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Amy Bates
Here's What Happened When I Let My Family Clean ...

When GoodHousekeeping.com asked me to stop doing housework for two weeks, I was terrified. For starters, we're your typical, busy Midwestern family with two teenage sons and two dogs. My husband Alan is a tidy and fastidious civil engineer, and I am the proud owner of a Merry Maids office and the founder of the Don't Look Under the Rug blog. The two of us divide the chores (Alan washes dishes, cooks, and vacuums; while I handle laundry, grocery shopping, and monitoring general clutter) and the boys are expected to pick up after themselves. That said, I do feel I handle more than my fair share of housework after a day at the office.

I don't think my standards are unrealistic. I love things to be clean, but I also enjoy living in my home. We do have a mail pile and a "take it up the stairs" collection. So, eventually, I felt cautiously optimistic about taking a two-week hiatus from housework. My boys are well-behaved, helpful, and only slightly sloth-like when it comes to picking up after themselves — how bad could it be? 

Here's What Happened When I Let My Family Clean the House for Two Weeks

Gin

Freshen Up Fabric Using Ingredients From Summer Cocktails

To battle the summer sweat, one of my favorite things to do is to get my friends together for some sweet, refreshing summer cocktails! Gin, vodka, rum, and bourbon are just a few of the spirits you can mix-in with fresh herbs and fruit to make your favorite summer cocktail. However, here’s the thing: I may be a cleaning guru, but an expert mixologist, I am not! Throughout the summer season, I like to explore the internet for new (and familiar with a twist) summer cocktail recipes to try. Here are the results from my latest search this week:

D.I.Y. Fabric Refresher With Vodka

Did you forget to drop off the dry cleaning or need to freshen a suit or dress that picked up the smell of smoke after an evening out? What can you do? Using your home bar, or if traveling, the hotel mini-bar, D.I.Y. a quick odor eliminating fabric spray! The same mix works for removing pet odor on upholstery and more.

What you need:

  • Vodka or Gin
  • Distilled Water
  • Optional: Essential oils such as lavender  

#happycleaning - Amy