cleaning

Hello and happy Thursday!

Well, it took the third week of school, but I’m starting to feel like I’m in a groove, I know most of my students’ names, and we’ve moved on from the “first days of school” stuff into our curriculum.

Since it’s the last Thursday of the month, I’m linking up with Patty for Monthly Musings.

This month’s topic is…cleaning and life hacks.

1. Are you good at managing the weekly laundry at your house or do you need help? Share tips…

I think we’re pretty good at managing our laundry. The kids each do about a load a week, and I often just throw my laundry in with one of the kids’ laundry; Trav does his own. That being said, as I type this, Hadley has clean clothes from last week in her basket that she never put away, and now she has a huge pile of dirty clothes. ugh

I will say that the “delay wash” feature is a lifesaver. Sometimes, I will put a load in at night, and delay the start until the morning. Then, I will put the clothes in the dryer when I wake up. Or, even more often, I will put in a load in the morning, delay start, and then put the clothes in the dryer when I get home from school.

2. Best tips for containing the kitchen dishes chaos.

I typically cook, and Trav usually cleans up after dinner. The kids put their dishes away, and help a bit too.

A year or so ago, I finally “subscribed” to Amy’s method of running the dishwasher often. We used to run it a couple times a week, and now I run it about four times even if it’s not totally full. Honestly, this also helps when putting away the dishes because there’s not as much to put away…so it’s less of a dreaded task.

3. What grocery items do you always have on hand to make a quick meal?

I typically have ingredients for tacos and spaghetti if we need something quickly.

4. Best tips for saving money on groceries.

Ugh – groceries are so expensive. I do think it helps to do Kroger pick up because I’m not tempted in the store. Sometimes I don’t like stocking up on things because we don’t have a ton of space, but if I see a deal on certain items, like when my K-cups half price, I will buy a few extras and find a place to store them.

I do get on the Kroger app and download coupons that are typically automatically applied.

5. Cleaning service. DIY or is house cleaning overrated?

We’ve had a cleaning service twice a month for many years…and it’s truly the best “gift” to ourselves. That being said, we just found a new cleaner, and her crew did a “deep clean” for the first time…and wow! my house has never looked so good. It was the best feeling to have such a clean space again.

6. Favorite cleaning products?

Truth be told, I’m not the cleaner in the family…I tidy up and Travis is more of a cleaner. That being said, I always have Mrs. Meyer’s products on hand.

And, we have to have the dry Swiffer on hand because of how much Homer sheds.

7. Do you try and use green products in your house?

Not necessarily, but let me know any recommedations you have.

8. Do you schedule certain tasks for certain days of the week?

For us, what works best is to tidy up every night. We tend to do laundry on the weekends, but we really don’t have a ton of laundry. I always want the house “reset,” especially the kids’ rooms on Sunday. I like to start off with the clean slate on Mondays.

9. What is the most overwhelming part of your week that you think you need help with right now?

Meal planning and prep doesn’t overwhelm me, but it’s my least favorite chore. If I could have a chef, that would really help me out. haha

10. What part of your week do you think you excel at?

Not to be too repetitive, but I definitely excel at tidying up. I just can’t go to bed unless things are put in their place. I even did that when the kids were little. Even though I knew they’d with the same toys as soon as they woke up, I still put things away before bed.

Of course, I don’t mind if a few things are out if we need them the next morning, but overall, I like pillows on the couch, blankets folded, dishes out of the sink, the kids’ things in their rooms, etc.

I also think I excel at getting a plan and making sure everyone is on the same page. The kids’ sharing a car pretty much means that most days we have to have a plan…and sometimes that plan is that I get home from school ASAP because both kids need a car for workouts or work.

Anyway, when I saw this topic, I wasn’t sure what I’d have to add to it since cleaning isn’t really my specialty, but I guess I do a few things right 😉

I can’t wait to read what others have to share…as I’m always looking for tips.