January means a fresh start for a new year. If you have visited Tilbury Road before, you may notice a new look for this post. Due to some technical changes, I am trying a new format for product links. I aim for each post to be uncluttered, easy to browse, and offer effortless access to any of the products that strike your fancy. I want to save you time and money by putting some of my favorite tips, tricks, and products right at your fingertips.
For many of us, January’s fresh start means cleaning and organizing our environments. While these products aren’t necessarily lovely, the results you can achieve after using them sure are.
Tools To Get Your Bathroom Sparkling
Let’s start with the bathroom. Did you have guests visiting for the holidays or kids home from college? With everyone home, I felt like I should have installed a turnstile in my hall bathroom. I have three teens and twentysomethings home, and the shower has been working hard. There are so many products stuffed on the shelves; it’s amazing that there’s room for a person. The grout is paying the price. I like this grout pen to get the job started.
Ok, this next one is a game-changer. As noted above, my shower gets a lot of traffic, and I have tried everything to keep it sparkly clean between deep cleanings. I have used the daily shower cleaner spray (but no one else does, so it doesn’t really matter), I have kept scrub brushes IN the shower to clean it daily when I’m in there (not enjoyable and kind of messy), you name it, I’ve tried it. Then I found this little beauty. She comes with a few different attachments so that you can use it in corners and on flat surfaces. It works with almost any cleaner and it’s actually kind of fun to use. In just a few minutes, I can get my sink, shower, tub, and floor tiles looking like new. Hands down one of my favorite purchases from 2023.
Keeping Those Lived-In Spaces Clean Doesn’t Have To Be A Big Deal
Winter is a time to keep a carpet cleaner handy. Snow, mud, dirt, and inexplicably, leaves are still getting tracked into my house. We also have a 5-month-old puppy who is finally (I hope) house-trained. Even though we are a shoes-off household, my carpets take a beating this time of year, and it’s also when I find kids and the dog stretched out in front of the fireplace. I want my carpets to be clean and sanitary.
I have a much older version of this carpet cleaner. Honestly, it’s got to be at least 15 years old, and it’s still going. My mom sent it to me as a gift when my kids were little. Full disclosure, I wasn’t all that excited when I opened it, but what it lacked in “something fun just for you” vibes, it made up for in utility. I use it every few months, except after getting a new puppy when I used it every few days. It’s not too heavy, easy to operate, and really does the job. If mine ever dies, I will replace it with this one.
If your life is anything like mine, you spend as much time in your car as anywhere else. When I got a new car last winter, it came with weatherproof mats. Hello, my loves. Welcome to my life. If you live somewhere with four seasons, have kids or pets, or anyone plays a sport on turf or likes the beach… I could go on, but you get my drift; they are amazing. I still have the carpet mats stored away for future use, and let’s be honest, they look much nicer if kept clean. Whatever type of mat you have, do yourself a favor and throw this in the trunk or in the garage where you can keep it within arms’ reach. With nearly 300,000 glowing reviews, it’s a worthwhile investment.
Doing a regular sweep of the seats and floor will make you feel so much happier each time you hop in for a drive. A clean car may not sound like self-care, but for me, it is. It’s more relaxing and easier for me to focus when I am in a clean and organized environment. I also keep these in a door pocket. They extend the life of your leather and keep dust and spills off of your dash and the rest of your car interior. There are lots of wipes out there but they are my favorite.
It goes without saying that you need to keep the windshield and windows clean as well, from the inside out. I like to have surface wipes for everything in the car because I don’t just use them at the car wash. Sometimes, I will do a quick once-over while I’m waiting at hockey or baseball practice. A trash can is always nearby, and I have a few minutes to kill. It doesn’t have to be a big production, especially if you have the tools handy all the time. I also keep glass cleaner wipes in the car in the warmer months, but I find that they freeze in the winter. If anyone has a better suggestion for keeping a glass cleaner handy in winter, please message me with your tips!
Organizing Your Cleaning Tools
Under the sink seems to be a dumping ground in my house. Whether it’s the kitchen, bath, or even in a pantry or closet corner this would work well to store both your supplies and the tools to use them and keep it all organized.
I have a small kitchen pantry where we keep food, supplies, and kitchen cleaning tools. I like this hanging rack to make the most of a small space.
My Favorite Tech Tools
Let’s talk about all those cords. Laptops, phones, ipads, watches, earbuds, Alexa, Echo, Kindles……. There are cords everywhere. I love using the tech tools, but I hate looking at the mess of cords. A tool like this one is the perfect little unobtrusive organizer for your desk, bedside, kitchen…. anywhere you have cords plugged in. It’s a quick and easy fix that will remove the distraction caused by that visual mess of cords. With over 16,000 rave reviews, I’m not the one who thinks so.
Let’s say you have one outlet, and you need to plug in a whole mess of those tech tools listed above. I have something like this in my kitchen. While I can’t find the exact plug that I use, this one actually looks better than mine because it has more USB ports (mine only has two). I like having the direct USB port because then you don’t need 4 different cubes to plug into the outlets. Outlets, plug spots, cubes, and cords. This will simplify your space.
Last but definitely not least is this little guy. My kids got me airpods for Christmas, and my husband gifted me with a new Apple watch for my birthday (shortly after Christmas). I’m thrilled with my brand-spanking-new tech, but once again, the charging! I bought myself one of these all-in-one charging stations and keep it on the bottom shelf of my bedside table. I love its compact design, and best of all for me, there is a feature where you can shut off all the lights so that you don’t get any annoying blue light from an electronic that is “on” all night while you are sleeping.
I hope that these finds help make your 2024 a little more organized, save you some time, money, and effort, making space for all the good things that this year may hold in store.
This site uses affiliate links. If you purchase something via one of these links, I may make a small commission (but it doesn’t affect your price or purchase!). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.