3-in-1 Product: Baby Shampoo

This is every typical girl's best friend. It's shampoo, makeup brush cleaner, and lingerie washing detergent. Baby shampoo can be used as a basic shampoo, but I reach for it as a clarifying shampoo substitute because it has the least amount of chemicals pumped into it. Since I don't use it as a shampoo often and the other tasks I use it for doesn't require much of the product, either, this is a lasting investment.

I also use baby shampoo to wash my makeup brushes. It's important to keep them sanitary, but washing them properly with a gentle cleanser such as this one prolongs its lifespan, too. Since you have to clean them anyways, you might as well reach for the product that's a bargain and is gentlest. Some beauty companies manufacture their own makeup brush cleaner, but they're pricey and contain unnecessary ingredients that are harsh. The product may have been specifically developed to understand and sanitize your brushes. But which do you think is gentler, a product created for sensitive newborns or a beauty company focused purely on cleaning brushes that can't make complaints that already pump harmful ingredients into our beauty products? Your choice.

I dedicate one day out of the week, usually a Sunday for me, to do my cleaning. I start by filling my bathroom sink with lukewarm water and a small dollop of baby shampoo. You really don't need that much. I dip only the bristles, not the handle, in the water with my right hand. I immerse my left hand in a soapy liquid and brush the debris clean onto it in a swishing motion. I do this until no more color bleeds onto my hand. Then, I place the newly washed brush on the side of the sink with the wet brush off of the counter and toward the sink. I repeat this task with every brush. I, then, drain the water and add a little more soap on my hand, if necessary for a final rinse, but I don't bother to refill the sink. When I'm finished, I thoroughly clean the sink with a spray bottle of vinegar and microfiber cloth. (You may wonder why I go through the trouble of cleaning a surface that's just been soaking in soap. Well, the residue from the soap can be left behind, but the vinegar clears it right up).

I repeat the same process of filling the sink with warm water and a little baby shampoo. But this time it's to wash my delicates. I begin with panties. I like taking the extra measure and prewashing them before I put it through the gentle cycle in the washer with a lingerie mesh bag. Not all washers are equally effective. It's a disgusting thought and a disturbing reality. I sometimes repeat the procedure for security measures. I started developing that habit when the washer and dryer in my complex was being "serviced" for over a month! Self-service laundry is distanced in my neighborhood. I have outdoor allergies that reach life-threatening fevers. I don't have a car. The challenges are endless. So, I started handwashing my clothes. It was a necessity in th beginning because I was sick and couldn't go out, but I refused to be unsanitary. I kind of enjoy it now. It allows me to focus on only one task at hand. You'll learn that you really don't need that much shampoo. I begin with the panties (even though they aren't as, ahem, clean) because it's easier. I want them to start drying earlier since it takes longer. Once I'm finished with those, I proceed to the bras. Of course, as I've already stated, after each wash, I thoroughly disinfect the sink with vinegar and a microfiber cloth. You don't have to, but I like to keep a good habit. OCD consequence. I'm actually considering to purchase a lingerie drying rack and hanging it in the bathroom. That way I can finish rinsing the bras with the shower hose, which is easier because baby shampoo doesn't rinse off as easily on bras as it does panties. You may also wonder why I don't use the bathtub. Partly because I have a bad back but also because I came across a disturbing discovery: a bathtub is one of the top ten dirtiest places in the United States.

Bathtub startling fact: Let's face it, people. Do you really wash your bathtub daily or at least three times a week? It's unrealistic. Even if you are, you're probably not doing it correctly. You're supposed to use a bleach solution (which I don't even use because of the harmful contaminants). Then scrub thoroughly, and repeat the process. After you thoroughly rinse the tub with clean water, you have to dry it off completely. To maintain that cleanliness, you must thoroughly dry off the entire bath tub and wall surface each and every time it gets damp. Who does that? I put my bath mat in the washer every week. In the meantime, I use the Clorox bath wand to disinfect the walls, tubs, and doors. After a thoroughly rinse, I dry everything off completely. I also towel dry the bath mat before placing it down. But I don't remove the bath mat and thoroughly dry the walls, the tub, the doors, and the mat after each use. So, even my bathtub is considerably infested with germs. And I happen to put more diligent effort than others. It just seems futile and strenuous to "clean" my undergarments to further contaminate them.

Craft Organization

If you have an abundant amount of craft tools and the drawer space to store them, take advantage of the opportunity productively and neatly. Line your drawers with nonslip liners to prevent punches from moving around. The cohesively organized tools provide a visual aesthetics and convenience.

Daily Mini-Cleaning

Kitchen

When I first wake up, I sweep the kitchen floor. Then I wash my hands. I trust that my broom is clean, but whenever I expose myself to something that cleaned something, I feel like it's accepted part of the grime. This is perfect, though, because now with clean hands, I'm ready to put the dishes away. I feel like I reward myself with breakfast, but this forces me to go into the kitchen first before propping myself in front of the TV. The next thing you know hours go by on an empty stomach, and I'm starved. Knock two birds with one stone.

I thoroughly clean both sides of the sink after I wash the dishes.

As the dishes are soaking, I boil vinegar in a measuring cup in the microwave. Then I dunk my sponge in. I know that soaking the sponge before it gets grimy sounds self-defeating, as it'll get dirty and go unsanitized until the next day. Inevitably, someone will criticize the flaw in my plan. But those are the same people who put zero effort into cleaning their sponges. I'd rather put a little effort than no effort at all. I won't get around to cleaning my sponge after I do the dishes, so this works for me.

Bathroom

I clean the bathroom counters everyday with the method disinfecting wipes. It's simple and easy to do. Doing it everyday actually requires less work. And, surprisingly, you use less, so it's cheaper in the long run, too.

Bedroom

I make my bed every morning.

New Dishwashing Method

So I refined my dish washing technique, again. I use one tall glass to hold the flatware and small cutlery and fill that with glass. I use more than one glass if I need to. I set that aside. This is such a duh method, but I don't see too many people doing it, either. As far as my bowls and plates, I run over hot water over each layer. This is something I more or less do, but I want to be more diligent about it. I usually wash the dishes at the end of the day. Sometimes I wash a bowl or two halfway into the day, so I don't have to re-use anything. But I usually fill the big pots and pans with hot water and a little dish detergent until I'm ready to clean them. The dishes that are sitting on the rack dries by morning time and ready for use.