Some good clean fun?! [Archive 1]

[a_stitchintime]

Thanks to the WIP Week CAL, a bunch of us decided that this would be a fun experiment:

 

The idea is really simple:

for every X amount of time spent cleaning, organizing, running errands, etc. - we earn the same amount of time to . It always seems to me that part B of this equation tends to get lost, right? And the "winners" each week would be all of us...being able to over all the pics of AWESOME finshed projects! Such a Deal!!!:devil

 

See if you can get motivated to get your house in order, and get some great projects done!

 

...and just think of how NICE everything will look, which will, of course, gain you MORE time to ...see where I am going with this

 

links to patterns:

http://www.crochetnmore.com/looptoloopdishtowel.htm

http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Crochet/Projects/AfghansThrows/LW1595+Crochet+Corner-to-Corner+Throw.htm

 

mystery CAL we are playing with in November: http://www.sarahlondon.wordpress.com.

 

How about some cleaning tips?:

Originally Posted by ScoobyDoo0811

 

As far as any cleaning tips go, I am probably not doing anything that you don't already do or know. These are just ones that I heard about and have used numerous times over the years. But here are a few:

 

Toilets- 2 cups of vinegar in the bowl; let set for a few hours or overnight before flushing. Presto, clean toilet with minimal or no scrubbing OR 2 denture tablets (I buy the cheap ones for $1 at the dollar store) in bowl; let fizz for a little bit; scrub minimally with brush.

 

I use a lot of vinegar & water solutions (sometimes add baking soda). I use a lot of baking soda & water solutions/pastes. Vinegar/water/baking soda solution works great for wiping down stove and inside of refrigerator. Food will absorb/pickup the taste and odor of cleaners/disinfectants. The acid in the vinegar helps deter mildew.

 

Soap Scum- Cheap/inexpensive shampoo will remove soap scum in the bathtub with little scrubbing. After that I just spray tub with disinfectant wipe down & rinse. Sometimes I use a soap scum remover.

 

Rubbing alcohol (great disinfectant) will clean chrome fixtures & mirrors quickly.If you want to make a solution for mirrors it is 1 part alcohol and 4 parts water. No streaking!!!! Rubbing alcohol also works well on tile. Pour directly on tile and wipe/mop until it is dry. Plain white toothpaste/Baby Oil will also put a nice shine to chrome fixtures. Toothpaste is also good for removing skid marks on lineoleum. Rub toothpaste on mark and then mop as usual. Colgate Toothpaste & damp sponge will also remove crayon marks from the wall(wipe/scrub carefully). Rubbing alcohol will remove scuff marks/pen or pencil marks from walls. Apply aclohol to dry cloth and wipe.

 

Moistened rag with water that has been rung out very,very well for dusting. Any dry/drab looking furniture I will then apply lemon oil/polish. Dust clings to the water moistened rag better than using just a rag & polish. I also use cloth diapers as they tend to leave less/no lint residue.

 

Shower doors- Wiping with Lemon oil removes buildup and will prevent future build up. Shower door tracks I use undiluted vinegar; let set for a several minutes then rinse away with water.

 

Vinegar placed in small containers around the house will eliminate/absorb household odors. Pure vanilla on a cottonball will also do the same thing.

 

Clorox disinfecting wipes work great on toilets, countertops and other nonpourous surfaces. I use lots of these .

 

Orange based concentrated cleaners also work wonders on soap scum and hard to clean/stained surfaces.

 

Coffee pot/maker- fill with water add 2-3 spoons of cream of tartar or baking soda; let percolate; when water has cooled scrub with a sponge and it is clean. You can also use vinegar/water solution to remove calcium build up, but the key to this one is that you have to do it several times until water runs clear.

 

Garbage Disposal- Cut up lemon place in disposal add a paste of baking soda & water; turn on and disposal smells fresh and is clean.

 

Trash cans- moisten cotton ball with a natural oil such as eucalyptus/rose/vanilla place in bottom of can add trash bag and it will help with trash/food odors. In my small waste paper baskets I do the same thing or I buy the cheap dryer sheets at dollar store and place in the bottom. Borax sprinkled in bottom of trash cans will also work.

 

If something spills over in the oven, immediately sprinkle with salt; when cooled wipe away with a damp cloth/sponge.

