I am a bit OCD about things sometimes and some people will tell you I am a germaphobe. I don’t know what kind of cleaners to use sometimes…what is baby friendly and all that business. So I wanted to get some suggestions from you all on what you use in your homes.
- What do you use to clean granite counter tops?
- What do you use to clean your wood floors?
- What do you use for carpet stains?
- Can you use regular Tide FREE for baby clothes or do you have to use that Dreft?
- Is it worth the $300 dollars for a BREAST PUMP? Lordy I had no idea it was so expensive!
- What is your favorite “clean” scented candle?
- What is a cheap way you can organize your closet without spending a butt load of money?
- If you don’t have a plug in the floor then how do you arrange a lamp in a room where your furniture is in the middle of the room?
- Real Christmas tree or fake…does it matter?
Okay-that is all I can think of….obviously I have a lot of questions running through my head right now. I am so ready to CLOSE on this house and get moved in, but things are taking longer than expected. Hopefully sometime within the next couple of weeks we can be in there and I won’t have the LONG commute to and from work every day! Thank you Lord! Terence on the other hand will be driving the drive now and hopefully he can handle his road rage a little better than I have! LOL!
As far as cleaning supplies, I’m going to try to use the things sold in the natural section if it’s an area that the baby might touch and then put fingers in the mouth, like the floor.
Regarding the breast pump, I was able to get a brand new one for half price from the health center because they have a grant to pay for the other half. I did NOT qualify because of income- everyone qualifies for this in my county. I know that I will have to pump because I will be a working mother, but I’ve heard that if you don’t have to go to work you can probably get by without a pump.
Good luck!
Not real familier with cleaners, yet… but for the wood floors I have a shark steam mop (Not sure of the official name) but it doesn’t use any cleaners at all and steralizes through heat and steam. It is wonderful on wood and tile and doesn’t streak. I got mine at our local Sam’s Club, but I think Bed, Bath and Beyond also carries them. I love Clean Cotton from Yankee Candle they are amazing and it is a fregnance that you can smell. I still have so many unanswered questions about breat pumps…Hope this helps 😉 looking foward to reading other comments from experienced moms!
YES! Buy the $300 pump! TOTALLY worth it! It was my saving grace when I first started breastfeeding — and if you’re going to go back to work and plan on still breastfeeding then, you will def. want the Medela. Well worth the price. Can’t say enough good things about them! They suggest not buying on used, but you can often find them cheaper on craigslist than the $300.
We use All Free and Clear as our detergent. The pediatrician I used to work for said it’s as good as Dreft, and not near as expensive!
on our hardwoods i use warm water and vinegar. it does the trick but i am wanting the shark steam mop. i have heard nothing but great things about it, but its costly. we use dreft on his clothes and tide free or all free on our’s. our son has very sensitive skin so dreft works best for him. we get coupons from BRU for it all the time. i have to use dye/perfume free dryer sheets as well. on the pump. its so worth it. i actually bought mine from a friend from church and she bought it new, so i knew it was taken care of and cleaned/steamed. the medela is the best for work, travels well and its less noisy. target will sometimes run them on sale or find a friend who does not need theirs anymore. you will get a lot of use out of it espically if you have more children. we have a fake tree our son was only 5 months old last christmas so this year im sure we will have to get a gate to go around it. im sure it does not matter on tree’s.
also, on the pump get a hands free bra for it. those things are great. its like a tub top with two holes. haha ;o). i would pump and check emails or talk on the phone with it all the time. let me know if you have ?’s about the pump. i pumped all day for months. ;o)
Hey sidder!
