Cleaning tips from a really unlikely source.

It is no secret that we recently moved.  Well, if you count four months ago as recently.  I really have no handle on unpacking and organizing stuff in our new place.  Technically there are more rooms (we only had two bedrooms for the four of us before) but there is way less built in storage.  I don't know what to do with all these little rooms and little closets with no storage space.

How does this huge Ikea Expedit not hold all of my scrapbooking stuff?

Suffice to say, living with this much disorganization leads to quite a few lapses in cleaning around here.  My favorite things to clean with are baking soda and vinegar. 

I use them on anything and everything.  I even wash my hair with them.  I see a lot of online cleaning recipes which direct you to mix them together before use.  To me, this totally defeats the purpose.  One is a base and one is an acid.  Won't most of their cleaning power be lost if you neutralize them by mixing them together?  I use the baking soda as a paste mixed with water and sometimes hydrogen peroxide (same stuff in Oxi-Clean).  Then, use vinegar to rinse.  I think it works great on sinks, countertops.  It even has been known to take off scribble marks on the walls (minus the rinse).  Vinegar alone is great for any type of glass.  Also is a great product to wash fresh produce in to prolong the shelf life. 

My favorite new trick however is for laundry.  I just can not stand to have one more thing to organize and have laying around in piles in this house.  My own closet is in complete disarray but that is another story (I am actually okay with it and live out of a single basket as well). 

Everyone else has their clothes nice and neatly put away.  I bought a couple of extra hampers from Land of Nod when they were on sale for the kids.  Now, Nandini has a cream one and Avinash has a red one.  I can easily direct Avinash (or do it myself ----> less likely to happen) to put his clothes in the red one and Nandini's in the other.  When one gets full that child gets her laundry done.  It goes back in the same hamper to be put away.  No sorting and no piles lying around.  I love this new system.  I also have a basket for each of us and the towels.  So far, so good!  Plus, it is better to wash towels separately at a higher temperature anyway. 

 For Nandini's clothes I also go the extra step and roll up outfits together, instead of sorting tops and bottoms separately.  This is fun for me because I like knowing I am getting good use of her well-appointed wardrobe.  Plus, it makes it easier for Ryan to get her dressed.  Win - win.  

I am linking up with Kelly's Korner today.  She has a ton of great tips there, so be sure to check those out also.