes from nice and neat to chaos in the blink of an eye. With 4 people in and out all day it doesn't take long before my kitchen looks like this:
**Warning: It's about to get real!

This is what breakfast, lunch, and baking a snack looks like in my world!

This would logically be a major cause of stress. However, I have a few tricks that help me turn that mess into a clean kitchen in 10 minutes. Here's how:

First, I unload the dishwasher. This is made easier by the Pampered Chef Tool Turn-About. I don't have to sort cooking utensils or shove them into drawers. They quickly slip into one of the compartments and I'm done.

My cast iron skillet lives on my stove. I cook with it almost every day. There's no sense in burying it in a cabinet. Speaking of cabinets, I make sure my kitchen cabinets are organized efficiently.

After I unload the dishwasher, I re-load it. Shocking, I know. The important note here is that I only un-load and re-load once a day. Yep, that's right. I don't like to do this chore, so I do it daily and I let the dirty dishes pile up on one side of the sink. Sometimes not everything fits, so the "extra dishes" stay on the right side of the sink waiting their turn. I realize that this won't work for everyone but it's one of my sanity saving tricks.

Loading the dishwasher typically clears 1/2 of my counter space. The other 1/2 is cleared by putting things in their place and throwing away trash. I'm not sure how so much trash ends up on the counter- mere feet from the trash can. It's one of life's mysteries.

I save time putting things away because I keep my most used stuff on the counter. My tool turn-about, my canisters, knife block, etc. This eliminates the step of having to pick them up and put them away- it's more efficient. Now I don't take this too far. There are a lot of things that are still out of sight, what you see are the things I use daily and they are pretty :-)

Once everything has found its home and the dishwasher is running, I take the last 45 seconds to wipe the counters down with Clorox Wipes. Man, are these things amazing! They make quick work of stuck on food, crumbs, and spills. I love how they go from counter to sink to stove. This is the real secret to how fast I can clean my kitchen- they just make it so easy!

So there you have it. 10 minutes, once a day, clean kitchen tips and tricks. Once a week I clean the floors and sink to stay on top of things. But I love having a clean kitchen every evening!

What's your secret to a cleaner, more efficient kitchen? I'd love to know!

How to Clean Carpets While Potty Training

My two and a half year old is in that fun potty training stage where she doesn't really want to go to the bathroom on the potty, but she doesn't want to wear her pull-up either. Needless to say it's, er, messy.

We had our carpets cleaned last week and I asked the professional what he recommended for spot cleaning- white vinegar + water. Good news!

I was able to test his recommendation yesterday and I have found the magic formula! Here's my trick...

You will need:

Spray bottle

Towel

Microfiber cloth

White Vinegar

Baby wipes

Here's what you do:

If you're cleaning up urine, use a towel to absorb the excess.

If you're cleaning up poop, use the baby wipes to get as much as possible wiped up.

Mix 1 Tbs vinegar for every 1 cup water in a spray bottle.

If there is a stain or smell, spray the vinegar and water solution to soak the spot and use the microfiber cloth to gently rub the stain first in a clockwise motion and then in a counter-clockwise motion.

Do not rub vigorously back and forth- this will rub the stain in instead of lifting it out.

Trust me.

I'm so ready to be done with potty training... but at least I've got a good carpet cleaning method out of it! :-) Silver lining, folks.

For more all natural cleaning recipes, click here.

Spring Cleaning the Natural Way: The Kitchen

I love this time of year- most days I can open the windows and let some fresh air in, get the kids outside to play and burn off energy, and sip on my iced drinks like it's nobody's business!

The other thing I love? Spring cleaning! I know, I know- not everyone loves spring cleaning, and I really don't like the act of cleaning... but I like the result. Nothing a little Starbucks can't help and in the end I feel like my house is super clean. The deep cleaning jobs rarely get done- who has time for that on a regular basis? Not me!

Besides making a list and game plan for all of my cleaning tasks, I also make sure I have all the cleaning supplies I need. I make pretty much all of my own cleaning supplies now, and it has been so nice to be chemical-free. I don't have to lock the cabinet under the sink anymore, and I can rest easy knowing the things I'm spraying around the house are all-natural and healthy for my kiddos and my dogs. Not to mention, it saves us money on cleaning supplies. It's a win-win situation!

