Okay, so I’ve managed to vacuum the whole house (except the stairs). I’ve managed to do one single load of laundry. I managed to get the kids to clean up their rooms (they did 90% of it themselves – or should I say COOTIEGIRL did 90% of it herself while CootieBoy played the other 10%).
They are now enjoying sandwiches and milk for lunch, and when they are done I’ll turn on a movie for them so that I can begin mopping the hardwoods and kitchen floor without being interrupted.
As I vacuumed the house today, I thought “I can’t WAIT to replace this 10-year old carpeting covered in stains that have only been created since we moved in last fall (two toddlers and four cats make it rough to keep a deep cream carpet unstained). Really, the carpet is COVERED in stains.
The other thought I had as I vacuumed the vinyl flooring in the kitchen was “I can’t WAIT to replace this ripped up vinyl flooring in here and put down some really nice tile.”
As much as I’d love to do some really nice dramatic landscaping next year when we have the extra money each month (CootieGirl going to kindergarten is going to be a GREAT day for this family), I’m thinking the bigger priority will actually be the kitchen floor. I don’t want to replace the carpeting until the kids are out of their “yes, I’m most likely going to spill this,” stage (5 years? 10 years? 15 years?) but the kitchen flooring upgrade is a MUST.
If you put in hardwood, or laminate, you don’t have to worry about spills. Also, why don’t you train them to keep their drinks in the kitchen ~ CootieGirl had no problem with that rule when she was here. 🙂
It’s not just drinks – it’s crayons, toys, dirt tracked in, cats throwing up, dog throwing up, etc.
15 years?
Yes.
😉
Green Machine?
What about going and getting one of those mini Green Machine, carpet steamers? They are only about $100.00 and really kick the stains out of a carpet. I used to love mine, but decided to get rid of it when I moved to a place with hardwood floors.
Ace – we have a steam cleaner and yes they work well for the most part – I used it recently when Cooper got sick in the living room, but there are still random stains that appear on the carpeting that DON’T come out with the steam cleaner.
It’s the reason we bought a 10×14 rug to go in that room, although it doesn’t cover the worst spots in that particular room.
I had a Green Machine and I wasn’t impressed.
I’m sure you’ve tried most everything already, but I’ve found OxiClean to work well on stains, followed by the home steam cleaner that I have. Nothing stains like cat puke. 🙂
Now, I’m on board with OxyClean – that stuff is magic.