You might not want to make your bed—like, ever—but here’s why you totally should.

Let’s face facts: Nobody wants to make the bed. It’s boring. It’s monotonous. It’s one of those thankless chores, like doing dishes or laundry, where the chore just never goes away. Ever. Sure, your bed looks great once it’s made, but in 12 short hours you’re going to mess it up again anyway.

That being said, there are plenty of reasons why you should join the bedmaker bandwagon. A fluffed pillow here, a tucked sheet there, just might change your life:

1. You’ll save time

Use the time you’d typically use to hit snooze and make your bed instead. Not only will this get you out of bed right away, but you’ll be less likely to hop back under the covers on those icky mornings where you feel like you’ve been hit by a truck. I mean, who wants to mess up perfectly straight sheets?

2. You’ll start your day off right

Within the first five minutes of waking up you’ll have already accomplished something, and that sense of accomplishment will follow you throughout the day. Bam.

3. It may create a domino effect

Making your bed every morning may trigger you to build other healthy habits into your day. In his book “The Power of Habit,” Charles Duhigg explains:

“Making your bed every morning is correlated with better productivity, a greater sense of well-being, and stronger skills at sticking with a budget. It’s not that a family meal or a tidy bed causes better grades or less frivolous spending. But somehow those initial shifts start chain reactions that help other good habits take hold.”

4. It may make you happier

In a survey of 68,000 people by Hunch.com, 59 percent of people don’t make their beds, while only 27 percent of people do. However, 71 percent of bed makers consider themselves happy, while 62 percent of non-bed makers don’t. People who make their bed were also more likely to enjoy their job, exercise regularly, and feel well-rested, while people who didn’t… well, the opposite.

5. You may sleep better

A National Sleep Foundation poll found that people who make their bed regularly were also more likely to say they sleep well. (Yes please!)

6. It looks good, which makes you feel good

When your bed’s messy, so are you. It sounds strange, but there’s something about your bed being in order that prepares you for the day. If you leave your bed in disarray, to me that means you day’s going to turn out that way too. Plus, there’s something therapeutic about coming home from a long-ass day at work and tearing the bed apart to tuck yourself in, no?

7. You won’t waste your bedding

If you’re anything like me, picking out new bedding is kind of a big deal… so why put all of the effort (and money) into finding an extra special sheet and comforter set, only to leave it crumpled in the middle of your mattress? Palm. Meet face.

Do you make your bed every morning?

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Image: Bedroom photo via Shutterstock

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Homemade cleaners really do work!

I’m a big fan of avoiding environmental toxins where I can, and skipping conventional household cleaners is an easy place to get started. Rather than having to call poison control, you can avoid the volatile organic chemicals  absorbed through both the skin and air by choosing plant-based cleaners. If you’ve ever cleaned your home with bleach or ammonia and then had trouble breathing afterwards, you know I mean.

While plant-based cleaners are a great alternative, sometimes they come with a hefty price. And it’s for this reason that I started to make some of my own homemade cleaners. DIY green cleaning is so much easier than you might think. Here are some recipes to get you started:

1. All-Purpose Kitchen Cleaner

Instead of pricey all-purpose sprays, I add 1 cup of white vinegar and dilute it with 1 cup of water. Add to an empty spray bottle. It’s just amazing how well diluted white vinegar cleans up your kitchen. It’s also great for scrubbing down the counters and cleaning out the refrigerator. Add 15-20 drops of citrus essential oils if the smell of vinegar isn’t appealing.

2. Furniture Spray

I got this recipe from the book “Homemade Cleaners, Quick-And-Easy Toxic-Free Recipes.” It’s a simple yet effective tool against dusty furniture. Because it has fresh lemon juice, the extra solution should be stored in the refrigerator.

1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
5 drops of lemon essential oil.

Combine in a spray bottle.

3. Glass Cleaner

I used the vinegar and water concoction on glass and to be honest, I was pretty disappointed in the results. The glass was cloudy and cloudy glass makes your bathroom seem dirty. However, this simple homemade cleaner seems to work much better. It also comes from “Homemade Cleaners, Quick-And-Easy Toxic-Free Recipes.”

1/4 cup castile soap
1 quart of water

Combine in a spray bottle.

4. Heavy Duty Bathroom Scrub Powder

I got this recipe from Wellness Mama and it really does the trick on hard water stains that even elbow grease doesn’t seem to remove.

2 parts baking soda
1 part salt
1 part borax powder

Combine the dry ingredients in a jar. Sprinkle on the tub or sink and let set for 5 minutes and then scrub with a scouring pad. Rinse with water.

5. Wood Floor Cleaner

Combine 1 part vegetable oil to 1 part vinegar. Rub into wood floors well. It makes them shine while nourishing and disinfecting them.

