We’re all familiar with that sinking feeling. You know the one, where all the good vibes from throwing that epic summer party begin to disintegrate into the realization that you’re going to have to start cleaning up.
Been there, right?
That moment is the very definition of “dread,” unless, of course you’re in the minority that absolutely buy generic viagra cialis online arthro prosthesis cobaltism give me an example of persuasive essay essay help narrative example of term paper topics essay about public opinion pay to write drama dissertation viagra rosa impex levitra source link enter site follow link https://www.mitforumcambridge.org/multiple/political-science-thesis-topics-philippines/2/ real viagra online yahoo answers planning a party essay https://carlgans.org/report/research-papers-of-management/7/ https://raseproject.org/treat/viagra-brinkley/97/ easyjet youtube help me write my story diagram essay structure go paper presentation nyc here here source site bogota colombia sa generic meds 2014 source site chinese character writing paper term paper http://teacherswithoutborders.org/teach/how-to-solve-stomach-problemsv/21/ argumentative essay topics college level sales presentation skills dissertations wiki loves cleaning. To you we say, “Rock on, you lovers of cleaning, Rock on!”
To the rest who have a distaste for cleaning ranging somewhere on the scale from slight frustration (“I really, really don’t like cleaning up other people’s messes”) to white-hot boiling rage (“I think I may just hurt someone here!”), we understand, and we love each and everyone one of you – and don’t want you to go to jail after throwing that epic summer party.
That would suck. 
So, here at The Cleaning Crew, we’ve got your back! Follow these Summer Party Clean Up Tips to take that not so awesome task of party clean up and make it feel just a little more like a party and a lot less like a wake.
Summer Party Clean Up Tips
The Basics:
1. Start Your Party with a Clean Slate
This may seem like a no brainer, but for good summer party clean up mojo, this is the best place to start. You really will have a better experience if your house (and kitchen in particular) is in good shape before-hand. Empty the dishwasher, empty the trash, clean up all the pre-party prep, and make room in your fridge for leftovers.
Piling dirty dishes on top of dirty dishes is a recipe for a whole string of sad faced emojis!
2. Take Your Party Outside
Pick Up While You Party
Where possible, try to stay on top of the cleaning as the event progresses. Make sure you enjoy your own party, for goodness’ sake!
But the key to cleaning up any party and any spill is being prepared and acting quickly. Keep an active eye (and hopefully you have some help with this) for taking care of anything urgent right away. We recommend having good general purpose DIY cleaner on hand:
- 1-Tbsp white vinegar
- 1-Tbsp dish soap
- Fill the rest of your standard 32 oz spray bottle with water (filtered is preferred)
“Hey, you guys! The bathroom’s over there…the trash cans are right here…and the drinks, well, you already know where the drinks are!”
Summer Party Clean Up Tips
Advanced:
Removing Water Rings
Annoying water rings in your wooden coffee and end tables? Next year, try to have enough coasters for everyone. If you’re feeling crafty, try these supercool DIY coasters. Clever, right? But for now, here are a few solutions for removing white water rings.
Create a gentle abrasive by mixing a teaspoon of salt with a few drops of olive oil. Rub it gently into the ring until the spot is gone. Massage some furniture polish into the surface to finish….. or- Try rubbing a bit of non-gel toothpaste onto a water ring, then buff with a clean cloth. Or substitute full-fat Mayonnaise for the toothpaste; leave it on for at least an hour before wiping clean and buffing.
Lip Color Smudges
“Dahling, you look mahvelous!” But your lipstick can leave an ugly mark on cloth napkins. Start by scraping them clean, then apply a few drops of mineral spirits, working them in with a brush. Rinse with rubbing alcohol and repeat until you’re in the clear.
Launder with an enzyme detergent to dissolve leftover residue.
Removing Wax from Furniture and Carpet
Candles can definitely set the mood, but ruin it just as fast.
If candles drip on your lovely wood furniture, warm the spilled wax with a hairdryer, and wipe it away with a cloth. Any remaining residue can be cleared off with a mixture of one part vinegar and one part water.
Candle wax on carpets? Use this simple and easy trick for saving your carpets:
Cleaning Up Broken Glass
When the dishes are done, the floor is swept, and the house is quiet, it’s time to put your feet up and give yourself a pat on the back in the form of a huge slice of cake or one of these signature summer cocktails.
In fact, might as well make it a double! 
So, here’s to Summer Parties! Keep the good summer vibes by being prepared for the after party!
Shine!
Karen & The Cleaning Crew
PS What after party clean up tips have worked for you? Leave a comment below & share the love.
PPS Over your head with house cleaning? We can help with either our One Time Cleaning or Maintenance Cleaning. Call the office for a simple, no-hassle phone quote.
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. There tend to be many issues that occur with the bathroom over its lifetime, from a leaky shower to a clogged drain, and you’re then left contacting experts like those at expressplumbingnj.net/drain-sewers/drain-cleaning/ in order to fix the problem. So the least one can do to avoid any further mess in this place in your home, is to keep it clutter-free.
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!
Technology has definitely made life – and cleaning – easier! No complaints here!
