Ask Sarah: Getting Urine and Stains Out of Carpet

First, I'd like to apologize for the absence of a post since last week! The Hubby and I celebrated ten years of marriage this past weekend and went on a romantic weekend vacation! We spent a lot of time on the central California coast and it was wonderful! So blogging took a vacation also. But I'm back! A little peek at this past weekend:

 

 

 

I was talking to my sister-in-law last night and she was telling me about Cutie A (my little niece) who fell asleep on their new carpet. Being recently potty trained, her little bladder couldn't keep things in and a little while later she had left a wet spot on brand new carpet. Oh, the frustration!!! I was silently rejoicing in the fact that I was past that point in my children's lives and that I no longer had to worry about pee stains on the carpet.

Well, as Karma would have it (and she always gets her way), my son wet his pants all over my car today. I wanted to go back to the beaches of California for a moment and forget that there was pee all over my clean, almost-brand-new car.

So I knew a post about urine removal was fate. I know....not very glamorous. But for those of you with pets and little kids (sometimes the similarities are uncanny) you share in the same occasional frustrations.

First things first: synthetic carpet cleaners aren't a good idea. Here's why: most are made with chemicals that initially clean the stain. But they also leave behind a film that over time has a tendency to attract more dirt. These cleaners also have powerful whitening agents in them that can, on occasion, lighten that spot of carpet. And now you have a mismatched mess! I've seen it firsthand. I still have a spot of carpet that feels stiff and looks a bit lighter than the rest. But it also seems to be a spot that attracts more dirt than most! It drives me nuts!

NEVER, EVER USE DISH SOAP. Or any soap. I know it's tempting...but don't give in.

If you absolutely have to use something store-bought, then buy ALL-NATURAL. But with a few simple ingredients from the kitchen cupboard, you shouldn't need to buy anything and your carpet will never be in danger of ruin.

All-Natural Carpet Cleaner

Four ingredients:

1. Baking Soda

2. White Vinegar

3. Hot water

4. Essential Oil of choice (optional, but great for needing a fresh smell)

First soak up the stain with a towel. Next, mix 2 cups of hot water to about 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar. Use a towel to dab the area with this mixture and clean up any additional urine. The hot water and vinegar should do a perfectly good job of getting the stain out. Next, dry the area as best you can with another towel.

Now go into the kitchen and break open a box of baking soda. Put it in a bowl. Drop about 4-5 drops of essential oil (I like Eucalyptus) into the baking soda. Mix the baking soda with the oil until it's all coated. Now go sprinkle it over the damp spot. The baking soda will begin to soak up the additional moisture and smell. Walk away for a couple hours and let it dry. You can just use baking soda if you'd prefer...it will still work. Be prepared for a slight sizzle...the baking soda and vinegar react but this reaction is not harmful to your carpet.

Now come back with your vacuum cleaner and vacuum up the dried baking soda! VOILA! Stain and smell gone!

I love this method of cleaning the carpet. It's not harmful to your carpet at all and works wonderfully! This will also work with dirt stains and vomit. Also take note that this can be used in the car, house, rugs, etc. Anything!

What's your favorite way to clean carpet stains?

Happy Cleaning!

The Queen

Ask Sarah: Organiziaton Basics and Lean Cleaning

Today I'm going to go over the basics of organization with a little thing we're going to call LEAN CLEANING.

The hubby works in an industry that has explored something called LEAN MANUFACTURING. Most often you'll hear it referred to as just "LEAN". He suggested to me one day that it would be perfect for the organization and cleaning of a house and I thought it was a brilliant idea!

Now, bear with me while I do some explaining. I promise you'll like this. "Lean" principles were derived from the Japanese manufacturing industry and made popular by Ford and Toyota (yes, the car companies).  In short, it's the process of continually eliminating waste, improving efficiency, and reducing costs. Wikipedia puts it perfectly: "Lean implementation is therefore focused on getting the right things to the right place at the right time in the right quantity to achieve perfect work flow, while minimizing waste and being flexible and able to change."

