S.K. Derban's Blog, page 13
September 12, 2014
Homemade Natural Disinfectant Cleaner – and more!
When I first decided to finally switch from using toxic chemicals to clean our home, I made mistake after mistake. The spray bottles did not work, the products did not work, and I purchased unnecessary ingredients. Hopefully, my previous mistakes will save you time, money and frustration.
I prefer using the clear glass, four ounce spray bottles available from specialtybottle.com and essential oils from mountainroseherbs.com. Although there are many online recipes for natural disinfectant cleaners, here is the recipe for the one that works the best for us:
12 drops grapefruit essential oil
8 drops lemon essential oil
12 drops rosemary essential oil
4 ounces distilled water
We label this solution G.L.R., and use it on our porcelain and granite surfaces. Although the disinfecting results have not been tested, all of my research indicates that the combination of essential oils act as a natural disinfectant.
The final information for the Divide and Conquer cleaning system concerns the jobs that were mentioned as being saved for a later date:
Windows – We clean our own windows rather than use a service, and typically complete this job once annually. Try and do so after the last rain of the year. We remove the screens and take outside in order to hose them clean.
Curtains and Blinds – The cleaning methods depend on your type of window covering. If you have blinds that can be easily dusted, do so when you are dusting the windowsills. Washable curtains should be washed when the windows are cleaned. Vacuum curtains that require dry cleaning in order to reduce costs, and then dry clean only when necessary.
Slipcovers, blankets, comforters, bedspreads, and pillow shams – Depending on the use, some need to be washed more than others. It is best to decide how often each item needs cleaning, and then keep a schedule.
Insides of drawers and cabinets – Remember when you first moved into your home and the cabinet shelves and drawers were perfectly organized? Life happens, life styles change, and before you know it they no longer look perfect. However, it is also never fun to remove everything just to start fresh again. Similar to the Divide and Conquer cleaning system, I divide and conquer messy cabinet shelves and drawers by cleaning them one at a time. There are a couple of drawers and shelves that seem to need a quick cleaning every month or so, but most drawers and shelves only require a thorough cleaning every few years. First, divide all of your cabinet shelves, closet shelves and drawers into three sections. For example, the kitchen cabinets and drawers can be one section, all of the bathroom cabinets and drawers can be a second section, and all other the other cabinets, closets and drawers throughout the house can be in the third section. Next, plan to work on a little at a time. If it is the year for completing the cleaning of the kitchen cabinet shelves and drawers, clean a shelf a week, or maybe tackle one cabinet section a month. The main point is to complete a little at a time so that you do a good job, and it doesn’t take all day.
Be sure and follow me on Pinterest. I have created a board for many of the products mentioned in the blog. Also check future postings as I will continue providing information and recipes for the natural cleaning products used.
August 19, 2014
Divide and Conquer – House Cleaning Made Easy Continues. . .
As stated in the previous cleaning posting, there are three types of cleaning with the Divide and Conquer system. Two of the methods, Quick Clean and Good Clean were reviewed. In this entry, I will explain how to Great Clean, and elaborate on Good Cleaning compared to Great Cleaning.
Each room is Great Cleaned only once per year. Great Cleaning can be compared to Spring Cleaning over a longer period of time. It does not matter when you Great Clean a room, although it is best to coordinate with one of your Good Cleaning sections. Each month, select a room to receive extra special attention, and take the entire month to finish the Great Cleaning. If you do not have twelve rooms in your home, select a room every other month. To avoid any confusion, each type of room will be listed with an explanation of the cleaning method. Hope it helps!
How to Good Clean a Bedroom:
Vacuum the carpets, or sweep and mop the floors, making certain to clean under the bed. Dust any easily accessed baseboards. Dust windowsills. Move all items to dust the furniture, and quickly dust items before replacing. Dust pictures, ceiling fans, and wall hangings. Clean mirrors. Always change and wash the sheets when necessary.
