Cleaning the Kitchen

I attended junior high and high school in the 1960s.  Along with core subjects in high school we could choose an elective or two.  One of my electives was Home Economics for all four years.  I always had a passion for the home front and all that was included to create a sanctuary.

Since that time - in America - HE has been renamed and revamped a few times.  I believe it's now referred to as Life Styles or something as generic as that.  No longer is it taught to clean or cook.  I think there may still be a unit on baking cookies, but that's it in the cooking department.  If I'm incorrect in that thought, please feel free to speak up in the comment section.

With this information in mind I was thinking I post what I have cleaned, but not how or when.  So I'd like to begin in the kitchen to give my readers a schedule and what I use to clean.

DAILY
Wash, dry, and put away dishes (Mrs. Myers or Dawn dish soap)
Wash down counters after use (Soapy water and cloth)
Wash down stove top ( Clean cloth)
Spray sinks with home made orange cleaner and wash them
Dry all wet surfaces
Swiffer the floor
Wipe oven floor when used Cloth with soapy water wrung out)

This pump bottle is filled with Dawn dish soap.

WEEKLY
Empty toaster crumb tray and wipe down toaster (Damp cloth)
Wipe down surfaces of appliances (Damp cloth)
Clean counters with orange spray and dry well
Wipe down all items on the counters.(Damp cloth)
Clean out refrigerator

The wax I use to protect the
counters.  As an added bonus, the
scent is nice.

MONTHLY
Clean cabinet surfaces (Damp cloth)
Dust the tops of the cabinets with an extended duster
All of the above daily and weekly tasks
Use a counter wax to protect the surfaces (Jubilee)
Dust between the refrigerator and cabinet with the extended duster
Wipe out the refrigerator with a damp cloth and dry well
Use a baking soda and dish soap paste on the ceramic stove top

The counters and sinks are cleaned
with the home made orange
cleaner.  A warning - do NOT
use this on wood finishes.

If the kitchen is cleaned on a regular basis, then it takes but a few minutes to do the monthly cleaning.
Doing the cleaning in stages helps me to stay on track and not feel over whelmed.  The feeling of clean also gives me a feeling of freedom and accomplishment.

Cleaning the Appliances, Part One

If you've been with Angie's House for a while, you know I like to clean.  If you're a new reader then I will state right now  that cleaning brings me joy.  It feels so rewarding to me when I complete a task and step back to marvel in the results.  The other side of the coin is I clean to maintain the value of an object.  Meaning I am frugal enough to keep appliances and the like for as long as I can.

It's spring.  With this season comes lots of pollen, but also super deep cleaning to prepare the home for a long summer of canning and cooking.  I clean each room once a week, but in the spring I super clean.  Today began with cleaning the dishwasher using baking soda and vinegar.  The baking soda gets sprinkled on the floor then is swooshed around with a wet cloth along the sides. top, and bottom.  The rubber seal gets a once over as do any cracks and crevices.  Next comes out a scrub brush to remove any stubborn spots.

Another generous sprinkle of baking soda followed by a generous amount of white vinegar and the magic sound of chemistry is music to the ears.  Replacing the racks, closing the door and running the washer on the shortest setting is the final step.  Easy, quick, and rewarding.

Baking soda sprinkled on the bottom floor of the dishwasher.
Next came the vinegar.

Just to let you know I may use the dishwasher twice a month, but it was still dirty with a grease buildup on the arm and the short section that props up the arm away from the floor.  Removing the grease lengthens the life of a dishwasher.  To me being frugal does not have to mean going without.  It also includes care of what we possess  to have an object last as long as possible.

I would like to stress that I'm retired and can do these tasks whenever I feel the need.  I don't need a schedule.  If you are a young mom who works outside the home, you will need to make choices of what is important to you and/or  creating a schedule will greatly benefit you.  It may benefit you and your family if you used a vacation day to deep clean the home if at all possible.  If not, please don't fret about it.  You may only have the energy to focus on the personal needs of the family.  Just do the best you can.

A peek into my history:  My husband was in the ICU for days. (I can't remember how long.)  Two friends dropped over to bring food because they knew I spent quite a bit of time at the hospital.  Our eldest daughter watched her siblings after school and did light cleaning (dishes) until I could come home in the early evenings.

