Take Back Your Kitchen in 31 Days: Introduction

I have decided to dedicate the entire month of May to taking back the kitchen! Our kitchen is probably the most used and abused room in our house. It could really use a little TLC. I made a list of all the cleaning/organizing tasks I want to accomplish and divided them up over the next 31 days.

Here is the general schedule that I will follow:
Week 1: Appliances
Week 2: Cabinets
Week 3: Miscellaneous
Week 4: The Room

Every day I will share the progress I have made. Follow along with me as we take back our kitchens!

52 Weeks of Printables: Week 17 - Exercise Log

The final printable for April is for a different kind of maintenance than we have had the last 3 weeks...the maintenance of you! Keep track of your workouts with this exercise log. Click the image below to grab:

Recycled Organization: Paintbrushes

Who says you need to go buy fancy supplies to get yourself organized? Check out this simple upcycled paintbrush organizer!

Supplies:

- empty Kleenex box

- toilet paper rolls

- scissors

1. Cut off the top of the Kleenex box

 

2. Insert toilet paper rolls (quantity will vary depending on the size of your box)

3. Organize your paintbrushes (or any other supplies)

If you have a less than pretty Kleenex box to work with, just cover it with some attractive scrapbook or wrapping paper.

Project Cost: $0

52 Weeks of Printables: Week 16 - Vehicle Maintenance

We can't forget about the maintenance of our cars in this month of Maintenance Printables! Here's a printable for you to keep track of all those oil changes, new tires, brakes, and more. Click the image below to grab your copy:

Deep Cleaning: Pillows

Ever remove your pillow cases to throw in the wash and notice that the pillow itself could use a good cleaning? Is it turning yellow from sweat? Gross! No worries, here is how to clean them!

Washing
1. Remove pillow cases and pillow protectors. Check the tags to make sure your pillows are machine washable.
2. Set up your washer like you would for a normal load, but don't put the pillows in yet. I set mine on HOT, Regular Heavy cycle, and added a bit of detergent. (I have a top loading washer)
3. Let the water fill up and then put the pillows in. I usually do two at a time to balance the washer, but I have done three at time before.
4. Run the pillows through two cycles, flipping the pillows over before the second cycle.

Drying (can be done in the washer, or if it is a nice sunny day, set them out in the sun to dry)
1. Set your dryer on the setting specified on the tag (mine said Low/Delicate).
2. Add dryer balls, or take two tennis balls and place each inside a sock. This helps to fluff the pillows up.

My pillows usually end up slightly lopsided when they come out of the dryer, but I just move the filling around and they are back to normal. I love that they come out smelling clean and that all the gross yellow spots are gone!

52 Weeks of Printables: Week 15 - Deep Cleaning

I don't really have a set schedule for my deep cleaning tasks. I just keep track of the dates that I complete them. Besides my weekly cleaning that I shared last week, I do deep cleaning more on an as needed basis. If I look at the fridge and see that it could use a good scrub, I take care of it. I usually do my deep cleaning tasks on Saturdays and will sometimes do more than one in a weekend. Click on the image below to grab your copy:

52 Weeks of Printables: Week 14 - Weekly Cleaning

Hello April! This month's printables theme is all about Maintenance. This week we are kicking it off with my Weekly Cleaning Schedule. I spread my weekly cleaning tasks over a two week stretch and it has worked well with our schedule for over a year now. I also only have tasks listed on Monday through Friday. I leave Saturdays open for my Deep Cleaning tasks (more on that next week), and Sundays are for spending time with family.

When I complete a task, I just put a check in the box for that week. If at the end of the week, I have not done a certain task for that week, I consider it a miss and put an X in the box. I can look at my check sheet to see when I cleaned the guest bathroom last in case it has been a while. Click the image below to grab yours: