Spring Cleaning Makeover – “CLEANING CAMP” Special Edition Post

Hi Everyone! Whew. We have made it through another week. I do hope that you and your family, friends, co-workers are safe and healthy. I know for MANY it has been a time of immense changes and adjustments and organizing new “normals.” Kids are facing the prospect of not having school reopen for the rest of this year, many community places closed temporarily and we are all looking for activities, productive hobbies, and new endeavors. To go along with the series Spring Cleaning Makeover, I wanted to do a fun post called “Cleaning Camp” in case you wanted to engage the kids in cleaning and sanitizing the house. I hope this will be a fun, informative and lighter read to contrast with the heaviness that has been out there this week. Continue to stay safe and vigilant, and above all, HOPEFUL! I will return during the middle of the week for another post!

Some thoughts before you embark on “Cleaning Camp!” Be realistic! Have your kids and the family during this time help with small, attainable cleaning projects and goals. Set short time limits for each room! Perfection is not the goal. Comfort, ease and a disinfected, sanitized home is! HAVE FUN. Use the time cleaning as a way to be together to make your home a clean, comfortable oasis.

CLEANING CAMP – Basic Starter Schedule.

Sweep floors. Do a sweep of any floors. The kitchen and mudroom are most needed areas. Move items away from the walls to get behind them and in corners and along edges of walls. Keep a mini dustpan and broom so even small and younger children can help clean at their own level.

Declutter. Do a declutter of mail, school papers, toys, clothes, and other odds and ends.

Laundry. Start by laundering all towels (kitchen and bath) and then move to all bedding. These are the most important items to sanitize and launder first.

Wipe counters in the kitchen, bathrooms, and utility room.

Wash floors. All hard surfaces including wood, vinyl, and tile.

Wipe baseboards. This is important to clean off dust, mold and built up pet hair. (A vinegar-based DIY cleaning solution with lemon oil and using a cloth is great for this!)

Have fun cleaning as a family. Put on kid-friendly music. Set a time for a project. Give out small rewards if a job is done well and before the timer goes off. Give out a GRAND PRIZE when the “cleaning camp” is completed. I have used a pay-per-view movie as our grand prize which doubles as an extra family complete with popcorn!

RECIPES FOR CLEANING CAMP:

Citrus Liquid Hand Soap. Take 1 cup of liquid castile soap, 10 drops of lemon essential oil, 10 drops of orange essential oil, 1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil. Combine all ingredients in a soap pump, seal and shake thoroughly, rub hands together and wash off with warm water. To store, make only one soap pump batch at a time.

Grapefruit Liquid Dish Soap. Take 8 ounces of castile soap (unscented), 20 drops of grapefruit essential oil. Pour the castile soap and grapefruit essential oil in a storage container and shake well to combine. Add 1 to 2 squirts to dish water and scrub. Store indefinitely on your counter or under your kitchen sink. ***Tip: As an extra grease fighter, add a splash of white vinegar to warm dishwater with the dish soap.)

Lemon Dishwasher Detergent (Powder). This makes about 24 loads, 1 heaping tablespoons per load. Take 1 cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, 1 cup of baking soda, 1 cup of Borax and 20 drops of lemon essential oil. ***For hard water, also add 1/2 cup of Epsom salts. ***For a more citrus scented soap, do 10 drops of lemon essential oil and 10 drops of orange essential oil. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Place 1 heaping tablespoon per load in the compartment and run as usual. To store, place in a glass container with a lid. Canning jars work great for this.

Oven Cleaner Spray. Take 1 cup of warm water, 3 tablespoons of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of castile soap, 10 drops of either lemon oil or rosemary essential oil. Mix all ingredients in a spray bottle and shake to combine. Spray liberally in your oven. Let it sit for up to 15 minutes and wipe clean with a sponge or cloth. Rinse as needed and air dry. If you have any leftovers, you can store up to 2 weeks. Shake well to combine as the ingredients will settle. ***If you have extra solution, it works great as a cleaner on flat stovetops.

As a special way to be a help to someone, I am doing a giveaway for a FREE jar of unscented castile soap to make one of the recipes listed. To be entered, comment directly on this post with your name or send an email to sycksretailmarketplace@gmail.com to be entered!