SteamMachine Review & Giveaway

I was contacted a few weeks ago by HomeRight, a company who distributes SteamMachine, a steam cleaner. They asked if I wanted to try one and give one away to my readers. In the midst of a home nearly overtaken with the stomach virus, my SteamMachine arrived.

As soon as I was feeling better, I wanted to start sanitizing the house so my husband to help keep my husband from getting the stomach virus. The steam machine was easy to put together. The attachments seen above are all included, but the instructions are easy to read and understand, so I easily figured out what attachments I wanted to use.
I started with the bathrooms and then did the hard floors in my house. Cleaning with the SteamMachine was simple. It doesn’t require any chemicals, just water, that it boils into steam. I used the fixture attachment and then the floor attachment in the bathrooms.
Another thing that I like about the SteamMachine is that it is relatively lightweight. I could carry it around the house easily. It also has a long cord and a long hose to avoid having to move it often.  Many of the attachments are carried on-board, which is convenient.
It can clean shower doors and windows with the squeegee attachment. I plan to use this feature the next time I clean.

What I like about cleaning with the SteamMachine:
1. Easy setup.
2. Doesn’t require chemicals to sanitize.
3. Lightweight, long hose and cord.
4. Several attachments for cleaning different surfaces.

 
Also, if you are planning to remove wallpaper, the SteamMachine has an attachment that allows one to complete this process. Two years ago, I removed wallpaper in two of my parents’ bathrooms without the aid of any machine like this and it resulted in much drywall repair (which is a pain!) I recommend trying a SteamMachine for that process if you’ve got wallpaper removal in your future.
Would you like to win a SteamMachine? HomeRight is giving one away to followers of Monkey See, Monkey Do!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



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Disclaimer: I was given a SteamMachine for personal use. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated in any other way.

Monkeys in Action: Part III

This was a messy day. It was the littlest guy's first time in the sandbox. I'd seen a tip for cleaning up sandy skin...dust them with baby powder. 

Easy DIY Upcycled, Reusable Swiffer Cloths

I don’t love to clean. I also don’t like to spend money on cleaning products. To avoid buying disposable swiffer cloths, I had just been using fleece tucked around the flat end of the swiffer broom and washing the cloth after every use. I could use an improvement.

A Cleaning Discovery

If anyone had told me five years ago that I'd be writing a blog post about cleaning products, I'd have laughed at them.

But I just had to share that I found the very best stuff to clean my cast iron sink with.

I didn't know what a cast-iron sink was until we got one. So here's a
[really bad] picture of part of my kitchen in case you are wondering:

That picture was taken before we moved in. The counters are never that clear nor is the sink ever that empty.

Not only have I found the perfect cleanser for my sink, but I also found some stuff to clean stainless steel and my flat cook top stove.

First, the cast iron sink. I bought this powder cleaner called Bonami that promises it won't scratch. It worked better than the baking soda I had been using. I had a few scratches from pans that it took off right away. The packaging is a little retro. My husband asked if it was from the 1970's. And it only cost $1.19!!

(No, Bonami is not paying me. I wish.)

Next, the stainless steel stuff. I found this stuff called Bar Keeper's Friend next to the Bonami at the store. I had read somewhere it works well for cleaning All-Clad cookware, which we have. It was only $1, so I bought some of it, too. LOVE IT. Not so much for the All-Clad stuff (although I haven't tried it for the food surfaces yet, just the outside, wanted to research if it was food-safe first) but I used it to clean the outside of our tea kettle that was in terrible need of scrubbing. It worked so well I decided to try it on the cook top, too. (It worked better than the stuff I bought specifically for the cook top!)

Bar Keeper's Friend is not paying me to say this stuff, either. But again, feel free to contact me! Hah.

Removing Crayon from Vinyl Floors

My little boy has discovered the wonders of crayons. He even wrote all over the vinyl kitchen floor at my parents' house with his favorites.

