Did you do something special yesterday?

Yesterday was the 15th. Each month on the 15th I try to do something special for my kitchen. I change out the sponge, wipe down the counters, clean out the drains, give the stovetop a little TLC. Well, this month my most awesomest husband did all the dishes for me -- ALL of them. You know how you just kinda fall behind and you never seem to get them all quite done? Well, that happened to me. Actually that seems to happen about every 2 weeks. Anyway, my most awesomest husband saved the day and got them all caught up for me. I cleaned my drain catcher things out really well this month and, of course, changed out my sponge. I also spent a little time decluttering my countertops and rearranging my baking cabinet.

Right now, with flu season just getting started and H1N1 in full swing, we need to be vigilant about de-germing our homes. We need to change our sponges every 2 weeks or at least microwave them once a week for 1 minute to kill the bacteria in them (but still toss them at least every month!). We need to use disinfectant spray on door knobs, faucets & sink knobs, light switches, countertops -- basically anything that doesn't move! Make sure your disinfectant says on the bottle that it works against the flu virus and other bacteria.

Money saving tip -- When I did my weekly shopping I added Lysol spray to my list. At Kroger it cost $5 for a bottle of spray, but right next to the spray they had combo packs of spray with a container of 35 wipes for the same $5. If you've got coupons, that's an even better deal!

A Tip for Tuesday

On the 15th of every month I take a few minutes to do some small, but important tasks in the kitchen. The counters are constantly being wiped down, as is the stove top, but on the 15th I take time to boil water and then clear and clean both drains in my kitchen, throw out my old sponge and bring out a new one, and empty the crumb catcher in the toaster oven. I'll do other small tasks, too -- like restocking my rag box, checking the filter on the water pitcher, sharpen a knife, and so forth. I kinda just go in there and see what grabs my attention.

In case you're wondering, I clear and clean the drains using very basic supplies. I dump in some baking soda, then some vinegar, wait a minute or 2 and then pour a few cups of boiling water down the drain. If I'm feeling particularly Martha Stewart-ish I can even boil the water with a couple slices of lemon.

But I'm not one to buy a lemon just because I want pretty smelling drains.