How to Great Clean a Bedroom:
Vacuum the carpets, or sweep and mop the floors, making certain to clean under and behind as much furniture as possible. We use Magic Sliders for the heavier furnishings, and move those items just enough to vacuum and dust behind. Vacuum all upholstery. Dust all walls and baseboards. Dust the tops of all doors and door frames. Dust windowsills. Dust pictures, and clean the glass. Thoroughly clean all types of light fixtures, ceiling fans, and wall hangings. Clean mirrors. Move all items to polish any wood furniture. Thoroughly clean each item before replacing.
How to Good Clean a Bathroom:
Clean the bathtub and shower, including the grout and door track. Clean most water marks from the shower doors. Clean all faucets and fixtures. Clean the inside and outside of the toilet, and use a pumice stone to remove any water stains. Dust any easily accessed baseboards. Dust windowsills. Clean all mirrors. Clean the bathroom counters, and all items on top. Clean the sink. Sweep and mop the floor. Shake the bathroom rugs. Always change and wash the towels when necessary.
How to Great Clean a Bathroom:
Wipe down outside of all cabinets and handles. Thoroughly clean the bathtub and shower, including the grout and door track. Replace any grout that cannot be cleaned. Clean all water marks from the shower doors. . Wash shower curtains if applicable. Clean and shine all faucets and fixtures. Clean the inside and outside of the toilet, and use a pumice stone to remove any water stains. Dust all walls, baseboards, tops of all doors, door frames and windowsills. Thoroughly clean all types of light fixtures, ceiling fans, and wall hangings. Clean all mirrors. Move all items to clean the bathroom counters, and thoroughly clean each item before replacing. Clean the sink, and shine all faucets and fixtures. Sweep and mop the floor. Shake and wash bathroom rugs.
How to Good Clean a Kitchen:
Wipe the top of the refrigerator. Clean the inside and outside of the microwave, the outside of the stove and oven, the outside of the dishwasher, and any other appliances. Dust any easily accessed baseboards. Dust windowsills. Clean the kitchen counters, and all items on top. Clean the sink. Sweep and mop the floor.
How to Great Clean a Kitchen:
Wipe down outside of all cabinets and handles. Clean the top of the refrigerator, then pull it out away from the wall. Unplug the refrigerator to vacuum the back and floor beneath. Check all water lines. Clean the coils with a refrigerator coil brush, and thoroughly clean all door gaskets. Clean the inside and outside of the microwave, the outside of the stove and oven, the outside of the dishwasher, and any other appliances. Clean and/or replace stove vents. Dust all walls, baseboards, tops of all doors, door frames and windowsills. Thoroughly clean all types of light fixtures, ceiling fans, and wall hangings. Move all items to clean the kitchen counters, and thoroughly clean each item before replacing. Clean the sink, and all faucets and fixtures. Sweep and mop the floor. Clean area rugs.
I did not list the insides of the refrigerator and oven because these are two tasks that I complete before beginning a great cleaning of the kitchen. It takes a long time to clean out the refrigerator, and when I try to accomplish this project all at one time, I tend to grow sloppy toward the end. Instead, about two weeks before I know that I am going to start on the kitchen, I tackle one or two refrigerator shelves per day. This method seems to make the job easier, and the refrigerator door is not left open for an extended time period. Since most ovens are self-cleaning, it is best to coordinate this for a day that you are not going to be in the kitchen.
How to Good Clean a Living or Family Room:
Vacuum the carpets, or sweep and mop the floors. Dust any easily accessed baseboards. Dust windowsills. Move all items to dust all furniture, and quickly dust items before replacing. Dust pictures, ceiling fans, and wall hangings. Clean mirrors.
How to Great Clean a Living or Family Room:
Vacuum the carpets, or sweep and mop the floors, making certain to clean under and behind as much furniture as possible. We use Magic Sliders for the heavier furnishings, and move those items just enough to vacuum and dust behind. Vacuum all upholstery. Dust all walls and baseboards. Dust the tops of all doors and door frames. Dust windowsills. Dust pictures, and clean the glass. Thoroughly clean all types of light fixtures, ceiling fans, and wall hangings. Clean mirrors. Move all items to polish any wood furniture. Thoroughly clean each item before replacing.