Since I spend most of the time in the kitchen, I like to start my spring cleaning there. Here are the cleaning recipes I use in my kitchen:

Window Cleaner
1/2 C. White Vinegar
10-15 drops lemon essential oil
Water to fill

Mix ingredients in 24 oz. spray bottle and give it a good shake. Since oil and water don't mix, be sure you shake it up each time you use it.

All-Purpose Cleaner
1/2 tsp. Dr. Bronner's liquid soap (find at Target!)
1 tsp. Borax
2 tbsp. white vinegar
2-4 drops essential oil (lemon, purification, or thieves)
Hot water to fill

Mix all ingredients in a 24 oz. spray bottle. Shake before use. Spray area to be cleaned and wipe off with sponge or rag. Use on countertops, stovetops, refrigerators, etc.

Sink Scrub
1 cup baking soda
2 drops lemon essential oil
2 drops thieves essential oil

Pour baking soda into mason jar. Add essential oil, twist on the lid, and give it a good shake. Rinse sink and sprinkle mix in and around sink- using more in heavily stained/soiled areas. Scrub and rinse clean.

Deodorizing Spray
Small spray bottle (4 oz) filled with water
10-15 drops purification essential oil

Mix together and spritz throughout room. One or two spritzes is enough in a small room (bathroom, closet, etc.). Perfect to use in the kitchen- especially after cooking. It neutralizes the odor- instead of covering it up!

Oven Cleaner
Spray water in bottom of oven and cover with baking soda. Spray with more water. Let sit overnight and wipe up in the morning!

Stainless Steel Appliances
I use a Kaywos Cloth for my stainless steel. All you have to do is get it wet, wring it out, and then wipe. It works awesome and is the best thing I've found for the outside of my oven and microwave!

Check out some of the natural cleaning recipes we've shared in the past:

Garbage Disposal 

Natural Microwave Cleaner

Many of my cleaning supplies use essential oils- you can find and order them HERE. (I do receive a small commission on any sales that occur through this link.) If you have any questions about the oils, feel free to shoot an e-mail or leave a comment! 

Have you started spring cleaning? Share your tips and tricks with us below! 

4 Fabulous Deep Cleaning Products

I have been painting our house for what feels like forever. I have only been painting on weekends, I just finished my fourth and final weekend of painting. Yes, stick a fork in it, I'm done!

As I have been prepping for paint, I have also been cleaning. Deep cleaning. Our kitchen, dining room, living room, and bathroom. It's been a big project but, now that I'm finished, I can tell you it was worth it.

Usually, I clean with products that are as close to natural as I can get. I'm not a fan of fumes or harshness. I have a few exceptions when I am "deep cleaning". Sometimes you have to hit it with the hard stuff. My mommy machine secret is to deep clean once per season and to maintain in between with natural products, microfiber cloths, and Clorox Wipes. {If I have big messes I will pull these products out when I need to.}

{this isn't a sponsored post, just sharing what I use and my opinion- these companies have no idea who I am :)}

1. Pledge Multi Surface: using a microfiber cloth I can dust and remove finger prints, smudges, unidentified stickiness, and probably anything else off of our wooden furniture and our electronics. I love it because I can dust/clean the TV stand and move right on to the TV without having to worry about damaging the screen. It also doesn't streak on plastic- big plus.

2. Method Window Wash: I only clean all the windows when I deep clean.  I do have a few windows that get cleaned more often because they are at "dog nose level". When Method named this "window wash" they weren't kidding. I haven't found anything else that gets my windows this squeaky clean, and it's an easy clean- not a lot of elbow grease needed. This happens to be a wonderful naturally derived product (I love Method products).  

3. Comet: Old school, right? I only use this on my shower and tubs. For those spaces- I love it. It is the only thing that gets them completely clean. I use a natural product regularly, but at least once a month I get some Comet after bathtubs and showers. It's necessary. I have even tried to use the Comet spray and I don't like it as well as the green powder. Make sure you have a well ventilated area though!

4. Greased Lightening: everyday my kitchen gets wiped down with Clorox Wipes. But, when my stainless sink gets grungy I spray it with Greased Lightening- it is amazing on stainless! Every few months I use this on my countertops, stovetop, the front of the fridge and oven- anywhere that is prone to grease buildup. It cuts right through, no problem.

