Since February is the month of love, we’re publishing some of our favorite things! Not much is better than saving time, space, and sanity. So, today we are sharing some of our favorite “life hacks” for kitchen and bathroom organization.
Kitchen
We stuff so many appliances, utensils, dishes, and groceries into one of the smallest parts of our home. No matter the size of your kitchen, everyone could use more storage. Here are a few of our favorite fresh storage ideas for your kitchen that we found on LifeHack.org’s list of 31 Clever Ways to Organize and Clean Your Kitchen:
Hanging Rack (#7)
Pots and pans can take up much of your cabinet space if you let it. One of the best choices you can make is to invest in a hanging rack for pots, pans, and lids. You can buy an overhead rack as seen in #7, or you can find one to hang from the wall.
Cutting Board (#4)
Free up counter space by finding a cutting board that can fit over your sink. Wash, peel, and cut your veggies all in one space.
Kitchen tablet (#9)
Replace paper calendars and cookbooks or recipe boxes with a more space-efficient electronic device. If you have an extra or unused tablet lying around, you can dedicate it to the kitchen and mount it on the inside of a cabinet or above the backsplash.
Under Cabinet Hooks
Turn your tea cup or coffee mug collection into interesting kitchen décor. This Kitchn blog shows us a beautiful example of this Pretty Storage Idea here. You can learn how to install your own mug hooks by reading this guide from the San Francisco Gate.
Bathroom
Bathrooms can never be big enough. Does it seem like you are always running out of storage space? Don’t let your vanity or linen closet overwhelm you. Get control of the mess with some of these helpful ideas for organization.
Above the Door
This may be our favorite “hack” of all. Turn unused space into a storage solution by simply installing a shelf above the inside of your door. Check it out here. This can make a great spot for towels or baskets with extra toiletries.
Vanity
From ice cube trays, to drawer dividers, to paper towel holders—everyday household items can be extremely helpful in organizing your vanity. There are several awesome ideas in this Redbook article. Check out numbers 1 through 10 for all your vanity organization needs!
Our favorite vanity clearing tip is #16 on this Cosmopolitan list. Keep all those little, hard to find items like clippers, bobby pins, and tweezers organized with a magnet strip.
Linen Closet
The linen closet can quickly become a nightmare if you do not have a practical approach to storing your towels and blankets. In this Life Storage article, they recommend 8 organizational tips for controlling the closet. Our favorites are numbers 3 and 4.
- Rolling towels instead of folding them creates more space
- Storing fitted and flat sheets inside their matching pillow cases keeps everything organized.
Keeping It Clean
We’d love to help you keep your newly organized home spick and span! But, if you aren’t even sure where to begin, we offer organizational services by professional organizers as well. Call us now at 541-601-6236 to schedule a consultation.
A DIY Deep Clean for your House often becomes necessary during the early spring due to the increased time spent inside our homes. Here are sure-fire DIY tips and recipes to get your home DIY deep cleaned.
1. DIY Deep Clean Living room
Clean regularly using your vacuum’s upholstery attachment, or you can use warm water on a cleaning rag to restore the fabric.
Treat the occasional stain as quickly as possible with a microfiber cloth — slightly dampened, if necessary.
Mix together 1 tsp. dishwashing liquid, 1 tbs. white vinegar, 1 cup warm water and 1 tsp. baking soda in a spray bottle.
Vacuum your carpet, then wipe any stains gently with the abrasive side of a sponge. Spray the soiled area with the mixture, then gently rub and dab with the towel. You will start to see cleaning results right away.
To quickly restore wood surfaces, use this simple recipe. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into container straining the pulp and seeds then add a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of water. Tighten lid and shake until emulsified. Dab small amounts of this mixture onto a cloth and begin wiping down your furniture.
For older heirloom furniture, we recommend Howard’s Feed-N-Wax.
Since this is a natural and perishable recipe, make it fresh each time.
2. DIY DEEP CLEAN Kitchen
All you need to clean the surfaces of your kitchen is a good cleaning cloth and this simple, but effective all-purpose cleaner.
Use it to scrub down countertops, appliances, tables, walls and the sink.