The cleaning jobs that are saved for a later date include windows, curtains, blinds, slipcovers, blankets, comforters, bedspreads, pillow shams and the inside of drawers and cabinets. These items will be reviewed in the next posting.
Be sure and follow me on Pinterest. I have created a board for many of the products mentioned in the blog. Also check future postings as I will begin to provide information and recipes for the natural cleaning products used.
July 29, 2014
Ants In The Pantry - Ant Control Tips
First, make certain that the outside perimeter of your home is protected from invasion. Although, we do not like to use pesticides, we spray the outside walls with Ortho Home Defense. However, there is no guarantee. An expert recently informed me that ants can tunnel under the foundation, enter through hairline cracks, and make their way into flooring and walls. If you live in an apartment or condominium, it is even more difficult to control the perimeter of the entire complex.
Baiting is the best method of controlling ants that have made their way into your home. Spraying ants with pesticide only creates more problems. The most important reason to avoid spraying is for the health and safety of your family. The second is that it only masks the problem. The ants will avoid the treated areas, and simply emerge in another. Plus, the queen will continue to reproduce, making your problem even greater.
The best bait we have found is Terro Liquid Ant Bait. Since ants follow a specific trail, you must first locate their entry point. When you find the specific point of entry, use hot water to wipe out the ants already visible, and wipe up the area of their trail. Then, place a bait station near the entry point. You might be surprised how quickly the ants locate the bait. Next, in order to keep stray ants from wandering, we cut an inexpensive dryer sheet into inch wide strips and create a border around the bait station. Typically, six inches of space works perfectly. The ants consume the bait, remain in their dryer sheet border, and take the bait back to the nest. After a few days change the dryer sheet strips if you notice the ants beginning to cross the lines. They are only effective when the scent is strong. Also, do not remove the bait station too quickly. Sometimes the ants disappear for a few days only to return.
If the queen ant discovers that many of her workers are dying, she will also send them to another area. When ants emerge from a different point of entry, begin the entire process again.
If you have ants in the kitchen, we decided that it is not worth baiting them in this area. They invaded our counters, and were too hard to control. From our experience, there are three things that you must do in order to keep ants out of your kitchen. First, be spotless! Make certain there are no dishes in the sink, wipe down all counters, and even put away dish cloths and sponges. (Try keeping them in the dishwasher or microwave during ant problem times.)
Second, convince the queen ant to stop sending ants into this area by wiping away any scouts with hot water. The third helpful deterrent is to make a non-toxic spray. Here is the homemade recipe:
• 4 ounces water
• 12 drops peppermint essential oil
• 12 drops clove bud essential oil
• 2 tablespoons liquid castile soap
Although the ants do not like to cross the spray, it only seems to last for a few days. It definitely takes determination to keep ants out of the kitchen, but a little work is much better than toxic sprays.
Information on the Divide and Conquer cleaning system will resume in the next posting. Also, look for a future posting about ants in the garden.
July 28, 2014
Ants In The Pantry – Ant Control Tips
For those who are being invaded by ants, I decided to take a detour from the Divide and Conquer cleaning system in hopes of providing much needed relief. Unfortunately for our household, we are getting a lot of practice learning to control these very formidable insects!
First, make certain that the outside perimeter of your home is protected from invasion. Although, we do not like to use pesticides, we spray the outside walls with Ortho Home Defense. However, there is no guarantee. An expert recently informed me that ants can tunnel under the foundation, enter through hairline cracks, and make their way into flooring and walls. If you live in an apartment or condominium, it is even more difficult to control the perimeter of the entire complex.
Baiting is the best method of controlling ants that have made their way into your home. Spraying ants with pesticide only creates more problems. The most important reason to avoid spraying is for the health and safety of your family. The second is that it only masks the problem. The ants will avoid the treated areas, and simply emerge in another. Plus, the queen will continue to reproduce, making your problem even greater.
