Bleach. It's a good thing!

What? This isn't about travel?

Boring $3 chlorine bleach... Cathie... what's going on?

Well, I own a restaurant. And I am unbelievably motivated by fresh starts. Mondays... New Years... that kind of thing. So, today, since I didn't have a hang over (designated driver syndrome) I started cleaning and purging the house.

Purging clothes. Gosh there's a lot of things my kids have grown out of! And why do I harbour fancy clothes that I never wear? Time to be realistic. Time to make more room in the closet for things we all actually wear.

So, where does the bleach fit in? Nearly everywhere! Chorine bleach is the restaurant owner's best friend. By law, we are required to soak our wash rags in a chlorine bleach solution at all times. As a homeowner, if I see a j-cloth or kitchen sponge sitting next to a sink with obvious usage... an odour perhaps, I grab the bleach! Bleach, then run through the wash. Gosh... spreading bacteria is just gross.

Where else can you use the $3 jug of bleach?

1) Drains. A 1/4 cup followed by 2 litres of boiling water.

2) Toilets. 1/2 a cup, scrub brush, wait and flush.

3) Socks and underwear. Soak in a bleach & hot water solution, then wash.

4) Dishwasher. A quick rince cycle will flush away accumulated bacteria.

5) Pillow cases and face clothes. Soak in a bleach & hot water solution, then wash.

These things don't have to be done all the time. Once a month. Can you add it to your list?

I take a lot of pride in my restaurant and its constant A+ rating.  My house tends to get cluttered because most of the year I focus on the restaurant. In my down time, I try to tackle the projects at home.  While no Martha Stewart, I try to keep things clean and healthy.  Bleach is just one of those easy-peasy things that we should all have. Lots of fancy cleaning products on the market... but not much more efficient than bleach and water for tackling germs and killing household bacteria.

And if you're working with raw chicken... bleach is very effective in the fight against salmonella. Make sure you clean your tools and cutting board with bleach and water, every time.

Lecture over!! :)

Cleaning therapy

Today I tackled the all-purpose closet... aka, the giant junk drawer behind a door. In this hiding place I've accumulated a couple yeas worth of partially used craft supplies, or unused craft supplies with the best intentions. There's also some wrapping paper, some photos, some colouring books, some shipping stuff,  and all the birthday cards I bought for people but never sent because I couldn't find them. (If that was an olympic sport, I'd be on that podium.)

So, I spread everything out in the living room with a garbage can, a recycling bag and a few clear boxes for keep items. The puppy was thrilled with the "buffet of toys" and things to taste that I put before her. LOL. She's a little goof but she did help me decide on a few things that should go into the garbage can immediately. Or immediately after she had them in her mouth!

All in all, I feel good about the project. I managed to release myself from the guilt of having unused craft supplies with no purpose. As a hockey mom, with barely enough time to make meals and clean jerseys, crafts are not really realistic for me at this stage.

Once I conceded I would never tackle that project that a starry-eyed me once envisioned, I lumped them all in a box labelled "Kindergarten/School." Surely, the classes at my kids' school will know what to do with these goodies. Perhaps they will even consider them a gift, and not the burden they have become in my junk closet.

It feels good to tackle that one. Where to next?