Luckily, I was able to get it off using silver polish.

Crayola has a whole portion of their website devoted to removal of their products. In case you're wondering, they claim WD-40 removes crayon from brick, concrete, carpet, chalkboards, cloth car interiors, painted walls, plastic, and tile.

(Does Crayola own the company that makes WD-40??)

Bathroom Cleaning Tip

I haven't posted cleaning tips for awhile. Here's a good one: Use rubbing alcohol on bathroom fixtures to help them shine.

If you're trying to sell your house, this can help your bathroom look inviting!

Want to Make: Dusting Alternative

Ok, that title may be misleading. This isn't an alternative to dusting.
(Maybe you could just run a fan on every surface and that would save you from dusting.)

But instead of buying a Swiffer duster, make one yourself! I am doing this sometime soon, for sure! I already made my own Swiffer dust mop cloths.

Organizing

If you are a regular reader, you realize by now that I use plastic grocery-store bags for lining small garbage cans in bathrooms or bedrooms. I was organizing my pantry today and getting frustrated with the mess that saving bags creates.

So instead of spending $5-6 at the least on a "Grocery Bag Organizer", I made my own!

I hardly feel this project needs instructions. If you read my blog, you're obviously not an idiot.

Used Fabric Softener Sheets

Save them for:

~Deodorizing shoes
~Dust cloths
~Deodorizing cars

White Vinegar

Make sure your white vinegar says "Made from Grain" on the label.

In some countries, white vinegar is made from petroleum.

Foaming Hand Soap

I love foamy hand soap. I just found out that you can make it yourself!! Since it is more expensive, I don't usually buy it.

First, you're going to have to buy the foamy soap so you can save the bottle (you need the nozzle for the foam).

Next, you'll need your regular liquid dish soap or liquid hand soap. In the empty foamy bottle, combine 1-2 Tablespoons of dish soap and fill the rest of the bottle up with water (leave a little space at the top). Shake it slightly, not too much or it will overflow.

Cleaning the Microwave

Easily clean the microwave with 4 T of lemon juice and one cup of water.

Boil this mixture for 5 minutes in the microwave (in a microwave-safe bowl) and allow the steam to condense on the inside walls.

Wipe the microwave's interior clean!

Deodorizing Carpet

Our carpet took quite a few hits over the course of the first 10 months of our baby's life. In other words, he spit up a lot. His doctor assured us it was normal, just in case anyone out there was wondering.

We could pay a carpet cleaning service $150+ to remove the odors. We may have to have them come eventually to remove the stains...more on that in another post.

But using baking soda is a far less expensive option for odor removal. Simply dust it onto the carpet before vacuuming, leave it for an hour, and then vacuum it up.

Another great way to keep dirt and toxins out of your home is to take off your shoes!! I don't like wearing shoes in my home anyway. Think about all the stuff on your shoes...tar, oil, antifreeze, salt, lawn chemicals...we have a crawling baby, so I sure don't want that stuff on his hands and in his mouth!!

Dishwasher Detergent Dangers

I normally use price as my only guideline when choosing a dishwasher detergent. However, I recently read that they usually containe chlorine that can cause eye injuries. I do keep my cleaning chemicals behind a "child-safe" lock, but my 13-month old is pretty good at getting things open.

I would like to switch to a phosphate and chlorine free detergent. I hear that they do exist.

Things I Just Don't Buy Anymore...

1. Garbage pail liners
-save your grocery bags from the store to use

2. Jewelry
-I like making my own

3. Scarves
-again, easy and fun to make!

4. Swiffer cloths
-I bought some fleece from the fabric store and cut it to fit the bottom of the Swiffer broom. $4/yard

5. Single-serving yogurt
-we have small plastic containers in to which we partition plain yogurt from a large tub. $2.50 for 8 servings as opposed to $0.50-0.60/single serving

6. Rubber bands
-save the ones that hold together your fresh broccoli.

7. Windex
-I use white vinegar and a spray bottle.

8. Sponges
-I hear they hold tons of bacteria. I use rags instead and launder them.

Have any other ideas?