When you need a heavy hitter these guys will get ya through. Happy President's Day, y'all. I'm going to sit back and enjoy a freshly painted, and mostly clean, house.  Should you be using your day to clean, I wish you happy cleaning!

My 5 Year Old's Room: Organized!

I've been trying to figure out the best way to keep my 5 year old's room clean. He's old enough to pick up his toys, but his room was still out of control. We needed something more...

Up until this point I have had a pretty good system, but he's old enough that I can't get away with that anymore. I decided this weekend, after I realized that there was no floor space left because he had drug out ALL of his toys, that the time had come to buy something that would be easy for him to manage.

The shelving unit I found at Target.

The 2 neutral colored cubes are from Target, too.

The metal baskets are from Hobby Lobby.

The wicker basket on top is from Pottery Barn Kids.

I left 2 cubes empty for larger things.

There is plenty of space on top for pirate ships or legos or anything else he wants to "display".

The best part is that he cleaned up himself. He used the shelf and baskets to pick up his toys, finding homes for all of them, all by himself. They might not be sorted the way I would have done it, but I'm not going to push it :-)

Mom victory.

Tip for Tuesday: Wrap Up Your Table!

Earlier this month I hosted a Cookies & Cocoa party, and we had lots of kids getting messy creative with their cookie decorating.

Let me tell you my secret to this clean-up being a cinch-

I wrapped the table with leftover wrapping paper from a year (or two, or three) ago. It was pretty and all I had to do was rip the paper off and throw it in the trash.

So simple, right?

What do you do during holiday gatherings to make clean-up or prep easier? 

Tip for Tuesday: How to Clean your Granite Sink

We remodeled our kitchen 2 summers ago and the one thing I was super excited about was getting a new sink. You know you're officially an adult when things like sinks, furnaces, and new sewer pipes make you happy.

Anyway, I chose a light colored granite sink- you know, the kind that isn't supposed to scratch or stain. Well, I quickly found out that it's really difficult to get some of the "stains" to come out.

Here is my solution:

Mix baking soda and water together to make a paste. Apply the paste to the "hard to clean" areas on your sink and rub it in with your hands or use a sponge with a "scratchy" side. Use caution when using the sponge- make sure yours is a "no scratch" sponge. Scrub the areas until the stains are gone and then rinse.

Super simple, right?

Do you have a favorite household tip or secret? I'd love to hear it!

Friday Fun: What's in my purse?

The air conditioner at my house went out this week. You'd think that it wouldn't be that big of a deal, it is October after all.

Well, here in Oklahoma it has been near 90 and humid. Needless to say, the post about pumpkin cookies will have to wait for Monday because there was no way I was turning on my oven this week!

As I was waiting for the AC Repairmen (who, btw, are my new best friends) I started cleaning out my purse. I try to do this often because of the way things accumulate. I tend to accrue receipts, small toys, dozens of pens, and gum wrappers- none of these things are necessary nor do I enjoy having them taking up space in my purse.

Cleaning out my purse makes it lighter and much less cluttered. I love being able to find exactly what I need at a glance.

So, here's what I keep in my purse at all times, and what my purse has now been restored to:

This purse is one of my favorites. It's a Jessica Simpson and I'm super smitten. There are two pockets on one wall, a middle divider/pocket, and a zipper pocket on the other wall. It's perfect for the items below and I always have room to stuff in a sippy cup and a couple of diapers for a quick trip to the store with the kids.

My wallet is fantastic. It is well worn because I take it with me even if I leave my purse in the car. I have all my cards in here plus a chapstick so ti's always too go grab'n'go!

I also keep my "project list" and a pencil handy so I can jot down ideas- the crayon os for Little Miss who likes to make her own "lists" while we shop.

I use the side pockets to keep personal items- lotion and lip gloss are a must have! I am always losing hair ties/clips but I like to have a couple of options handy.

Extra contacts, well, always be prepared!

Icebreakers Duo {Strawberry} make for a pretty good sweet-tooth-satisfier. I also cannot leave home without my gum. No bad breath, thank you.

My Erin Condren Life Planner is my life so it is always in my purse. If a purse can't hold my LP, I won't buy it.

I keep some papers in my LP, but anything I need to address quickly as well as my business cards and thumb drive get to stay separate.

When you put it all together, this is what you get!

