The holidays are coming fast! I always get nervous about having people in my home for the holidays. Especially at this busy time of year, things get messy and disorganized quickly. In my dream world I would have days and hours to clean everything up, but I usually only have a short time to fit it in. There are a few sure fire things I do to prep my house for guests to make it visitor ready in 30 minutes or less.

This list is prioritized in the order that tasks should be done. The first few make the biggest difference, so if you have a limited amount of time you can focus on doing as much cleaning as you can in order. Make it through as many steps as you can in 30 minutes.

You can also tweak the order to suit your needs. If your house is one major dust ball, you can always move that up higher on the list, and the same applies to any of these. Although I do always recommend starting with “manage the clutter” because it makes the biggest difference.

If you do it right, you’ll be able to fake a super clean and guest-ready home in 30 minutes!

1. Manage the clutter

Do you know why all the awesome decor pictures in magazines and on Pinterest always look amazing?

No clutter.

There’s no papers strewn about, or toys on the floor. No empty glasses are left sitting on the coffee table, and no board games are sitting out half finished on the kitchen table. Surfaces and floors are clear of clutter.

To me, this is the step that makes the biggest difference. When all your clutter is out of sight, your house will look at least 50% cleaner.

So the first thing you should do is gather all the clutter in any areas guests will be, and put them in some kind of box or basket. A laundry basket can work well for this. And then put the basket out of sight, in a closet or in a corner of the room.

And voila, your house will appear magically cleaner!

And think broadly in terms of what you can consider clutter. Even if you usually have 10 jackets hanging on the hooks by the front door, those can be put away for guests. The same goes for shoes. Entryways are always important to have extra room when guests come, because their things will end up adding to whatever clutter is there already.

This isn’t a long term solution, just a quick fix. In general if you specify a location that every item in your home belongs, you’ll find you have much less clutter. Maintenance is usually the easiest way to keep your home guest ready.

2. First impressions

First impressions matter!

Whatever the first impression of your home is will affect how comfortable your guests feel in your entire home. If you make the first impression positive, they will think the rest of the house is cleaner. Psychology is strange, but it works.

So consider what your guests will see first, and make sure that space is clutter free and clean. For me the biggest thing is my kitchen island, which you can see from the front door. Keeping it clean and clear of debris and any clutter makes the entire house feel cleaner. Even something as simple as moving a recipe print out from the island to the counter makes it feel cleaner.

3. Sweep and vacuum

It’s amazing what a difference it makes to have clean floors. Your home could be covered in clutter, or spills on the counters, and as long as your floors are clean, it won’t feel icky or dirty.

If your guests come in and take their shoes off, they don’t want to be stepping on yesterday’s crumbs (all though I’ll admit I’ve been guilty of this at times!) Walking on a floor that doesn’t have any dust or crumbs makes you feel like the house is clean, no matter what else is going on.

For us one of the major floor messes is dog toy stuffing. Our pup likes to tear up his toys faster than we have the energy to pick up all the fluff. Just getting the fluff off the floor makes the house look and feel much cleaner.

So even if your floors aren’t amazingly gleaming and shiny, just getting dust and debris off will make a huge difference. Walking on a clean floor is a sure way to make your guests feel comfortable. I’m in love with our dyson vacuum which makes vacuuming go so quickly.

4. Tackle odors

Smell is such a powerful sense. A house can look clean, but if it doesn’t smell nice, nothing else matters. Luckily smells can be a pretty quick fix.

Scented candles, a quick spritz of some homemade febreeze, or simmering some apples and cinnamons on the stove can make a big difference.

5. Clean all surfaces

Do a quick wipe down of surfaces in rooms your guests will see. Clean up bathroom and kitchen countertops, and also wipe down any coffee or side tables. A quick cleaning will make such a big difference. My reusable cleaning wipes are perfect for this.

I think the bathrooms make the biggest difference. When there is no dust and hair all over the place, it feels so much cleaner. Getting the toothpaste gunk off the sink really just makes it look that much better.

Clean surfaces will make your guests feel comfortable to rest their hands or arms on surfaces. After all, there’s nothing that feels ickier than accidentally placing your hand on something sticky. Clean surfaces are the way to go.

6. Dust major areas

If you have time to make it to this step, your house will already be looking almost guest ready. Dusting is just a little extra bonus to your hosting-friendly home.

Hopefully your house isn’t super dusty, but if it is make sure to give it a little extra oomph with homemade dusting spray.