 

For stains in a white sink- use 1/2 cup of salt and scrub with lemon. Let sit for a few mins then rinse away.

 

Wow, I am trying to of other things I use .

 

Run your sponges thru the dishwasher every few days, as they breed bacteria. Throw away after a few weeks. I don't have a dishwasher so I boil mine in water with a little bleach.

 

Cleaning carpets- Vacuum well. Dry cleaner- 2 cups of cornmeal 1 cup of Borax. Sprinkle on carpet. Let set an hour then vacuum. Pet odors- sprinkle baking soda on carpet; let set an hour and vacuum. 2 parts water and one part ammonia works well on carpet stains.

 

Where fingerprints tend to appear on walls and doors- starch will add a nice little coating to resist these marks.

 

Vicki - January 27

Beth - May 24

LeaAnne - August 6

Scooby - August 11

Stacy - August 31

Joanne - October 10

Colleen - November 2

Mary - November 9

Shannon - December 3

Jennifer - ?

Judy - December 15

[ashleyjoy26]

I'm in!!! I know if I start crocheting before I get to my housework it doesn't get done, so this is perfect for me.

[darski]

I'll give this one a try.

 

[a_stitchintime]

Welcome, Darski & Ashley!

 

The time earned applies to any task that makes you say , or ... as well as the regular keeping up jobs.

 

It will give us some small rewards for the thankless jobs, I think!

 

I was also thinking about this: If you purge something, or do a task that has been waiting for you for too long, you earn Double Time :crocheting!

 

As a SAHM, I was wondering how to get paid/rewarded for what I do... I think I found it!

 

I am glad you gals are here to share it!

[Colleenka]

I am in too!

 

I need incentive to clean all the time, but right now I'm doing a bit of double duty. My DH injured his back earlier in the spring, so now the tasks he isn't well enough to do yet fall to me . Our grass will probably need it's first cut of the season this week and guess who gets to mow it! I think I should get triple rewards for that (:crocheting:crocheting)! I think I should even get to buy new yarn for that!

 

I can't wait to see what everyone crochet's with their well earned time. Maybe we could share some tips on how to get the yucky stuff done too!?I'm always looking for good ideas to keep things clean, tidy and simple.

[basjordan]

Oh please please please can I join? :day:ty

 

This will be fun. I'm always looking for motivation. Can I include some house repair jobs that fall to me, that I despise doing, but need to finish? It would be a lot better to work on them before it gets super hot here in Virginia!

[a_stitchintime]

I agree with your "just rewards" for the grass:

:yuck = :crocheting:crocheting + :yarn:yarn!

 

Great idea on the suggestions, too...

 

[a_stitchintime]

of course, Beth!

 

Glad you're here

 

p.s. see the "equation" for Colleen's job.... I think it applies to you as well!

[_Stacy_]

Welcome, Darski & Ashley!

 

The time earned applies to any task that makes you say , or ... as well as the regular keeping up jobs.

 

It will give us some small rewards for the thankless jobs, I think!

 

I was also thinking about this: If you purge something, or do a task that has been waiting for you for too long, you earn Double Time :crocheting!

 

As a SAHM, I was wondering how to get paid/rewarded for what I do... I think I found it!

 

I am glad you gals are here to share it!

 

Oh, oh!! I am in! The purging is a great idea. I have 2 huge 30-gallon garbage bags full of stuff that has been waiting to go to Goodwill for oh, about 3 months now. I'm thinking that I will see how long it takes me to drive there and drop the stuff off, then I will get double that time to crochet!

[wiz3283]

Sounds like this could be fun. I already reward myself time for crocheting and Knitting when I work out. I hate working out so this seemed to be a way for me to motivate myself. I don't let myself work on projects until I finish my workouts. So far so good. I have only been doing this for a week but it is working so far. Maybe it will help withthe spring cleaning too.

[a_stitchintime]

, Stacy! ... sounds like you have a good plan

 

, Tammy!

so nice to see you here! How have you been?

[Colleenka]

Sounds like this could be fun. I already reward myself time for crocheting and Knitting when I work out. I hate working out so this seemed to be a way for me to motivate myself. I don't let myself work on projects until I finish my workouts. So far so good. I have only been doing this for a week but it is working so far. Maybe it will help withthe spring cleaning too.

