Today's Kool Idea: Method Le Scrub Soft Abrasive Cleaner

Today is the day for cleaning the bathrooms in The Daily Kool household. The master bath is usually not a big deal, but the kids' bathroom? Oh, my goodness gracious! After only one week, the fumes are enough to make us gag, our eyes water and, quite frankly, almost knock us over in a dead faint. But then again, we have boys...and they stand up when using the toilet...and they love to play with their favorite appendage...enough said? All the air fresheners in the world can't compete with that stench. What's a parent to do?

Go in with a mask and gloves, and hope for the best, that's what. Well, being armed with an amazing cleanser certainly doesn't hurt, either. Method Le Scrub soft abrasive cleanser really does the trick. Ever since one of our beloved followers suggested we try out the fabulous Method Best in Glass cleaner (see previous post), we have become huge fans of this fabulous company...and our windows have never been cleaner! One by one, we have gone away from the traditional cleansers that we grew up with, and have been replacing them with Method's non-toxic, vegan and environmentally friendly home cleaning solutions. Method Le Scrub is no exception.

Method Le Scrub is a eucalyptus mint scented, mildly abrasive cleanser for deep cleaning the bathroom...deep cleaning is definitely the way to go in our home! It uses finely milled marble with naturally-derived, biodegradable ingredients to remove tough stains. Grime, soap scum, hard water deposits and mildew are no match for this gentle, yet powerful cleanser. Seriously folks, this works just as well as (if not better than) the stuff Mom used. And, ahhhhh....the smell is just plain wonderful! Method Le Scrub makes even our kids' bathroom smell like a spa!

Sure, you can always make your own at-home natural soft scrub cleaner (we've put the recipe below), but when you have a cruelty-free company that does it so well for you, why bother? Method Le Scrub soft abrasive cleanser is pretty cost-effective (a little goes a long way) has amazingly "kool" packaging (check out the sponge holder at the top!) and is readily available for purchase at our local Target store. Plus, we feel good about letting our kids help out cleaning with it...for more reasons than one. What more could we ask for? Well , maybe a girl next time!

Homemade Soft Abrasive Cleanser (if you are so inclined)

• 1 2/3 cups baking soda, sifted
  
• 1/2 cup liquid castille soap
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• a couple of drops of tea tree oil, optional (works as a disinfectant)
• an empty ketchup, or other squeeze-type bottle
  

Directions:

1. Stir liquid soap into sifted baking soda.
2. Add the water, and stir until smooth.
3. Add vinegar and stir some more.
4. Add essential tea tree oil, if using.
   
5. Pour into empty bottle.

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Today's Kool Idea: BioBag Dog Waste Bags

Yesterday, we were playing catch with our kids in our development's common grassy area. It was great to have some old-fashioned outside time, though it was admittedly hard to ignore the oppressive heat of the Florida sun. Anyway, here we were, running for a long pass from one of our football stars-to-be, when we suddenly felt the ground get squishy beneath our feet. Holy sh..achem, oh cra...uh...oh, pooh! Literally. You guessed it, our big feet had landed in a pile of doggy doo. Do you have any idea what it's like getting that stuff off the bottom of sneakers with ridges? Ugh...we shudder just thinking about it.

Okay, here's the kicker. While we were away on vacation last week, our home owners association sent a letter to everyone, reminding us of our legal obligation to clean up after our dogs. Apparently, we aren't the only ones scrubbing our shoes these days. While it's admirable that our community is taking a more active role in keeping our grass play-friendly and poop-free, we have a sudden (and unpleasant) vision of our dumpsters filling up with tons of plastic supermarket bags. We are seriously considering giving each of our dog owner neighbors a roll of BioBags.

Made from GMO free certified corn instead of polyethylene, BioBag dog waste bags are the first biodegradable and compostable "plastic" pooper bags in the world. Think about it...using regular plastic bags to dispose of pet waste prevents natural decomposition. It just doesn't make sense to put 100% biodegradable dog waste into plastic bags that can take over 100 years to decompose. BioBags have given us a practical solution to a common problem. The waste and the bag can be thrown into a backyard compost, where both items can decompose naturally; the waste and bag can be buried, where micro-organisms will quickly eat both; the waste and bag can be set at curbside with other yard waste where communities collect biodegradable waste for composting.

