Clean your pack n play. ASAP

I've seen pins on pinterest about cleaning your pack n play and have wanted to do it for a long time, but ours is in constant use.  It's always up and Luke goes in it at least once or twice a day, usually with a sippy cup and snack.  We've brought it camping with us numerous times, and its almost 10 years old.  So definitely high time to clean it.  Thinking that I may not have too many nice days left until #6 arrives, I took the plunge this morning, and boy, it's a good thing I did!

After reading a few different instruction blogs, here's what I did:

First, I filled my tub with the hottest water I could. 
Next, I added a load's worth of Tide laundry detergent, a good scoop of Tide Oxiclean, and a generous splash of vinegar while the tub was filling so it would all dissolve evenly.  I put the mat part in the bottom of the tub and then put the collapsed pack n play on top.  I turned it after about an hour since I couldn't get it all to fit. 
The railings weren't getting as clean as I had hoped so I took some powdered Oxiclean on a washcloth and rubbed them down and now they look almost new.  I was AMAZED at how much dirt came out.
I was going to post a pic of the dirty water, but I'll let you use your imagination.  It was pretty nasty!  My pack n play looks so much better now.

Miracle Stain Remover

I recently discovered this recipe for stain remover and gave it a try today.
(And I just now reread the recipe and realized that I made a 1:1 ration, not 1:2.  Oops.)

Noah had a bloody nose a couple of weeks ago and I finally got around to cleaning his mattress pad.  I sprayed some of this stuff on, let it sit for 2 hrs and then washed it.  And there was no trace of stain when I pulled it out of the dryer!



Someone (who shall remain nameless since I don't want to embarrass him) has been frequently missing his diaper when he has a dirty pants, so I'm keeping a hefty supply of this stuff available!

Company ready house in 2 hours!

  Here's a link to Money Saving Mom's 2 hour house cleaning check list.

Pinterest Cleaning tip

I love my Swiffer Wetjet. When I first bought it, I thought I would be able to reuse the bottles and was quite disappointed when I realized that you couldn't screw off the top to refill it with your own cleaning solution. So I was pleased to find this little tip on Pinterest this morning.

Source: lifehacker.com via Heather on Pinterest

Dip the tip of an empty Swiffer 

Wetjet solution bottle into boiling water 

for about 10 seconds and the lid twists off (use a towel). Refill with your preferred cleaning solution 

at appropriate dilution and re-cap.

How to Clean a Microwave

Here's a post on how to make cleaning your microwave a snap!  I've tried this with plain water before and it worked great.  One commentator suggested using a bit of lemon juice in the water.  Definitely a job that should be on my list this afternoon!