WWRD?

We have a question!

So I saw you're online and remembered I need to ask, now: Exactly where did you get your food-waste-suitable bags and bin? Our solution has become... honestly we have no solution. Help.

- Anonymous
(the twit wouldn’t email back when I asked for permission to use his name)

We use the BioBags.

At first, we had a countertop/under the sink composter like you get at Bed, Bath & Beyond. But just FYI, the white ceramic one sucks (it’s not even offered anymore). The neck is smaller than the rest of it, so when it's full, it's too difficult to get the bag out. And we discovered it wasn't big enough for a family of 4, since we can now compost napkins, paper plates, cardboard food containers, etc.

So we got a kitchen trash can, one that you step on the pedal and it lifts the lid. We use the tall kitchen BioBags in that and probably change it out twice a week. The lid keeps the fruit flies out and the smell down, but you still have to take the bag well before the can fills up.

An excellent question this week.
Thanks…man.

WWRD?

Raechelle would sleep. A lot.

Period.

WWRD?

Raechelle wishes to sleep now, please.

We will return to your regularly scheduled blog next week.
Once Raechelle can form a coherent thought again.

WTFWRD?

"So, in the WTFWRD category this week, how about this question: I'm watching from some distance as my stepson and soon to be stepdaughter are simultaneously packing to move, selling their house, buying a new one, planning a wedding and working, while keeping two young 'uns in school. Which should I do? Watch in fascinated horror (think train wreck), offer to help in some insipid & probably useless way, or vacuum and clean the toilets in my house?"

-Bob

Raechelle would want absolutely no part in such drama and train wreckness. Your stepson and soon to be stepdaughter sound like they are complete gluttons for punishment and need to relax and enjoy their lives, rather than constantly coming up with ways to draw attention to themselves. “Look at me!! I’m so stressed!!” I mean, really.

So, Raechelle would clean her toilets and vacuum, so that when the stepkids finally snap from the insanity and need a place to which they can escape and drool on themselves, you can offer up your home.

Rumor has it, you’re a pretty a good cook too, so I’m sure the stepkids would very much appreciate some kind of gooey chocolate dessert to comfort them.

Thanks for the question!

WWRD?

Raechelle would win the lotto so she could quit her job and not have to deal with a certain department and their indecisiveness and their constant need to revise their quotes. Raechelle has been dealing with this since late June and she’s just about had enough.

And Raechelle would have faith in the sale of her house so that she could actually start packing to move (in two weeks). But Raechelle is not so sure this will actually happen, given the experience she’s had with these buyers. So Raechelle is Freaking Out.

Raechelle will, however, be drinking a crap load of wine tonight so she’s got that going for her.

And as if the Universe knew Raechelle was having a bad today, this is her bento box fortune cookie fortune:

A vacation to sunny shores is soon in store for you.

Well, no shit, Sherlock. Is that supposed to make me feel better right now?

Because that vacation to sunny shores is still two months away. And I don’t know if I can make it through two more months of this.

**********

As you may have guessed, there was no question this week. See what you get if you don’t write in a question? See? Wouldn’t you rather read about organizing?

WWRD?

We have a question!!

What would be your must have essentials for your cleaning bucket? If I wanted to amass a bucket of cleaning supplies what would I be sure to have and what would I pass on? Rags vs Paper towels? I am thinking I have too many things and would prefer a few multi-cleaners, ya know. And, of course, what works best on which surface. Trying to decide if I should put them all in a bucket so I can tote it around the mansion.

- JamieB

And it's an excellent question to start off this new segment of the blog!

Knowing your mansion (i.e. new condo), I will speak specifically to what I would do in your situation. I had a big ‘ol blog post written (three pages of a Word document) but it was more about what I do in my house and in my situation. You may have gotten some ideas from it, but it was a long read.

So, in your brand-spankin’-new condo, I would put the following items in my cleaning bucket:

Swiffer
All purpose cleaner
A sponge
A toothbrush

It’s a small bucket.

I like the Method all purpose cleaners. They’re non toxic and smell yummy.

And I use these sponges call Turn-Abouts, but you can’t find them just anywhere. It’s odd. But they have nylon mesh on one side (good for scrubbing, but they don’t scratch) and cloth on the other side (good for wiping).

I like toothbrushes because you can get into nooks and crannies with them, and they’re great for baseboards.

I would keep a basket of rags in your closet, next to your cleaning bucket, so when you grab the bucket to go clean, you could grab a couple of rags as well. I like the terrycloth rags from Home Depot. I’ve been using the same ones since I had Mighty Tidy, my cleaning business, back in 2005. They’re very durable.

I would keep the bathroom cleaning supplies in the bathroom, under the sink. I’d have a little basket with:

Toilet bowl cleaner (I have to have bleach in my toilet bowel cleaner)
Bon Ami (powdered scrubber, non-toxic, non-smelly and usually under $2)
Two sponges (the one for the toilet in a Ziploc baggy, so it doesn’t cross contaminate)
A couple of toothbrushes
Gloves
Glass cleaner wipes.
A cup (to rinse out the tub) if you don’t have a handheld shower head.

Since your bathroom and your kitchen are close together, you could either grab the bathroom basket so you could use the powdered cleaner and non-toilet sponge in the kitchen, or (because I am somewhat neurotic) I’d just get another basket with powdered cleaner, a sponge, a toothbrush and an all purpose cleaner and put that under the sink.

I get on cleaning fits rather quickly and if I have to go and seek out what I need to do what I want to do, I get annoyed. I’d rather just keep everything right where I want it.

I rarely use paper towels to clean, even though we can now throw them in the composter. But there is one exception – when you’re cleaning a stove top. Using a sponge just smears whatever it is that you’re cleaning up. Fresh paper towels (or rags, if you have enough of them and don’t mind washing them) make sure that you’re not just pushing the same grease around.

Some people like the all purpose wipes. The only time I use them is in my cubicle at work. And that’s only because it’s just easier since I don’t have a water source close by. A rag wet with water can do wonders. If you’re looking to disinfect, then a cleaner would be good, but just in general, water is fine.

I wouldn’t have a spray glass cleaner. The ammonia that sprays into the air is icky. I like the Windex wipes. They still reek of ammonia, but at least I’m not spraying it. For some reason, this makes me feel better. And I just use the wipes on mirrors. I clean windows with a wet rag and squeegee.

I would have furniture polish on hand, maybe tucked away in the closet, behind the rags, but polish doesn’t need to be used at every cleaning. Swiffers are fantastic at picking up the dust and keeping a hold of it. I've found that feather dusters don’t really hold the dust, so I’ve never been a fan. Although, I’ve read that *down* feather dusters actually attract the dust, as do the static dusters, so maybe I was just using the wrong kind. I still love my Swiffer, though.

Okay, I think I've babbled enough. Thanks for your question, Jamie. I hope I answered it well.

Until next Friday, that's what Raechelle would do.