Okay, so maybe we're a little pathetic to be getting so excited about dog waste bags...but we really love our BioBags, especially now that they come available on a roll. We admit to falling for the "biodegradable" claim on another brand of widely available poop bags, only to find out that they are misleading the public and do not meet every state's standards. We won't mention names, but shame on them! Anyway, we do still have the dispenser from that purchase...it's super-convenient, and apparently the new BioBags on a roll should fit in it beautifully. Excellent!

It is the responsibility of every dog owner to clean up after your pet. If you are looking for a dog waste bag that completely biodegradable, BioBags are definitely worth checking out. They even come in two sizes, regular and large. Just remember that they do have a shelf life, as with any biodegradable and compostable bag. The best part, though? They are sturdy enough to handle even tough messes without puncturing in mid-scoop...anyone who has had the pleasure of their fingers breaking through one of those flimsy regular plastic bags can appreciate this statement. Oh boy, could we tell you stories (shuddering again)! Okay, so BioBags aren't free like grocery bags. But they are reasonably priced, especially considering how much better they are for the environment. We at The Daily Kool all agree...BioBags are definitely a "kool" idea!

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Today's Kool Idea: Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets

Back in our college days, we spent a lot of time in laundromats. Like most other students, we did not have the luxury of our own washer and dryer. Yep, five years schlepping laundry baskets full of clothing and detergents down to the local Gatorland Laundromat (go Gators!). Not a bad way to meet potential dates, but sheesh...what a humbling experience for us spoiled folks who were used to Mommy doing the dreaded deed. Who knew there were many different bottles to buy for one measly load of laundry? Detergent, fabric softener, bleach, pre-treaters...the list goes on and on.

With many (we won't go into just how many) years of laundry now under our belts, we finally have the system down pat in our house. However, when we came across the Purex Complete 3-in-1 laundry sheets in our local supermarket, we couldn't resist giving them a try. Plus, they were on sale...we're nothing if not bargain hunters. The starter kit is basically a package of 20 sheets in a refillable dispenser. We had the discount, so the starter pack was fine with us. But, anyone who wants to save a few extra pennies could always just buy the 24 sheet refillable package and transfer the sheets to a Ziploc or something.

The Purex Complete 3-in-1 laundry sheets are a load's worth of detergent, softener and anti-static all in one powerful sheet. The company offers three scents, so we decided to try the Spring Oasis first. It smells fine, but it's certainly no Gain (our favorite detergent scent). We still have the same inexpensive (okay, cheap) washer and dryer that came with our home, so we threw a sheet in and then ran the water to release the detergent. Hmmm...an impressive array of bubbles. Not a bad start so far. After a few moments, we put the laundry load in the machine. Side note here: since we were stepping way out of our long-established comfort zone, we decided to test the Purex Complete 3-in-1 laundry sheets with towels rather than clothing. We ran the wash on the typical cycle, then transferred the laundry sheet (which was now white) with the towels to the dryer. That's it.

We have to be honest...The Daily Kool is full of skeptics, and we were doubtful that we could get a truly clean load of laundry with this product. We were pleasantly surprised with the Purex Complete 3-in-1 laundry sheets. They really worked just as well as your average laundry detergent and softener...everything came out clean and soft. We did notice that the scent was virtually undetectable by the time the load came out of the dryer...not a big deal for us, though. We didn't calculate it, but we can imagine that it might cost a little more per load when using the Purex Complete 3-in-1 laundry sheets. We always expect to pay a bit of a premium for convenience so this wouldn't be a surprise. We do love that they are safe for all washers and dryers, and the company says they can be used in combination with bleach and pre-treaters when necessary.

Here's the best part about the Purex Complete 3-in-1 laundry sheets. Without the need for pouring and measuring, these sheets make laundry a no-brainer. Do you see where we're going with this yet? No? How about this...we now have another chore to pass onto our children whenever we're swamped with other stuff. Woohoo! We watched gleefully as our seven-year old son ran a perfect load of laundry without us having to worry about machine overflow or detergent spilling all over the floor. What a little man! Our son felt great about doing this typically adult task...frankly, we felt just as great by not doing it (he, he...are we evil or what?).