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Image: HyperAitz

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Dust, degrease and disinfect with all natural products and items you already have around the house.

The tulips are blooming, the birds are singing, and you’re on your hands and knees in your ugliest sweatpants scrubbing the grout on the bathroom floor. Spring cleaning isn’t exactly fun, but it’s a necessary evil that can be made a lot more pleasant with the use of natural, non-toxic products that won’t leave you with a headache or require a costly trip to the store. If you’ve got baking soda, vinegar, lemons, an old towel and a handful of other common household items, you can give your house a fresh start without spending any money at all.

Fresh Air In, Odors Out

Closed-up houses may be cozy in the winter, but they tend to smell pretty stale. Get some air moving in your house by opening all the windows and positioning a few fans in strategic places, like hallways and stairways. Placing a fan in the window, facing out, can work wonders for your indoor air quality, making it smell as fresh as the outdoors.

Make Glass Sparkle with Newspaper

Nothing gets glass windows and mirrors quite to a streak-free, so-transparent-it’s-dangerous shine like newspaper. You won’t have problems with smeared text because most newspapers are now printed with water-based inks. The paper leaves behind virtually zero lint. Just spray the glass with a 50/50 mixture of water and white vinegar, rub the glass with a dry cloth and then go over the surface with a piece of newspaper.

Cut Old Towels into Cleaning Rags

Those scratchy towels that are no longer fit for post-shower use could provide you with a dozen or more new, totally free cleaning rags. Just cut them up – most terrycloth towels won’t unravel, so you don’t need to worry about breaking out the sewing machine. It’s far better for the planet than using disposable paper towels.

Eliminate Odors with Fresh Lemons

Even the nastiest of odors can’t stand up to the freshening power of fresh lemons. Get rid of garlic, fish and other strong smells using half a cut lemon or some fresh-squeezed lemon juice. To freshen indoor air, simmer lemon peel on the stovetop, adding water as needed.

Freshen the Fridge with Coffee

Among the many unexpected uses for coffee is absorbing funky odors in the refrigerator. If you’ve got stale coffee grounds, or have a bag that’s no longer good for brewing, place a bowl of them in the fridge for a day or so. You can use the same trick to deodorize virtually anything by placing the object in a plastic bag along with a container of coffee grounds.

Sanitize Sponges With Salt

There’s no use trying to clean anything with a sponge that’s teeming with bacteria. Suds up your sponges, rinse them thoroughly and then soak them in cold, heavily salted water for an hour or two. This process will kill the germs and plump the sponges back up again.

No-Scrub Oven Cleaner

It’s time to tackle that burnt-on mess on the bottom of your oven. Baking soda makes it as easy as it gets, and your next batch of cookies won’t taste faintly of chemical cleaners. Sprinkle it liberally all over the floor of the oven, spray it with water until it’s well dampened, and leave it for a few hours. Then just wipe out the mess and use vinegar to remove the film of baking soda residue left behind.

Vinegar for Cleaning Floors

Use a half-and-half solution of white vinegar and water to clean virtually any type of flooring other than porous stones like slate and granite. You can up the cleaning power for unwaxed wood floors, tile or linoleum by mixing 1/3 white vinegar, 1/3 rubbing alcohol and 1/3 water with 3 drops of dishwashing liquid.

Make Reusable Swiffer Covers

There’s no doubt that Swiffers and other floor cleaning tools that use disposable pads can be convenient. But all those sheets add up fast, not only in cost but in the amount of trash you put out each week. Instead of buying refills, sew up a few of your own covers with a pattern you can find at Berlin’s Whimsy.

De-Gunk Microwaves with Baking Soda and Lemon

The citric acid in lemon juice can loosen even the crustiest food residue that gets splattered all over microwave interiors. Place lemon wedges in a small bowl of water and nuke them for two to three minutes. Let it sit without opening the door for about ten minutes, then wipe out the inside. If you still have any odors or nightmarish globs of unidentifiable gunk left behind, use a paste of baking soda and water to scrub them right out.

Polish Wood With Olive Oil

Add a teaspoon of olive oil to a quarter cup of lemon juice for a non-toxic, gentle furniture polish that will remove dust and bring wood surfaces to a brilliant shine. Because this mixture is free of petroleum and waxes, it won’t build up into a dull, gunky finish over time.

Remove Rust with Salt and Lime Juice

Not only is rust hard to scrub away, sometimes it’s impossible – like when it starts to appear inside a tea kettle. Most commercial rust cleaners are highly toxic, so they’re not exactly ideal for use in bathrooms, let alone on a furnace that comes into contact with food. For spots you can reach, slather them in a paste of salt and lime juice, let it sit for a few hours and then scrub it off. To clean the inside of a tea kettle, just add a cup of lime juice and then fill it up with water. Let it sit overnight and then boil it for about ten minutes.