This particular day my mother (often referred to simply as 'Mary') came to visit.  I sure could have used her support and maybe a couple of loads of wash done.  She kept looking at me for a few minutes with disgust on her face.  Then out of no where she told me how ashamed I should be because my house was such a mess. The shock of her statement had my mouth hanging open and tears welling up in my eyes.  I was frozen.  Normally she would keep her nasty side hidden from others, but this must have been too much for her to keep in.  My friends came to my defense by shaming her for her attitude.  So, yes, I've been there and it hurts not to be perfect 24/7.  So please (I'm begging) don't worry if your life is full.  Do what you can when you can.  It's so much more important to show love and support to you family than have a clean dishwasher.  Keeping the family healthy in the home environment includes keeping germs at bay in the kitchen and bathroom.  Dust can certainly wait a while.

The only other item I cleaned this morning was the dryer lint catcher.  I scrubbed it down in the sink and dried it before using it to dry Marley's bedding.  That's it for the morning for me.  If I feel energetic this afternoon I will tackle the freezer hoping to find a pork chop for dinner!

Not the greatest picture, but a clean
lint catcher none the less.

Stay safe.

Spring Cleaning, Decorating and Fresh Air

When I think of frugal and simple foods the egg salad sandwich is on the list - close to number one.  What I didn't realize after using one egg I boiled  - it should be number one.  I used that egg to make a sandwich today.  Imagine how surprising it was when that egg produced two sandwiches.  (not skimpy)
One egg
5 chopped up green olives
One small celery stalk
Two (2) tablespoons of mayonnaise

And, I have two meals for 30.75 cents.  Adding in 5 cents for the additional ingredients still makes it a simple, yet frugal, meal at just under .18 cents a meal.  Add the bread which I can't calculate because I don't know how many slices are in the loaf.  But, fair is fair so the bread needs to get a mention.

Grocery stores don't offer smaller portions for single people in the fresh veggie department.
If I want lettuce, I buy an entire head.  Or carrots and celery come in nothing smaller than 'stalk' or a pound.  A friend has been singing the praises of green bags for years to me.  I finally bought some because I had all the dehydrated foods I need and watching food waste was irritating the heck of out me.  She was correct!  I now have a portion of a head of lettuce that is still good that was purchased at the beginning of January.  That makes it twenty four days with more to come.

Now, out of the kitchen and into the office.  I'm loving the small space.  The couch came in with a small black side table.  It's beginning to get cozy in there.  Next will be drapes.  Measuring from the ceiling to the floor let me know I need 95 inch drapes.  If the roads are clear on Monday, I'll hop over to Penney's to check out their selection.  If they're not on sale in the store, I'll grab the information and go online where there is a 50% off sale plus 20% with any type of payment.  Going through ebates will net me another 9% off which will bring the cost down to just over 26.00 a panel for a panel that was originally priced at $70.00.  The ones I'm looking at are lined in white.  White is the only color that can appear in the windows from the street. (Home Owner Rules)  I don't mind it because the look is consistent.  Our neighborhood is small and multiple colors would definitely look unbalanced and not so clean.

Things got moved around already.  To fill the empty space
in the jut out part I placed the organizers that were previously
next to the bookcase and desk.

The couch is a bit bigger than a love seat, but smaller
than a regular couch.  It also opens up to a sleeper.
(Double) Marley photo bombed the picture. 

On the list is also another lamp for the small side table.  I'm hoping Marshall's still has a matching lamp to the one that's on the bookcase.  The last thing will be a medium size television so Marley and I can watch our videos.  I'm looking into a 'smart' TV which has Netflix and METV access built in.  I have heard rumors that those devices can spy on a person in the room.  I don't know how true that is.  Well, no matter.  There's time to make a decision.

MONDAY

After prayer time I began watching a couple of the ladies I follow on yoo toob.  Before coffee!  Bad idea because one of the videos was extremely motivational.  By 9 AM I had a dining area that was scrubbed down from the floor on up.  I washed the chairs and table base, then went on to the table top.  The floor and baseboards are now clean, as well.  I just realized the ceiling light didn't get cleaned so when I'm done writing I will wipe that down as well.  The chair seats have also been cleaned with upholstery cleaner and are in the middle of drying out.

The chair seats need to dry before they are returned to
the appropriate position.  When they're dry I'll clean off the residue
with a cleaning brush to remove the dried up dirt.

Since everything is smelling nicely I opened the living room window to air out the living area.  The sun is shining and the air is crisp.  Just the right combination to kill germs.

Later this morning the plan is to go to Penney's to check out the drapes for the office.  I did a bit of research on smart TVs and I think I'll pass on a TV in the office room.  Samsung has a privacy policy that literally tells you they collect data from your device AND the TV is capable of listening to conversations in your home.  I don't talk much anyway, but I also like to think my home is my private area,  So, I'm taking a pass on that one.  It's an invasion of privacy to be on the computer and that's enough for me.

