Spring is almost here (YAY!)

I’ve been getting a lot done this winter, like…

1) organizing my holiday storage space

Want to see more?  VOTE in the POLL below!

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2)  finally… getting new washable, denim slip covers made for my family room furniture

In whatever color suits your style, denim is such a great fabric! 

It never seems to go out of style

It’s uber-durable!

Animal hair doesn’t stick to its fibers

It goes with every accent color you can think of

(you’ve seen this proven throughout the many seasons & holidays at The Seasonal Home!)

I love how I’ve been able to wash my slip covers whenever needed

~ and ~

because I decided to spring for a quality sofa set, my last set of denim slip covers lasted 15 years! 

That set has now been retired (but has been tucked away for backup 😉),

check out its fresh, new replacement…

3) starting some Spring Cleaning before I decorate for Easter

I think most will agree that cleaning is NOT fun

and I’m sure everyone has their own method for Spring cleaning,

but just in case you have some of the same cleaning “issues” I do,

here are 3 of my favorite simple, eco-friendly tricks that you may also want to try:

You may have this first product on hand…  called “Eraser Cleaners”

(soft, sponge-like pads that erase set-in dirt and grime quickly and easily.  With the help of a little water, they remove dirt, scuff marks & crayon marks from floors, walls and doors and are safe to use glove-free, requiring no additional cleaning products.)

I’ve even found this type of product in the dollar stores and they work really well.

And here’s a use I found for them that goes beyond household cleaning

Check out how well it cleaned this arm rest in my car

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Another favorite cleaning tool is The Swiffer.

It’s a sweeper that uses dry, electrostatic cloths to clean the floor better than a broom.

It’s simple & easy to push along any hard-surface flooring and

it even rotates to help you get into those hard to reach spaces.

I love it because it’s less work than pulling out my vacuum daily and doesn’t have to be plugged in

so I’m not on the hunt for an unoccupied outlet.

And before you think I’m just being lazy… you should know that I am the proud momma of a 1-1/2 year old puppy that might hold the world record for shedding… ALL YEAR ROUND!

This is my sweet Lilly Grace…

I love her AND her beautiful fur coat, but not all over my house.

Yeesh… I wish my own hair was this gorgeous!!!

So when it comes to wrangling up her endless supply of “fur-bunnies”, I always keep my Swiffer near by.

And when I sometimes run out of the electrostatic Swiffer cloths,

I head to my dryer and pull out the used softener sheet…

     

tape it on to my Swiffer broom (because it isn’t the same size as the Swiffer cloths)

and off I go!

As you can see by this photo, it’s not pretty, but it works quite well in a pinch.

Finally, cleaning tile grout is definitely NOT my favorite chore,

but I get a lot of help from an all-natural product, WITCH HAZEL.

WITCH HAZEL has been around forever and has a TON of uses!

It’s cost is around a dollar and CLICK HERE to read about more uses for this product.

Usually, I can just squirt it on my tile grout,

(but I always have a skinny, stiff brush on hand for those really dirty spots)

and wipe it up with a cloth, after letting it soak for a few minutes.

Sorry, another not-so-pretty photo..

And as you can see by these BEFORE and AFTER photos, there’s certainly a noticeable improvement.

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Another natural formula I found (on the internet) might work even better for really ground in dirt:

Tile and Grout Cleaner

1/2 cup baking soda
1/3 cup household ammonia
1/4 cup white vinegar
7 cups warm water

Combine the ingredients in a one-gallon plastic jug, cover, and swish to mix well. For small jobs, fill a pump bottle with the solution, spray directly onto the tile surface, then wipe with a damp sponge.

Yield: 2 quarts. Do not mix this cleaner with anything containing bleach.

So, now that the cleaning & organizing is done, it’s time to begin the real fun, decorating for Easter!

here’s a sneak peek… just wait until you see where he ends up!

HAPPY SPRING!