thebeckybug

About once a week I walk into my house and an overwhelming filth infiltrates my senses as I make my way through the front door. On these days I usually decide to complain and wallow in three inches of dog fur and add a couple takeout boxes to the mix and watch TV until it’s time to go to bed. My usual routine unfortunately leaves no time for actual cleaning. This of course adds to the problem and the routine continues through the consecutive days. Until it gets so dirty that one of the boys notices and does something about it. Which happens about … oh, never.

Last week, however, all this changed. Maybe it is all the design blogs I’ve been scrolling through, or the pristine homes and unavoidably helpful tips that litter my magazines; anyway, something clicked and I am actually finding the drive to clean up the mess that daily life makes. I’ve started what seems to be a cleaning routine and the fact that it’s gone on for two weeks now gives me hope for future consistent cleanliness of my living space.

I will probably always avoid the dishwasher. I will probably always forget to clean out my car once in a while. I will probably always let my laundry pile up in the closet until I run out of underwear, or worse: socks! But the floors are a little less furry, the bathroom is all shiny, and the immense layer of dust is a bit thinner. Not to mention the piles of paper! The mountains of paper are more like … well I’m working on that.

This new cleaning sensation in our duplex called for new supplies. I heard about Mrs. Meyer’s line of more natural and aroma therapeutic cleaners and decided to stock up on some of the goods. I was gravitating toward the less-flowery lavender scent, but the boy steered me toward geranium. And HOLY COW. I didn’t exactly enjoy scrubbing the wall-to-wall-and-up-the-walls bathroom grout with a toothbrush, but between Michael Phelps swimming in the background and the lovely scent of geranium that emanated from the floor, I didn’t quite hate cleaning as much. Without the singeing sensation of nose hairs and brain cells from the usual cleaners, I had the stamina to spend three of my evenings last week making my bathroom less grimy.

Not to mention, Tide Pure Essence Laundry Detergent plus Mrs.Meyer’s Geranium Dryer Sheets equals heaven. My volcano of laundry magically transformed into neatly sorted stacks of lovely smelling towels and a closet full of happiness. I sleep better now between sheets that smell like angel’s breath.

Maybe it’s also because I have the Olympics/Michael Phelp’s Abs to keep me company, but I really think I found my own personal holy grail of cleaning products. Cleaning products that I can’t wait to use because they look great in the package (means I can leave them out where I can be reminded to use them), leave the house looking better (yeah they really work), and smell great to boot (means I don’t loose necessary brain cells.)

Pictures of household fixtures have nothing to do with the post topic.