Tag: cleaning

2018 · cleaning · video · youtube

Clean with me {video & tips}

JustBindyLeave a comment

Hey friends!
Today I have a ‘clean with me” video for you all. Click HERE to watch it! 

This video was filmed on a busy day for us. I had a few jobs I wanted to get done but also had “life” to just get on with… I find on those days the best way to get my “have to do” jobs done is just that, get them done as soon as I can. Don’t put them off, just tackle them first up.
I wanted to wipe down my kitchen sink and my bathrooms, so I made sure to do that before heading out for the day.
I do often get asked “how do I stay on top of housework?”
 I do it every single day, my house is usually fairly clean because I clean it continually. I find procrastinating and delaying getting jobs done is a huge problem, the longer you leave it the more it drags out and then you are totally overwhelmed because a simple task has suddenly become a mammoth job.
My basic daily clean roughly consists of wiping down my kitchen benches & table, making the beds, doing a load of laundry (drying, folding & putting it away as well), picking up around the house, running, unpacking & reloading the dishwasher and a quick vacuum. But those are my bare minimum jobs I have to do daily or I feel like I cannot function. Every other day I normally wipe down the bathrooms, run the duster over, mop and pick up around the house… I find lightly doing these jobs regularly makes “deep cleaning” those areas so much quicker. I will polish the furniture every week – week & a half & beds are washed weekly.
I clean as I go in my kitchen when I am cooking and I find that makes the end clean up so much easier. My shower is wiped down after every use and that helps tremendously with keeping it cleaning.
I hope these few quick insights on how I do things has helped you or given you 1 or 2 ideas to implement in your home. Cleaning doesn’t have to be some huge drawn out task that takes all day.

I hope you are having a lovely weekend. If you have any other cleaning related questions  (or just general questions) please comment below or on my social media and I can answer them in a future post.

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2017 · cleaning · diy · domestic engineering · housewife · housework · how to · recipe

Homemade Laundry Powder recipe. {Video}

JustBindy6 Comments

Hi friends,
One of my most highly requested blog posts & videos is to do a “how I make my washing powder”…
So here it is…washing powder1.jpgThe video can be found HERE. 

The recipe I use is by Sister Mixin and you can find it HERE. (I change the recipe slightly by adding in 1 bar of sard soap…)

The reason I make my own laundry powder is simply because –
A) I can. I have the time & desire to do so, you may not & that is fine.
B) I feel it saves us money. 
C) I also believe it is more gentle & more effective product than standard washing powders.
Laundry powder is so expensive & often full of extra fillers & chemicals, so by making my own I know what is in it and it is very cheap. All these ingredients are easily available at Coles or Woolworths & are very affordable, I always have them in my cupboard, as I use them for other uses as well.
I make mine in my Thermomix – you don’t need one to make this recipe, but I feel it would be easiest… If you don’t have a Thermomix, I would suggest you either grate the soap bars or blitz them in a food processor and then combine all the ingredients in a large clear container (a clear container so you can check that all the products are thoroughly mixed together)

I have been making this recipe for over 2 years now and I find it removes stains very well & all of our clothing is clean & soft. I do use white vinegar as a fabric softener occasionally (always with towels) & if I am washing our bedding I often add in some lavender essential oil (or even eucalyptus if we aren’t feeling well)

As mentioned in the video, I do occasionally buy washing powder. I bought one box of OMO sensitive to wash Tommy’s clothes before he was born, but I  have been washing his clothing with this powder for months and he has never had a reaction to it – none of us have. The other product I occasionally buy is Bosisto’s Laundry Powder – I only buy it maybe once a year, if it is on sale… And it is the product I like to have as my “back up” in case I run out of this mixture or I use it if we are all very sick.

I like making my own cleaning products, I currently make my own basic disinfectant spray, occasionally dish washer powder & stone bench cleaner. I have trialled making a few glass cleaners, but I’m struggling to find one I love – so for now I use the Method glass cleaner & also their timber cleaner/polish, I find both of those products to be really good. But if you have a great recipe for either of those I would love to try it out!
Please let me know in the comments below or on my social media any cleaner recipe recommendations you may have, or if you make your own laundry powder – do you use a similar recipe to this? I would love to have a read of yours!
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Have a great weekend!
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2017 · cleaning · day in the life · domestic engineering · video · youtube

Entire house clean | Cleaning vlog.

JustBindy5 Comments

Happy Saturday friends!

After I posted my power hour cleaning video the other week I received so many lovely messages on Instagram, Facebook & snapchat about how my video motivated some of you to clean your homes! That makes me so happy to know I’ve encouraged some of you in that way!

