5 Tips to a Clean, Fresh and Cozy Bed - Laundry Tips

5 Tips to a Clean, Fresh and Cozy Bed - Laundry Tips and More

At the end of a long day, a cozy, comfy bed feels like a sanctuary, the perfect place to throw yourself into and curl up with a great book. Here are a few tips to have a comfortable, clean and tidy bed without stressing out too much about the whole situation.

1. Choose cotton sheets - fresh cotton sheets, billowing in the breeze. Now that is what a good set of cotton sheets should feel like! Cotton feels so good next to your skin - clean, and crisp. Cotton also cleans up beautifully - add about 1/2 cup of Borax or 1 cup of white vinegar to the load of sheets instead of harsh bleach if you want to keep those whites whiter.
2. Keep bedding simple - on top of those lovely fresh cotton sheets, just layer on a great big fluffy duvet, complete with cover. (Really in my opinion, the fluffier the better, like this beauty: White Down Comforter ) Then, making the bed in the morning (when you SO don't feel like being bothered) is no big deal. You just straighten the sheets, and throw over the duvet. Add a few cute throw cushions and voila - you're done making beds for the day! (Keep these tips in mind for the junior slobbos in the household...the easier you can keep bedmaking for kids, the more likely they'll actually stick to it.)
3. Freshen up linens naturally - Airing out your linens can be as simple as throwing back the duvet and opening the bedroom window wide! Or, if you have the weather and a line available, try drying sheets and other linens out in the fresh air. Nothing smells better.
4. Spray the lavender - A natural lavender spray spritzed over your pillows before you snuggle in for the night is a perfect way to ease stress and tension, and ease you gently to sleep. (Did you know that real essential oil of lavender also eases stress and tension in pets? It's just an interesting tidbit I recently learned and wanted to pass along! Always check with your vet before trying any particular treatment.)
5. Dewrinkle sheets without ironing - You know I'm not a fan of ironing. If you're also not fond of that steamy appliance, then set your handy timer again - but this time to make sure you know the moment the dryer is done drying your sheets. If you remove sheets as soon as they're done drying, and fold them immediately, then your linens should look nice and crisp - MINUS the ironing! If you didn't catch them in time and the sheets are a wrinkled mess, don't despair. Just spritz with a bit of water and toss them in the dryer for a few minutes to dewrinkle them and then fold them.

The Simplest Cleaning Formula You'll Ever Make: Squirt Squirt Cleaner Recipe

Ahhh, yes...making your own cleaners. It sounds like a real 'mother of the earth' type project, doesn't it? But, making a simple homemade cleaner is a breeze. This is the simplest of all cleaning recipes, so give it a try to replace chemical-filled cleaners. The Squirt, Squirt Cleaner is basically a good all-purpose cleaner for around the home.

Squirt Squirt Cleaner - No Hassle Housecleaning Recipe
* Distilled water (or tap water, in a pinch)
* A natural dishwashing liquid soap (the link I chose is a lavender type - hurray! I have a wee addiction to the purple stuff.)
* A plastic spray bottle (that has never contained chemicals or other nasty stuff)
* Optional: lavender or tea tree essential oils.


Quite simply, add a squirt of two of the liquid dishwashing soap, and then fill nearly to the top with the distilled water. Gently shake to combine (gently now, or else you'll be overcome by bubbles.) This is a mild and effective soapy cleaner that is really easy to use, easy on the health of your family, and easy on the wallet, by George!

You can get a little fancier with your homemade cleaning creation by adding a few drops of either lavender or tea tree essential oils. You probably already know that I'm a lavender freak, so that would be my fave, but both of these oils work well to add an extra dose of cleaning fortitude. So, give it a try!

Money saving tip o' the day: Buying essential oils online is almost always cheaper than heading to your local health food store.

A New Cleaning Recipe - Basic Baking Soda All-Purpose Spray with Essential Oils

Hello, and how is your Wednesday treating you? Here it's another beautiful sunny day - although (thankfully!) not as hot as it has been. It's perfect summertime weather, and I have my handy dandy glass of ice water always at hand.

Today I have a new and easy cleaning recipe for you to try. You already know that I'm a huge advocate of that orange box of baking soda. In fact, more than once I've recommended that we all buy mega size boxes of it at the warehouse store! (Or, perhaps we should all invest in baking soday shares, already!)

Anyway, today I have a simple new cleaning formula for you to make at home. This is a great all-purpose spray, and the idea was sent in by Jeannie. :) I just adjusted the recipe slightly. Enjoy, slobbos! And...personalize your cleaning spray with the essential oils I recommend at the end. And then label that bottle of cleaner as: "Igor's Super Powerful Natural Cleaner." Well, if your name happens to be Igor, that is...

Homemade Baking Soda Cleaning Spray
(Natural, organic, homemade cleaners)
3 tablespoons baking soda
About 1 quart of water

Optional Additions:

• 15-20 drops of essential oil: orange, lemon, lavender or tea tree essential oil

Mix the water and baking soda together in a clean spray bottle that has an adjustable mist setting. (I like using a harder, direct spray when cleaning floors, for instance, and a lighter spray when cleaning countertops, etc.) Don't use a spray bottle that has previously been used to contain harmful chemicals.

Add the essential oils, if you plan on using them. I like adding essential oils to some of my homemade cleaners. Why? Because, they not only smell heavenly, but they also add powerful CLEANING PUNCH to the cleaner. Read on, and find out how essential oils work to keep your home cleaner and healthier. :)

For instance:

• Lemon Essential Oil - Ahh, that sweet citrusy smell of lemon! Does anything compare to it? It'll wake you up as you clean...plus, the lemon oil works as a natural disinfectant, so it works great on any surface that you want to disinfect in a healthy way. Another fantastic idea is to dilute some lemon EO and spray over your freshly cleaned bed linens. Smells divine!
• Lavender Essential Oil - This is another all-time favorite of me, the Happy Slob! Lavender is another one of nature's helpful disinfectants. And that soothing smell just makes me relax and want to crawl up and read a good book. Urm...after I clean, of course! (You can also use a few drops of pure, undiluted lavender oil on your kitchen sponge and use it as a super disinfectant. Add a healthy sprinkling of baking soda or a bit of table salt to the sponge too, to give it some scrubby power.)
• Orange Essential Oil - The sweetest smelling essential oil, in my humble opinion, orange oil remains one of my favorites. Adding this to the above baking soda spray makes it a powerful degreaser. Gorgeous! Your greasy stove won't know what hit it!
• Tea Tree Oil - All behold the power of tea tree oil! Add 25 drops to the above mix and create another natural disinfectant spray (with no scary chemicals, thank you very much.) Another bonus? You can use the exact same recipe for an odor neutralizing spray in the bathroom, or anywhere else you need a good old-fashioned air freshener.

THE HAPPY SLOB'S FAVORITE ESSENTIAL OIL PICKS

Look no farther! If you want to stock up on some of these lovely, natural cleaning oils, these are some of the best essential oil bargains I've found online for you. Enjoy! And make sure to get a few bottles for your Happy Slob cleaning pals, too.