Around the House

There are a few items, gadgets, etc. that I have found particulary useful around the house.

image from Amazon

The Swivel Sweeper

I use this one every day at least three times (after every meal since my 10mo old is "self-feeding").  I have the model pictured but they are always coming out with a new one, I think it now bends in the middle so you canget under things more easily.  It is an electric broom and works on hard surfaces as well as low pile carpet.  A friend highly recommended it so when I found it for a good price at Kohl's and had store credit I decided to try it out.  I have been pleased with not having to get out the broom and dustpan every time and the head folds up to sore more easily.

Speaking of broom storage:

Image from Apartment Therapy

Store and Slide Wall Organizer

I picked mine up at The Container Store and it works pretty well.  They have a stationary one too, but I have mine in the exact spot pictured so it works nicely to be able to pull out out to access my mops and brooms and to be able to keep them nicely out of sight when not in use.

Image from Walmart

The Shark Steam Mop

I got mine at our local big box store for aroun $90 with several attachment heads and cleaning cloths (machine washable - air dry).  I have never tried any others, but I am happy with this one.  I haven't had any issues with the water puddling and the cloth is always filthly when i'm done with just one room so I know it's getting deep down dirt.  I also love that it doesn't streak like a swiffer and there is no cleaning solution to buy or smell or worry about babies crawling on.  I use it on the the hardwoods in our entry, hall and living room and tile in the kitchen and bathrooms (bathrooms last, don't want to spread all the especially yucky dirt and bacteria to other rooms of the house).  As I mentioned there is no cleaning solution, but I do add a little vinegar to the water tank (not really sure if this is ok, but it hasn't casued me any problems).  It got rid of the spring ant invasion in our house and it is a great all-purpose cleaner (see next).

Image from Sam's Club

White Vinegar

Simple, wonderful.  I buy the 5liter bottle at our big box store and dilute it in a spray bottle of water for an all purpose cleaner (counters, etc.), I warm it and use it to remove the irredescent streaks that form on my stainless steel pots and pans, I use it in place of the rinse aid in the dishwasher and as mentioned above, I add it to my steam mop when I mop the floors.  In our area the ants get bad every spring no matter how clean your home is.  I mopped with the water/vinegar mix and the next day the ants were gone and never came back.  It was waonderful.  Plus I kind of like the smell of it (certainly better than the smell of chemicals).

While we're on cleaning products...

Image from letustalk.wordpress.com

I really like Bon Ami cleanser

I use it on all my stainless steel, be it pots and pans or broiler pans (even the coated one for the oven), it gets the gunk up fast without a ton of scrubbing, and it's chlorine, perfume and dye free.  It's been around since 1986 and I don't think it's going away anytime soon.  Great stuff (even got egg dye off my hands at Easter).

image from naturalhealthsupply.com

Borax

So far I am just adding it as a laundry booster to all loads, helps get out the stink of my husband's athletic gear and just gets things extra clean and bright.  I plan on using it in other places around the house soon (baths/showers to start) and will update with the results.