I bought one of these at Target & I LOVE it! It’s only $39.99 & you can tuck it away in your closet. I keep my bras & panties in the 2 top smaller drawers & lounge/sleep clothes in the others:
http://www.target.com/White-Sterilite-4-Drawer-Plastic-Wheels/dp/B0006O0EE2/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&frombrowse=0&node=1038576&keywords=sterilite&field_browse=1038576&searchSize=30&id=White%20Sterilite%204-Drawer%20Plastic%20Wheels&field_availability=-2&refinementHistory=subjectbin%2Ctarget_com_age%2Ctarget_com_gender-bin%2Ctarget_com_character-bin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&searchNodeID=1038576&field_launch-date=-1y&searchRank=relevancerank&searchPage=1&field_keywords=sterilite
I’ll e-mail you that link too. Love you Miss Cleanie! HAHA!
(you need to live closer to me so you can come clean my house!)
<3 sidder
I am right there with ya, I am obssessed with cleaning and organization! Good luck!
Hi there! I’m a reader of your blog but never have commented before. I wanted to say congrats on the little boy, there’s something about boys, they love their mommies soooo much. I also thought I’d answer your questions.
– We were told to just use soap and water on our granite countertops. You aren’t supposed to use Windex but I’ve heard you can if you get it up quick. Soap and water is 100% antibacterial and so easy and cheap to use.
– On our hardwoods we use this special cleaner called Bona Hardwood Floor cleaner. Our cleaning lady (When I had one) told me that a lot of the stuff out there for floors can leave a waxy buildup over time, and this stuff cleans like a champ and it leaves no streaks or buildup.
– You absolutely do NOT have to use Dreft, I used regular Tide. When you think about it, the baby is going to be touching your clothes and you probably have washed them in regular detergent. you dont have to use anything special unless you see that your baby has sensitive skin, then you need to switch the whole family’s detergent to whatever you choose.
– Yes, the breast pumps are 100% worth it. I Stay at home full time and used mine a ton for when I wanted the hubby to get up with my baby, when we went out, etc.
– We do a fake tree, but I loveeee real trees. One year I’d love to get a huge real tree. I really dont think it matters, DH just loves the fake trees.
Sorry this is so long! Good luck with everything!
What do you use for carpet stains? Resolve power foam.
Can you use regular Tide FREE for baby clothes or do you have to use that Dreft?
I use ALL clean and clear
Is it worth the $300 dollars for a BREAST PUMP? Um..I’m gettin a $140..but I plan on staying home and not having to pump much but if I were to have an out of the home job..I would say yes..because it’s essential to have a good pump.
Have you went to any breastfeeding classes..they can direct to a cheaper one for just as good.
What is your favorite “clean” scented candle? cotton..the walmart brand one!
Real Christmas tree or fake…does it matter?
REAL..always 🙂
I plan on purchasing a breast pump off ebay because they are so expensive. You would be shocked how many people purchase and never use theirs. Just buy new parts for the machine. , it will save tons.
What do you use to clean granite counter tops? Just regular ol’ Pledge. Works beautifully. I disinfect with lysol wipes or spray bleach one or twice a week. I don’t use my counter tops as a cutting surface, though.
Sorry I don’t have wood floors, just wood planks in between my tile. I use pledge on it, too.
What do you use for carpet stains? This carbonated stuff called Stain Extinguisher by ChemDry. It’s WONDERFUL!
Can you use regular Tide FREE for baby clothes or do you have to use that Dreft? Use whatever works for your baby. Dreft is such a hype and has just as much fragrance and anything else. While I have to admit, it smells particularly precious on new baby clothes, it’s not a must. 😉
Is it worth the $300 dollars for a BREAST PUMP? I bought a used pump at the thrift store for 5 bucks, brought it home and sterilized it and it was all I ever needed. I didn’t pump much, though, and found a hand pump to be better suited for me. However, if you plan on pumping at all for work, definitely get the good one!
What is your favorite “clean” scented candle?I love anything by For Every Body, they have the best soy candles and they all burn nicely. They have several cotton/linen and other clean smelling fragrances.
(this is fun!)