While we honestly don't expect the Purex Complete 3-in-1 laundry sheets to replace our everyday at-home routine, we can definitely see the benefits of this truly innovative product. For us, it's no big deal to measure and pour detergents, and over the years we've perfected the combination to get truly exceptional results. Purex Complete 3-in-1 laundry sheets are great if you're looking for an average clean with super-convenient packaging...that's certainly enough for most of us! Did we mention that our seven year old was able to do a load of laundry with these little guys? Plus, carrying one lightweight box of Purex Complete 3-in-1 laundry sheets is certainly preferable to handling bottles and boxes of your traditional liquids and powders, especially if you frequent a laundromat. This product is perfect for people who live in apartments, condominiums, dormitories...basically anyone who does not have his own washer and dryer. Purex Complete 3-in-1 laundry sheets are absolutely a "kool" idea that certainly no college student should be without...especially if they are as dependent on their mothers as we were.

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Today's Kool Idea: Windshield Wonder, As Seen On TV

The Daily Kool family does a lot of driving. In fact, between work, school and enrichment activities for the kids, it often seems as if we practically live in our car. By the end of the week, our poor Saturn looks like a bomb has hit it...snacks, juice boxes, papers and toys are strewn all over the place. We've seen people recoil from the shock, shake their heads in wonder or, if they're parents, simply nod in commiseration at the mess of our car....yep, it can be pretty embarrassing! So, Fridays have now become the official "car cleaning" day in our household, and everyone has a job. No one ever complains...except whoever is responsible for window cleaning. The fingerprints and dog snot (Pepper loves taking rides in the car) are not such a big deal. The windshield, however, is another matter altogether. Our car has a pretty deep slope in the front, requiring us to drum up our best contortionist skills to clean it deep down. We admit it, our flexibility is quite pathetic...thus, so are our windshields.

We came across the As Seen on TV Windshield Wonder in our local Walgreens a couple of weeks ago...somehow we missed the infomercial for this one. This is by no means a complicated product, and since we admit to being a little more simple-minded than most, it seemed perfect for our windshield cleaning needs. Why oh why didn't we think of this first? The Windshield Wonder boasts a combination of a microfiber cleaning cloth, long ergonomic handle and pivoting head to make windshield cleaning fast and easy. We have to admit, Telebrands has a winner with this one. The Windshield Wonder's 16" handle really helps reach all the way down to the dash, all while sitting comfortably in the front seat. It even folds for easy storage in the glove compartment (though we keep ours in the front door pocket). The curvature of the unique pivoting head is similar to the windshield, providing even pressure across surfaces for a streak and smudge-free clean every time. Plus, the microfiber cloth/bonnet is uniquely suited for cleaning windows and other glass surfaces, with fibers that open up to grab particles of dirt and dust. Yes, yes, yes...we know that the supposed benefit of a microfiber cloth is the ability to use plain tap water for outstanding results. Call us inept (and trust us, many people have), but plain water just doesn't work for us. So, we simply put our Method Best in Glass cleaner in the little spray bottle that came with our Windshield Wonder...perfect!

Since we don't have to strain from the driver seat to use the As Seen on TV Windshield Wonder, it has been terrific for handling the fogginess that hinders our vision when driving in the rain. We simply wait until we're at a red light and give our windshield a couple of quick swipes to clear the glass right up...no straining, and no flexibility necessary. We even bought an extra Windshield Wonder to keep inside the house. It works wonders (no pun intended) on the high glass mirrors in the bathrooms...have we mentioned that we are vertically challenged? Yes, that means short! The bottom line is that the As Seen on TV Windshield Wonder by Telebrands is one of those products that does exactly what it says for a price that won't break the bank...we love it when that happens. Plus, it's easy enough for the kids to use...we especially love that! Definitely a "kool" idea.

