Time. The best self care?

Well here we are - more than half way through January 2020! Don’t get me started about how time seems to fly. My dad sent me a quote years ago - “Time is like a circus - it keeps packing up and moving on”. I have a clearer understanding now what he was saying.

I often wish I could hear his “take” regarding the world today. A lot has changed in a relatively short period of time. A lot he would embrace - technology certainly. The encumbrances resulting from these advancements - not so much. You would think the way technology has made our lives easier we would have more time, instead many of us burn time on apps like Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. Which then has us burning time to be creative DIYers, posting the perfect picture and saying it all in 120 characters or less!!

No wonder there is a self care awareness campaign in the media. My response was “Yea right! Who has the time for self care?!” That is when I thought self care should be time. As in take the time -

• Take the time to check in and connect with friends and family. Call or have lunch/dinner.

• Take the time to get outside - walk at the many beautiful parks, hike our wonderful trails or a walk around the neighborhood.

• Take the time for a class - there are freebies at Michaels, Home Depot or an evening discussion with an organization like Hendersonville Green Drinks.

• Take the time to travel a different route home from work, school, grocery etc. Get out of your bubble! There literally is another world around the corner.

• Take the time to compliment someone. Their haircut, blouse, shoes etc. The endorphin boost you get when they smile is priceless.

Just a few small things that take a small amount of time but have huge payoffs. After all isn’t self care supposed to make you feel good?

To help carve out small amounts of time try this trick: Take a picture of your to do list, including one of the above, whether it’s old school pen and paper or screen shot using your notes app. Then save the pic as your phone’s wallpaper, so every time you go to look at your phone you’ll see your to do list as a reminder to take the time.

Final Touch Cleaning can also help carve out time by taking care of your cleaning needs, Call today and take the time before it packs up and moves on - Tracy

Vinegar is a great cleaner, but....

Distilled white vinegar is great product to have on hand for cleaning purposes, however there are a few items and surfaces which you should keep it away.

Vinegar can permanently damage granite, marble, quartz and similar products.

Vinegar will make egg coagulate, making it much more difficult to clean up a split or splattered egg.

Acidity will dull the shine and strip away the protection if used on waxed floors and furniture.  

Vinegar's acidity will also dull the shine of the paint on vehicles.  Metallic paints are most vulnerable.

Your touch screen devices have a special coating designed to help stop fingerprints/smudges.  Using vinegar will strip away the protective coating, potentially damaging the screen.

Whether it is stone flooring, stone garden ornaments or a stone pot, the natural acids in vinegar can case real damage.

Sealed grout is fine with vinegar, however unsealed grout wont fair as well.  Very old grout that is flaking away shouldn't be cleaned with vinegar either.

So clean your mirrors, counters, sinks, tubs, showers, toilets and floors but remember, vinegar is acidic i.e., contains acids so be careful and as always "test in a inconspicuous area".

Cleaning Quicker

My mom always said "use your head to save your feet".  We are always trying to squeeze another minute out of our days.  If you break down your cleaning routine, you will see where it can be reconfigured/tweeked.  Here are some examples:

Using your preferred cleanser (vinegar and water works great) spray down the bathroom sink, tub, toilet and shower and go complete another task, empty the trash/make a bed/empty the dishwasher.  When you come back to the bathroom, start with the least dirty surface giving your cleanser the maximum amount of time.  This will make it easier to clean, cut down on wasted time and reduce the amount of elbow grease needed.

Going room by room start at the top and work your way down...remove cob webs, followed by dusting vents, light fixtures and tops of cabinets.  Dry dust all furniture before you apply any polish to avoid making a moist gunk that you end up spending more time trying to buff out.  Do this on floors also, be sure to thoroughly vacuum or sweep your floors before mopping, eliminating chasing dirt around with a mop head. 

Place 1/4 cup of ammonia in an oven safe dish.  With the oven off, place the bowl in the oven and let it sit overnight,  The fumes from the ammonia will soften any gunk in the oven so in the morning you can wipe it out with a sponge.  For the stove grates, put a grate in a storage bag, pour 1/4 cup of ammonia into the bag, seal it shut and let it also sit overnight.  Rinse and dry in the morning.

Hope these little tricks/hacks save some time for you and gives you some ideas on ways to stream line your cleaning routine.

Summer Time Saver

Enjoying the longer summer days outside doesn't leave much time to keep up with inside cleaning.  A well stocked tote/caddy will help so everything is in one spot and ready so you can take advantage of 15-20 minutes.  

1 - microfiber cloths - different colors so you assign colors for different tasks.

2 - scrub brush - nylon bristles with a rubber handle

3 - all purpose cleaner - Final Touch prefers Krud Kutter, biodegradable and doesn't have a harsh smell or smell like a "country meadow".

4 - window cleaner - Target or your local store brand is sufficient

5 - gloves - spend the extra money and get a box at your local home improvement store in the paint department.  They fit your hand better and are tighter around the wrist

6- toothbrush - recycle when you replace one

7 - squeegee - brass or stainless steel is best (hello streakless mirrors)

8 - scouring sponge - sponge on one side and non-scratch scrubber on the other

9 - Magic Erasure - wish I had invented them

10 - disinfecting wipes - store the canister upside down so wipes don't dry out

11 - vinegar - natural dsinfectant and great tile/hardwood/vinyl floor cleaner

12 - Dawn - a little dab on a warm rag can safely clean "goo" on many surfaces

13 - toilet brush - plastic cup in caddy = great brush holder

14 - Swiffer duster - as with Magic Erasures wish I'd invented them

15 - paper towel - Final Touch prefers Bounty

Along with the caddy have a sturdy mop bucket with a twist type mop that has a removable washable mop head, dust pan and broom.  Keep your upright vacuum in the same location.   Taking 15-20 minutes slots of cleaning instead of one big cleaning can help keep the house clean and you enjoying the beautiful weather we have here in the mountains.

Spring Cleaning

Tax time always brings about some much needed decluttering for me.  So glad to purge receipts, notes and random "why did I save that" notes which have accumulated over the year.  Also brings attention to the dust bunnies and cob webs....

Your best friend for spring cleaning is the attachments on your upright vacuum or purchase a small shop vac at your local home improvement store.  (When shopping be sure to look for length of power cord and hose for ease of use, one with a 3.5 peak horsepower is sufficient.)   If you start by vacuuming all the dust up you won't be chasing it around as you proceed with cleaning.

With your vac brush attachment, 4ft ladder, 2-3 microfiber clothes and an old paint brush begin at the top and work your way down to the floor hitting every surface, knick knack and picture frame.  Wipe down with a microfiber cloth as you move along using the paint brush to get in the corners.  Don't forget to  open those windows and let in the fresh air!!  Just don't forget to vacuum up the dead bugs in the window sills!