Clean the Coffee Maker

Your coffee maker will last longer and your coffee will taste better if you do this simple step to clean your coffee maker once every 6 weeks or so.

1. Place one part white vinegar and two parts water to completely fill the water section of your coffee maker. Turn the pot on and let it run through. Let this sit in the coffee pot for 15-20 minutes.

2. Dispose of the vinegar solution. Rinse the pot.

3. Run three cycles of plain water through the pot to rinse out the vinegar.

Make Life Easier

~When painting, put the roller or brush in a plastic bag and it'll stay wet for a few days. No need to scrub it out three times over the course of three days.

~Multi-task in the morning....use your hair straighter to iron your clothing (as a touch-up for small spots on a button-down shirt). This won't help you iron an entire dress.

~Why pay the UPS store for foam packing peanuts? Pop some popcorn with an air-popper. Buying packing materials is highway robbery.

~Get stickers off of things like mirrors and glass: use mayonnaise & a putty knife.

~Dry out the bath toys by hanging them in a lingerie laundry bag from a suction cup in the bathtub.

~Cut pizza with scissors. That's what we did at camp when we made pizza for 180 people. It's faster and much easier.

Re-Use Old Things

Here is a collection of ideas I think could be useful:

~Save aluminum foil. Balled up, you can use used aluminum foil to scrub glass baking dishes.
~Use old, clean pantyhose to hang onions, potatoes & garlic in pantry or root cellar. Tie knots in between each vegetable and just cut them off as needed.
~Fill an old sock with baking soda and put it with items stored in the basement (like clothes) to keep them from smelling musty.
~Compost! Put a large plastic bowl in your sink. Place egg shells, coffee grounds (filter, too), fruit/veggie peels, cores & pits in this. Empty it to your compost pit every other day. Good for the soil and also helps you run the garbage disposal less often saving water and electricity.
~Save the cereal box liners (the plastic bags). Dump out the crumbs, fold them up, and store them with your plastic bags. They work for crushing crackers for meatloaf or meatballs.
~Still have more aluminum foil saved? Use it to scrunch around a doorknob while you're painting to keep away the drips.
~Use those free return address labels you get in the mail to label books, tupperware, or other things you may lend. Stick them to your children. Just kidding.
~Trader Joe's (and other grocery stores) sell beer in some neat six-pack configurations. Re-use the six-pack package to put napkins & silverware in at a a picnic.

Another use for white vinegar...

If you have an old paintbrush caked with paint and you feel there's no hope...just soak it in white vinegar for a few minutes and rinse it out! Don't buy a new one....

Finishing the Unfinishable

Do you ever start a project (sewing? home improvement? crafting? cooking?) and then deem it 'unfinishable'? Sometimes this happens to me. I have a very hard time with final seams or topstitching for sewing projects. This may stem from impatience. As a result, I have a variety of projects I have just not finished sitting in my fabric box. Sometimes I end up cutting them up to use for other projects. Or sometimes I just try and forget about them and feel sad when I see them!

This weekend, I wanted to start a new project. I don't really want to buy any supplies, though, being my frugal self. (I am thinking I may need to buy grommet pliers to make a few projects I have in mind...) So, I decided to pull out a few of my problematic projects and try to fix them. (ie ripping seams...or troubleshooting!) I'll hopefully have some pictures and tutorials next week!

In the meantime, here's information on rescuing your t-shirts (which can provide great project starters!) from grime and sweat:

How can the smells and stains from the underarms be removed from t-shirts?
Try this:

1) Mix 4-5 teaspoons of baking soda with 1/4 cup water. Rub it into the shirt; allow it to dry.
2) Fill a sink with water and 2 tablespoons of salt and soak it overnight. Rinse and then spray the shirt with vinegar from a spray bottle.