Having a clean purse is kind of refreshing, don't you think?  AC is also refreshing. This I know.

Tip for Tuesday: Lighter Fluid Sticker Remover

You know when a sticker gets stuck and won't come off? Or when you are peeling the barcode sticker off of a new glass and there is residue you just can't get off?

There are lots of products designed to remove stuff like this- but why spend money on those things when you've probably got something already on hand?

Lighter fluid!

KC is the one who showed me this trick. I had a pair of new sunglasses and I couldn't get all of the sticky residue off of the ear piece where the manufacturer's sticker had been.

Put a little lighter fluid on a paper towel and rub gently until the sticker is off. I don't recommend doing this on porous surfaces such as fabric, but on hard surfaces like glass, plastic, and sealed wood, it works great!

Tip for Tuesday: Hydrogren peroxide as a stain remover

Do you all use hydrogen peroxide? Did you know it's not just for disinfecting cuts and scrapes?

Through puppy training, potty training, scraped knees, tummy bugs and many things in between, hydrogen peroxide is my go to for messes like urine, poop, blood, and vomit. Yep.

Not only will it get the stain out, it will also deodorize- very important for the aforementioned messes.

Always try using hydrogen peroxide on a small unnoticeable piece of fabric or carpet to make sure it won't discolor. It is safe for a lot of things- but not everything.

I keep my hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle. It makes it easy to use and I don't have to worry about pouring too much on the stain.

Simply spray hydrogen peroxide on a stain, let sit for a minute or two and blot with a paper towel. For stains in clothes you can soak the stain in hydrogen peroxide and then rinse out after a few minutes (remember to test the fabric first).

I have used this trick on our carpet, couch, towels, rugs, socks, shirts, and more. It works great!

My Top 5 Uses for White Vinegar

I have been out of town on a nice, relaxing, fun girls weekend! It's so great to get away for a day or so and relax, but it is always so wonderful to come home.

Yesterday, when I got back in town, I started laundry, prepped snacks for the week, and made dinner.

All three of those tasks had something in common {other than the fact that you could call them "chores"}: I used white vinegar for all 3! Talk about versatile.

Now, I am aware that there are numerous ways to use vinegar. And I know that it's all over Pinterest. I am going to highlight the top 5 ways that I love to use this stuff. {Note: I did not come up with these ideas on my own, I have provided links to the sources I reference in my daily life but please note, they might not be the inventors of the method being shown}

Top 5 Uses for White Vinegar

1. Laundry Booster/Fabric Softener: We have skin sensitivity issues in my house. To keep the eczema to a minimum, I don't use scents or dyes anywhere near our laundry.  Adding white vinegar to the "fabric softener" cup in my front load washer keeps colors from bleeding {read: I don't have to sort laundry}, our laundry stays soft, and it helps to keep my towels extra clean without having to use bleach. As a bonus, it also helps keep the mildew in the washer drum to a minimum!

{Check out this website for the source for tips one and two.}

2. Produce Wash: A couple of tablespoons of vinegar and some cold water make the perfect fruit and veggie wash! Just add the vinegar to a big bowl, add water, add fruit and let it soak for 5 minutes before draining and rinsing. This helps to get produce cleaner than water alone and you won't taste the vinegar- promise. I do this every 2 weeks when I get back from the grocery store.

3. Cooking: duh, right? There are lots and lots and lots of recipes including vinegar. It adds a nice bite to dressings and sauces among other things. Here's the link to PW's website {she doesn't know me nor does she have any knowledge about this post} where she shows how to make a BBQ sauce to put over meatballs. I don't make my meatballs the same way, but I follow the BBQ sauce recipe exactly. It's so yummy and uses- you guessed it- vinegar!

4. Cleaning: basically, vinegar=clean. When combined with other common household ingredients (and even on its own, sometimes) it's a great degreaser, deodorizer, soap scum remover, and mildew preventer. Pinterest is crawling with tons of great recipes for homemade cleaning products that use vinegar! Just search "vinegar cleaning" and you'll be good to go. My favorite recipe is also my last favorite...

5. Drain Deodorizer: I have given you all a tip to clean your garbage disposal, but what about the other drains in your house? I use equal parts vinegar and baking soda in any drain that starts to smell, or when I am doing my seasonal cleaning (every 3 months). The vinegar plus baking soda will clean and deodorize and all you have to do is wait.