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Today's Kool Idea: Fuller Brush Foaming Garbage Disposal Cleaner

Periodically, areas in The Daily Kool home fall victim to the chaos of a busy life filled with activity, children and pets. Okay, are you ready? We confess that sometimes, we are just too busy (or too tired) to clean. There, it's out. Whew! Don't get us wrong...it's not we spend our time living in squalor. But, at some point, just about every room of our house has seen a period of what we consider unmitigated disaster...except, the kitchen. We are absolutely fastidious when it comes to the appearance of our kitchen...this is our domain, the room held in highest regard. We keep every crevice absolutely pristine, so imagine our surprise, when we realized we were missing the boat with our garbage disposal.

Our garbage disposal is like any other...it's a magnet for dirty, greasy build-up and offensive odor. Sure, we'd been using the Plink garbage disposal cleaner and deodorizer tablets every few days, but we really weren't getting down into the nitty gritty of our disposal's grossness. Plink smells great, but its effects are very short lived...plus, it seems to be more of a deodorizer than a cleaner. We've tried it all...baking soda w/vinegar, ice, even citrus peel...all okay, but not exceptional. We really use our garbage disposal a lot, so it was definitely time for a more effective solution. Enter the Fuller Brush foaming garbage disposal cleaner.

We have to tell you...many many years ago, our grandfather was a Fuller Brush salesman, so we've always known just how amazing their products are. Seriously folks, we actually have hairbrushes from this company that are more than...achem...well, let's just say we've had them a long time. We never thought to look at Fuller Brush for a solution to our problem, but thank goodness for QVC...they reacquainted us, with their feature of the Fuller Brush garbage disposal cleaner. Oh, yes...we just had to get this one.

All we can say is, wow. We aren't plumbing experts, but the Fuller Brush foaming garbage disposal cleaner certainly seems to get the job done deep down into pipes. And it is so easy to use! All we have to do is shake the can, attach the extension tub and press the button. The concentrated foam fills up and pops right out (pretty "kool" to see). We let it sit for a little bit, give a little scrub with a multi-purpose kitchen brush, and voila! Our disposal is clean with a long lasting citrus scent that smells fantastic. We love that the Fuller Brush foaming garbage disposal cleaner can be used on the bathroom sink also...it's not just for disposals. Imagine how much toothpaste, makeup and other products build-up in the bathroom drain...we use it on every sink in the house with amazing results.

We cannot say enough about this terrific household solution. It's nice to know that the company has stayed loyal to its commitment to providing quality products for so many years. The Fuller Brush foaming garbage disposal cleaner gives us peace of mind that our kitchen sink is clean, degreased, deodorized and mold-free...even the underside of the splash shield. Our pride in our kitchen remains intact. This is definitely a "kool" idea!

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Today's Kool Idea: Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

Okay, by now your home should be sparkling clean thanks to all the chores you've delighted in giving your children this week. They have cleaned your floors with the Swivel Sweeper, dusted the furniture and blinds with Pledge Multi-Surface Dusters, sorted the laundry with their Bongo Buckets, and cleaned the mirrors and windows with Method Best in Glass Cleaner...woohoo! Here's hoping our kids enjoyed doing these activities as much as we loved giving them!

On to today's topic. We have a confession to make. We never considered how everyday activities with kids, cooking and pets affect our walls. Sure, we noticed several of the paint chips...but we keep small containers of touch up paint to deal with those when we are looking for a family project. Our kids love walking around the house with us, touching up the walls with their small paintbrushes. What we weren't aware of however, is just how dirty our walls had become over the past couple of months...ahem...okay, years. Can you imagine? Here we bust our tushies and enslave our kids to produce a meticulous house whenever company is calling only to have our guests pointing out the filth on our walls. Okay, perhaps mother-in-laws are expected to find stuff to criticize, but really...how humiliating. So what do we do? Wash all the walls? Pretty time consuming. Repaint? Way too expensive. This was a job to tackle as a family, and we needed help quickly...the in-laws were coming back the next week...yikes!

Man oh man...we at The Daily Kool just love it when a product lives up to its name. The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is one of those products that does exactly what it says it will do...who would have thought? We've got to give the bald guy lots of credit with this one. The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser easily removed all of the dirt, grime and gunk off of our walls, baseboards and doors. We know it's kind of pathetic, but we just can't express how giddy we were when using this amazing product. On the first major wall cleaning marathon in our home, we do have to admit that we went through a lot of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers...the dirtier the area, the faster the erasers dissolve.. Hey, we did admit to the wall neglect...what did you expect?

