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

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First of all- what is green cleaning? As I see it, green cleaning means using products that are not harmful to your health, the public’s health, and the environment. It means using simple, natural, clean products that work. It means using products that you can feel confident about.

I know some people are hesitant about green cleaning- it’s a big undertaking. It doesn’t have to mean making all your own products, but it does mean considering the ingredients, the manufacturing, the packaging, and the long term environmental effects of the products you use. But trust me- it is simpler than it sounds!

If you’ve clicked this link, I’m assuming that you’re at least a little interested in green cleaning. There are plenty of benefits of green cleaning- more than I can list right now! I can tell you that I haven’t regretted making the switch to green cleaning one bit. It has been so great for me and my family. I definitely love it! So, here are what I think are the top 3 reasons you should be green cleaning:

1. Your health

I can’t be the only one who has felt terrible when using conventional cleaning products. I used to have to take breaks and sit down when scrubbing my shower because the fumes from the products would make me dizzy and give me a headache. You (or your family) shouldn’t ever feel worse because you want a clean home. There’s something very wrong with that picture.

The not-so-great ingredients in conventional cleaning products can range from mild skin irritants, to endocrine disruptors, all the way to full blown carcinogens. You shouldn’t have to wonder whether a cleaning product is going to give you cancer!

Green cleaning means using only products that will not negatively affect your health. In fact, some of them would even be safe to eat (although I wouldn’t recommend it!). Healthy ingredients and healthy products can make you feel confident about what you have in your home.

2. The environment

There are so many different ways that conventional cleaning products can harm the environment- from the manufacturing process, to the way they are packaged, the way they are transported, their ingredients, and how they accumulate in the environment after you use them.

When it comes down to it, you want to be confident about what you are sending down your drain and out into the world. You’re heard the horror stories- especially about aquatic life. Some cleaning products we use can really do a lot of harm to the environment. Simple alternatives are almost always better.

When it comes down to it- all the benefits of green cleaning are connected. If you’re putting less harmful things in your trash and your water, your health will benefit. After all, there’s just about nothing else as important as clean water. Humans, plants, and animals can’t survive without it.

Green cleaning means using products and supplies that are not doing to damage the environment.

3. Saving money

Green also represents money- and that’s no accident. Becoming a green cleaning home can save you real money. Almost all of my green cleaning recipes cost significantly less than their conventional counterparts, like my awesome dishwasher detergent tabs that only cost 9 cents a load!

Cleaning supplies can be costly! They can really eat up a good portion of your household budget if you aren’t careful. And companies that sell cleaning supplies are probably telling you that what you have isn’t enough or that your home wont be clean if you don’t use commercial cleaners. Honestly, it just all adds up.

What if I told you that you can clean pretty much your entire home with some dish soap, baking soda, and vinegar. Sure, I use more than that to make more effective cleaners- but simple is great. And so much less expensive! A little hot water and dish soap go a long way- for your wallet!

Green cleaning does NOT mean breaking the bank to keep your home tidy!

So- are you ready to make the switch?

Then download my free guide- the 5 Step Switch to Green Cleaning! Just click below to sign up and download!

some of my favorite green cleaning supplies

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This week I was popping some veggies in the oven, and I actually took a good look inside for the first time in a while… Gah- it was so dirty! I can’t be the only one who always forgets that the oven is dirty… when the door is closed you don’t see it. And it’s so easy to be distracted while cooking and not actually look at how dirty your oven is.

But I saw it this time. And man was it dirty. I knew I had to come up with a solution.

So I opened my cupboard to check out what ingredients I have- and I decided to whip up the world’s simplest homemade oven cleaner. It only uses 2 ingredients, and it costs less than 25 cents! You really can’t beat that. Plus- it works!

Can you guess the ingredients?

Baking soda and water!

(and essential oils, if you want, it will make it smell amazing!)

You may or may not know how much I love baking soda… but I’m kind of crazy for it. So just why do these two ingredients work?

When you mix them together, they form a paste that is just abrasive enough to remove set in stains while also being gentle enough not to scratch your oven. Baking soda is great at cutting through dirt and grease.