Vinegar is essential in our house. I always have a huge jug on hand.

How do you use vinegar? Tell us and we may feature your favorite use in a post!

Tip for Tuesday: Clean Microwave in 5 Minutes

Have you tried this trick to clean your microwave in 5 minutes with NO- zero, zilch- scrubbing?!?

This is one of my favorite cleaning tricks.

Here's what to do:
In a microwave safe dish, add one cup of water. Squeeze in the juice of one lemon.

Microwave for 3 minutes. DO NOT open the microwave door for another 2 minutes. The steam is working its magic.

After that 2 minute steam bath, open the microwave door and wipe every surface {don't forget the top} with a damp paper towel or microfiber cloth.

That's it! You will be amazed at how easily all that microwave junk comes off.

Closet Organization

I cleaned out my closet last weekend! It feels good to say that. Ha!

It was time to put the winter stuff up and bust out the Spring clothes! I have to say, there were quite a few squats, butt kicks, and butterfly arms while cleaning :)  It feels good to be so efficient!

Here's my system for cleaning out my closet {I do it a little differently for the kiddos}:

 I have lived in the same house for almost 7 years. While I love my house, I totally enjoy pretending like I am moving when it is time to clean out my closet. Crazy, huh?

It is my secret to keeping my closet functional.

I do this twice a year and it always amazes me the things that have migrated into my closet- kids toys, computer cables, pictures. It gets crazy in there so this system helps me clean and find things that I have been missing!

I always "edit" my closet as I go. I keep a pile of items to donate- anything I haven't worn goes, if I don't absolutely love it, it goes. I love to shop so I never worry about replacing things.

 Here are my organizing "zones":

That's the order I hang things. It works for me.

 

I use my shelves like a dresser. I use my dresser for out-of-season clothes.

 KC and I share these hooks. He is so sweet and only takes up 2 hooks :) That's love.

 

Done!

Clean & Lean: Pick Up & Warm Up

Before working out, you always need to warm up. Before vacuuming or doing any kind of substantial house cleaning you need to pick up the clutter.

Clean & lean, pick up & warm up!

We bought Little Miss a shopping cart for Christmas. She loves it and I do too! Before I start doing any kind of "clean and lean" around the house, I first do a 15 minute pick up.

I set the timer on the microwave for 15 minutes, borrow the shopping cart {or use a basket or tote bag, whatever you've got handy}, and work my way from one end of the house to the other. As I go I pick up toys, shoes, dishes, trash- anything that is out of place.

As I enter a new room, I put up items that belong in that room and pick up items that do not belong. That's what the cart is for- the things that need to get to their home in a different room.

I keep going quickly back and forth, from one end of the house to the other, until the timer goes off. If I am lucky enough to only have 10 minutes worth of things to pick up and put away, I walk quickly for the extra time. It's like walking a few laps around a track but instead it's around your house and you are multi-tasking!

While you are picking up, your body is warming up muscles, getting your heart rate up and prepping your mind and body to clean like you mean it!  You will be able to maximize whatever workout you choose to do next whether it is cleaning or jumping on the treadmill.

Bonus: When the 15 minutes is up you have a de-cluttered house! {I will say that I make my Little Man put his toys where they belong. I will leave them in a pile in his room and he is responsible for sorting and putting them away.}

After picking up, sometimes all I do is vacuum. Other times, I will step it up and dust, clean windows, disinfect kitchen surfaces, etc.

It is nice not to have to stop and pick up each room before you clean it- you can just keep going knowing everything is out of the way!

A Favor and a Pep Talk

When you were little, and your mom told you to clean your room, and you didn't really feel like cleaning your room, did you ever push stuff under your bed to make it look like you had cleaned your room? Um, Me neither.

I didn't shove things in my closet either.

Or hide stuff under the pillows on my bed.

Or throw things in the drawers of my desk.

Anyway...

Now that I am a grown up and I have a whole house to pick up, I don't push things under the bed or shove stuff in closets anymore. But, if something should happen to find its way under my furniture, it might not find its home for a while.

A recent game of "find-the-lost-toy-so-kid-stops-crying" made me realize that a lot of toys and random things find their way under my furniture. Out of sight, out of mind phenomenon I suppose.