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 5 drops essential oil of your choice
- Mix all of the ingredients in a spray bottle, shake, and get cleaning!
If you have hard water buildup, a simple mixture of white vinegar, lemon juice, and dish soap is effective at removing the grime.
For the faucet, scrub with baking soda and an old toothbrush. It’s perfect for tackling that narrow, grimy space where the base of the faucet meets the sink. Rinse when finished.
How to Clean A Toaster (Pop Up & Toaster Oven) Via Clean My Space
Pour equal parts vinegar and water into the bowl. Insert a toothpick or another small wooden object into the vinegar-water solution. This will help keep the solution from spontaneously exploding.
Heat the bowl for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how dirty the microwave is. After letting it sit for a bit, take the bowl out. Then, take a cleaning cloth and dip it into the hot vinegar-water mixture and scrub down your microwave. The gunk will come off easily with a few swipes of the cleaning cloth.
Start by pouring a cup of baking soda into the toilet bowl and let sit for a few minutes. Brush and flush. Still seeing spots? A damp pumice stone is abrasive enough to remove stains caused by mineral deposits and lime scale but gentle enough not to damage surfaces (Pumice Scouring Stick). Be sure to soak the pumice stone for 2-3 minutes before using on the toilet.
Submerge the showerhead in a plastic bag with vinegar over night. Remove it in the morning and run the water to rinse. This will help remove any mineral deposits.
Give plastic shower curtains and liners a spin in the washing machine with your regular detergent and a few old towels. These act as scrubbers to help get rid of soap scum and mildew. Toss them into the dryer on a low heat for 2 to 3 minutes then rehang.
For shower doors, make a paste of a few drops of distilled white vinegar to a cup of baking soda. Wet the door and then apply the mixture and let it sit for an hour. Scrub the shower door with a microfiber cloth and then rinse. The tub is less of an issue and a weekly scrubbing is usually enough. For extra shine you can add the mixture to the bath tub and let sit for 15 minutes before scrubbing clean.
Remove the vent cover and soak in warm water with dish soap. While the cover is soaking, vacuum the fan blades, nooks, and crannies. Then wipe with a damp cloth. Remove the cover from the warm water and when it’s completely dry, replace the cover on the vent.
Homemade Natural grout cleaner!
Ingredients:
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup vinegar
Directions:
- Combine lemon juice, baking soda, and vinegar in a spray bottle.
- Stir in water to the mixture.
- Spray solution onto tile and grout.
- Allow cleaning solution to sit for 5 minutes.
- Scrub dirt/grime away using cleaning cloth or large scrubber pad.
- After scrubbing, wash with water
Removing grout stains from the floor can make your home look like new! As one of the most high-traffic parts of the home, the bathroom floor gets a lot of use. Use the recipe referenced above to easily clean the floor grout. You could even get a steam mop to finish the job and make it sparkling clean.
4. DIY DEEP CLEAN Laundry Room
To sanitize the inside of your washing machine, simply run a cycle through with white vinegar and hot water. This will also remove soap scum and mineral build up.
Empty the lint trap and wipe off fuzz with a used fabric-softener sheet.
Vacuum the inside of your lint trap area.
Wipe the interior walls of the dryer. Use a cloth dampened with dishwashing liquid and warm water. Scrub any linty residue around the trap opening with an old toothbrush, if necessary.
Using a brush attachment, vacuum the vents and wipe grates with a damp cloth.
Give your Washer and Dryer the Rub – Soak a cleaning cloth in liquid dish soap and water, and wipe the washer’s drum to remove any residue or sticky who-knows-what (your kid’s red crayon, a stray piece of gum?). If you’ve got a front loader, clean the rubber door gasket as its nooks and crannies can trap moisture.
5. DIY DEEP CLEAN FRAGRANCE
Give your home a refreshing and invigorating new scent with this DIY air freshener.
- Grapefruit slices
- Fresh sprigs of lavender
- Whole juniper berries
The bright citrus paired with classically calming lavender and juniper make for a freshening and inviting scent, perfect to fill your entire space. It’s a great one to simmer on the stove or place in jars right at the entryway.
For more DIY air freshener ideas visit our Clean Air page on Pinterest.
