# CWN-Thursday Booster Shot



## Ninn (Oct 28, 2006)

What is your messiest spot in the house? The one that drives you absolutely nuts? You know the one. The spot that just HAS to get done, no matter if the whole rest of the house is a nightmare. What are your super fast cleaning and organizing tips for that area? Post both area and tips here today.

For me, it's the area around my coffee maker. I'm a coffee nut, drink it all day long. Must be hot, not iced. Must have powdered creamer. Must have splenda. Must have a clean spoon, on a spoon rest. I don't care if the rest of the kitchen looks like a bomb went off in there, the coffee station has to be clean! I have a pretty red towel that goes under the coffee maker, to keep the counter top clean, so I don't have to constantly scrub coffee stains off. Fastest way to clean that counter? Bathtub cleaner! YUP! You heard right! I spray it down with bathtub cleaner-just the store brand will do. Walk away long enough to wash the coffee pot itself, and by the time I am done, the counter is ready for wiping and rinsing. Run the vinegar through the pot about once a week now, as our iron content in the water is really high. (otherwise, we would be buying a new coffee maker about every 6 weeks. maybe I should get a percolator?)

My latest tip is actually covering a few different bases. My power company says that anything that heats or cools is what raises your bill. Using my coffeemaker all day long can really contribute to that bill. (big shock, too. I didn't think it made that much difference. turns out I can shave about 30 bucks a year off my bill with this tip) I dug around this morning in my cabinet where the canning jars go. Found my thermal insulated coffeepot. I got it at a yardsale or something a few years back and take it camping with us. It is now in regular rotation. It will keep an entire pot of coffee piping hot for about 12 hours. So, I am now adding my sugar and creamer to the pot, adding coffee and taking it into the office with me. Hot coffee all morning, and the heating element is not running! I've seen a few more of these at rummage sales and I think I will get one for hot tea and one for hot water for cocoa and keep them around. Might even give them as gifts for some friends of mine. We are all a bunch of coffee hounds in this family. Might as well enjoy it and still save money! 

What's YOUR pet peeve and tip for today?


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## lickcreek (Apr 7, 2006)

My messiest spot? Every flat surface in my house! LOL!! I use to threaten to prop up one end of every flat surface in the house so when something got laid down there, it would slide off onto the floor. But then I realized I would then have to start stepping over all of it! They all drive me crazy, I just pick which ever one is driving me craziest at the given moment.

It use to be the end of the kitchen counter right inside the door. It was so easy for everyone to pile stuff on when coming in, and it would become an avalanche. I eliminated that by putting the coffee pot and my cup rack there. No one likes it when water/coffee gets dripped all over their stuff! That pretty much eliminated that problem, short of some small things now and then.

We are big coffee drinkers throughout the morning, and afternoons in the winter. I had no idea it was using that much electricity! I will have to look into getting a new insulated pot. DH took mine to the shop with him a couple of months ago and ended up dropping it and shattering the lining. Looks like I'll need to watch the thrift stores for another one.


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## Murron (Oct 17, 2007)

Ninn ~ Sounds like our house!  I add cream and sugar, stir, then leave the spoon on the (clean!)counter... After three or four cups, there are always these little cream/sugar sticky spots... 

So I started thinking... My biggest pet peeve is a laundry sorting thing. I have a big clean basement laundry area...And with found items we have, DH put together a sorting table, hanging rod, and small table for soaps and all that. The place I get into trouble is sorting. I pull out what's to be washed, but usually have a "hold" pile (or two) on the floor waiting to go. Sometimes I get to it, sometimes not. All the clean stuff gets folded and put away pretty quick, but the "to be washed" stuff kinda hangs around for a day or so. It's also unmotivating to see the piles... I'm thinking that if I can pick up a few inexpensive laundry baskets and leave them down there, I might not have such a plop of clothes hanging out on the floor... Hmmm... Maybe I should rearrange a little down there too...


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