So today, I am back with another cleaning video. You can watch it HERE. (Keep an eye out for the sweetest little bit just after 15mins)
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This one is a bit longer, but it is more vlog/day in the life style video. In this video I have to do semi deep clean of our home… I like to do a good clean like this about once a week – a week & a half. Basically whenever Trent is off & he can entertain the kids for a few hours! It also makes sense to do this clean when he is home as when he goes back to shift the house is very clean & the cleaning I do daily is more of a maintenance style of a cleaning. Like wiping down surfaces, vacuuming with my stick vac, mopping when needed & general tidying up. But on days like this day I like to more thoroughly clean and use my bigger Dyson to vacuum before mopping.
I find doing a little cleaning every single day makes cleaning days like this a lot easier. A big day of cleaning still is exhausting because I basically find things to do all day and really make sure I get as much done as I possibly can, but I feel very accomplished at the end of it. I personally find vacuuming with that big Dyson so tiring – I really like my little stick vac, but I like the deep clean the bigger one gives my carpets.
Also can we talk about how much of a work out changing sheets is! Gosh, it’s tough! Like I said in the video, I never go to a gym – but I feel like I get a work out in when I do a day of cleaning!
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Isn’t the feeling of having a completely freshly cleaned home the best? I just love it – especially the next morning when I wake up and everything is so neat & tidy!
Thank you so much for reading this post & watching my video, I would love to know your thoughts – please comment below or on my social media!
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How to save money on groceries. {video}
2017 · domestic engineering · housewife · how to · video · youtube

How to save money on groceries. {video}

JustBindyLeave a comment

Hi friends!

It is new video Friday!! Click HERE to watch my latest youtube upload!

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This weeks video is a groceries on a budget | grocery haul video…
On this particular week we had our normal bills to pay, which we always plan for, but then some unexpected ones popped up and that is life – that happens… But it meant our groceries that week had to be a little more thought out…
I try to be budget conscious when I am shopping anyway, but on this particular day I was more focused on sticking to the list and not buying any extras… Our usual grocery shop is about $200/week – week and a half… That includes, dog food, cat food, cat litter & nappies & wipes… Those 5 things are so darn pricey, added with a lot of fruit & veg and meat = pretty expensive groceries! We often try to stay in front of needing extra pet food so if we need to, we can skip a week of buying them…

Tips for saving money on groceries…

  • Write a list and stick to it… If you go in with no set list, you may buy unnecessary items & not what you actually need.
  • Meal plan & shop from your kitchen first… Write out your meals for the week and shop from your fridge, pantry & freezer… Make meals around what you have left and write down what you need for the rest of the meals.  
  • Go meat free… Now anyone who knows us knows we love meat, we eat a lot of it… But not every one of our meals is a meat based meal… During a week we often have 1 or 2 meat free dishes, such as cannelloni, risotto, pumpkin soup etc… Not eating meat can be a wise money saving move, as meat is expensive.
  • Hunt… If you can & if it appeals to you. We have delicious fresh venison in our freezer that my husband was able to get for us. Not everyone can do this or wants to do this, but if you can, it is a great way to have some beautiful free range meat for very little money. (This also applies to growing your own, have a veggie garden or some chickens for fresh eggs!)
  • Budget… Occasionally if I am watching what we spend, I set a goal for my total and I write down the price of every item I buy as I shop (yes I am that woman) that way I know if I am over spending and also when I get to the check out there is no surprises – I also find it motivating to try and beat my “goal total”…
  • Check specials… Each week I check where nappies are on sale, they are normally our most expensive item so I look at Coles & Woolworths online before I leave the house and see who has them cheaper, normally that is a saving of around $5.
  • Keep a well stocked kitchen… Always remember ingredients you use regularly, like pasta, sauces, flour, sugar, spices, meat etc and keep them on hand and stocked up. And if you can, buy them when on special and stock up! If roasts are on sale I often buy 2 at once and one goes in the freezer for the following week.
  • Buy in season produce… Now, I don’t always do this because I have a certain little miss who loves blueberries all year round, but the smart thing is not to pay $7 for a small punnet of them and wait until they are affordable and that is when they are in season… Also check out farmers markets for great fresh produce!
  • Try and shop on the outside aisles & skip the middle or some aisles… Sticking to the fruit & veg area, meat department & the dairy/freezer section can help save us money & be healthier! Avoiding the middle aisles that are full of preservative filled foods is better for us and our wallets. That being said, I do still wander down them, but I very often skip the soft drink & chip aisle as we don’t really buy soft drinks or lots of chips – only on the odd occasion, or I walk quickly down the middle aisles knowing exactly what I need and not browsing each item…
  • Try to be focused when shopping… Know the item you need, get it – perhaps have a quick look for a cheaper alternative but don’t be distracted by items you don’t need or can’t afford.
  • Check out the discount trolley… Occasionally they will have things like cat litter or pet food marked down super cheap because it may have been torn… Even sometimes they have end of line, discontinued products there that have been marked down super cheap! Try to only buy what you NEED though, not unnecessary things just because it is “on sale”… If you genuinely need it now or will do in the very near future it is a smart move, but buying “just because it’s cheap” isn’t actually saving you money.
  • Don’t buy ready made… Sometimes premade/chopped/sliced items are great time savers… But you have to weigh up money for time sometimes… I tend not to buy grated or sliced cheese, veggies and most of my pasta meals I make the sauce for. (Except spaghetti Bolognese/cannelloni – but I have to get back into making tomato pasta sauces)
  • Use rewards cards… I always make sure to scan my flybuys or everyday rewards cards, each amount of points adds up to be money off in the future and this can be super helpful – especially around Christmas time… I think these sort of loyalty cards are well worth having!
  • Make your own… Household cleaners are so insanely expensive and we can make wonderful alternatives that work just as well! I have been making my own laundry powder for well over a year now & I do make my own cleaners as well. I have recently bought Method glass cleaner & timber polish, only because I am struggling to work out a recipe for those that works well… A bottle of white vinegar is just over $1 & a packet of bi-carb soda is around the same amount… With those 2 ingredients you can clean almost anything. I use both of those to clean my toilet, together they can be used with a bit of dish soap to clean the bath/sink/shower/grout. Vinegar + water + essential oil of your choice (optional) makes a great disinfectant. Vinegar is also a fantastic fabric softener.
  • Bake your own… I often bake our morning/afternoon tea treats instead of buying them… Firstly because I feel better letting LuLu eat a treat that I know what is exactly in it and secondly I find it to be cheaper… My pantry is always stocked with baking supplies so it is easy for us to whip something up.

