Shark!

Shark Steam Pocket Mop, that is!

I've been using a Shark Professional Steam Pocket Mop for a few weeks now in our ongoing attempt to switch over to natural ways of cleaning.  The Shark Steam Pocket Mop uses only steam to break up dirt and sanitize your floors.

No chemicals.  No soaps.  No fragrances.  Just steam!

With two toddlers, a large dog and two cats, there's is no shortage of mess on my floors.  But this past week, we also hosted a splash pool and craft play date, with lots of little wet feet running in and out of the house, smashing stickers and glue into our tiles floors.

This was the week to put the Shark to the test.

There is just no reason for anyone to clean their floors with chemicals.  Your kids and your pets will thank you.  Just an easy once over picks up sticky juice, muddy foot and paw prints, and it peeled stickers right off the ground.

A big difference I have noticed is that when using cleaners in the past our shoes would stick to the tacky floor, after I mopped.  But, after the Shark, the floors are smooth and clean.  I realize now that that sticky feeling was the cleaners residue left on the floor, when my dog could lick it up and that it's sticky nature was making my floors dirty more quickly!

One of my favorite things about the Shark is how quickly the steam dries off the floor.  It's instant.  I don't have to worry about the kids running around and slipping on the wet floor, as soon as I move to a new area, the last area is already dry.

Another reason I'm sold on my Shark, and will never look back, is the cost!  I bought my Shark, and the extra mop pads, and I'll never need another thing to use it.  Shark also has an reputation of making products that last!  With my last mop, I have to spend about $15 on solution for just about every time I mopped, plus the $15 on disposable pads every three to 5 mopping.  I could have bought my Shark a few times over, with all the money I spent on my last mop. I should have switched sooner!

Natural Multi-Purpose Cleaner

At the start of all this, trying to learn to cook for my family without corn, soy and dairy (the most difficult foods to remove from our diets) was such an overwhelming task, that it's taken me well over a year to accept the fact that Makayla is absolutely reacting to environmental triggers as well.

After a few recent undeniable, and obvious reactions to environmental riggers like perfumes, hairspray and cleaners, we've decided to start making to move to chemical free cleaning in our home.  Yesterday was our first go-round with a homemade vinegar based multi-purpose cleaner.

The Recipe:
10oz Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar (Distilled white vinegar is derived from corn)
10oz Distilled Water
Orange or Lemon Peels

I filled a large mason jar with orange and lemon peels a few weeks ago.  I think about three oranges and three large lemons worth, and then covered them in the ACV and let them soak for several weeks, until the peels looked obviously pickled.

I noticed a lot of orange and lemon pulp floating around the jar, so I used a coffee filter to strain the ACV solution into a new mason jar, before adding it to my spray bottle with the water.

The Review:
I was hesitant about this from the start.  I like to see my cleaners work.  I don't like to use a lot of elbow grease.  And, anyone who knows me knows I hate the smell (and taste, for that matter) or vinegar!

I used it on my kitchen counters.  On my stove.  On my LCD television screen.  On the bathroom sink.  On my walls.  And on my wood furniture!

Well, I'm happy to report that you can see the solution working!  And, using it required very little elbow grease, if any at all.  It pulled up coffee and wine stains, with one easy wipe.  Added a sparkle to my stove that I've not seen since moving to this house almost two years ago.  It even lifted off all those pesky toddler finger marks form the doors and walls that the other cleared just sort of smeared around.

As for the smell, I felt pretty good about it.  It did have a vinegary odor to it, but I felt that the orange and lemon sents cut through to neutralize it, and that once it evaporated, it was really a non-issue.  The hubs however is still out.  I knew them moment he walked in the door and wrinkled his nose that I wasn't fooling him.  I think with my next batch I'll try adding some essential oils.  More lemon or orange?  Or maybe something minty?  I open to suggestions if you've got them!

The Final Word:
All in, all, I'm a happy camper.  This cleaner is just as good, if not better than all the Windex, 409, and Mr. Clean I've been using for the past 15 years.  I'll keep using it, and tweaking the oils until I get a smell that we can all live with.