The best bait we have found is Terro Liquid Ant Bait. Since ants follow a specific trail, you must first locate their entry point. When you find the specific point of entry, use hot water to wipe out the ants already visible, and wipe up the area of their trail. Then, place a bait station near the entry point. You might be surprised how quickly the ants locate the bait. Next, in order to keep stray ants from wandering, we cut an inexpensive dryer sheet into inch wide strips and create a border around the bait station. Typically, six inches of space works perfectly. The ants consume the bait, remain in their dryer sheet border, and take the bait back to the nest. After a few days change the dryer sheet strips if you notice the ants beginning to cross the lines. They are only effective when the scent is strong. Also, do not remove the bait station too quickly. Sometimes the ants disappear for a few days only to return.
If the queen ant discovers that many of her workers are dying, she will also send them to another area. When ants emerge from a different point of entry, begin the entire process again.
If you have ants in the kitchen, we decided that it is not worth baiting them in this area. They invaded our counters, and were too hard to control. From our experience, there are three things that you must do in order to keep ants out of your kitchen. First, be spotless! Make certain there are no dishes in the sink, wipe down all counters, and even put away dish cloths and sponges. (Try keeping them in the dishwasher or microwave during ant problem times.)
Second, convince the queen ant to stop sending ants into this area by wiping away any scouts with hot water. The third helpful deterrent is to make a non-toxic spray. Here is the homemade recipe:
4 ounces water
12 drops peppermint essential oil
12 drops clove bud essential oil
2 tablespoons liquid castile soap
Although the ants do not like to cross the spray, it only seems to last for a few days. It definitely takes determination to keep ants out of the kitchen, but a little work is much better than toxic sprays.
Be sure and follow me on Pinterest. I have created a board for many of the products mentioned in the blog.
Information on the Divide and Conquer cleaning system will resume in the next posting. Also, look for a future posting about ants in the garden.
July 8, 2014
Divide and Conquer - House Cleaning Made Easy
Mentally divide your home into four sections. The sections for a larger home might include:
Section one: Master bedroom and bathroom.
Section two: Two bedrooms and second bathroom.
Section three: Living room and family room.
Section four: Kitchen and dining room.
The sections for a smaller home might include:
Section one: Bedroom.
Section two: Bathroom.
Section three: Living room.
Section four: Kitchen and dining area.
The same Divide and Conquer system works for both large and small residences. Although there are fewer number of rooms per section in a smaller home, the rooms are often more difficult to clean due to the lack of storage space.
The three types of cleaning with the Divide and Conquer system are Quick Clean, Good Clean and Great Clean. In this posting, only Quick Clean and Good Clean will be explained. Good Clean means to vacuum carpets, sweep and mop floors, move all items to dust, clean bathtubs, showers, toilets, sinks, and mirrors. Do a good job of cleaning, but do not take the time to clean out the refrigerator, cabinets or drawers. Quick Clean is best described as "a rush job before company comes over!"
This Divide and Conquer system is based upon a four-week period of time. There are four sections and four weeks. Each week, Good Clean one section, and Quick Clean the other three sections. It's that simple! The following week, Good Clean the next section and Quick Clean the other three sections. It is best to clean a little each day, rather than save it all for your day off. Instead, go out and have fun knowing that within four weeks, every section of your home will have received a good cleaning!
Typically, at this point there are lots of questions. Be sure and check the next posting where the Divide and Conquer system will be explained in greater detail.
July 7, 2014
Divide and Conquer – House Cleaning Made Easy
For years I have used what is referred to as the Divide and Conquer system for cleaning our home.
Since many of my friends also agree that it works, I decided it must be a system worth sharing:
Mentally divide your home into four sections. The sections for a larger home might include:
Section one: Master bedroom and bathroom.
Section two: Two bedrooms and second bathroom.
Section three: Living room and family room.
Section four: Kitchen and dining room.
The sections for a smaller home might include:
Section one: Bedroom.
Section two: Bathroom.
Section three: Living room.
Section four: Kitchen and dining area.