Also check out the blog Domesblissity, Anne who writes the blog is so full of knowledge on leading a sensible life & saving money! I learn so much from her posts!

I would love to know what your tips are for saving money on groceries…
Please leave me a comment or let me know on my social media!
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Thank you so much for reading!
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2017 · cleaning · video · youtube

Power Hour video | Cleaning tips.

JustBindyLeave a comment

A clean home, is a happy home.

Hi friends!
I just posted a new video on YouTube – my first ever power hour/clean with me video! To check it out click HERE!speed clean

Now, let’s talk power hours/speed cleaning/timed cleaning…
What is a power hour? Basically you write out a list of jobs, set a timer and do as much as possible in that time frame… I regularly do cleaning sessions like this, especially when Trent is home to distract the kids for me. When I am home on my own, my cleaning is normally done when I can fit it in… I usually try to complete my cleaning in the morning & that way it’s done for the day and then I can focus on the kids… I do really enjoy it though when I have my own spare time and I can focus on getting stuck into cleaning really good and completing most of my to-do list – I find it so satisfying & feel very accomplished!
Even on the days we are super busy, I try to set aside at least 10-20 minutes of focused cleaning, that may just involve putting the laundry on, making the bed, cleaning the kitchen & vacuuming. You will surprise yourself with how much you can get done in such a short time frame & it is great motivation to “race the clock”.

In the video you’ll see me tidy the kitchen, our bedroom, ensuite, dining room, lounge, bring the laundry in & put away, vacuum and also pick up in the play room & LuLu’s room.
Some notes from the video; 
I get easily side tracked when cleaning, I have my list but then I just get in a cleaning zone & just clean everything I touch… Which is why in the video I just decide to randomly clean the stove top & range hood and then decide to dust/polish the bedroom. I am just a tiny bit of a clean freak…

These are some tips I follow so I can easily maintain my home so it’s always tidy & clean;

Kitchen; aim to have clear benches. It just makes the kitchen look neater and it’s easier to clean. On my front benches I have nothing that permanently stays there, on my back benches I have appliances I use regularly… Mainly because I don’t have storage big enough for the kitchen aid & thermomix. Flat surfaces, especially kitchen benches tend to become dumping grounds for “junk” – try to eliminate that by having a place for everything or making a daily effort to clear off surfaces. Try to clean your kitchen every night, it’s always so lovely waking up to a clean kitchen!

Bathooms; wipe down daily or every second day. If you clean regularly, this stops dirt & grime building up – so cleaning is easier. If left to get very dirty – then it takes more effort & time.

Laundry; if possible fold laundry at the clothes line/dryer – that way once inside you just have to put it all away. Occasionally it’s not possible for me to fold it at the line (maybe I am in a rush, it’s raining or way too windy) in this case I fold everything as soon as I get inside. Doing the task immediately instead of putting it off I find is the best course of action, then it’s done… If you leave it to sit, you just keep putting it off and the pile grows.

Floors; invest in a stick vac & vacuum daily! I vacuum at least once a day, usually twice. This comes back to my point about the bathrooms (& honestly, just cleaning anything in general!) – cleaning regularly makes cleaning easier. If you let everything build up it becomes overwhelming and a bigger task – doing a little or quick clean every single day makes everything easier.

I hope you found this video & post motivating & helpful.
I would love to know your best cleaning tips, please comment below or contact me on my social media!
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