I like using the commercial fabric refresher products but I don’t like paying the sticker price.  If I have a good coupon deal I’ll stock up but it doesn’t seem to happen very often.  I tried making my own and it works really well.  It’s a lot less expensive and you have some control over the scent.

What You Need:

• One clean empty spray bottle
• Fabric softener of your choice
• baking soda
• water

Add one dose/capful of fabric softener to the empty spray bottle.  (The same amount you would put in your washer). Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Fill the bottle the rest of the way with warm water.  Replace spray cap and shake.  You’re ready to go.

If you prefer, you could add a teaspoon of your favorite essential oil to the spray bottle instead of fabric softener.  The scent won’t be as potent but might make a better choice for those that prefer lighter scents.

Check out my guest post for DIY car air freshners too.

It’s the holiday season.  You get a call from your Aunt Nancy and she says “Hey we’re just over visiting grandma and we thought since we’re in the neighborhood we’d stop over and visit you” Nervously you say “Yea sure we’d love to see you.” as you glance around your house that could only be described as chaos.  “Great we’ll be there in about 30 minutes!”  You hang up the phone and go into instant panic mode. You’ll never get all this cleaned up in time.

We all know that no one’s house is spotless all the time yet for some reason we feel that sense of panic when someone’s coming over.  Everyone says they don’t care they know you have kids but you still have that sense of “I need to clean my house”  Listen I’m gonna tell you that even when I clean my house to a respectable clean by the time I’m done, I go back to the first place I started and the kids already bombed it.  I totally admit that if someone stops over at any given time they’re gonna see toys on the floor, possibly crayon on the wall, a few dirty dishes in the sink but I do do that frenzy of the bees cleaning before someone comes over.  Here’s my tips to fake a clean house in a pinch.  Because we all have those people that you know criticize.

1. My mom told me that her mom used to tell her, if you do nothing else, make sure the beds are made and the dishes are done.  The focal point of a bedroom is usually the bed. In the kitchen, even if the rest is spotless, a pile of dirty dishes is what people will focus on.  Get the kids in the habit of making their own beds in the mornings (for the ones who are old enough). Let the little ones help you so they learn.  Get the dishes done. If you have a dish washer load it up and get it going at least.

2.  Delegate to the kids, Have one picking up toys in the living room while another cleans the crayon off the wall.

3.  If you need to run the vacuum but don’t have time to do it all.  At least vacuum the main walk areas and the main areas of your house that your guests will definitely see such as the foyer, living room or family room.

4.  If you have paper or other debris on your desk or table gather it up. Put it in a desk drawer or filing cabinet until your guests leave.  Definitely go through that and take care of it after your guests leave.  You don’t want to miss a bill or a kid’s field trip form.

5.  Use a home fragrance like a candle, plug-in or gel to give the smell of clean.  When your guests walk in and smell apple cinnamon or clean cotton they get a sense of clean or home and gives them another focus.

Those are my quick cleaning tips.  I also have tips for the car, like this guest post I wrote for “5 ways to clean your hubcaps”