Showing posts with label clean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clean. Show all posts

Monday, February 4, 2013

is it spring, yet?


because i got my spring clean on.
and its just want you wanted to read about on monday morning, right?
how i clean?
prob not, but too bad.
because it made me feel very very good about myself and my house. well, so far, just my kitchen. but one room at a time.

and my house is officially "toxic-gross-cleaner" free.
i have used them up and will not purchase any more. ever.

i've scratched the surface about how i've been slowly kicking chemicals out of my house and my food and my morning routine before. you could read more here and here, and i have lots more changes/updates but that's another day.
this was the last phase and i'm never going back.

so what do you do? you ask.

i use baking soda, peroxide and vinegar.

that's it.
read about all you'll ever need to clean your house, here.
it's where i finally got the kick in the pants to get this done.
now or never.


and with just these two things, i got my kitchen cleaner than it ever has been.
(i used the vinegar on the hardwood floors.)
all done with minimal effort and time.
huh?
yep. and ZERO toxic chemical smell or health hazards for me. my husband. my dog.
(2/3 of those things are used in food!)

first i went to the grocery and bought all new bottles of all 3.
i had some of each, but i wanted these to be kept under the sink for the sole purpose of cleaning.
they were around $2 each, give or take.
then i stopped by the section where they have all the travel sized shampoo and toothpaste, etc.
they had empty spray bottles for $3, so i got 2 of those (making sure they'd fit on my vinegar and peroxide bottles.)
i also got a sponge, which i hate for their bacteria hosting skillz, but it was made of all plant products... and i used it in the kitchen for a deep clean, and now i'm going to use it to clean the bathrooms tonight and then toss.

when i got home, i got started.

i have quartz countertops and i just sprayed them down with peroxide and wiped them up with paper towels. sprayed the window with it. wiped with a paper towel, sparkling. on both the counters and the windows, not a streak to be found.

then i moved onto the kitchen sink.
its stainless steel and always feels a little dingey to me.

i sprayed it down with peroxide. let it sit for a few minutes.
then sprayed again and sprinkled some baking soda all around, on both sides.
i used an old kitchen scrubber to... scrub.
rinsed with water, and it shined like i haven't seen it in the 3.5 years we've been living there.
entirely gross and amazingly awesome at the very same time!

then i moved to the appliances.
they're all white thus they get a little dingey, too.
it happens when cooking grease and junk and hands and dirt combine and its inevitable.

clorox kitchen clean-up, which is what i used to use, never got that legit grime junk off.

this did:


i put a little baking soda on a plate.


then i sprayed it down with peroxide.


then i pre-sprayed the area i was focused on with peroxide, smooshed this stuff into my sponge and went at it... it doesn't even take serious scrubbing. just a mild to moderate rub.

your paste will get a little dry so each time you re-apply it to your sponge, just spray it down with more peroxide. you'll have to rinse everything with a clean, watered down sponge or run it under water like i did with the knobs, to get the baking soda off once clean.

but this mixture, it got it. all. off.
i am so happy. i had high hopes, but was seriously not expecting this.



and this is the only before/after photo i have for you because i was on a roll and didn't think about doing this until the very very end. i wish i would have sooner. just for that gallon of satisfaction that it brings.

the inside of my microwave.

the (now) white handles on my fridge and freezer.

the entire surface of my gas range/stove.

clean.
holler.


i dare you to try it.


JILL


Friday, January 7, 2011

disaster area

after the whirlwind of the holidays- in and out of the house, and traveling for work... my house is one hot mess.





suitcases with clothes still in them from 2 days ago (don't judge) in the living room, laundry piling up, crafts and clutter taking up residence on my dining room table, dust, christmas decor that is half taken down.... d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r.














i am taking inspiration from these clean bright spaces to get my act together this weekend.














(i am especially loving this white kitchen with gold hardware! i am really into gold and brass right about now. silver who?)


now you know what i'll be doing on this fine january weekend :)
any big plans for yourself?

JILL


{images from windsor smith, jonathan adler, domino, little green notebook, martha stewart, desire to inspire, stephanie stokes, glamlamb, shelter, pink wallpaper, elle decor, coco + kelley, everything fab, elodie rambaud}

Monday, October 18, 2010

back to basics


jenna lyons home


the simplicity of each of these photos is what i am after.



via j.crew





clean. simple. neutral. finished. everything i feel i am not right now...

xoxo
elle.

source of most images unknown. if you know where i got them please let me know ;)

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

closet envy.



some people prefer to clean out their closets after the new year as a sort of "out with the old, fresh start" feeling. that doesn't work for me because you are still in the middle of a season. and how depressing to get yourself all excited about spring when there are still 4 more months of winter left.


via domino


via domino



nicky hilton via decor pad




anna sui's closet



if only i had a grand place to keep all of my clothes. somewhere with a spot for every shirt, every shoe, every piece of jewelry, and every sock. somewhere where my clothes could breathe.


tory burch for vogue via studio ten 25





and somewhere with a place to sit and think as i choose my outfits.


carrie's closet


eva longoria's closet via young house love





mariah carey's closet


jenna lyon's closet


kelly wearstler dressing room via falls design



jenna lyons via vintage mint

boy do i have my work cut out for me.

xoxo
elle.


instead my things get pushed and shoved in corners of drawers, on top of shelves and in baskets where they may never see the light of day again. ugh, it has to change...not that it matters now since everything i own is still in my suitcase or thrown across the bedroom floor.



these next few weeks feel like the perfect time to realistically evaluate what i wear. and to be honest i hold on to things way too long because you just never know when something you haven't worn for 2 years might just be the perfect thing for your night out...and you have discovered some fabulous new way to wear it.


ellen rakieten closet for elle decor via decor pad

for me, the beginning of fall is the perfect time for closet clean out. it may be because when i was growing up mom made each of us do a closet clean out before school started in the fall. she would pull each item of clothing out of our closet and ask us if we still liked it, if we still wore it and if it still fit. i loved this process, unlike my brothers who threw a total fit every year, because i knew it meant some fun new school clothes!