Friday homekeeping post

I put this cleaning kit together about six months ago when I started the project of cleaning my way through Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook you can read a little more about it here. The chapter of the book titled, Cleaning products 101, goes over all you need to select the proper cleaning products and streamline what you keep under the sink. You will learn about the PH scale and the healthiest options for household use. It is suggested that your universal cleaning kit have the following:

• An all purpose cleaner, such as Mrs. Meyer's, or a solution of 2 tablespoons mild dish washing liquid, such as ivory, and 2 cups water in a spray bottle


• A mildly abrasive cleanser, such as Bon Ami - Bon Ami was always in our home when I was a child, I used to take the little chick sticker off the top and save them on the side of my dresser


• Glass cleaner, or a solution of 1 part white vinegar and 1 part water in a spray bottle


• Rubber gloves


• lint-free white cloths


• Medium-bristle scrub brush

My kit has been adapted slightly; in addition I keep the following:

• I keep a solution of Murphy's Oil Soap in an old dish detergent bottle for quick clean-up on the hard wood floors.


• I have a mason jar of baking soda - three parts warm water to 1 part baking soda makes a nice mild scrub


• Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap to fill up the hand soap dispensers around the house. Put a little in one of those lathering soap dispensers with water and it stretches like crazy!


• I do use Mrs. Meyer's - the fragrances are amazing. I would bath in the dish soap.


• I do keep paper towels in the caddy. I try to use my washable towels whenever I can, but in a house with three kids, two dogs, a cat, two turtles, and some chickens there are going to be times when a paper towel is needed.

This gets all the everyday cleaning done, of course there are special jobs that require something specific - I'll cover a couple of those as they pop up.