We love that the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is non-toxic and contains no harsh fumes to worry about your children breathing in. Please keep in mind, though...it is a sponge-like product. We caution those of you with younger children to supervise them to avoid accidental ingestion...it may block the gastrointestinal tract as would any sponge. We have heard some rumors that the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser caused skin irritations in some children, but we have never had that problem. We suspect that the children who experienced this perhaps have particularly sensitive skin to begin with. If your child falls into that category, you can always put a glove on him when using the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

If your walls are painted, please make sure to test an inconspicuous area before letting your children loose with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. We didn't have a problem, even with our darker walls, but it is possible that the eraser can remove some of your paint. But, don't limit yourselves to just using the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on walls, baseboards and doors...it also works great on sinks, countertops, tile and appliances...it even works on dry erase board residue. One follower gave us a fabulous tip for using the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on tile grout...amazing!

Reasonably priced at your local supermarket or hardware store, the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is a must-have in the Daily Kool household. This is quite possibly one of the "koolest" cleaning products around...our entire family had a blast using it around the house. Guess our mother-in-law will have to find something else to give us a hard time about. Let's just not give her any ideas, okay? Um....please?

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Today's Kool Idea: Method Best in Glass Cleaner (Mint)

Okay, we admit it. Our mirrors and windows are often the most neglected areas in our home when it comes to cleaning. Is it too complicated? Nah. Too time consuming? Of course not. We are not sure what it is (maybe laziness?), but we have clearly joined the legions of men and women who proudly declare, "I don't do windows." Unfortunately, as a result, our windows have become a bit of an embarrassment...sigh. What's a parent to do?

Aha! If we don't like it, make it fun enough so that our children will do it for us! How inspired. How genius. How manipulative...do we feel guilty? Perhaps just a little, but that's definitely not going to stop us. There's only one problem. Though we have been Windex loyalists in the past, there is no way we are allowing our children to work closely with harsh chemicals.

The Daily Kool has come up with two solutions for you. The first is to make your own child-safe concoction at home. Simply take 2 parts water, 1 part white vinegar and a drop or two of dish detergent. Mix it together in a spray bottle and away you go. Yep, there it is...a simple and inexpensive (yet effective) way to keep your windows sparkling clean while doing your part to protect both your children and the environment. But, whew! What a stench! Call us shallow, but we just really don't love the overpowering smell of vinegar...unfortunately, neither do our children...there goes our kids' eagerness to take on this household chore.

Thank goodness for the geniuses behind Method home care products. One of our followers turned us on to this dynamite company for top-notch cleaning solutions that are totally safe for people and the environment. The Method Best in Glass Cleaner product is wonderful, and...hold on to your hats here, folks...it smells like mint, not vinegar and definitely not ammonia (main ingredient of Windex). Eco-friendly cleaners have gotten a bad reputation for not being as effective as traditional products, but the Method Best in Glass Cleaner puts that worry to rest. Our kids love the refreshing and unoffensive scent and we feel great knowing that they are safe using it.

It is great watching our kids work together (for a change)...the older one gets up on his E-Z Fold Step Stool (see previous post) to do the top of the window, while the younger one takes care of the bottom. They each have their own little spray bottle and micro-fiber cloth to work with, and they actually go around the house to make sure each window is sparkling clean. We are sure that there are other wonderful people and environmentally friendly glass cleaners on the market, and if you are using one, please feel free to share. We can tell you this, though...the Method Best in Glass Cleaner is a truly "kool" and totally safe way to get your kids to enjoy this tiresome chore. Worth checking out. No more window neglect or embarrassment necessary.

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Today's Kool Idea: Bongo Buckets

We hope you have been enjoying our week of "kool" cleaning ideas for kids. If you haven't already, check out Monday's post on the Swivel Sweeper and yesterday's on the Pledge Multi-Surface Duster.

Laundry has become the bane of our existence at The Daily Kool household. No matter how many loads we do, we can never seem to catch up. Separating the laundry is a particularly tedious process. Unfortunately, we don't have the room for free-standing laundry sorters. We do have a small built-in wire basket in our kids' closet that we have to go through every Friday for laundry day. Since we gleefully gave this responsibility to our children as soon as they could tell a color from a white (thankfully, that was very early on), we needed a simple way for them to sort and bring the laundry to the washing machine.