So what does this have to do with keeping your house organized? EVERYTHING! This system is a perfect way to put your house in order and I'm going to teach you how. Here we go.

To begin with, there are three steps we have to take before we start the whole LEAN CLEANING process.

1. Design a simple manufacturing system: WE'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH A PLAN TO ORGANIZE THE HOUSE.
2. Recognize that there is always room for improvement: THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR WE'RE GOING TO REFINE OUR PLAN.
3. Continuously improve the lean manufacturing system design: WE'RE GOING TO CONSTANTLY ADD IMPROVEMENTS TO KEEP THE PLAN WORKING AT OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE.

Too hard? I think not! And now to introduce the amazing LEAN CLEANING system!

Here are the basic steps to LEAN. This applies to anything that you use LEAN for. LEAN can be used for all sorts of things!

We use a 5-step process and they're simple! We'll refer to it as 5S. The system begins at the top and work in a continual cycle. Our handy "Queen of Tidy" shows us below how to be LEAN AND CLEAN!

Step 1: Sort

Step 2: Set in order

Step 3: Shine

Step 4: Standardize

Step 5: Sustain

 

 

Step 1: Sort, Step 2: Set in Order and Step 3: Shine

 

                 The reason we put steps 1 -3 together is because really they happen almost simultaneously. You'll see what I mean. Pick the area that you're going to organize or clean. And begin the sorting process. Let's use a kitchen drawer for example. The best way to do any sorting (and the way "lean" suggests) is to take everything out and only put back what we need and use. EMPTY IT OUT! Now, you're going to choose a way to set them in order that makes things simple to find and put back each time! It's also supposed to be set in order in a way that would make it easy for even a perfect stranger to know where things went. Every item has a place and only that item goes in that place.  And you would recognize when that item was missing. A silverware tray is a good example.

               

                  

 

Now, of course, you would want to clean the drawer, and the tray, and the silverware if needed while putting it back. That's why these steps all happen at about the same time.

 

Step 4: Standardize and Step 5: Sustain





Standardizing means that we set an expectation for how it always should be, with room for change or improvement. And sustaining means that we work to keep the system running. Then we begin again with the cycle!

 

So, there it is in a nutshell. I could go into a lot of detail but wouldn't want to bore you!

 

This system applies to anything that you want to put in order, not just a kitchen drawer.

 

A quick word on organization...I love, love, love large Tupperware bins. So when you begin I always have three bins: one labeled KEEP, one labeled STORAGE, and one labeled DONATE. This keeps everything in order. And the STORAGE bin needs to be carefully checked and then reevaluated every so often. Sometimes storage is just an easy way of keeping things we don't need but are emotionally attached to. Take time to dig deep and explore why you're keeping it and figure out if you could be happy without it. You'd be surprised at what you can let go of. And you'd also be surprised at how "stuff" inhibits our ability to live life to its fullest. MATERIAL THINGS DON'T MAKE US HAPPY. Just a helpful hint!

 

Also, labeling is awesome! I've never purchased a labeler for fear that I'd have labels on things like the "light switch". I'm joking...sort of. But I do love adhesive, printable labels and use them for labeling. It helps me find things quickly.

 

What are your best organization tips and tricks? Lots more to come on organization in the months to come! This is just a good place to start!

 

Happy Organizing!

 

The Queen

 

 

 

 



Ask Sarah: Washing Sheets and Buying Pillows

Today on "Ask Sarah", we're going to be discussing bedding and pillows. The question I received over the weekend was,

"How often should I wash bedding and how often should I purchase new pillows?"

Great question. And one that is often overlooked. Yuck! Bedding gets far dirtier than we may realize and if not washed frequently can cause a host of problems from acne to allergies to spreading the flu. But no fear! Frequent washing can keep all those things at bay.