All right, here are the official instructions:

You may or may not appreciate how difficult the burnt in stains are to remove from your oven, but baking soda really did the trick! I had to scrub pretty hard on some of the worst spots, but my homemade oven cleaner did a great job cleaning.

Just check out the before and after below:

What a difference! It’s amazing how effective such a simple combination of ingredients is at cleaning.

I’m so glad my oven is clean now. Next time I open it up, I won’t have to cringe. Together with a round of my awesome granite cleaner, my kitchen is gleaming and clean!

So what do you think- ready to clean that oven? Let me know how this homemade oven cleaner goes for you!

supplies used in this post

The post Homemade Oven Cleaner: Green, Easy, and only 2 Ingredients! appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

When you accidentally spill on your carpet, it’s like you’re watching it in slow motion. And if you’re anything like me, you’re scrambling to fix it! Luckily, I’ve found an easy solution that works every time. It’s all natural, green, and costs less than 30 cents.

My homemade carpet cleaner and this homemade carpet stain remover make the perfect combo! You can easily use both to keep your carpets fresh, clean, and unstained!

All you need to remove a stain is to use the chemical reaction of baking soda and vinegar, and it will lift the stain right up! It’s like magic. It works so well, I was confident enough to stain my own new carpet on purpose to make this video:

And just to make things a little easier, in case you don’t like watching videos, here is how you do it:

Can you believe how easy it is? This carpet is my favorite in our home, and I use it all the time because it’s in my office, which is my favorite room in the house. I wouldn’t risk it unless I KNEW I could get the stain out for sure. This stain remover works for me every single time.

And, let’s admit it, it’s fun to make baking soda and vinegar react and fizzle. That’s just an added bonus.

Well, what do you think? Try this out at home and let me know how it goes for you!

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Since switching to a green cleaning home, I never feel sick or dizzy after cleaning. My cleaning products don’t give me a headache. I don’t worry if my dog licks up a tiny bit of spilled cleaner. I don’t worry if I accidentally get cleaners on my skin. I don’t worry about my impact on the environment. And that’s not to mention the money I’ve saved on cleaning products.

Switching to green cleaning was one of the best decisions I’ve made! So if you want to love your cleaning routine as much as I do, follow my top 3 principles of a green cleaning home.

Principle 1: Use effective cleaners and methods

Green cleaning shouldn’t take any more time or effort than your usual cleaning routine.

After all, are you really going to switch to green cleaning if it is harder or your home won’t be as clean? I didn’t think so. Well, you don’t need to worry about that.

Just because you’re getting rid of a lot of the chemicals in your cleaners doesn’t mean they shouldn’t work just as well! Green cleaning operates under the assumption that simple is better- and I’ve generally found that to be true. With just a few basic ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, borax, rubbing alcohol, and a little dish soap, I can clean my entire home.

Believe it or not, I often find the green cleaning products I make are actually more effective than the ones I used to buy! And they never make me feel sick or icky either. Definitely a win-win!

Principle 2: Use non-harmful and non-toxic products

The goal of green cleaning is that your cleaning routine shouldn’t harm humans or the environment.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it needs to be said. Your cleaning products shouldn’t harm your health, your home, or the environment.

I like to stick to a few basic ingredients and keep my cleaners pH neutral when I can. If I do end up buying a cleaner or researching an ingredient I’m not familiar with, I always reference the EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning.

Remember, everything you send down the drain or into a landfill ends up back in the water table eventually. If you wouldn’t want trace amounts of it in your drinking water, don’t use it. If you know it will harm aquatic life, don’t use it. If you know it will do ecological harm, don’t use it.

Principle 3: Minimize waste and maximize resourcefulness

Green cleaning isn’t just about the products you use- it’s also about how you clean. 

Even if you clean your whole house with baking soda and vinegar- you may not be being a green cleaner! It’s hard to believe- but having a green cleaning home extends to more than just the ingredients and products you clean with.