Strangely, it doesn't bother my type-A tendency to have everything in its place at the end of the night so I can sleep.  I can actually glance to my left and see one of Little Miss' toys under the TV stand, but I have no desire to pick it up and put it in her room. I'm sure there is some sort of psychological explanation for why I'm ok with this kind of disorderly-ness but why bother going into that now?

So, do me a favor, if you ever have the opportunity, please don't look under my furniture. And if you are the innovative type, I'm in the market for a vacuum-type device to transport things under my furniture to my kids' rooms- kind of like the tube at the bank drive-thru that transports your deposits to the teller.

If you see one on Etsy, let me know.

Thanks.

Keep in mind that it's ok to be "that mom". Sometimes that means being that mom who ignores the little toys under your couch so that you can keep your sanity. I can do that.

I couldn't find the author of this quote, if you know, please let me know so I can cite it properly. This is one quote that has been around Pinterest and I find it fitting for being happy as well as being a mom, being a wife, being who you are.

Make the most out of your day, friends.

Toys, and Books, and Baskets. Oh My!

My kids have always been good about playing independently.  KC and I play with them often, but if I'm making dinner or on the phone I usually don't have to worry about them being entertained.

Part of the reason for this is that they have so many toys. I think the toys multiply while we are sleeping.

When they were babies, it was so easy to have everything displayed, in cute baskets, and sorted. Those were the good ol' days. Now, any attempt at organizing I had tried to put in place has been thrown out. Literally, thrown out.

They throw their toys out of bins and baskets and make such a mess there isn't any room left to play (did anyone else just hear their mom telling them "you'd have more room to play if you picked up your toys"?). Eventually the toys find their way into the living room, or worse yet, my bedroom, and I begin to develop a tick.

Things get lost, broken, or forgotten about. It drives the type-A in me crazy!

This is the reason I began to do the "15 minute pick up" that you will see in another post, but it also inspired me to take their room organization to a new level.

It's not complicated. Don't worry.

Little Miss has 2 baskets that are the same.  They are from Pottery Barn and I love them! Any time storage is cute and functional it's a win-win!

To contain the clutter, I fill each basket with toys, if there are more toys than what fit into 2 baskets, I donate some and save some for a rainy day. I leave one basket out in her room. The other basket goes in her closet. Every month or so I switch baskets. If she gets new toys (birthday, holiday, etc.) then I add them to the rotation and take out a toy that she has outgrown or no longer shows interest in.

It doesn't eliminate the mess. She still dumps the basket out all over her room. But at least it's only half the amount of toys to pick up! And by rotating the toys in and out it is like she has new toys to play with every month.

The system doesn't work as well for my 4 year-old. He knows how to get into his closet and find the toys I have stashed. But he can also help me clean up better than the 21 month-old. If I figure out the secret for containing his toys, I'll let you know!

Do you have a trick to kid toy organization? Leave a comment below and tell us! We might feature your suggestion in a future post.

For the record: Pottery Barn has no clue who we are, they, in no way, shape, or form had anything to do with this post.

Company is coming! Company is coming!

I love having house guests!! Remember Monica from Friends? That should give you an idea.

I love to get every thing ready for company so that our house is clean and inviting.  By planning ahead, I don't have to worry about "chores" while they are here, I can enjoy our time together.

We have company arriving today so I put together a checklist of things I do to get ready.  In addition to this list, I like to bake something (like the good almost-Southern girl that I am). Since there is a kiddo the same age as my Little Man arriving shortly, we are going to make cookies after they get here :)

With wedding/graduation/spring break/vacation season approaching, I hope this helps you with any house guests who will be gracing you with their presence.

Enjoy, y'all!

In the week before they arrive:

o  Change the sheets

o  Wash the towels

o  Clean the bathrooms

o  Have extra toiletries on hand- just in case

o  Mop the tile floors

o  Stock the fridge and pantry

o  Vacuum

The day they arrive:

o  Clean the kitchen counters

o  No dirty dishes in the sink

o  Clean the sink

o  Run the garbage disposal

o  Dust

o  Clean the windows

o  Take out the trash

o  Finish all the laundry (so you don’t have to worry about it later)

o  Fluff the pillows (yes it matters)

o  Pick up clutter (try not to shove stuff in drawers, but do what you gotta do)

o  Vacuum again

o   Have fun!!