It’s been so long that my family had a chance to take a walk around the lake near our house after breakfast.
Reminiscing back to my life before the pandemic, I realized I was taking things for granted when I should have cherished each day and tried to live in that moment.
Now that the "normal" life has been disturbed, I realize how precious those days were.
A quick getaway this morning gave me a chance to refresh my mind and recharge myself to continue living in this new normal life.
My ordinary day making a clean kitchen
I am trying to make a disinfectant with a lemon and leftover soju (korean alcohol)
The ratio is about 1 soju bottle to 1 lemon.
Leave the mixture in a refrigerator for 2 days for aging
Now I am going to transfer the mixture into a spray bottle
I used a fine strainer to pick up the sliced lemons and tried to avoid lemon seeds and pulp getting into the spray bottle.
Lemon smells so refreshing!
As a mom with a toddler at home, I tend to prefer disinfectant that is more natural, safer and easier to make.
Cleaning starts with good ventilation by opening the windows first.
With a clear sky and a warm breeze, it is such a good day for cleaning!
I haven’t finished putting away all the dishes before I went out for a walk this morning. So I am going to start with that.
Kitchen looks so much cleaner by simply putting away all the dishes as soon as they are dried
Let’s finish the dishes in the dishwasher too.
Clean dishes make me happy =)
I am little surprised to see myself feeling happy and rewarded with nothing else but with clean dishes =P
Everything is back in place
When I decided to go for simpler lifestyle, I started to enjoy cleaning and decluttering more.
Whenever I clean my house, I wonder what's the right amount of household items
When there are so many items in my kitchen, I sometimes find myself overwhelmed.
I realized that owning a lot actually distracts me and consumes more of my time and energy
With cleaning and decluttering, at least I now try to avoid unnecessary purchases
Let’s clean greasy backsplash behind the stove too
It is refreshing especially with the lemon scent from the disinfectant I made
Let’s wipe down the handles of refrigerator doors that are opened and closed everyday
I think this handprint is my daughter’s =)
Let’s clean and wipe down the dish drain tray
Baking soda is especially good for odors
I scrubbed the sink with brush before pouring a hot water
Finally pour a hot water
I believe there is no one and only “right” way of cleaning.
I always try to experiment with various methods to find the most successful way that suits me and fits my lifestyle.
When my induction cooktop requires thorough cleaning, I make a thick baking soda paste
Today I used baking soda and poured hot water over a dishcloth to let it sit for a bit
Sometimes the way I try makes it more difficult, and sometimes it makes it easier.
Sometimes I fail, and sometimes I succeed.
I believe I learn from all these trial and error, and cleaning becomes fun after all
Let’s remove limestone stains inside of the electric kettle
I put a spoonful of citric acid and filled up the kettle
Looks like this method works! (boil with plain water one more time)
Before throwing the used citric acid water away, I used it to clean my silverware
I gotta admit that I do not use this method often, but every time I do it, it is so refreshing.
Sometimes things I try work and sometimes they don't, but I enjoy the process of trying different things
Now that I am getting more fond of cleaning, dust and dirt that I may have overlooked come into my view =)
I am going to clean my microwave with lemons (and water)
Microwave for about 5 minutes
While waiting, let’s start vacuuming
With a toddler at home, there are always many crumbs underneath a dining table
I wiped and disinfected my daughter’s seat
Steamed lemon water loosen and dissolve all those hard-to-scrub residues inside the microwave
This method not only clean/disinfect but also remove any odors inside the microwave
I removed, washed and wiped down the turntable inside
It is so refreshing now
Once or twice a month, I clean my dishwasher too
Cleaning dishwasher is important to get rid of any odor
Place a cup of white vinegar on the upper rack and run the dishwasher through a hot cycle
Sprinkle baking soda and run a short cycle one more time, and that’s it.
Let’s wipe down all the watermarks on the outside.
After I started to pursue minimalist lifestyle, I started to take a special care of my kitchen appliances I already own and use a lot.
I don't want to think like “I can buy another new one if it is broken” anymore.
I don't want to ruin my kitchen appliances due to my carelessness.
I want to avoid any unnecessary spending
In order to do that, I start with cleaning and taking good care of my household items!
Thanks for watching my video today. Have a wonderful day!