Disinfect Surfaces With Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil instantly kills bacteria, viruses and mold, so it’s an ideal antiseptic cleaner for extra-germy spots like doorknobs and toilets. Add two cups of hot water to two tablespoons of 20 Mule Team Borax, plus 1/2 teaspoon liquid dish soap and 1/2 teaspoon tea tree oil. Put it all in a spray bottle, shake it and apply it to any surface that needs to be disinfected.

Deodorize Carpets With Baking Soda

Carpets absorb odors all too easily, making it hard to get rid of a smell like smoke or pet urine. Make them smell almost new again (minus the overwhelming plastic smell of off-gassing VOCs) by sprinkling them with baking soda and letting it sit overnight before vacuuming it all up.

Dust With Old Socks

If your dryer is in on the sock-eating conspiracy, you probably have a few lonely socks sitting around. No need to throw them away. Put one over your hand like a glove and use it to dust surfaces around the house. This works especially well with athletic socks that have been turned inside-out, since the inside is usually textured.

Polish Metal Surfaces With Half a Lemon

Easily remove food residue, fingerprints and other grime from stainless steel or chrome surfaces by slicing a lemon in half, dipping it in salt and rubbing it on the surface in circular motions. Rinse with water.

Unclog Drains With Baking Soda and Vinegar

Drain cleaner is enough to give anyone a migraine. Next time, don’t put yourself through the trauma of gagging on toxic fumes. Dump 3/4 cup of baking soda down the drain and chase it with 1/2 cup white vinegar. Plug the drain, let it sit for 30 minutes and then rinse it out with a kettle full of boiling water. If you do this on a regular basis, you probably won’t have a problem with clogs anymore.

Brighten Yellowed Linens With Lemons or Salt

You don’t need bleach to get white sheets, towels and other laundry looking crisp and bright. Add a quarter cup of lemon juice to the assign machine and then hang them out to dry in the sun. Alternately, you could boil them in a big pot of water with a few tablespoons of salt plus a few tablespoons of baking soda.

Kill Mold With Borax and Vinegar

Mix half a cup of white vinegar with half a cup of Borax (the type sold in the laundry aisle, not the bug-killing kind.) Dilute that mixture with 1/4 cup of warm water, then pour it into a spray bottle. Apply it immediately to moldy surfaces to kill and loosen the mold spores so they’re easy to wipe away.

Organize Cleaning Supplies with a Shoe Holder

Over-the-door shoe holders can organize a lot more than just shoes. Keep all of your cleaning products and tools – which should include boxes of baking soda, bottled vinegar, Borax, empty spray bottles, dish soap, reusable rags, socks and essential oils – visible and handy. Everything will be easy to access and you’ll be able to tell at a glance when you’re running low on a certain item.

Photos: Muffet, Horia Varlan, Beaufort’s TheDigital, Andrew Comings

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Easy tips to simplify spring cleaning.

As of March 2oth, the season has officially changed – spring has sprung. I love the promise of sunshine and knowing summer is just around the corner, but I hate spring cleaning. Hate it. Here’s a guide to minimize the drudgery with efficient and effective spring cleaning tips.

1. Fresh air is Mother Nature’s reward for surviving winter. Turn off your heat and open your windows and doors. Let the crisp breath of spring rejuvenate your space.

2. Clean screens and swap filters. Window screens and screen doors can be cleaned with water and a soft-bristle brush. Gently scrub, then rinse screens (do this in a garden or landscaped area so the water can hydrate thirsty spring bulbs). Replace and/or clean filters throughout your home (vacuum, furnace, vent, etc.). Purchase washable filters when possible.

3. Embrace the light. Wash windows (inside and out) and light fixtures. Dust light bulbs to amplify light sources.

4. Air out rugs and carpets. Simply let your rugs soak in the delight of the outdoors for a handful of hours to naturally sanitize them with the heat of the sun (place rugs in a shaded area to prevent sun damage). Clean your floors before bringing the rugs back inside.

5. Respect the power of water. Plain, simple water can be used to clean most surfaces in the home. Only kitchens and bathrooms demand stronger agents.

6. Go through your cupboards, refrigerator, and freezer. Compost (or responsibly dispose of) expired food. Wipe surfaces with a gentle solution (two tablespoons of baking soda for one quart of warm water).

7. Deep clean. Go through everything drawer by drawer and closet by closet this month. If you don’t love it, need it, use it, wear it, or miss it – get rid of it. Donate household items and clothing to local charities and thrift stores.

Now relax with some fresh cut blooms and bask in the anticipation of summer.

Image: Pia Ulin

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