Momma Told Me: 3 Step Cleaning Survival Guide + PennyWise Supply Giveaway 6/9

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3 Step Cleaning Survival Guide + PennyWise Supply Giveaway 6/9

Spring Cleaning
***I received product samples from the following vendors; Lysol, Rubbermaid, Heritage Can Liners, and Rolodex, through Penny Wise Office Products, for the purpose of this post. No further compensation was provided. All images are copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2013.
Momma Told Me: A place for everything....

Sometimes I walk into my home after a long day and a certain, well, funk, hits my nose. Then, out of the corner of my eye a dust bunny rolls by with the cat in orbit. It's times like those I realize our home is due for a good 'Spring Cleaning;' the term, of course, coined for it's rejuvenating properties (similar to Spring), though a valid task year-round. That is to say, it doesn't have to be Spring to Spring Clean! Now, Momma put my little hands to work as soon as I could understand that chemicals weren't beverages, and Momma wasn't a maid. I had my own bottle of Soft Scrub and hot pink dish gloves by 7, and an allowance tempting enough to put a smile on my face while I used them. Of course, as adults, we do not receive a stipend simply for tackling life's day to day chores. While it would be nice to see $5 in my bank account for every time I was my car, it's simply not going to happen. The will to clean must come of it's own volition; perhaps it's when the mysterious Tupperware in the fridge begins to grumble, or one's feet turn black upon exiting the shower stall (I don't judge), we all have our inspiration point.
Every day I look around our home and feel overwhelmed by all the little cleaning and organization products I plan on tackling 'someday.' It's not that we live in a pigsty, it's more that my Type A personality is constantly nagging in the back of my mind about what a 'proper' home should look like. I preach to Jay all the time about maximizing time by doing small maintenance tasks to avoid big cleanup projects. Things like bringing a handful of scrap cardboard down to the trash when heading off to work (I have a strict 'no empty hands' policy concerning trash and clutter), or wiping down the counters while waiting for a meal to microwave. But the simple truth is that there is never enough time in one's day to balance work, cleaning, a job, and family. Some things have to fall by the wayside, and it's often the 'cleaning' part, here.
As we round out the end of Spring and approach Summer I find myself overwhelmed by how quickly this year has gone by, and find myself feeling a great need to purge the 'excess' in preparation for the long Summer Vacation (and influx of kids). Thankfully, Penny Wise Office Products has some wonderful solutions to make big differences without lots of work. Known for it's sensible and style savvy selection of must have office and cleaning supplies, Penny Wise Office is owned by Kathryn Morley, who founded the company in hopes of providing a female friendly source for professional and business supply needs. While customers can order online, I always suggest requesting a FREE comprehensive color catalog to peruse and order. Rivaling our local phone book in size, the Penny Wise Office Catalog is meticulously organized by alphabetical content and offers pages of shopping selection per topic. For example, when I decided it was time to invest in a Desk Organizer, there were over 10 spinning varieties listed, and countless space saving drawer options.
Rolodex Organizer
It will come as no surprise that we have multiple 'junk drawers' in our home, with the kitchen being the biggest culprit. I keep my purse right next to the main kitchen counter, therefor, I use said counter as my desk the majority of the time. Impressively, I cleared out an entire drawer of junk, condensed from 2 down to 1, simply by investing in an affordable desktop organizer. The Rolodex (ROL1773083) Wire Mesh Spinning Desk Sorter is about 6.5" in diameter and features 8 compartments of various sizes. In the center of this rotating caddy is a hollow round compartment great for markers and tall objects, while the outside perimeter has more shallow 'shelves' great for small objects like paper clips and thumb tacks. Having all of my office essentials visible and on hand at the end of the kitchen counter is a lifesaver for me; no more foraging through layers of supplies in the junk drawer! Even better, when everything has it's own place- it's more likely they will be returned in order, rather than left lying around. This organizer rotates a complete 360 and is made from a durable mesh that is easy to clean and design friendly.
Lysol Wipes
Another of my personal cleaning guidelines is to clean in tasks that will encourage the completion of others. For example, the couch 'butler' (or, part of the sectional that houses remotes and beverages), is one of the highest traffic spots in our house. On any given day 6-10 beverages and countless hands will pass through this little section of our couch. Ensuring this area, and the highly handled electronics (remotes, gaming controllers, etc) are sanitized is a frequent job of mine. This job, in my mind, is a necessity- it must be done daily. Doing this job also encourages the cleaning of crumbs and change between the surrounding cushions, and removal of gunk gathered at the bottom of our cup-holders. With a simple easy to dispense Lysol Lemon Scented Disinfecting Wipes I can treat multiple surfaces at once for a refreshing clean that is quick drying and immediately noticeable. Our leather surfaces are constantly showing scuffs and smudges, and Lysol wipes are a lifesaver that cuts cleaning time (wipes are a ready to use product vs. paper towels and cleansers), and keeps our couch looking it's best.
Slim Jim Containers
Finally, the biggest source of cleaning stress is the need to store recyclables inside a 2 bedroom condo. No matter where you live, space is likely an issue; take away the backyard and garage space of a traditional stand-alone home, and you're left fighting HOA rules and square feet for a suitable recycling area. We go through an intense amount of bottles and cans through the course of a week, and only make it to the recycling center about once a month. Bottles, glass, and cans usually reside inside the house until they overtake their designated containers, then they get transitioned to can liners for transport to our garage. In the past we have transferred recyclables to the liners directly form the receptacles, due to a lack of proper fit. Recently I discovered Heritage brand RePrime Can Liners that feature Accufit technology specially designed to work with Rubbermaid 32 gallon containers. These unique liners mold to fit the lip of 32 gallon bins for a slip and tear free installation that is fuss free.
Slim Jim Recycling
Which brings us to Tip #3, Waste No Space. In the past we've had everything from large 50 gallon round plastic bins to tall square recycling boxes. Thanks to Rubbermaid and Penny Wise Office Products we've discovered the commercial Rubbermaid Slim Jim 23 gallon containers for general waste and recycling. Available in designated blue, for recycling, or traditional gray, these Slim Jim containers are about 3' tall, 2' deep, and 1' wide for the perfect space saving footprint to fit in any home or office nook and cranny. I had no trouble sliding the Recylcing Slim Jim between our home printer and filing cabinet, or the Gray container alongside the pantry cabinet. Not only are these containers extremely durable, yet lightweight, but they stack into one another for storage and feature thick carrying handles for transport. I love how much space we save with the slender, yet tall, profile of these Slim Jim containers.