In my opinion, sheets should be washed weekly. Pick a day of the week that you have time set aside for washing sheets and strip the bed down to nothing. If you have several beds then you can do sheets all day or just do one bed per day. Whatever works for you. Now on to washing.  Never throw all of it in one load. You want room in the washer for those sheets to be rolled around with ease. The dirt and oils will be released much easier if you break up the load into at least two loads, possibly three depending on how much you have. I usually put the fitted sheet and flat sheet in together. I don't ever wash pillowcases or small items with the fitted sheet...they somehow seem to end up inside the fitted sheet and don't get washed or dried very well. Then I wash the pillowcases and my small throw blanket or some towels together. My bed spread is a thin, quilted, cotton so it fits nicely inside my washer. But if you have a large bedspread, don't attempt this. Take it to a Laundromat with a high capacity washer that will allow it to move in all that soap and water. There's nothing worse than pulling something out of your washer that was too big and now you have a huge soapy, wrinkled mess. Obviously sheets should be washed immediately if someone was sick or if there was a spill of some sort. Common sense goes a long way.

Bedspreads should be washed quarterly, more if you use it as a primary blanket at night.
Many people fold back their bedspreads at night and don't use them to keep warm. So obviously this would not require frequent washing. It does collect dust each day, though, and I would shake it out monthly or vacuum it off. I would wash your bedspread quarterly if you don't use it to keep warm at night.

I do use my bedspread every night to keep warm, so this requires more washing - every 1-2 months. I have a thin, quilted, cotton bedspread so it fits nicely inside my washer. ALWAYS wash your bedspread alone. If you have a large bedspread, don't attempt washing it at home. Take it to a Laundromat with a high-capacity washer that will allow it to move around in all that soap and water. There's nothing worse than pulling something out of your washer that was too big and now you have a huge soapy, wrinkled mess.

Wash sheets and pillowcases in Hot/Cold and Bedspreads in Warm/Cold
Washing sheets and pillowcases in hot/cold ensures that you've released all the oils and dirt. The only reason I wouldn't wash bedspreads in hot is because even just a little shrinking could mean that it doesn't fit your bed anymore. And this is so frustrating if it barely fit in the first place. Bedspreads are much more expensive to replace than sheets.

Buy new pillows every 1-2 years.

The link I suggest below over at http://cleanmyspace.com/clean-your-pillows/  suggests folding your pillows in half. If it bounces back, your pillow if fine. If it stays folded, you need a new one. I think this is a great idea.

http://cleanmyspace.com/clean-your-pillows/

Pillows are tricky business. They're so awkward to wash and never seem to be the same afterwards. I recently found a tutorial here on how to wash pillows. She suggests washing three times a year. I would suggest extreme detail when it comes to drying your pillows. You would never want mold or mildew to grow inside because they were not adequately dried. Be thorough! She has a YouTube tutorial also.

Other tips and tricks for cleaning the bed

1. Sprinkle baking soda over your mattress while your sheets wash. Let it sit for a while to soak up any unseen oils or odors. Get out your vacuum and suck up all the baking soda. Now your mattress is fresher and so is your vacuum.

2. Spray a homemade fabric freshener on your mattress and bedding. I like eucalyptus oil. Simply fill a spray bottle with water and add about 23-30 drops of any essential oil of your choice. Shake up the bottle and spray away. It leaves a nice scent without any harsh chemicals. Eucalyptus clears the sinuses which is why this scent it so beneficial on sheets...who doesn't' want to breathe easy while they sleep? It's also naturally antibacterial which is great for a place where allergens, mold, and dead skin cells lurk. You could also add some lavender oil which is calming to aid in sleeping. If you like Febreeze, this can also be sprayed on the mattress. Whatever you want!

3. White sheets are my favorite. They go with anything and can be bleached. Just personal preference, but take it from someone who has had everything from red to purple to blue sheets...white is AWESOME.

So, those are some of my favorite tips on cleaning the bed! Please feel free to contact me with any additional questions. Every Monday is "Ask Sarah" and you can submit your questions under the given email.

Coming Soon: Spring Cleaning Fan Favorites and LEAN CLEANING (You're gonna love this. Kudos to the Hubby in advance for the fantastic idea!)

