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source: pantagrapher

First, a confession: At this moment, I have a few commercial bathroom cleaners in our “cleaning bucket”, which we keep on the top shelf in our laundry room. I’m not sure when or why I stopped using vinegar as the base for most of my cleaning needs, but I’m determined to move back to more natural cleaners — not only because of concerns for the environment and my family’s health, but also because they’re less expensive. Because you can make a variety of cleaners from the same set of ingredients, they’re also simpler, although it may not feel like it when you’re first getting started.

Today, I’ve compiled a list of natural bathroom cleaning tips to finish off our bathroom series. I have a feeling that this list is just the tip of the iceberg, so be sure to share your tips in the comments as well so that we can all learn from each other!

Sparkling Mirrors

:: As I was researching this post, I read more than one article that said the key to clean mirrors is using warm water and nothing else. But here’s a tip: if you have mineral-rich water (like we do!), use bottled water instead.

:: To avoid ruining your mirrors, spray cleaners on your rag instead of the mirror.

:: Use newspaper instead of a rag for lint-free mirrors (and windows!)

:: Mix 2 tsp. vinegar into 1 qt. of water in a spray bottle.¹

:: Mix 1/3 cup white vinegar and 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol with 32 oz. water.²

:: Use club soda plus 1 tsp. lemon juice in a spray bottle.³

Cleaning the Toilet

:: To avoid toilet bowl rings, pour 1-2 cups of white vinegar into the toilet tank once a month.

:: To get rid of toilet bowl rings, soak old rags or heavy duty paper towels in vinegar. Empty the toilet bowl and line it with the paper towels, adding more vinegar as they dry. Leave them in place for up to 12 hours, as needed.⁴

:: In a pinch, use a can of coke to clean your toilet bowl.⁵

:: Use Tang as a natural citrus cleaner. Scoop it into the toilet, let it dissolve and sit, and then scrub it with the toilet bowl brush before flushing.⁶

A Sink That Shines

:: To clean water deposits around faucets and drains, soak a paper towel in white vinegar and lay around the fixture.

:: Use club soda to shine plumbing fixtures.³

:: To prevent buildup in the drain, pour 1 cup of baking soda and then 1 cup of white vinegar down the drain. After an hour, flush the drain with warm water.²

Grime-Free Shower

:: For spot-free shower doors and walls, wipe with car wax or rain-x every six months. (Okay, this one isn’t really a green solution, but I couldn’t resist including it!)

:: Keep a squeegee in your shower stall for drying the door after each use.

:: For really bad soap scum build up, boil white vinegar in a pot or in the microwave and pour it on the walls. Be sure to wear gloves and avoid inhaling the steam.

:: Wash plastic shower curtains in the washing machine.²

:: To clean your shower head, soak it in warm vinegar for half an hour.⁷

More Bathroom Cleaning Tips

:: Use a steam cleaner for cleaning and disinfecting without any cleaners. I’ll admit this is on my wishlist! Steam cleaners cost anywhere from $35 to $500, but most of the inexpensive ones have poor reviews. I’m leaning toward this all-purpose steam cleaner, which is normally priced at $150 but currently on sale for $79.99.

:: Make a natural floor cleaner by mixing 1/4 cup non-toxic, biodegradable dish soap with 1/2 cup white vinegar and 2 gallons of warm water.¹

:: Use equal parts white vinegar and water as an all-purpose cleaner.¹

:: Create a scouring paste by combining baking soda, a squirt of non-toxic, biodegradable dish soap and a squeeze of lemon into a thick paste. For stubborn grime, leave for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing.¹

What other bathroom cleaning tips or natural cleaning recipes do you have to add to the list?

Sources:

1 — Simple Organic
2 — Do It Yourself
3 — Green America
4 — Creative Homemaking
5 — Lifehacker
6 — Old Fashioned Living
7 — Mrs. Clean

I am a big believer in meal planning to help stretch your budget and your sanity! My method usually involves sitting on the couch, racking my brain for meal ideas, and then creating a grocery list based on the meals I plan. It’s not a horrible system, but it’s definitely not my favorite thing to do, and I am always afraid I’m going to forget some key ingredient…which I often do.

The Plan to Eat system makes meal planning easier (and kind of fun!):

:: import & share recipes from your own collection, from friends & family also using the system and from popular recipe sites

:: drag & drop meals on your calendar

:: create customized grocery lists for multiple stores based on your meal plan and pantry staples

Getting the system set up is the most time consuming part because it means adding your favorite recipes so that they’re available for your meal planning. But once you have those stored in your recipe box, you can simply drag and drop the meals to your calendar, make any adjustments to your grocery lists and you’re ready to go.  How simple is that?