But even robotic vacuums and fancy dishwashers can’t replace the timeless housekeeping tips, tricks and memories of our mothers and grandmothers.
We have asked our clients and cleaners to share their generational cleaning tips, tricks and memories so that we can share their nostalgia and brilliance with you!
Treat your laundry with care!
“My mom always insisted we rush to the dryer as soon as it chimed to pull the sheets out. We’d then pull in opposite directions to remove wrinkles. Sometimes it would turn into a little tug of war with more than a few giggles. But heck, it sure beat ironing them!” ~ Joan
Hot wax spilled all over…..the carpet?
Candle wax often finds its way onto our carpets, area rugs, or upholstery. If things get too out of hand looking into this Rug Cleaning Malvern or other services and locations might be a wise idea to avoid further damage. If it’s not much wax, with this quick tip you can easily get the candle wax out and make your carpet as good as new. With a damp rag and a steaming iron removing spilled wax is easy. After preheating your iron place a wet but not dripping rag flat over the waxy spill. Place the hot iron on top of the rag and check every 15 sec. till the wax transfers onto the cloth. You may have to re-adjust the rag a few times to remove all spilled wax. This may not work on every wax though so you might need to give your carpet a steam cleaning to get all the wax off.
“I tried to tell my grandma it was the cat that spilled the hot candle wax on the carpet, but I think she knew better! (I don’t think cats like fire as much as curious 9 year olds.) I thought I was doomed, but she didn’t freak out. She calmly went to the utility room and returned with her iron and a damp rag. She got the iron hot, placed the damp rag over the spill, and started ironing away. It took several passes, but eventually all the wax got absorbed into the damp cloth. The carpet was good as new! I told my grandma I’d keep a closer eye on the cat. Grandma? She gave me a knowing wink and waltzed back to her utility room. Lesson learned!” ~Adrian
“If candle wax drips on your tablecloth, rub it with an ice cube until they get hard, and use a butter knife to pop them off.” – Lauren
Housekeeping Secrets Every Mom Should Teach Her Kids
“My mom was ahead of her time. Maybe it was her years living in a commune in the 70’s, but she was always suspicious of harsh chemical cleaners. She insisted on using natural products to clean the house – and taught us kids to do the same. Her go-to? Vinegar. Mold, mildew, and just plain old grime didn’t stand a chance. I still use it to this day!” ~Bev
What’s your secret use for vinegar? Here at the Cleaning Crew we use vinegar a ton with lots of variations. Here’s a great one we found from @ModernDayMom. Give it a try & let us know what you think!
Orange Vinegar – A Greener Cleaner!
Let orange peels soak in vinegar for 2 weeks in a cool dark place, then remove the orange peels and dilute with water by 50% in your regular spray bottle to add extra cleaning power to your natural cleaner. Check out these other effective and zesty recipes on Pinterest!
Busy Mom Secrets For a Cleaner Home
Clean your microwave in 30 seconds! Place a couple slices of lemon or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice into a bowl with 1/2 cup of water. Place in the microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute and wipe away stuck on food in a snap without scrubbing!
“There’s nothing more refreshing than the sparkling fresh scent of lemons in the air. My mother’s home always had a hint of citrus. She knew that squeezing lemon juice into salt and wiping down the counter top would remove stains and disinfect just like a magic eraser. She would also remove stains from our lunchbox Tupperware by squeezing lemon juice into the stained dish and then adding baking soda. She would then use a small brush to work in the lemon and baking soda into the stains and allow it to sit. If the stain was bad, she would let it sit overnight before rinsing with warm water. There’s nothing like the fresh smell of home”
~ Sue
“At the end of the day, pick up miscellaneous items throughout the house, and put them into a pick-up basket. When you have more time, you can put everything in its proper place.” – Maria
Baking Soda Magic
“Sprinkle baking soda on carpet and let sit for several minutes before vacuuming. Keeps things fresh!”
~ Carrie Ann
“Pour some baking soda in the washing machine to remove the musty smell from towels.” ~ Nancy
We hope you’re able to take advantage of some of these old-school, time-honored organic cleaning methods in your own home. Your Mother & Grandmother would be proud.
~ The Cleaning Crew
Washing the porch and patio
After a Southern Oregon winter, your porch and patio could use a quick clearing of debris, by attaching a sprayer to your garden hose. Be sure to rinse the buildup of foliage in the hard to reach corners when cleaning. For a deeper clean, have the porch, eaves, walkways, and side of the house power washed. Do you like the idea of doing this yourself but don’t know where to look? These electric pressure washer reviews, (https://www.gearsurfer.com/electronics/best-electric-pressure-washers/) may be the perfect place to look if you want to get your patio in the best condition.
- Door frame – With a damp cloth wipe clean around the door frame and handle.
- Window tracks – Use a vacuum cleaner to remove the grit and dirt that collects in the window tracks and wipe with a damp cloth.
- Screens – If you have a screened in porch, vacuum the screens to remove dirt and allergens. Fill a bucket with soapy water and wipe down the screens using a rag.
- Glass – Spray glass cleaner on both sides, then using a microfiber cloth or rag, polish to a streak free shine!
