Lazy Cleaning Tricks for a Spotless Home

I like a clean home. I feel overwhelmed with clutter and messes. I just don't love to clean my house. I know there are people out there who love to scrub every surface, to spend their free time sorting and organizing every closet and cabinet. I'm just not one of them. 

I was hoping that as my kids got older that maybe I could put them to work doing the stuff I don't like to do, but to be honest, they really aren't that great at cleaning either. Don't get me wrong, they are super great at making messes, but the cleaning up part is their downfall. 

After nearly 20 years of having a home of my own to clean, I've got some lazy cleaning tricks up my sleeve and I'm spilling the secrets today on how you can have a spotless home the lazy way.

Natural granite cleaner

About seven years ago, my husband and I upgraded the old counter tops in the kitchen in our first house from large stone tiles to slab granite.

It was a change that I had been wanting to do for years and we were so happy with the result!

It's sort of funny, that the exact same granite we picked at our old house, is the same granite that the builders and previous homeowners selected for our new house.

I cook nearly every meal at home, and I love having a functional kitchen that makes it easier to prepare and cook our meals. 

In fact, the kitchen is one of the most used spaces in our home {especially with three kids in the house, one of which is a teenager!}, so it gets not only a lot of use, but it sees it's fair share of messes!

I am determined to send my kids off into the world knowing how to cook and prepare food for themselves, but that learning process, isn't for the faint of heart!

We've had our fair share of egg shells in dough and more flour on the counter top than in the bowl!  But they are learning.

I've watched enough house hunting shows and read enough entertaining magazines to know that most parties and events usually occur {or end up} with people gathering in the kitchen.

The holidays are just around the corner and I know we will be entertaining, but I'm always looking for easy ways to go from messy to festive in a matter of minutes.

Even though I may have been cooking all day, I don't want my kitchen to look like I don't know how to clean my house! And I don't want to sweat it when my kids are practicing their cooking skills and making messes food.

One of the things I learned when I was a newbie granite counter top owner is that not all cleaners are acceptable for stone surfaces. I don't want to be using harsh chemicals that will scratch my surfaces or remove the protective coating.

I buy a spray bottle at the dollar store, fill it halfway with vinegar and halfway with water and a few drops of essential oils.

All you need to do is spray it down

and wipe it off.

Your stone surfaces will go from messy to gleaming! You can even see the shiny reflection and I didn't even have to scrub or polish!

Homemade all purpose cleaner

This post brought to you by Real Simple, All You and Southern Living. All opinions are 100% mine

I'm not a big fan of using harsh chemicals to clean my home.

Not only are they expensive, they are also hard on the environment and on the people

{and pets} living in your home.

I've been making my own household cleaners for years now.

I find that white vinegar is the best cleaner for just about anything and everything and it's dirt cheap!

I made my own laundry detergent for about a year, 

but when I broke my expensive food processor while making a batch, 

I didn't see the cost effectiveness and took a bit of a break.

However, after reading an article from the pages of All You, on the Walmart website

I was inspired to whip up a batch of my very favorite all purpose cleaner

and I wanted to share with you my secret cleaner that I use on everything from my stainless steel appliances to my travertine tile.

You will need:

equal parts white vinegar and water

4-5 drops of your favorite dish soap

6-8 drops of your favorite essential oil {optional but it makes everything smell better!} 

and an empty spray bottle

Mix all of your ingredients together and give it a good shake.

I use a microfiber cloth to wipe off my surfaces.

For some reason our microwave is a magnet for fingerprints!

It drives me nuts so I am always wiping it down.

This homemade all purpose cleaner is perfect for cleaning the outside and the inside of your appliances.

Can you see the fingerprints on my microwave before?

All gone!

 The Walmart website is now featuring tips, tricks, ideas and inspiration from the pages of Hub that will help keep you organized, save you money and get ready for spring!  

You can find inspiration from magazines that we all love, like All You, Real Simple and Southern Living.

You will even find a $1 coupon so that you can pick up your favorite magazine title next time you are in Walmart.

Homemade carpet deodorizer

We have a dog and three kids

but I don't want my house to smell like I have a dog and three stinky kids!

So I make my own homemade carpet deodorizer that I use once a month when I vacuum.

It's so easy!

I'm excited to show you how.

I pour baking soda into a bowl and add about 5-6 drops of fragrance to the baking soda.

Mix the two together.

I sprinkle the baking soda on to the carpet,

especially on the high traffic areas and those that the dog likes to sleep on,

and then vacuum it up!

If my kids are home, this is their favorite part.

They love making a mom approved mess!

Easy as that! The house smells nice and fresh!

Getting rid of mold in your shower

I know I am not the only one totally grossed out by mold. 

Our shower has this grout line around the base below the travertine that likes to grow mold.

Yuck!

 I gathered a few supplies and thought I would see if I could tackle the mold problem.

You will need bleach, a small bowl and cheap cotton balls.

My guess is that I bought these cotton balls at the dollar store.

You all know how much I love the Dollar Store!

It's important to get these cheap cotton balls because who knew...they actually unball and make a cotton line of goodness that is going to get right in there and eat away that mold.

Unroll your cotton balls and dip them in the bleach.

**You have to unroll them before they are wet or they won't unroll**

Don't squeeze them out, you want all that mold killing goodness!

Place them around your grout line.

Let the cotton soak for the majority of the day.

I left mine for about 7 hours.

Come back, wipe the cotton balls up around the edge and that's it, no scrubbing!

No more mold!

Do you have any good tips for keeping your shower clean?

easy mopping

Our whole downstairs is mostly hardwood floors. I love them! They are so easy to take care of.
I just take this old Swiffer that I picked up in the free box at a garage sale
grab one of my old washcloths, and poke all four corners into the little swiffer holes
and have at it! I usually use a wet rag for mopping and sometimes throw some vinegar into some warm water. When you are done mopping, just throw the dirty rag in the washing machine and that's it!