You know best where dust collects in your house. Focus on visible areas (don’t worry about tackling the top of the kitchen cabinets this very second). If you have time to, dusting the baseboards will make your house feel so much cleaner. But that’s really just icing on the cake.

7. Mop floors

Nothing says clean like a good shine! Taking a few minutes to mop and shine wood, laminate, and tile floors will make your guests think that your house is the height of cleanliness. I make an awesome homemade wood floor cleaner that really gives it an awesome shine.

If you make it all the way to step 7, your house will be spic and span. Or, at least your guests will think it is. They don’t need to see the giant box of clutter in the closet, right?

Anyways, this last step will give your house that extra boost. Shiny floors are the ultimate “this house is so clean” message. The look and feel of them is so inviting.

So there you have it! Use these steps to get your house guest-ready in 30 minutes or less. No one has to know how messy you really are, right?

Enjoy hosting!

My favorite cleaning supplies

The post Cleaning for the Holidays in 30 Minutes or Less appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

I love me some baking soda. It has so many great uses around the home. We all know its obvious use- for baking! But it goes so much farther than that. I use it for at least half of my cleaning. It also makes a great addition to many beauty recipes. Is there anything baking soda can’t do?

Baking soda has so many great benefits. It’s a great all purpose cleaner. It deodorizes smells naturally. It can counteract fungus. It can remove grease and rust. It is a gentle exfoliant for the skin. It is also a great gentle cleanser for the skin. And to top all those things off, it is safe to ingest and is non-toxic. It is pretty much everything I look for in a green ingredient. That’s probably why I find myself using it so often!

So, let’s get to some of the awesome ways you can use baking soda around the house and in your beauty routine.

Household Uses

1. Washing Soda

Washing soda is a very useful ingredient. It is a great compliment to baking soda in many green cleaning recipes. Well- you don’t have to buy it! You can make it yourself with only some baking soda and an oven.

2. Homemade Febreeze

Everyone needs a little spray deodorizer once in a while. It’s nice to freshen up smells sometimes. Well instead of using toxic febreeze, you can make your own with the deodorizing power of baking soda.

3. Laundry Detergent Tabs

It’s cheap and easy to make your own laundry detergent tabs. They do the job just as well as the store-bought kind, and they are safe and healthy! Thanks again, baking soda.

4. Toilet Fizz Bombs

With only 3 ingredients you can quickly deodorize smelly toilets in between washes. These are easy and inexpensive to make- and the fizz is so fun to watch!

5. All Purpose Cleaner

You may be seeing a trend here… but making your own all purpose cleaner avoids the toxic ingredients in the ones you can buy in stores. This stuff is easy, inexpensive, and effective. What more could you want?

6. Dishwasher Detergent Tabs

For only 9 cents a load you can make these awesome dishwasher detergent tabs. I think they work better than any other dishwasher detergent I’ve tried- especially when combined with a vinegar rinse!

Beauty Uses

7. Coconut Lavender Moisturizing Exfoliator

Coconut and lavender will make you feel relaxed when you use this scrub. Great for the face or the body- it will leave you smelling amazing!

8. Honey Cinnamon Exfoliator

Honey, cinnamon, and lemon oil make this face scrub acne friendly. Baking soda gives it the cleaning and exfoliating powder. This stuff smells so good you might try to eat it- and it’s healthy enough that if you did you wouldn’t get sick!

9. Washing Your Hair Without Shampoo

Believe it or not- shampoo can get your scalp out of balance and make you produce more grease. Using baking soda, through the no poo method, will help you fix your scalp and use less toxic ingredients to boot!

10. Soothing Chamomile Foot Scrub

Dry winter months cause dry cracked heels, unfortunately. Give your feet a little love and exfoliate them with this easy three ingredient scrub. The camomile will help you relax, as well.

Try out a few of these awesome uses for baking soda and let me know how it goes for you!

The post 10 Amazing Household and Beauty Uses for Baking Soda appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

If you like this post, you should also check out Homemade Febreeze and Homemade Green Window Cleaner.

Wouldn’t it be great if everyone had the time and energy to dust all the surfaces in their home on a daily basis? It would be pretty awesome. But, unfortunately, it’s not gonna happen. So the next best thing you can do is use a spray that will help prevent dust.