So there you have it, 3 simple cleaning tips to help cut down day to day clutter and time spent organizing. There are thousands more space saving and cleaning solutions in the Penny Wise Office catalog, so be sure to head on over and request yours today.

What Daughter Says: Smart organization and multi-cleaning will eliminate the need for big Spring Cleaning jobs.





One Momma Told Me follower will win the products featured above; Heritage Can Liners, Rubbermaid Slim Jim Waste Containers, Lysol Disinfecting Wipes, and Rolodex Mesh Desktop Organizer.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

33 comments:

  1. I like the desktop work caddy.

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  2. Being in Oklahoma I think that I would need one of these for each of my sons and myself to have for emergency use, thank you for letting me check out your catalogue.

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  3. I sure couls use the Fellowes Storage Boxes,Ltr/Lgl.

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  4. I'd love to have a photo printer.
    PIXMA IP2702

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  5. I need some of the wall pocket files to put on the side of my fridge as a command center for all the coupons, etc hanging around on my counter top.

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  6. I love the INTERLOCKING TILT BINs. Would be great ion the sewing room!

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  7. The Rubbermaid Steel step trash can would be great for kitty litter. :)

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  8. 2-Drawer Lateral File W/Lock, 30"x19-1/4"x28-3/8", Putty

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  9. There is something wrong with their site? It says "An Error has occurred while communicating with the dealer host system." I will come back to this when it is working though. :-)

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  10. The Fellowes Storage Boxes ......

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  11. I like the Fellowes storage boxes.

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  12. I would like the Slant File Organizer, 6 Pockets in black

    alsmalu at Hotmail.com

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  13. I like the wood organizer for my desk files SORTER,WOOD STACKABLE,LTOK

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  14. I like the Standard Caddy desk, 7-3/8"x11"x8-5/8", Silver
    CADDY, DESK, PREMIUM SILVER!

    Thanks,

    selinda_mccumbers at yahoo.com

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  15. Premium caddy.
    Thanks for the contest.

    slehan at juno dot com

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  16. I like the Fellowes Storage Boxes! They seem super helpful for being organized.

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  17. I would like AT-A-GLANCE Calendar.

    janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com

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  18. I would love their halogen desk lamp LEDL9074

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  19. Oh I love the Nature Saver Recycled Storage Boxes!

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  20. id love to have the cherry laminate bookshelf! would be great for some felt boxes to house my yarn and knitting supplies and knitting books http://www3.officesupply-link.com/6006/DealerStation/Catalog/Results.asp?ItemNbr=BTB4S36LCR&ItemCo=MLN

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  21. id love to have the cherry laminate bookshelf, it would be great for my knitting supplies, books and yarn. http://www3.officesupply-link.com/6006/DealerStation/Catalog/Results.asp?ItemNbr=BTB4S36LCR&ItemCo=MLN

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  22. I'd love to own their
    HEWCN551A
    Mobile INKJET Printer, 50 Sht Cap,

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  23. i need the avery clear and white labels

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  24. I'd like to have the Day Runner Deluxe Planner Starter Set w/Zipper.
    Michelle Tucker

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  25. I really like the mesh organizer. So many little things on my desk to organize.

    mybeachylife at gmail dot com

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  26. I love the fellow storage boxes!

    aroach021891@gmail.com

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  27. I am a huge pen freak...so this website is like a toy store for me...there is a Baumgartner rollerball that I just ordered, with a stylus on one end...that I cannot wait to have show up in my mail this week...yay!

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  28. Great service momma told supplyer and huge yacht propeller. Deep Blue Yacht Supply Yamaha propellers for sale. Buy your Yamaha propeller on-line today and Save. Prices are slashed up to 60% for Yamaha boat props.

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  29. A further option for some clients who require a more thorough service is that in addition to providing you with a dumpster and removing it when full, they will also clean your home of specified junk. junk removal service

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