next to godliness

per Kiya's request:

my last job being an apartment manager, i learned a lot of quick and efficient ways to clean.  (also, i am OCD about cleaning)  here's a list of tips, tricks, and my favorite cleaning products.

all around best cleaner:

simple green is the best.  it's only sold in the automotive section.  non-toxic, safe for pets and kids. 

floors:  a stiff brush and a little higher dilution of simple green to water.  it's awesome for grout and tile.
baseboards/walls: i use the 10 to 1 dilution on this.  just be super gentle because cheap paint WILL come off (first hand experience speaking here). 
 ****This is not a disinfectant, so after i use this product, sometimes i'll do a once over with lysol disinfectant wipes or Clorox Clean-up with bleach.  which brings me to my next fav. product.

great disinfectant:

it smells exactly like bleach, but i love the smell of bleach.  kinda reminds me of the baptistry at the temple.

counter tops, inside of the microwave, inside the fridge, bathroom.  love it.

hard water/rust/lime/etc. stains:

pumice stones are my fav.  they even make them in cool shapes now that are more ergonomic (big word alert). great for toilets and rings around the sink.  not in that order. gross.

CLR is awesome for nasty soap scum on the showers.  i like to spray this stuff all around the shower, let it sit while cleaning something else.  come back 20 minutes later, scrub a little, rinse, then use that clorox clean-up once over.  if the toilet is super nasty, i'll spray this stuff in the bowl, let it sit, flush, then scrub up with the pumice stone.


tips and tricks:

• kitchen
• sink:  i use that clorox clean-up in my sink and thanks to my friend brock, i've started using a TINY amount of baby oil on my stainless steel to make it shine.  works like a charm.
• oven:  for those without self cleaning ovens (i'm included in this sad group), i think steel wool works best.  all that oven spray crap leaves the most frustrating residue and makes me gag (literally) from the smell.  sometimes i'll boil a pot of water, turn the oven on to low and set the pot of water inside.  it'll help loosen the grime a bit.    also, fyi, all oven doors lift off.  PLEASE don't bend over the door.  it makes me sad when people don't know this.
• ****side note, every few months i like to pull my oven knobs off, soak them and clean the nasty grease that lurks behind them.***
• microwave:  might be common knowledge, but oh well.  put a glass bowl with water inside, turn on high for like 3 minutes, everything will wipe clean.  i do a quick once-over with clorox clean-up.
• drawers & cabinets.  vacuum everything out first.  you'll love me for it.  once you get crumbs, dirt or hair wet... you'll never get it out.
• fridge:  my biggest OCD.  i hate dirty fridges.  i like to clean my fridge every time i grocery shop.  i wipe everything down (inside and out) with the clorox clean-up.  if you have serious issues, you can use q-tips in those little crevices...i might do that...
• bathroom
• chrome:  i clean all my chrome first with the clorox stuff, then windex.  i just like it to look shiny and streak-free. :D
• ***also, i clean my toilet paper holder A LOT.  it gets super dusty and people forget about it. ***
•  toilet:  the hinges are super nasty.  i use qtips and straight bleach.  hahahahaha!  i may or may not have spent more time than i would like to admit cleaning toilet hinges.  i also like to take qtips around the caulk line around the base.  that's SUPER gross.
• everything else
• baseboards:  i vacuum all baseboards before cleaning them.  it's just 1000 times easier getting the dust up.  i use simple green on the base boards because i think it works best.  i personally like to clean my baseboards once a month.  i think clean baseboards make your house look so much cleaner.
• dust:  i use the vacuum for this too.  i vacuum ceiling fans, air vents, light fixtures, etc.  so much easier.
• windows:  i vacuum blinds and the track of windows first (see a recurring theme?).  i'm all about simple green in the tracks with qtips. i also spot clean blinds with a rag and simple green.
• light switches/outlets:  qtips and simple green.  finish with clorox clean-up.

as far as smells go, i Febreeze A LOT.

i also love Scentsy products.  i change my scentsys all the time and i think it keeps the scent strong.