If you use an entire paper towel roll to clean your bathroom- that’s not exactly ideal. If you use plastic bottles with BPA in them to store your cleaners, that’s not ideal either. You want to keep these things in mind as well.

I swear by my microfiber cleaning cloths. I only use reusable washable cleaning supplies- like my refillable bona mop or my reusable microfiber duster. Whenever we finish with a glass jar, I save it to store cleaning supplies in. Same goes for spray bottles- spray bottles are my favorite. Reusable things are your friends!

What do you think of these 3 principles? If you’re ready to make the switch to green cleaning, check out my free guide:

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Everyone loves convenience. There’s nothing more convenient than just reaching for a wipe and cleaning up a mess. But I always hate throwing them away- it feels so wasteful. So I came up with a solution: reusable cleaning wipes! These wipes are totally green, effective, and washable! Plus they dispense like a dream. I can’t get enough of them. AND the solution that I use to make the wipes cleaning and disinfecting only costs 50 cents.

So I’m ending green cleaning month with a bang! Today I’m sharing with you my favorite green cleaning recipe this month. It is kind of a combo cleaning recipe/ super easy DIY that you green fans will LOVE!

I knew if I wanted my green cleaning wipes to be convenient enough for me, they would have to dispense like kleenex- with the next wipe automatically popping out as you pull the first one out. Well, I’ve made it happen. These reusable cleaning wipes have all the convenience and effectiveness I was looking for! (and if you love convenience… you’ll love my odor eliminator tabs!)

Whats in them you ask? Just great green ingredients that clean, disinfect, and won’t harm your health.

Ingredients:

• Rubbing alcohol: disinfects, prevents bacteria or fungal growth on wipes when not in use, gives a streak free clean
• Borax: kills bacteria and fungi, dissolves dirt and grime
• Baking Soda: dissolves dirt and grime, deodorizes icky smells
• Dish soap: for a little extra bang and dirt dissolving power
• Essential oils: (optional) for fragrance (I used orange)

Supplies:

• Microfiber cloths: to use as the actual wipes
• Tupperware large enough to fit your folded wipes
• A knife: to cut the top of your tupperware so cloths can dispense

Okay! So here is a graphic explaining how I folded the cloths properly. I learned the method from Measuring Flower. I alternated yellow and blue colors to help you understand how they fold.

Essentially, the key is to overlap cloths. You should always place another cloth before folding the one before it, alternating which side you place them on.

And if that graphic doesn’t work for you, I also made a video! This was my first attempt at a video so I hope you like it!

I swear it is simpler than it looks! Once you understand the pattern, folding will be a breeze.

The next step is to cut this shape into the top of your selected tupperware:

I used my trusty cutco scissors to do it, but a knife would work as well. If you have a tendency to scrape yourself you might want to make the corners rounded, but the way they dispense shouldn’t leave you having to stick your fingers in it.

Okay, now that you know how to fold the cloths properly, I’ll share the all purpose cleaning solution I use for them!

DIY Reusable Cleaning Wipes

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups hot water
• 3 tablespoons rubbing alcohol
• 1/2 tsp borax
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 5-10 drops essential oils (optional)

Instructions:

1. Add the baking soda and borax to the hot water and stir until they dissolve. Next, add the alcohol and the essential oils
2. Pour the cleaning solution over the reusable wipes while in their tupperware container
3. Wipe away, and just toss in the washer when you’re done

These wipes are seriously my favorite DIY! I think they are BRILLIANT and they have been working so well for me. I love that I can just pull one up when I need to, and then just toss it in the hamper when I’m done.

I love convenience. I really think green cleaning should be convenient, because if it isn’t, you will fall back on bad habits.

If you love convenience, you’ll also love my homemade dusting spray which prevents buildup of additional dust and makes less cleaning time for you!

I’ve been using these cleaning wipes so much, I think I’m going to need to get a bigger tupperware for it. And even more cloths! I love that they just pop up when you’re ready.

If I had an empty wet wipes container, I would definitely use that. So if you do have one- it’s a great solution for this DIY.