- All outdoor light fixtures can be cleaned using a soapy rag.
Patio umbrellas, awnings, and other outdoor furniture- Umbrellas – Use a gentle cleanser like Biokleen to avoid wearing away the exterior coating. Mix Biokleen with warm water and use a scrub brush to remove dirt and mildew. For tough stains, repeat the process with a mixture of bleach and warm water, (always do a patch test on an unseen swatch of fabric first to ensure the color won’t be affected).
- Awnings – Biokleen and warm water is perfect for awnings. Rinse, extend it and scrub in the mixture. Rinse again and allow the outdoor awnings to air dry. As awnings tend to collect dust and wind blown debris, repeat this process several times throughout the season and always before storing. To prevent mildew, extend awnings and allow them to dry completely after each rain.
- Upholstery – For removable pillow cases and cushion covers, wash them in cold water and allow them to air dry. For pieces that require hand washing, use a mild soap and water mixture, rinse, and air dry. To combat stubborn mildew stains, dilute two tablespoons of bleach in a gallon of water and scrub in with a soft brush.
1. Using a wire brush to clean the grate, brush out the ashes and cooked on foods.
2. Scrape the bottom of the grill to remove the caked on debris.
3. Fill a bucket with warm soapy water and give it a good scrub down.
Now it’s time to relax and unwind in your freshly clean outdoor space!
~ The Cleaning Crew
Ready For Guests!
Believe it or not, you can accomplish your house cleaning and organizing needs for a holiday-ready home without much effort.
House Cleaning Tips:
Your holiday house cleaning can be broken down into manageable parts. House cleaning this way can help keep you focused and calm, allowing you to enjoy a stress-free time with your family and guests this holiday season. If you have already done a thorough job of household cleaning and organizing back in May and the summer sand has been swept out in July, and the mildew cleaned up in September, you will have less housekeeping to do for the holiday season.
If your whole house is due for a house cleaning overhaul this holiday season, decide which rooms are the most important to have cleaned and start there. If you are not expecting overnight guests, do your final organizing and cleaning in the spare bedroom last. This will leave you with the option to simply shut the spare bedroom door, if you have last minute guests arrive for dinner. Do the same thing for cleaning the kids’ rooms, if needed, unless these rooms will be used by overnight guests.
- High traffic areas – When you invite guests for dinner, they probably won’t check your son’s bedroom closet to see if it is organized or peek in your office to see if it is clean. Guests are likely to be in your kitchen, living room, and bathroom or sitting at your dining room table. Begin your housecleaning routine in the main common areas of your home. If you have extra time, you can focus on organizing the bedrooms, cleaning the office or simply keep the doors to those rooms closed on the big day.
- Visible Spaces – Start household cleaning with a top to bottom dusting of walls and ceilings. This cuts down on the dust level in the house throughout the coming year and is a helpful all natural house cleaning method to keeping your home dust free. Dust off and clean your tables, counters, bookshelves, entertainment centers and other surfaces before thoroughly cleaning the hidden areas and nooks. Wipe over all woodwork, doors, windowsills and baseboards. Pull out furniture that has not been cleaned behind recently and clean the surface by hand wiping or vacuuming. Clean the floors in the high traffic areas of your home last, as you want to keep this step as close to the arrival time of your guests as possible. They will see a sparkling clean house when they arrive. As well as cleaning the areas of the house, sometimes giving your HVAC regular tune-ups can help to reduce the dust particles in your home and therefore, keeping it cleaner and healthier for longer. It is easy to get tune-ups for your HVAC by using companies like Castle Home Comfort on this website https://castlehomecomfort.com/service-areas/white-heath/ and other local heating and cooling services in your area.
- Bathrooms – Take a look through your bathrooms and make sure they are clean and ready for visitors. This includes wiping down the counters and giving a good scrubbing to the toilet and shower, placing out an extra roll of toilet paper so guests won’t have to go hunting for it if they need it, refilling the hand soap and putting out fresh hand towels. Close your shower curtain to hide all those bath items inside and keep your medicine cabinet closed.
- Passageways – Organize the hallways and staircases, areas that tend to gather clutter as family members drop and disperse their belongings from one room to the next. Sweep or vacuum up any debris in this area before company comes. If there are any side rooms or closets that you don’t have time to clean, walk through your clean home just prior to your guests arrival and make sure the doors to these areas are closed.
- Kitchen – Enjoy your clean home and start the holidays with a clean kitchen. Guests are likely to enter your kitchen, whether to gather and help you prepare the meal or to help set the table. Clean the counters and appliances by wiping them down, then mop and clean the floors before guests arrive. Make sure you have an empty dishwasher on the day of the event so you can quickly and easily place dirty dishes away, keeping them out of sight as soon as they accumulate. With any extra time, hose down your trash can and use a pleasant scented garbage bag so the trash won’t add any unwelcome odors to the day’s festivities.
Focusing your intent and initiative on these house cleaning tips, will bring results and peace of mind, as well as a sense of accomplishment and a very clean home life! We are here to help you. Happy house cleaning!