The same Divide and Conquer system works for both large and small residences. Although there are fewer number of rooms per section in a smaller home, the rooms are often more difficult to clean due to the lack of storage space.
The three types of cleaning with the Divide and Conquer system are Quick Clean, Good Clean and Great Clean. In this posting, only Quick Clean and Good Clean will be explained. Good Clean means to vacuum carpets, sweep and mop floors, move all items to dust, clean bathtubs, showers, toilets, sinks, and mirrors. Do a good job of cleaning, but do not take the time to clean out the refrigerator, cabinets or drawers. Quick Clean is best described as “a rush job before company comes over!”
This Divide and Conquer system is based upon a four-week period of time. There are four sections and four weeks. Each week, Good Clean one section, and Quick Clean the other three sections. It’s that simple! The following week, Good Clean the next section and Quick Clean the other three sections. It is best to clean a little each day, rather than save it all for your day off. Instead, go out and have fun knowing that within four weeks, every section of your home will have received a good cleaning!
Typically, at this point there are lots of questions. Be sure and check the next posting where the Divide and Conquer system will be explained in greater detail.
June 10, 2014
S.K. Derban Receives Five Cup Award
Caffe Latte, Cappuccino, Caffe Americano: Since I get such a kick from coffee, pun intended, I got a kick from the Coffee Time Romance news. “For No Apparent Reason” just received the Five Cup Award, their highest amount.
June 9, 2014
Downton Abbey Fans – A posting for you!
Reading and writing have always been my passion. I may be a great organizer, but only as a way to provide the extra time to enjoy life.
Perhaps my housekeeping and organizational skills come from my mother. Downton Abbey fans know how effective the British are at maintaining a spotless household! Even with four children, Mum could clean with the best of them. (Coincidentally, we lived around the corner from Buckingham Palace.) Cleaning was fun for us children also, as many of our chores were turned into games. When I share these stories with my friends, so many ask why I haven’t written a book. I did! However, it is a Mystery Romance rather than a book on organizing. Instead, I will venture to share many of my ideas with you in this blog format.
Keeping with my idea that good organizing skills can provide extra time, I shall add to this writing as I tackle many other responsibilities. There are projects that I work on a bit each day, while others are attended to once per week. Others still, are addressed once a month, once a quarter or even once per year. It is my goal to add to this writing approximately every other week.
Now, for the first lesson in organizing, please remember to forgive yourself. No matter what type of goal you set, do not pile on extra stress if the goal is not reached. For example, if you set a goal to walk for fifteen minutes each day, and one day you run out of energy, do not plan on making up for the missed day by setting a goal to walk thirty minutes on the following day. Your goal was fifteen minutes, and the goal should not change. Imagine if you kept adding to the original goal. Fifteen minutes would increase to thirty, then forty-five, and so on. If it is difficult to walk for fifteen minutes, talking yourself into going on an hour long walk will be next to impossible!
Hopefully, you will get to read more in a couple of weeks. I am also hoping to explain the divide by four method of conquering the housework. If I do not return in two weeks, I plan to forgive myself and write more when I am able. Before closing, here is a tip for keeping workout and yoga mats clean:
Always fold the mat in half before rolling. If a mat is rolled without first being folded, the underside of the mat that touched the floor, is now pressed against the top side of the mat. Instead, first fold the mat by bringing one end to meet the other. The clean top sides are now protected inside. When the mat is rolled in this folded position, the underside of the mat that touched the floor is now pressed against the same underside.
June 8, 2014
Book Signing Was A Great Success!
Thank you to all who attended the book signing at the Aaron Chang Ocean Art Gallery. It was such a blessing to greet nearly 100 guests! As those who stopped by will confirm, Aaron Chang’s photographs are breathtaking. A special thank you to Mr. Aaron Chang and his wonderful gallery staff. It was truly an event to remember.
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April 25, 2014
Signing of For No Apparent Reason
S.K. Derban Author Signing of For No Apparent Reason
Tuesday, May 20th 2014
4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
AARON CHANG OCEAN ART GALLERY
The Headquarters at Seaport District
789 West Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101