If you’re needing more time in your life for other priorities, consider hiring a professional housecleaner. The time and energy saved, and the frustration avoided is well worth the investment.
If a no-hassle, no-obligation phone quote makes sense,
give us a call today at 541-601-6236.
You can also shoot us an email at info@thecleaningcrewonline.com
Bathrooms are notorious for being a magnet for that dreaded foe: CLUTTER. Clutter can be dangerous just like water leaking from the ceiling under the bathroom.
After all, we have big items, small items, and everything-in-between items…not to mention everyday items, weekly items, occasional items, and only-when-we-get-sick-items.
No wonder keeping the bathroom clean and organized can be such a challenge! In an effort to keep our own lives decluttered, as well as lend a hand where needed, we’re stepping into the bathroom this week.
Here are some great bathroom organizing tips that can help us all make the most effective use of the space we have!
Ready? Let’s go!
Easy Bathroom Organizing Ideas
- Become a Master of The Mess – To streamline supplies, start with a deep clean.
Go ahead and empty drawers and cabinets. Toss expired products, unused items, as well as bulky packaging. Then, store products in easy-in-and-out jars, bags, and baskets. If possible, leave only everyday essentials 
like hand soap and lotion on the counter. For cabinets, outfit them with handy holders: a back-of-the-door rack for hair tools, and a lazy Susan to bring bottles to the front. - Glass Act No room to store everyday essentials out of sight?
Try stylish apothecary jars to hold necessities. Cotton swabs, soap and bath salts look great in clear glass containers.
- Tame The Towels Save some floor space by hanging baskets on the wall. They make the perfect cubbies for storing and displaying rolled towels and washcloths. Spotted on Shelterness.
- Hang It All No tools required! Try IKEA‘s over-the-door hooks: functional, inexpensive, and available in several finishes!
- Magnetic strip For bobby pins, tweezers and other small metal bathroom tools that always seem to get lost, add a magnetic strip to your bathroom cabinet. This idea comes from Lifehacker.
- Magazine or towel storage and display
Have either magazines or towels close at hand when you combine these two IKEA pieces together to create a sleek rod and shelf. Seen on Still Inspiration.
Have a really tiny bathroom space? Or, a tiny budget? Our friend Kathryn at Do It On a Dime, has these suggestions:
Expand Storage Capacity of under-sink Cabinets
Take advantage of all the room under your sink (and save yourself some stooping and reaching) with sliding drawers. Check out Living Locurto‘s super-smart ways to organize under the sink.
Consider the Ceiling
If your quarters are tight and space is already limited, look up. Take advantage of vertical real estate by hanging a multilevel fruit basket for additional storage. When placed in the shower, the open rungs of the three-tier hanging basket allow loofahs and bath toys to dry over the tub. Or suspend the basket in an unused corner and stock it with lotions, treatments, and scented sachets. An idea that might keep your bathroom better stocked is to make sure you have the best home energy quote to save money. I hear Money Expert provide a fantastic range of quotes that should save you money.
Don’t Hide the T.P.
There’s no end to Bathroom Organizing Ideas! These are meant to give us a kick start.
Do you have more bathroom organization ideas to add? Leave a comment below!
* BONUS RECIPE: SUPER DUPER TUB SCRUB *
Along with a little scrubbing power from a sponge, we love this simple and effective Tub Scrub. It leaves tubs and sinks sparkling clean and does a great job removing soap scum.
- 1 cup baking soda
- 4 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons liquid castile soap (We like Dr. Bronner’s Fair Trade & Organic Castile Liquid Soap)
- Add baking soda to a glass container with a lid.
- Add castile soap and water, stirring until it’s toothpaste consistency.
- Using a wet sponge, work this cleanser into tubs surfaces, letting it sit for a few minutes
- Rinse with hot water.
If you don’t use all the cleaner in one use, you can save it in a covered container. If it dries out, just add water until it forms a paste again. You might even free up enough space to add some extra furniture to your bathroom. I hear that a friend decided to Buy Oak Bathroom Furniture Here and was not disappointed.
Have Bathroom Organization Tips of Your Own to Share?
Add a tip or two in the Comments section below!