Please submit your favorite spring cleaning tips and tricks! And become a follower! Please spread the word to your friends and family if you like what you're seeing!

Happy Cleaning!

The Queen

Ask Sarah: Food Storage

 

I hope you all had a nice weekend! Mine was full of busy, busy, busy!

 

This is my first Monday here on the blog and although I technically didn't really give anyone a chance to read this post today, it's better late than never. Life finally wound down for the day and I had a moment to sit and write. Ahhh....nothing better than climbing into bed. My feet are profusely thanking me for sitting down. The hubby and I just recently decided to paint the entire house this last weekend and it's definitely required a lot of standing. But things are coming along nicely and I hope that we're done in a couple weeks. Pictures to follow and a post on why I think painting every so often helps keep a house clean! But on to more important things...

 

Each Monday I'm going to do a segment called, "Ask Sarah" where I answer questions that were submitted over the weekend. We got a couple real great questions over the weekend and I've selected food storage for today. I must preface this Monday segment by stating that I am NOT an expert...just an enthusiast! So do whatever works for you! But here's what works for me.

 

Question from Gina: HOW DO I ROTATE MY FOOD STORAGE?

 

Excellent question, Gina! I think this is an obstacle for many people, including me! I have tried several things and after trial and error here's what works for me and what I eventually hope to achieve. Much of this is still "in progress".

 

1. Buy what you eat and get rid of what you don't. I just recently went through our food storage and got rid of so many things that we would never eat. Why in the world did I buy it then?! Because it was in sale...and that, in and of itself, my friends, can be a major trap!  There's no way you're going to effectively rotate things that you're not interested in eating. You have to clear out what you're not going to use before you can organize it to rotate. That said, when there's a good deal on food you'll eat, don't pass it up! (I was able to take what I wasn't using to a local homeless shelter. If the food is still good, look for things like this to still utilize perfectly good food.)

 

2. Make a menu. When you make your weekly / monthly menu, ALWAYS go to your food storage and look for ways to incorporate what you can. Start with those things that are expiring the soonest. Plan at least one meal a week around your food storage. Be creative!

 

3. Keep an inventory and store like items with like items. And I'm not talking about a yearly inventory. This one needs to be constantly in motion. When you take a can of green beans off the shelf, add a can or two of green beans to your shopping list. This has worked very well for me. I'm constantly replenishing what I use. Also, don't just throw everything on the shelf in a random order. You need to be able to SEE what you have. Store like items with like items so that they're easy to find: cake mixes all together, beans all together, corn all together, etc. You get the picture!

 

4. Find an effective storage method that allows oldest to be eaten first, and newest to be stored in the back. This can be hard depending on your available space and resources. I currently use some cabinets in my laundry room. But I always make sure that I scoot everything forward when I bring home something new. There are some amazing rotation systems out there, but they can be pricey. But brilliant people are out there right now coming up with ideas like the one below that I found on Pinterest. This was just recently added to the Hubby's Honey-Do List. He said, "No Problem". What a guy. And what a space saver! So organized! I love this! So be creative with your rotation system, but be persistent. There's nothing worse than throwing a ton out because you didn't rotate!

 

5. About every 6 months, reevaluate and purge if needed. I know how hard it is to throw out food that you bought, but sometimes you need to go through and make sure that there isn't a hazard like food poisoning waiting to happen. I remember opening a jar of spoiled mayonnaise and it was a good thing that it smelled awful or I never would have known! It would have been a horrible weekend if we had eaten it! So it's good to check in every so often and make sure that you're on the right track.

6. Don't forget long-term storage items. By this I mean that every so often, open a can of wheat (or whatever you want) and find ways to use it. Although these things will keep for 30+ years if stored properly, they're of no use to you if you haven't learned how to use them. Get creative!

There you have it! This is my preferred way of rotating my storage but do what works for you! What are some of your ideas for food storage rotation? I'd love to hear!

Pick one thing here to try this week, even if it's just organizing the pantry!

Happy rotating!

Sarah