 

Oh, that is a good idea! Good for you -- keep it up!

[~Elise~]

Think I'll join in too!

[FosterMom]

Of course I am in! And I got a good start too. Before I even got on the computer I cleaned, dusted and ran the sweeper. I know IF I get online or start crocheting nothing gets done so I have to do it before too.

 

Im thinking aboutl posting a daily TO DO list for myself, reasonable of course and get those things done before anything else.. For me, posting it will keep me honest. Hope thats ok.

 

Happy weekend everyone

[kazily]

I so need this CAL! I've been so busy with our recent move that I am not finding much crochet time. I think for every box I unpack, I am going to give myself 15-30 minutes of crochet depending on how long it takes to unpack a box & put the items in their appointed place.

 

Of course I will count regular housework too. Hopefully I can gain an hr or two a day of crocheting because it's been too long since I had a FO!

[FosterMom]

I rewarded my cleaning spurt by finishing another panel for my afghan. I am kinda ticked off. I used two different H hooks without realizing it and the second panel is just a hair smaller. Both hooks are H both say 5.0 yet the crochetlite hook is bigger! I did the first panel with that one and the second with a clover. I didnt realize the difference until I was joining and with all stitches lining up the second was short then I remembered I used different hooks! AHHHHHHHH, they are joined and staying that way. Hopefully when I border it I can hide or blend in. Geesh, this stuff only happens to me.

[Colleenka]

Geesh, this stuff only happens to me.

 

That kind of stuff happens to me too. I was working on some squares for an afghan that I had started many months before and I actually made them with a different size hook!

 

I like your daily to do list idea. I will think about that for myself.

[FosterMom]

That kind of stuff happens to me too. I was working on some squares for an afghan that I had started many months before and I actually made them with a different size hook!

 

I like your daily to do list idea. I will think about that for myself.

 

Go ahead and post yours, I'll post mine and we can help each other stay on track and get it done! Of course I will keep mine short doable. I have to get this house in order.

[a_stitchintime]

hi, and , Elise, Kazily & FosterMom!

 

I, too, will post my ToDo list each morning...that's a wonderful idea!

 

I like the workout idea, too... but I need to work up to that one... good for you, Tammy!

[Vicki loves yarn]

Can I join in? I use this a lot when I have to work on my dissertation. If I work for a while on that, then I can have some time! But I need this too to clean the house! That is one thing I hate to do! If I get some house work done AND work on my paper, just think how far ahead I can be!

 

Vicki

[a_stitchintime]

Vicki

 

the more the merrier, I say!

[FosterMom]

Here is my list for Sunday. I am posting it tonight cause I am a late sleeper! LOL BUT, if the weather is nice we are going to a Pow-wow so it may not get done. Rain, rain go away....

 

BEFORE crocheting:

1. Clean off counters (a job in itself, can you can clutter?)

2. 2 loads of laundry

3. Pick up stray dont belongs in living room

 

Ok, I am tired even writing that! HA HA Hoping for nice weather

[_Stacy_]

Well I'm kind of lazy on the weekends, so um...I don't really clean. LoL Although I did clean for a little while today, it was one of those super-rare days where dh actually helped. So we cleaned the kitchen and living rooms, then re-organized the DVD player (alphabetized the movies and got rid of some we no longer wanted.)

Sunday night I will post my to-do's for Monday. I have to do it the night before because if I turn on the computer first thing in the morning, nothing will get done.

I have a lot of clutter, and a lot of WIM's so I am also thinking that every time I purge or de-clutter something, I can start another project. Until then I can only work on things that are already in progress.

Tonight since we purged the DVD's, I started the bag from the Mystery CAL. I am making it with wool and a larger hook so I can felt it. I've been dying to felt something for a while and this bag looks like it would work nicely.

[Colleenka]

Well, it's a beautiful, sunny day here today. A perfect day to....MOW THE GRASS! That's my list for today. Wish me luck!

[a_stitchintime]

My list for today:

 

quick pick up

2 loads of laundry

wipe down counters & bathroom

get backpacks and outfits ready for school tomorrow.

 

My reward needs to be 4+ bookmarks... I am really behind:blush:eek

 

Will check in later on... have fun everyone!

(...and good luck with the lawn, Colleen:( just think:triple time + ! )