***Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Arm & Hammer. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.***
The Holiday season can be very stressful. All of the shopping, cooking, cleaning, and planning is enough to make even the coolest cucumber sweat a little.
One of my biggest stressors would have to be keeping my home clean (enough) and ready for guests. I am not going to lie: I am no Martha Stewart, and with a teenage boy, 2 preschoolers, 4 cats and 3 dogs, I often feel like I am drowning in chores that will never be adequately completed. My little ones definitely don't clean up very well after themselves, and my teen and husband are admitted slobs. So my house is always at least a little bit cluttered, and definitely looks like we live here.
I am honestly in awe of those moms whose homes always look like museums. I just don't know how they do it! Maybe there's a class somewhere? Hmm...I will have to look into that. Or perhaps they're just not 100% human, kind of like the Kardashians...Love em or hate em, with genes like that, you almost have to wonder if they're really, really REAL. Anyway, I am totally lacking whatever Domestic Goddess trait some women seem to naturally possess. Yep, I am jealous. Maybe it will change as the kids get older and can contribute more.
Anyway, other than the expected toys scattered throughout the family room, my biggest challenges would have to come from the pets, whether it's stains from accidents or odors, and the kids tracking in snow, mud and dirt from outdoors. It can be very frustrating, and the thought of having houseguests puts me into a near panic.
This year, we're not having any overnight guests for the Holidays, but we will be doing some entertaining. Nothing major, just a few friends and family members trickling in over various times during peak Holiday times. Not to mention the fact that both of my babies have winter birthdays which will need celebrating. (Sophie's 4th birthday is New Year's Eve, and Xander's 3rd birthday is just 2 weeks later.)
One of my biggest stressors would have to be keeping my home clean (enough) and ready for guests. I am not going to lie: I am no Martha Stewart, and with a teenage boy, 2 preschoolers, 4 cats and 3 dogs, I often feel like I am drowning in chores that will never be adequately completed. My little ones definitely don't clean up very well after themselves, and my teen and husband are admitted slobs. So my house is always at least a little bit cluttered, and definitely looks like we live here.
I am honestly in awe of those moms whose homes always look like museums. I just don't know how they do it! Maybe there's a class somewhere? Hmm...I will have to look into that. Or perhaps they're just not 100% human, kind of like the Kardashians...Love em or hate em, with genes like that, you almost have to wonder if they're really, really REAL. Anyway, I am totally lacking whatever Domestic Goddess trait some women seem to naturally possess. Yep, I am jealous. Maybe it will change as the kids get older and can contribute more.
Anyway, other than the expected toys scattered throughout the family room, my biggest challenges would have to come from the pets, whether it's stains from accidents or odors, and the kids tracking in snow, mud and dirt from outdoors. It can be very frustrating, and the thought of having houseguests puts me into a near panic.
This year, we're not having any overnight guests for the Holidays, but we will be doing some entertaining. Nothing major, just a few friends and family members trickling in over various times during peak Holiday times. Not to mention the fact that both of my babies have winter birthdays which will need celebrating. (Sophie's 4th birthday is New Year's Eve, and Xander's 3rd birthday is just 2 weeks later.)
One way I make sure my home looks and smells clean when preparing for guests is to use a very common product, Arm & Hammer Ultra Power 4X Concentrated Laundry Detergent in some pretty unconventional ways. Sure, it does amazing things for our laundry, but it can do so much more, and is far more affordable than a lot of traditional cleaning supplies. Gotta love a product that's versatile!
Here are 3 handy ways I like to use our Arm & Hammer outside of the laundry room.
1. Cleaning Sofas and Upholstery
In our formal living room, which just happens to be where Christmas happens, we have white furniture and a white and blue area rug. I know. With pets and kids, what on Earth were we thinking?!
Arm & Hammer Ultra Power 4X Concentrated Laundry Detergent, diluted with a little water, is wonderful for spot cleaning both the sofas and the rug. It also helps discourage pets from re-marking certain areas due to the odor neutralizing power of Arm & Hammer baking soda!
And yes, I am aware that we've got the most God awful, hideous wallpaper in this room. The house is almost 100 years old, and redecorating this room in particular ranks high on our home-improvement to-do list!
1. Cleaning Sofas and Upholstery
In our formal living room, which just happens to be where Christmas happens, we have white furniture and a white and blue area rug. I know. With pets and kids, what on Earth were we thinking?!
Arm & Hammer Ultra Power 4X Concentrated Laundry Detergent, diluted with a little water, is wonderful for spot cleaning both the sofas and the rug. It also helps discourage pets from re-marking certain areas due to the odor neutralizing power of Arm & Hammer baking soda!
And yes, I am aware that we've got the most God awful, hideous wallpaper in this room. The house is almost 100 years old, and redecorating this room in particular ranks high on our home-improvement to-do list!
2. Freshen Pet beds and Lounging Areas
My pets can be pretty clever when it comes to where they decide to lay their heads....They have proper pet beds, but often they end up in the toy box or on our huge bean bag lounger. This can leave behind icky pet odors, and not something I want guests to catch a whiff of when they visit. Luckily, our Arm & Hammer helps here, too! I just spot clean the bean bag and hand-wash stuffed toys like the Pillow Pets below and they look and smell as good as new!
My pets can be pretty clever when it comes to where they decide to lay their heads....They have proper pet beds, but often they end up in the toy box or on our huge bean bag lounger. This can leave behind icky pet odors, and not something I want guests to catch a whiff of when they visit. Luckily, our Arm & Hammer helps here, too! I just spot clean the bean bag and hand-wash stuffed toys like the Pillow Pets below and they look and smell as good as new!
3. Tackle Tracked In Messes
Here in NE Ohio, the weather can be extreme. When it rains, it pours, and when it snows, there's usually quite a bit of the fluffy stuff. Of course this doesn't stop my kids from wanting to play. They often track in dirt, mud, salt, snow, slush, and God knows what else. Arm & Hammer Ultra Power 4X Concentrated Laundry Detergent is not only wonderful for removing stains from our carpeted areas, it's also wonderful for wiping down filthy rain or snow boots, too!
Here in NE Ohio, the weather can be extreme. When it rains, it pours, and when it snows, there's usually quite a bit of the fluffy stuff. Of course this doesn't stop my kids from wanting to play. They often track in dirt, mud, salt, snow, slush, and God knows what else. Arm & Hammer Ultra Power 4X Concentrated Laundry Detergent is not only wonderful for removing stains from our carpeted areas, it's also wonderful for wiping down filthy rain or snow boots, too!
So as you can see, there are plenty of ways that you can use Arm & Hammer Ultra Power 4X Laundry Detergent in your home. Of course we use it on our laundry as well. I love this formula because it is super concentrated for optimum cleaning. One small bottle provides a whopping 60 loads worth of cleaning power! Since it contains powerful stain fighting agents and 2 scoops of baking soda, you can always be assured that whatever mess you tackle, it will end up bright, clean, and odor-free.
How do you get your home Holiday Ready? Do you have any cleaning tips or tricks you can share? This Mama needs all the help she can get!
How do you get your home Holiday Ready? Do you have any cleaning tips or tricks you can share? This Mama needs all the help she can get!
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