This week, two lucky Organizing Your Way readers will each win a one-year membership to Plan to Eat! Plan to Eat also offers a free 30-day trial so that you can try it for yourself. Once you sign up, be sure to click on “Add Friends” and invite me to share recipes with you (email address: organizingyourway@gmail.com).

Every reader has four methods available to enter this contest (for a total of up to four entries):

1. Leave a comment. What does your current meal-planning system look like? What is the hardest part of meal planning for you?

2. Subscribe to my feed via RSS or email. You must confirm your email subscription for it to be a valid entry! Leave a separate comment letting me know you have done so. If you’re already a subscriber, simply leave a separate comment letting me know you’re already subscribed.

3. Sign up for a free 30-day trial. Come back and leave a separate comment once you’ve done so!

4. Follow @mandiehman and @plantoeat and tweet the following on Twitter. Be sure to come back and leave a separate comment once you’ve done so!

Visit @mandiehman to win a 1-year subscription to @PlantoEat,  (2 winners!): http://bit.ly/8XqlEe

Prize:
(2) 1-year subscriptions to Plan to Eat

This giveaway ends at noon EST on Saturday, 3/20. I’ll use Random.org to select the winning comment. Winner will be notified by email, and this post will be updated with their name as well!

source: Br3nda

The following is a guest post from Jessica at LifeasMOM and Good Cheap Eats:

Building a healthy and frugal pantry can be a challenge. But, it’s a rewarding one. I love to cook, my family loves to eat, and all of us are happy knowing that what we’re eating is good for us.

Having a full pantry is a dream come true. When my kitchen is well-stocked, it’s easy for me to develop menu plans and to prepare meals that our family enjoys. Plus, if I’ve already got the ingredients I need, I don’t have to run out to the store and risk spending more money than I should.

Often we shop without a long-range plan. We buy what’s on sale or what looks good and we end up with a cupboard full of stuff that doesn’t go together. I can live without that; can’t you?

Want to build a pantry that works for you? It’s easy and simple!

1. Make a list of 7-10 meals that your family loves. It might look like this:

* Beans and Rice
* Burritos
* Tacos
* Tuna Melts
* Burgers and Fries
* Spaghetti and Meatballs
* Lasagna
* Baked Chicken and Rice
* Tuna Noodle Casserole
* Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

2. Make a second list of the ingredients needed to make those meals. Hopefully, there will be several ingredients that these meals have in common. If not, you may want to revisit your meal choices. Save recipes with specialized ingredients for special occasions.

* canned beans
* rice
* flour tortillas
* cheese
* canned tuna
* sandwich bread
* ground beef
* hamburger buns
* condiments
* potatoes
* spaghetti
* lasagna noodles
* pasta sauce
* chicken

3. Divide your list into two columns: dried/canned goods and perishables.

4. As you shop each week, be on the lookout for sales on these items. Buy extra lasagna noodles or cans of spaghetti sauce when the price is low and stash them in the pantry. If you see perishable items on sale, such as ground beef, buy as much as you can reasonably store in the freezer. Over a few weeks’ time you will have built up an inventory of ingredients you know you will use. Keep it up and it’s rare that you’ll ever lack the basics needed to prepare your 7-10 tried and true suppers

Keeping a well stocked pantry is like getting a free pass from meal planning and shopping. Sure you can keep buying and rotating your ingredients. But every once in awhile, you’ll be able to give yourself time off, something no one can live without.

Jessica Fisher, aka FishMama, is mom to six busy children. She regularly writes about family, fun and frugality at LifeasMOM and posts “delicious ways to act your wage” at Good Cheap Eats.

source: lusi

It’s turned into guest post week here at Organizing Your Way. Thankfully, I wrote all of these posts before the start of what’s turned out to be a very busy week! Today I’m also sharing Five Tips for Decluttering Your Kitchen as part of Kimi’s Spring Cleaning Carnival at The Nourishing Gourmet.

I don’t know about you, but I love kitchen gadgets. That sounds funny coming from someone who is an admitted kitchen dunce, but it’s true. Even in high school and college, I had a hutch in my room with dishes, glasses and various kitchen gadgets for making smoothies, sandwiches, quesadillas, etc. for my friends. When I got married, I had a Pampered Chef bridal shower and I was a Pampered Chef consultant several years ago, so it’s no wonder my kitchen cabinets and drawers were bursting at the seams.

Read more at The Nourishing Gourmet…