Here's a link to Samsung's privacy policy.  Note the verbiage is soft, mentioning third parties.  No thank you.    http://www.samsung.com/us/common/privacy.html

Stay safe. 

The Hoarders Show. A Love Hate Relationship

I began watching the hoarder shows again because I am getting lazy in this heat.  Those shows continue to motivate me to leave the lazy zone and join in the active zone.  I thought I was being lazy, but blood work revealed anemia.  Even though meat is not my favorite food, I have been trying hard to consume a little each day.  I sure hope bologna counts as a source for meat.

The only surface in my home I wouldn't advise a person to eat off is in the bathroom.  I have cleaned floors, walls, sinks, toilets, counters, tubs and showers, windows, patio, and most everything else with the exception of the couch, which will be next.  All I needed was a motivational video!


During the process I moved items around to bring a fresh feel to some rooms.  I changed out the back of the powder room toilet to reflect the warmer weather and changed the top of the refrigerator to reflect the same. I have decided to go with the 'if it brings joy' philosophy.  As an example:  I feel a smile when I see the tin I turned into a toilet paper holder, but not the flower arrangement I put together to sit next to it.  The arrangement served a purpose at the time, a purpose I no longer need.  The arrangement will be donated to a young lady that is trying to get a comfortable home put together for her children.  If there is someone who can enjoy the item, them the six dollars I spent on making it is not a waste of resources.

I really wish I was better at photos.  This arrangement is so much
more charming than the photo reveals.  For the summer months
I'm repurposing the paper roll holder to display soaps and
paper hand towels.  The cap is tucked behind the tin.

The large tin rooster appears to be proud that he is taller
than anyone else.  In winter months he has a spot on the
counter in front of the glass jars.

The next thing I'd like to talk about is nature.  Nature thinks about every detail of recycling.  A tree grows from a seed that came from a tree.  Then in the fall it drops leaves to protect the soil and the leaves decompose to create new and enriched soil.  This cycle is true for all vegetation.  The foods we eat can be fully recycled, as well.  A chicken lays eggs that provide protein.  The shells can be washed and pulverized to provide calcium for the soil used to grow food.  The chicken is roasted to provide the first meal.  Then an additional meal can be formed with the left overs, say - chicken salad or chicken and gravy.  The bones go into a pot with bits of meat on them, throw in a few veggies and soup is another meal.  The bones can then be retrieved to provide stock that's used to create gravies and other soups.  The only thing that's discarded is the bones, but only if you don't want to treat a cat.

I'm enamored with the cycle of natural things.  Who of us could have provided such a complete removal system? 

Stay safe.

What do Bedding and House Hunting Have in Common? Not Much

What a lovely morning in this part of the USA.  The sun is shining with no humidity, after 4 days of down pours and showers.  The continued rain has my yard looking like a jungle.  I cut the grass the evening before the rain started, yet it looks like it hasn't been tended to in weeks.  As soon as the drying sun moves to the grassy area, it will be clipped and tended to this morning.  The spinach that has gone to seed will be pulled to make room for the melon plant that's peeking through the soil.  I will also replant a bunch of bean seeds so I can get at least a few plants from the seeds. 

The tomato plants are flourishing in the front yard pots, which is exciting.  They were too heavy to move when the rains began and I hoped and prayed they wouldn't get water logged and die on me.  The plants that are potted in the back yard were easily moved to below the eves to protect them from too much rain. The rain was coming down so hard for a day that it looks like it battered the dill plants.  I'll play the waiting game before I decide to pull them to see if they recover.

I read an article this morning about keeping a pantry bug free.  The first thought was I have most things in tight sealing containers.  Then a picture formed in my mind of the boxes of cereal I opened for the grands when they visited.  After breakfast I went to the pantry and threw out the boxes while sealing the inner bags in a food storage bag.  I threw some bay leaves on the floor and was, once again, (but I'm sure temporarily) satisfied.

Yesterday was a gloomy day so I stayed indoors deciding to wash all of the bedding, including the bed skirt.  I thought about how to remove it by myself and came up with using the 'jiggle' method.  I got on my knees and lifted a section of the mattress up with one hand using the other hand to 'jiggle' the skirt down towards the foot of the bed.  Then I went to the other side and repeated the process.  Rinse and repeat until the skirt was free.  I reversed the operation when the skirt went back on the bed.  It would have gone much quicker if there were two people working on the removal, but I did it trying to not think of that and concentrating on the final accomplishment.