Everyone loves pledge right? There’s no doubt it works. Problem is- the ingredient list is kind of scary: Isoparaffin, Dimethicone, Octylphosphonic Acid, Nitrogen, Polysorbate 80, Sorbitan Oleate, Polydimethylsiloxane, Aminomethyl Propanol, Fragrance from SC Johnson Fragrance Palette, Proprietary Thickening Agent, Methylisothiazolinone. Are these really necessary ingredients for cleaning? I don’t think so. These ingredients range from mild skin irritants to possible carcinogens. Definitely something you want to avoid.

Well, what if I told you you could make this at home, and it is just as effective, has no harmful ingredients, and less expensive?  Pretty much a win-win situation. One batch only costs 42 cents to make.

All the ingredients serve a purpose, and are non-toxic:

• Vinegar: Great all purpose cleaner
• Olive Oil: Helps prevent dust for settling
• Lemongrass Essential Oil*: Anti-bacterial, repels insects, smells awesome

*Other great oil options include: lemon, lavender, peppermint, cinnamon, tea tree, and orange, among others. Anything that is anti-bacterial with a nice scent will work.

The recipe is ridiculously simple.

This stuff works like a charm. You will still have to dust on a regular basis, but this dusting spray will make it less often.

There’s something about the smell of lemongrass that I just love. I chose it because it is anti-bacterial, repels insects, and I wanted a change from using my standard cleaning oil of plain lemon.  I really can’t get enough of the scent.

With the vinegar- it’s really more than just a dusting spray. It also makes a decent all-purpose cleaner if you are in a pinch. (And if you aren’t, check out my Natural All Purpose Cleaner with Free Printable Label).

With the olive oil and lemongrass essential oil, it has a pretty yellowish color in the bottle. Don’t worry- it sprays clear onto surfaces and won’t stain. The olive oil is also great for wood because it helps it maintain moisture and keep its stain.

It’s easy to dust with a microfiber duster or cloth. I opt for a cloth because it’s multi-purpose. It’s also important to shake the bottle before use. It’s a step that can’t be ignored. You gotta make sure the oil and water mix up. You can also use it with a homemade reusable microfiber duster– you really can’t go wrong with it.

Try making your own dusting spray and let me know how it goes!

Don’t forget to check out how to make a reusable washable duster without sewing!

Supplies Used In This Post

The post Homemade Dusting Spray appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

Are you sick of feeling like you need to wear a mask so you don’t breathe in the chemicals from your cleaning products? Are you sick of spending money on expensive cleaners? Are you sick of using products and chemicals that can negatively affect the environment and the health of you and your family?

Then this is the guide for you.

Having the desire to switch to green cleaning is one thing, but it can feel overwhelming. The good thing is- you don’t have to do it all at once. That’s I wanted to write a guide that could hopefully break down green cleaning into easy baby steps to make the switch as easy as possible.

And let me tell you- green doesn’t just mean good for the environment. It means good for your wallet too. I save at least $20 a month making my own cleaners instead of buying them from a store. Double score.

So, here are 5 easy steps for you to switch to green (environmentally and financially!) cleaning:

1. Acquire basic supplies

The good thing about green cleaning is that it is pretty simple- and you only need a few basic things. Most cleaning recipes use the same 4 or 5 ingredients. So the first step in a gradual switch to green cleaning is to just acquire the basic supplies. You probably already have most of them in the house, and the rest you can just add to a grocery list or get on amazon. Easy peasy.

So here are the absolute basic supplies you will want to start:

• Baking Soda
• White Distilled Vinegar
• Liquid Castile Soap
• Microfiber towels
• Empty spray bottles (reuse if you can!)

If you want to go a little more than basic, you might also want:

• Essential oils (recommended: lemon, peppermint, and lavender)
• Borax
• Washing Soda (you can buy it or make your own from baking soda)
• Lemons or lemon juice
• Olive oil
• A refillable spray mop
• Kosher salt

Once you have the basics on hand, you will be ready for step number two!

2. Make one cleaner at a time

Switching to green cleaning can feel daunting. But it’s not an all-or-nothing thing. You only have to work on one recipe at a time.

I got started with green cleaning with my all natural hardwood floor cleaner recipe. And I’ve been switching one cleaner at a time since then.

Don’t make yourself feel bad if you don’t have time to make a new green cleaner every time you clean something new in the house. It might be good to start out making an all purpose green cleaner so you can do all your basic jobs with it. But if you have to fall back on a commercial cleaner when you are starting out, that’s totally ok. It’s a gradual switch.

Which brings us to the next step:

(continued on the next page)

The post How do I get started switching to green cleaning? 5 easy steps appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.