What do you think? Let me know how making your own reusable cleaning wipes go for you!

supplies used in this post

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Most of us have at least a few articles of clothing that need to be dry cleaned. All that dry cleaning really adds up- especially if it is something you wear a lot! If you’re just sending stuff to the dry cleaner to be pressed and starched, the good news is- you can do it at home for about $1. Oh, and that $1 will last you at least 20 articles of clothing. This green, easy, DIY spray starch is not harmful to the environment or your health!

Enter DIY spray starch! It is inexpensive, easy to make, and most importantly- effective! And it isn’t limited just to dry clean only clothes. I also like to use it to help with some shirts that just always seem to wrinkle, even if I don’t let it sit in a pile of clean laundry for a long time (whoops).

Not to mention all the chemicals you are avoiding! Some of the stuff that dry cleaners use are WAY more harmful than you think. Perchloroethylene- or perc for short- is a carcinogen, and is one of the most commonly used dry cleaning chemicals. It is not only harmful to you when it’s on your clothes, but also the dry cleaners that handle and breathe it in. You may not be exposed to levels that will cause cancer- but it is also known to cause headaches, impair vision, and motor skills. Let’s just all agree that it’s better to avoid it!!

I thought this DIY spray starch would make a great addition to Green Cleaning Month!

For this DIY, you will need:

• Hot Water
• Corn Starch
• Essential oils (optional)

And that’s it! Gotta love simplicity!

So how do you make it? I’ll tell you!

I always recommend using a little test patch before you use this on an entire garment- I can’t see why it would be a problem, but better safe than sorry.

Some other DIY spray starch tutorials I’ve seen tell you to boil the water, but I found that unnecessary. The corn starch dissolved perfectly well for me in hot (not boiling) water. Less work is always preferred for me, and a little shaking or stirring is easier than boiling.

I have found this starch to do a good job! The only downside is you need to give it a little time to dry, since it is water based. But still- for the price, and because it is only natural healthy ingredients, I really can’t complain.

If you’re a fan of this DIY, you should definitely check out my homemade laundry detergent tabs!

Let me know how making your own spray starch goes for you!

supplies used in this post

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There’s nothing I love more than a clean, clear, window. Natural light really transforms a space. But dirty, smudgy windows and glass can really make a room look sloppy! Even if you do clean them regularly, it’s hard to find a good smudge-free glass cleaner. Well, I’ve found it, and it’s green, easy, and costs less than $2 to make.

Windex does work really well, but I’m generally wary of any cleaning products that are a color and have a strong scent. Windex scores a D on the EWG’s guide to healthy cleaning– at minimum it causes skin and respiratory irritation, and its ingredients are terrible for aquatic life. It has two of my least favorite things in a cleaner- dye and artificial fragrance. I think we can agree that it’s just not something I feel comfortable using in my home- and with such a good alternative, why would you?

With only three ingredients, this homemade glass cleaner is so easy to make. It works on any type of glass- windows, mirrors, glass doors, etc. It’s super effective and streak free, every time. And it’s not causing you any negative health effects and you know EXACTLY what’s in it. Plus, it’s way cheaper than windex!

If you like this green cleaning recipe for homemade glass cleaner- check out my other recipes for green cleaning month!

I like to explain why I use each ingredient in my cleaning recipes. After all, if you know what’s in your cleaners, you should also know why they are there!

Ingredients:

• Rubbing alcohol: Disinfects and evaporates quickly for that streak free shine
• Vinegar: Great at removing dirt and smudges
• Dish soap: For just a little extra kick to remove dirt and smudges
• Essential oils (optional): for scent (I used lemon in this recipe)

Ready for the recipe?

Want to see just how great it is? My dog loves pressing his nose right on the sliding glass windows to watch passerby and always leaves smudges. I used this glass cleaner and the smudges were gone! At least until he put his nose up on the glass again 10 minutes later…

I just love a good green cleaning recipe that is super effective. You may not believe how great this cleaner is, but the alcohol really does make it streak free every time. I just love it!

I can’t get enough of my shiny clean windows and mirrors!

Let me know how making your own homemade glass cleaner goes for you!

supplies used in this post

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