The bed spread is a king size so I wasn't sure if my washer could handle it.  It worked fine, but the dryer didn't dry it after two hours.  I spread it on the kitchen table to dry and now it's in the sun on the patio table drying.

When I was making the bed with the clean bedding I began to chuckle to myself.  When the bedding is going on after it's washed the most affable care is taken to remove all wrinkles and make sure the folds are all lined up and done well.  The next day (as well as the following days)  I ignore the wrinkles and just bring up the spread and put the pillows in place.  That's the lazy streak in me rising to the surface. 

The other thing that sticks with me is being imperfect keeps me humble.  Never do I want to get to the point that I feel I can accomplish everything on my own.  I want to always need heavenly support in all I do - no matter how trite the task may seem.  I not only pray often, I offer up my duties and tasks as prayer for those in need.  I have no one in mind, but I figure God knows who is in need.  I'm a retired Italian Catholic woman.  That's what we do as our contribution to society.  Catholic women are known for being able to pray and work at the same time.  I'm proud of that feat.

The made bed (minus the spread that's drying in the sun) the
day the bedding is washed.   Everything nice and neat.  When
the spread is dry I'll take a picture to show you the lazy man
way the bed is put together.  When I'm expecting company
there are more elaborate pillows set up.  These are the ones
I lounge on.

I may be going with my daughter and her family to look at a house this afternoon.  So far the hunt has been unsuccessful, but when they find 'the house' they will know it would be the right one to turn into a home.  The houses she likes tend to reflect the cozy home she grew up in.  I want to say that every time, but I said it once and have been holding a smile back for the rest of them.  The house we are looking at today was individually spotted by S. and her husband.  They sent pictures to each other. 

Stay safe.

Fine Tuning the Organizational Plan

This past week has brought to my attention small areas that needed better organization.  I re organized the files and removed the plastic tabs on the folders.  Maybe it's me, but they never seem to face the same direction plus my handwriting has always had a lot to be desired.

Last week when I went to the dollar store I picked up a package of white labels designed for use on file folders.  I went through each file and removed the plastic tab replacing them with a label placed in the top left corner.  Consistency.  I need consistency.  I feel that I'm being a bit obsessive about organization, but I'm preparing for a time that I may not be as sharp mentally as I currently am.

I'll have to make it a point to remember to grab before pictures
of things.  The tabs were really ugly, but I'm loving this system with
just the labels on the front of the folder.

I told that to my daughter last night and she exclaimed that she hates those plastic tabs, too.  So, I'm not the only one.  Or have I passed down a gene that she may be angry about in the far future?

I also went through the kitchen drawers thinking I would donate anything that I haven't used in a year.  There was nothing I don't use.  The sore spot is the utensil drawer because it seems to be so crowded and messy.  There are dividers in it, but it still didn't seem to be working well.  The small change made in there - after a good cleaning - was the division of items.  Items not used often went in one section, bulkier items, such as the can opener, went in the second section, and commonly used items went to the middle section.  Measuring cups and bulkier items were placed in front of the long dividers.

One of the changes I made in the utensil drawer was to [lace bulky
items going in the opposite direction.  This appears
to be using space more effectively.

The towel drawer is small so I found a way to make space while adding more items in by folding the towels used to dry dishes in fourths then standing them up rather than laying them down like I have for all these years. 

The towels are folded in half, then in half again.  The ends
are brought up to meet in the center, then again.  The two towels
in the front left are the ones I got at Marshall's for 1.50
each.  A great price for a good quality towel.

I moved on to the laundry room displeased with the number of items that were stored in there.  I have a large coat closet that has plenty of hiding room in it so I moved the steam mop and Swiffer in there as well as the drying rack.  It amazes me that it took three years to figure that one out.  Success sometimes takes time, I told myself and moved on.

The laundry room is not glamorous, but it's clean and
functional.  This is where Marley eats, too.

If you remember from a previous post I made a commitment to check out new items at the dollar store each week since one never knows what could be lurking on those shelves.  I'm keeping the commitment.  I found a loaf of Jewish rye bread from an artisan bakery that quickly went into the basket since it was the only one left.  I also found those little clear rubber thingies that are put in a soap dish to save the soap from wasting.  Double sided tape and a nail file cube went in there as well.  The hauls are small and not too exciting, but the weekly trips are very helpful for staying within my budget.  I've waited years for the nail cube because I wasn't willing to pay four or five dollars for one.  I had no problem going without one. 

The seedlings that are in the window are doing well and appear to be growing strong.   The new to me heirloom melon seeds that a friend sent me 3000 miles across the country are a major focus this year because it's the first time I've grown them.   It'll be interesting to watch their maturing cycle.

