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Shelley's Tov Meod Teusday's Tips Continue!!!

Shelley’s Tov Meod Teusdays:

Cleaning. There are those who find cleaning like dishwashing to be a calming meditative practice and then there are those of us who find spirituality in other activities relegating house cleaning to chores. Recently I have moved from the latter approach to the former and while scrubbing the bathtub and rinsing glasses are not my favorite activities I have come to welcome them as important steps in guarding the health of my home and in turn my own well-being.

One of the most effective steps you can take to promote a healthy living environment is to create a daily clean-up routine. These include small steps to clear up and return items to their rightful place at days end as well as wipe down and dry all kitchen surfaces. The single most useful tool I have in my house-cleaning treasure-toolchest is my spray bottle. Actually, I have several for different homemade cleaning solutions to use around the house. A spray bottle evenly distributes solution across a broad area and a dry kitchen towel wipes up the spills and grime. In the kitchen my spray-bottle lives under my sink where it’s easily accessible and ready to clean up spills on the counter, in the pantry and inside the fridge. It’s also incredibly useful for cleaning my large stock-pots and cast-iron cookware. At the end of the day a quick spray on the kitchen floor can be wiped clean and dry with a sponja to keep your kitchen fresh between proper floor cleanings.

Below is my “Easy-Shmeasy” kitchen cleanup solution to pour into your spray bottle. While I certainly promote recycling an empty bottle you may have on-hand, feel free to buy a new one that is as aesthetically pleasing as it is practical. Go for a color that complements your kitchen’s color palette so it can be handy while staying visually unobtrusive.

The Easy-Shmeasy Solution (Perfect even for my messiest stovetops)
2 cups water
1 tsp liquid dish soap

If you wish, substitute the liquid dish soap with a few drops of castile soap and for a fancier solution with anti-bacterial power add 20 drops tea-tree oil or combination of your favorite essential oils. I like to include eucalyptus oil as it is an effective “pest-deterrent” in the summer (see ya, mosquitos!) and year round, but particularly come cold and flu season, it helps keep nasal passages clear.

Note: Vinegar is a powerful ingredient in your homemade cleaning pantry with anti-bacterial properties but can wreak havoc on granite counters. Omit from any solution that will be used on granite surfaces or tiles and grout as well as solutions that contain castile soap such as Dr. Bronner’s.

May incorporating these tips and tools help to keep your home and its inhabitants healthy and happy!

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