What is a cheap way you can organize your closet without spending a butt load of money? Organize? Who does that? 😛
If you don’t have a plug in the floor then how do you arrange a lamp in a room where your furniture is in the middle of the room? Oh, girl. I FEEL THE PAIN. :sigh: I have an extension cord running under my furniture. Hubby did offer to cut it in under the carpet some sneaky way, but really, it’s mostly hidden so I don’t spaz about it.
Real Christmas tree or fake…does it matter? I’m a fake Christmas tree girl. I don’t like the strong smell of the real ones, and the pine needles are a real drag. I’m also kind of a minimalist when it comes to decorating for seasons. I like my normal decor, and putting up/taking much more down is not my favorite thing to do. My hubby pre-lit our tree, so all I have to do is snap it together and hang the trimmings. Works perfect!
Two answers, neither baby-related. 🙂
I love anything linen-y or cotton-y smelling when it comes to candles. I think Yankee candle makes one called Clean Linen, but any of those types smell clean to me.
Meanwhile, we always go for a fake tree because it’s less messy to clean up, and it doesn’t bother my allergies.
You’ll figure it all out; don’t worry!
Sounds like everyone else has given the same answer, but yes. The Medela pump is a must. Must. Must.
Isaac does seem to have sensitive skin so Dreft has also been a must for us.
These are such great questions, as I am also a clean freak.
* I use water and vinegar to clean my hard wood floors. It also depends what your wood is. We have solid oak flooring and you cannot use any artificial cleaners on that. My sister has Laminate and uses Murphy’s and its wonderful.
* We use any laundry detergent that is free and clear of all dye’s and chemicals (Tide free and Clear)
* I did buy a breast pump that was about $250, but I also have twins (and it was before I had them soooo prematurely) and thought it would be extremely necessary.
* (I know you didn’t ask about this but I’ll tell ya anyways cause I was wondering myself)
Clorox Anywhere (or you can make your own solution of 1 TBLS Bleach to 4 cups water, which is what is the mandated solution for daycares and preschools) for cleaning toys, high chairs, garbage cans…anything the baby come in contact with.
Bleach kills all, and its safe for tables.
🙂
I forgot one thing- all of the research I did said that any detergent that is Free and Clear is fine for babies. The whole Dreft thing was started back before all the other brands had Free and Clear detergents…about ten years ago I was having allergies to detergent and the ONLY kinds available then were All F&C, Purex or Dreft…so Tide finally joined the band wagon. Anyway, if you already use a free and clear version it’s silly to buy another bottle just for baby!
Good questions! All three of my children have super sensitive skin so I’ve had to use Tide Free from the get go, Dreft is a waste of $ in my opinion. Marketed to make you think you are a bad mom if you wash clothes in anything else! Free works great, esp with newborns!
Breast pump – I didn’t go back to work so I never bought one, but if you are planning on doing so, it would be money well spent!
Fake Christmas tree all the way – it can go up right after Thanksgiving and stay up till New Years without worrying about the water or fires.
Just my two cents. 🙂
Pledge is the best thing for your granite. I have used daily granite from Target but I prefer the pledge!
Congrats on your baby boy!
Pledge is the best thing for your granite. I have used daily granite from Target but I prefer the pledge!
Congrats on your baby boy!
Two answers, neither baby-related. 🙂
I love anything linen-y or cotton-y smelling when it comes to candles. I think Yankee candle makes one called Clean Linen, but any of those types smell clean to me.
Meanwhile, we always go for a fake tree because it’s less messy to clean up, and it doesn’t bother my allergies.
You’ll figure it all out; don’t worry!
YES! Buy the $300 pump! TOTALLY worth it! It was my saving grace when I first started breastfeeding — and if you’re going to go back to work and plan on still breastfeeding then, you will def. want the Medela. Well worth the price. Can’t say enough good things about them! They suggest not buying on used, but you can often find them cheaper on craigslist than the $300.
We use All Free and Clear as our detergent. The pediatrician I used to work for said it’s as good as Dreft, and not near as expensive!