there ya go kiya!

can i see your membership card please?

recently:

• i was offered a job at Costco
• i was told it was "part time".... evidently this means 32-38 hours per week.
• i am continuing to work at the Toyota dealership
• i'm pretty sure my boss wants to kill me.  calling in 3 out of 5 days in a work week because i have work at Costco probably is not helping anything
•  my normal lunch consists of one of the following:  berry smoothie, berry yogurt, a hotdog  and soda.  on some Saturdays i will cruise the store and check out the samples.  pretty sweet.
• my arm muscles are toning up and despite the daily berry smoothies i've lost a few lbs.  i lift everything out of member's carts and then place it back into a new cart.  i am also personally responsible for running back EVERY SINGLE individual item that a member either chooses to not purchase, gets a broken/rotten/not up to par item, or the item has no tag on it.   and when i say running... i literally mean running. plus side?  i no longer need a gym membership.
• in a few months grady and i will again have health insurance.  and it is thee best health insurance.  medical, dental, vision that will run us about $100 a month.  i know.

here are some Costco secrets that i will share with the 4 people that read my super secret blog:

• for every dollar spent at Costco, the company profits only $0.02.  insane.  the company chooses to make less money in order to show the staff their appreciation for hard work.  in turn, the employees are usually top notch.  if someone is not busily working every second of their shift, they probably won't make it.
• they start pay out higher than any other competitor in their category, and give consistent raises.  so, that person who is on their hands and knees cleaning the coffin cooler holding the pork loins, they are probably making like $18.00 an hour.  the same with the person pushing carts, cleaning the toilets, and wiping up the tables covered in pizza sauce and loose strings of melted cheese.
• the cleanliness of the store is top priority.  there is a "procedure" for how granola bar boxes are stacked, how they face the aisle, etc.  it's actually really stressful.  also, not a single droplet of condensation on the floor can be left, a loose petal off a plant stomped into the concrete or a nut off those dang hand dipped ice cream bars not be swept up.  it's dramatic how important the upkeep of the store is.
• all managers of Costco are promoted from within the company.  every manager has had to load and unload carts, push carts, clean up messes, etc.  it's been nice for me to know that my manager had to do the same stuff i'm doing.
• if they are sampling it, i'm willing to wager over 80% of the customers will have at least one of those items in their cart.  samples work.

here are some annoying things.  please don't do the following:

• when they ask for your membership... they actually need it.  we can't start a transaction without it and it hold up the line.  it's really annoying.
• when they ask for your coupons... they actually need them.  the manufacturers are threatening to pull coupons from Costco because they don't have the physical coupons back.
• don't be annoyed when you pick up 1 pack of muffins, but they come in packs of two.  it's not our fault you were willing to pay double what we are willing to charge.
• please don't randomly throw/knock/move every single book in the ridiculously high piled book stacks.  it does take me and hour and a half to sort through the stacks at the end of the day.
• please don't try to pack your own cart when there are people there to help you.  it is the most intricate game of tetris, and we do it for 8 hours a day.  i'm pretty sure i know how to pack those boxes 1000x better than you can.
• don't complain when we are trying to upgrade your membership.  it is not a credit card.  it's not a gimmick.  it's not a commission based job.  Costco is actually trying to thank you for purchasing a ridiculous amount of mayonnaise and wet wipes, they want to send you a check so you can spend MORE money on an above ground pool and 4 bottles of 600 count ibuprofen.  if you spend enough money, the executive membership is a killer deal.

here are some items we are currently carrying that you should try out:

• organic carrot juice.  comes in a 3 pack.  in the refrigerated section.  it's bomb.
• chicken kabobs in the freezer section.  they come in these weird vacuum sealed plastic packages.  pre-cooked and sell like hot cakes...er sell like kabobs?
• teriyaki pineapple meatballs.  freezer section.  they are amazing.
• notebook packages.  if you are stocking up for work or school, the binder packages are ridiculously cheap.
• blintzes.  they are sooooo good.  deli section.

i think i was made for this job.