This tray holds a tomato, marigolds, and a melon plant.

Happy looking tomato plants.  I culled out the weaker ones.

On the left are cucumbers and to the right are melons.

The sun is peeking out so I need to get moving in the garden to remove those tiny pesky weeds.  Remember, if you don't pay rent, you don't live here!

Stay safe.

It's Spring Cleaning Time, Again

This Monday morning has started out cloudy and cold.  The first thing I did after prayer time and the OPC vitamin drink I down each morning was brew a hot cup of coffee.  Hits the spot every time removing the chill in this body of mine.

Breakfast consisted of half a left over grilled cheese sandwich and some left over green beans. (cold)  I added a protein bar because the sandwich and veggies didn't fill me up.  I found I'm in love with Cliff bars, specifically, the peanut butter ones.

 Yesterday morning my daughter's family and I went to Golden Corral for breakfast.  I ate like I had never seen food before.  This kept me filled up for the day with the exception of a Cliff bar for dinner that I shared with Marley.  (just a small piece.)

I spent a couple of hours on Sunday watching videos on yoo toob.  The plan was to watch videos that were about Lottery winners, then watch videos at the other extreme end - about billionaires - to get a feel for people who have been blessed monetarily.  The one about lottery winners was interesting.  There was a group of 16 small town women who worked in a school cafeteria that won 95 million dollars.  Their lives changed little.  The money did not change them.  One of the ladies was more impressed with a garage sale find she got for ten cents than with the lottery winnings.  She and her husband continued to build their home themselves from the ground up.  Her only desire?  A refrigerator with an ice maker!  Now that's class.

There were two men profiled in the video as well.  They were both from NYC and their behavior was quite the opposite.  Each won five million dollars in the early eighties and are currently penniless.  Their money was spent on - you guessed it - limos, alcohol, large homes, drugs, and sex.  I thought this was quite interesting, the opposite reactions to the windfall. 

The billionaire video highlighted men who were hedge fund CEOs.  I'm glad I watched this one because even in this top of the food chain slot are people who are wise and good.  They just happen to have a gift of making money grow.  They admitted; 1)  they didn't need so much money, but continued to work because that's what they do, 2)  would not want their children to grow up thinking life would be handed to them 3)  were concerned about donating money to charity.  This group of billionaires  had little to do with the ones who were flashy and wanted to accumulate toys.  They had little respect for them.  I'm glad I watched this one.  There is a difference in goals and life style even in the billionaire group.  The only difference between this group and us is they have more money.  Just as we would come across materialistic middle class people, they come across materialistic billionaires.

On to this morning's activity.  The house got a bit of a cleaning that is generally done in the spring or fall.  The bathroom fixtures and all of the  lamp shades got a cleaning this morning.  I used the home made orange cleaner to clean the light fixtures and a lint roller from the dollar store to clean the lamp shades.  In just a few minutes the house felt cleaner.  Then all three screens in the house were cleaned with dollar store electronic wipes.  I only have my computer, a TV in the living room and a small one in the bedroom.  Since it seemed like a waste to pitch the cloth after just doing those three items, I cleaned all of the glass on every picture in the living area then followed up cleaning the front of the refrigerator.

A year's worth of built up crud on the bathroom
light fixtures.  The orange cleaner leaves nothing behind.

When the living room and bedroom get cleaned the shades
get dusted.  Who knew all of this dust is left behind?  The cleaning
strategy just changed.  The shades will get the lint roller once a month
from now on.

The plan this afternoon is to wash and break up a head of lettuce.  After it's dried, it will get sealed in a jar for salads during the week.  I bought a block of blue cheese that will be used to make a salad dressing.  I would also like to find a recipe for Italian bread that I can make in the bread maker.  If I accomplish these things, dinner will be a large salad and home made bread.  I guess I can have that for dinner anyway because I have the bread I made last week in the freezer.

For my California pal, look what's popping up out of the soil.  Two centuries old heirloom melons are greeting the world.  I'll transplant these in a couple of days when the plants are a bit more hardy so they can grow into lovely plants.  I'm so looking forward to these melons.  I've saved a spot in the strawberry bed to grow them.

They shall be named Robert and Steven and planted in the same hill.
They better get along!  LOL

 

Saturday was price match day at Wal Mart.  Butter was $1.99, beans, .99 cents a pound, asparagus, 1.99, melon .99 cents each, and iceberg lettuce .99 cents a head.

The total, with tax, was $34.21.  Over $5.00 less than my budget amount.

That's it for today.  I best stop yapping and start working on preserving the lettuce.

Stay safe.