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Welp. I spent the whole week cleaning my oven (as promised), and just when I thought I had it figured out I had an epiphany in the middle of the night when I was up with my little, and now I have to try something else before I can give you the FINAL FINAL answer.
BUT, here are my results from the week:
Winner: Scrub Daddy Power Paste + Scrub Mommy- This greatly reduced the amount of muscle I had to use to scrub the surface, and worked better than anything I have tried over the years. I also LOVE the Scrub Mommy and will always have one around from here on out. The only negative was it is scented, which bothers me. It's not a bad scent or even super strong, I have just removed any scented cleaners over the years so I'm sensitive. You can get it it here at target or here at amazon.
Runner Up: Bar Keepers Friend- This was close, but the Scrub Daddy power paste cleared more of the gunk that had been stuck on for a looooooong time. Bar Keepers Friend definitely beat out everything else I've tried except for the champion.
Miraculous Midnight Epiphany: STEAM! This week I'm going to try to steam the bottom of the oven with my steam mop (it has a short little scrubber attachment). I will report how it goes, hopefully with no scald wounds.
Now, let's get to the good stuff, this week's Habit and Challenge:
Small Habit: Wipe Down Kitchen Counters
You may see the direction we are headed with the past couple of weeks: we are working towards going to bed with a reset kitchen every night. I love the thought of going to bed with a clean, sparkly kitchen, but by the time that bath times and teeth brushing and all of that is through and the kids are in bed, I'm beat. I don't want to go back and clean the kitchen (right after dinner just doesn't work for me right now with a tired, grumpy toddler).
But hey, I'm part of the clean sink club. I'm used to spending that extra few minutes to get the dishes loaded. I'm used to wiping down the stove. So what's the big deal about just wiping down the counter real quick too?
That, my friends, is a win. And why we are doing this challenge together. 1% better every day.
Cue: Last week we talked about having a "Closing Duties" playlist we turn on that gets us into cleaning (and dancing) mode. Another Cue that I have been loving is mood lighting. If you are on the same side of Tik Tok as me, you may have seen the little kitchen lamp trend. People put this cute little kitchen lamp on their counter and use it to set a cozy mood at night. I don't like having things on my counter (especially that I have to move to clean or cook), so I put a lamp on the credenza by the kitchen table. I have to tell you, it really is magical. Try it!
Reward: A warm bubble bath. Dessert. A show. Climbing in to bed. Turning off your kitchen lamp on a clean space. World Peace. You get the picture- decide what that reward moment is for you to cement this habit in to your brain!
ps- I am sending out weekly printable checklists to subscribers (like the one above), and realize I should have done this form the beginning so SORRY, my bad. There are black and white printable versions as well as phone/tablet versions that are extra pretty.
Declutter Challenge:
This week we are going to work on decluttering our kitchen counters. This DOES NOT mean clearing everything off of your counter if you are a person that functions best with the visual cues of things on your counters, or things that you use daily.
What this DOES mean is getting things off your counter that don't serve you. If some decor items are constantly in the way, think about other ways to incorporate decor that are functional (see next paragraph). If counter space is your overflow cabinet space, see if there are items you don't use, want, or need that you can donate to clear up cabinet (and then counter) space. I'd love to see your counter decluttering before and after on instagram- tag me!
If you love the look of a styled kitchen, consider switching to functional decor. Use a vintage vase to hold utensils by the stove, a pretty wood trivet to hold soap off the counter by the sink, or hang that vintage fruit painting on the backsplash with a command strip instead of leaning it on the counter. Pretty, but functional.
Mini Kitchen Lamp Ideas (Click the image to shop):
As always, I'm Cheering you on!
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