the little gunnell family : Cleaning Frenzy & My All-Time Favorite Cleaning Product

Do you ever just get into a cleaning frenzy? Well today that happened to me. It came in like the stomach flu (out of nowhere and lasted 24 hours...ish haha). I cannot even explain where it came from but it was like nesting all over again. I also used to get into these intense cleaning moods when Aunt Flo came around, but she hasn't been here in over a year (which has been the best thing ever) so it can't be that. Anyway, I was productive today (even though Tenley tried so many times to thwart my plans) and it was really grand.

Now I basically just want to show off what I accomplished before telling you about my absolute favorite cleaning product. I'm so in love with it that I actually get excited about cleaning when I get to use this. (Truthfully, I like cleaning anyway but it isn't always exciting). I apologize for the poor quality of the photos. I just used my phone because, well, it's quick.

As you can see, we take St. Patrick's Day quite seriously in our house.

Home Sweet Home

I even cleaned the microwave!

On the top right, I'm using a metal paper filer to store my pans, cutting boards, anything thin.

Stove top so clean you could lick it! (But don't)

Green is so cheerful!

Also, for those of you who teased me about our many hand soaps, as you can see, I cut it down to one for now.

Now on to the bedroom!

There are few things more comfy than new clean sheets and pillow cases. I just love how clean they smell and feel especially. (Can you feel when your sheets are clean?) Plus we (meaning I haha) pulled out a different cover for our bed since we used the last quilt for like 7 months and were overdue for a change.

This is a crappy picture (our bedroom lighting is horrendous) but I am so proud of how organized this whole thing is! Look for my post two days ago if you want to see how I organized inside some of the drawers. I hate folding clothes, but I LOVE how they look all folded!

Our very crowded but very organized closet. My sweaters are color-coordinated and my dresses are now arranged by occasion.

Anyway, on to the good stuff.

This is my all-time favorite cleaning product for the kitchen. They are called Brillio pads and they are stupendous. Basically they are steal wool covered in special soap, but make scrubbing a breeze and make cleaning old stains and grease a piece of cake. I get sad when I run out of these guys. I feel like a friend has died. I only have two left now. Brillo pads, not friends.

They also come in pink!

Aren't they awesome? I am showing you the back of the box because at the bottom it depicts their many uses in the kitchen. Apparently I've heard they can scratch up certain surfaces like non-stick pans, but most of my cookware is pretty well-used anyway and I have never had an issue with them. Please don't sue me if they ruin something in your kitchen though. Now I will try to convey the awesomeness of these things through photos.

Before:

Notice the streaks and spots and grease stains. So splotchy.

And after!!!!

*Chorus of angels*

As you can see, the streaks and spots are gone and the pans look almost new (besides being a little tarnished, which I think is beautiful--I love tarnished things). These pads do things that regular soap and water can't even begin to.

I sadly do not have a before pic for this one, but you know how baking pans always get so greasy and spotty in the corners especially where they are harder to scrub? Well guess what? Gone. All of it. With just a little elbow grease and a Brillo pad.

This is a dumb picture because you can't even tell how sparkly clean they are, but just imagine how they were straight out of the package and there you have it.

Look at this glittering stove top. I removed all the knobs and burners (clearly), but the thing looks beautiful and is now all smooth. I get so excited just looking at this!!

And last, but not least, check out how white my sink is? I also used the Brillo pad to scrub this. And for some reason, white stone is really hard to clean. Marks do not disappear easily. But using the pad is a thousand times easier than just a sponge or brush.

So as you can tell, I am in love with those things and the best part was I cleaned the stove, dishes, pans, sink, and more with just one Brillo pad! How awesome is that? My kitchen is sparkling right now (which is a rarity) and though it will be destroyed again in a few days, I have a lot of peace of mind for now knowing my home is clean. You know that phrase, "Happy wife, happy life"? It's true, but besides that, I made up a similar phrase today: "Clean house, happy spouse." (Genius, I know). I might just coin that. Now go out and buy some Brillo pads! I think you can buy them in bulk at Sam's and Costco. That's what I would do if I had a membership. They're pretty great!

I hope you have a clean and orderly day! ;)