The Swish and Swipe
I'm gradually refining my routines. After reading up on FlyLady for inspiration, I've started including the Swish and Swipe in my morning Housework Hour. I used to pretty much only touch the bathroom (beyond picking up the floors) once a week, when I'd have to spend the better part of an hour really scrubbing everything. When the bathroom was becoming "due" for a cleaning, believe me, you could tell! (And it was embarrassing to have unexpected guests at such a time!)Now only the tub and floors will need a good weekly scrubbing (which is always scheduled to take place after our dog Peaches' bath:o) The more frequently-used sink, countertop, mirror and toilet are a cinch to keep up with on a daily basis! I never dreamed that doing these daily would take ONLY THREE MINUTES (I timed it) of my time!
P.S. I may have read this on FlyLady's site, I can't remember: You know how nice it is to enjoy a spotless bathroom each day during a hotel-stay? Why not give ourselves and our families the same pleasure at home? Now that I know how little time it takes, I hope I never go back to the only-once-a-week cleaning. (Imagine if that was the policy at hotels...ick!)
posted by Erin | 11:14 PM
8 Comments:
Hi Erin,
I love your blog. Quick question for you - where do you get your photos? You always have very classy, pretty pictures that enhance your post.
Have a great day!
Marianne
Thanks very much, Marianne!
I usually either take the pictures myself, or I do a Google image search (go to www.google.com and click the "image" tab, then type in whatever keywords you want pictures of. Be careful about the search terms you use, or you might get some not so nice pictures!)
I try to make sure I'm not violating copyright laws. It is an imperfect science! If I have any questions (and I should probably try to make this more of the standard rule anyway) I give credit for the picture and provide a link to where I found it.
Also, I always save the picture to my own computer before I post it so that I'm not making the original site "host" my photo!
Here's another blog that I came across recently sharing some great picture sources! (I'd like to use some of these in future posts) It's:
http://lulashardt.blogspot.com/2007/03/images.html
Hope this helps!
Hi Erin!
I've been implementing a daily 'swish and swipe' myself lately!
I was wondering---why do you bathe Peaches once a week? That's an awful lot, do you find it drying to her skin?
Hi again, Erin. Thanks for the information.
I've been sharing some of the tips on your Frugal Living Journal site with my husband. I really enjoy your personal blog for its interesting insights and helpful tips.
Marianne
Mrs. B, it's funny you should ask that! Having had only the maltese breed in the past, we found that their fur would get yucky after about a week's time. They had a different texture of fur than many dogs...more fine, similiar to human hair. We'd bathe them every week and never have a problem.
But Peaches is different. Her fur is much thicker, and doesn't seem to get dirty as fast. Also, she does have severe skin allergies. Though I always plan to bathe her once a week, I do miss weeks from time to time. I don't know if more frequent bathing contributes to her skin problems or not...she seems to have them regardless of how often she's bathed! What do you think? I trust your doggy judgement, as you seem very knowledgable about them!:o)
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Marianne, thanks so much for the kind words! I'm so happy that our sites are helping you! Thanks for reading:o)
Well, I'm not sure---I've taken a dog training class (although it was 16 years ago!) and I've NEVER heard of anyone bathing their dog once a week...Usually it's every 4-6 weeks. Maybe brushing Peaches every day would help and I would try cutting down on the baths.
I had a Maltese mix before and know what you mean about the hair--I still only bathed her every 4-6 weeks and found that brushing frequently did help. I also kept her hair cut pretty short and that helped too. (o:
Oh and my Labrador had allergies on his feet for awhile and the vet prescribed Diphenhydramine which is Benadryl. So maybe your vet would give you some or tell you how much Benadryl to give her. With her being so small you'd need a vet to tell you how much to give Peaches.
I hope this helps!
Mrs. B...Wow! I've always thought people were supposed to wash dogs weekly...I don't know why! (I think I've even read recommendations somewhere to wash dogs daily, but I think that's just ridiculous. I don't floss my dog's teeth either:o) Maybe I'll cut down and see how it goes!?
And I think it may be to the point where she needs some medication. I've been trying to find natural ways to help her (and will continue to do so), but she is still pretty itchy. I'll ask her vet about the Benadryl. Thanks for your help!
Oops---I meant to say dog grooming class. Sometimes my fingers go faster than my brain! (o;
If she is that itchy something is wrong, so going to the vet would be a good idea.
I hope things work out for Peaches and her itching is resolved!
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