Pop-Up hampers are a great way to organize laundry without taking up any additional space in your home. We have bought several of the simple mesh hampers from our local supermarket...unfortunately, they are a great example of "you get what you pay for." The wiring easily comes out, making them fairly hazardous for little ones. Though our order hasn't arrived yet, we believe these nylon Bongo Buckets will be a great alternative to cheaply made mesh hampers. We've read the reviews and spoken with a couple of followers with unanimous praise for these colorful, durable sorters.

We love that this set of 4 Bongo Buckets come in different colors and sizes, making it very easy to give our children directions on sorting their laundry in them. They were certainly priced right at about $5 per hamper. The handles look sturdy, and the material durable enough to survive even our youngest child's rough treatment. Ever the multi-taskers in our home, we can see using the Bongo Buckets to do more than laundry...pool toys, balls, stuffed animals and a myriad of other items used by our children can be stored quickly and efficiently in them.

We can't wait to try the Bongo Buckets out at The Daily Kool. Regardless of which brand you choose, pop-up hampers are a great way to make laundry sorting fun and easy enough for your children to do for you. Oh, and have we mentioned that Bongo Buckets can be toys in themselves? We can easily see one playing a staring role in some of our favorite family games like hide and seek and basketball..how "kool" is that?

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Today's Kool Idea: Pledge Multi-Surface Duster by S.C. Johnson

It's Day Two of our week-long spotlight on kids and cleaning. Yesterday, we demonstrated a great way for even your youngest children to help keep your floors pristine with the Swivel Sweeper (click here to read). Today, let's offer our children another important job that will keep cleaning "kool" and fun...dusting.

Dusting seems to be a common chore for children in many households. Though it is relatively easy to do, we at The Daily Kool are definitely not comfortable with our children and spray nozzles that contain anything but water. Therefore, although our kids can certainly help us, dusting has not really been something the younger ones can do entirely by themselves.

Our friends at S.C. Johnson have given us a great solution with the Pledge Multi-Surface Duster. This little suckers really work, and our kids love to use them. We actually had to purchase two sets so each of our children could have his own handle. The 360-degree fluffiness was really misleading...we were amazed at how efficiently this product picked up dust from all different types of surfaces without leaving a lint trail behind. Our kids use the Pledge Multi-Surface Duster on everything...including the television, bookshelves, baseboards, blinds and framed artwork. What is even more wonderful about this product is that we don't feel like our children are breathing in the dust they are cleaning away...the Pledge Multi-Surface Duster boasts allergen trappers and performs like a dust magnet.

Please be sure to purchase the Pledge Multi-Surface Duster with the 360-degree fluff if allowing your children to use it. We have seen another duster by Pledge that has an attached mini-spray cleansing bottle that we absolutely do not recommend with youngsters. Apparently, Swiffer has also recently come out with their version of the 360-degree duster. We are so happy with the Pledge Multi-Surface Duster, that we aren't really tempted to test out the competition. However, if you are Swiffer loyal and have tried their 360-degree duster, please feel free to share your feedback with us.

Don't get us wrong...the adults at The Daily Kool still move shelved items around and dust our homes with our traditional nozzles and cloths when we need a spectacular clean. But the Pledge Multi-Surface Duster really works better than any dry duster we've found. It also helps our children gain confidence as important contributors to the cleanliness of our home. Will it pass the white glove test? Perhaps not quite (especially considering the little person using it), but it doesn't matter. It makes our job of keeping a relatively dust-free home significantly easier. How can we go wrong? Thank you S.C. Johnson...even our kids think the Pledge Multi-Surface Duster is super "kool"!

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Today's Kool Idea: As Seen on TV Swivel Sweeper

As we discussed in yesterday's blog (click here to read), this week The Daily Kool is focusing on helping our children recognize that cleaning is "kool". With the right tools and attitude, it can even be fun...really! Don't believe us? Well, we'll prove it to you.

With small children and pets (not to mention, some spouses), it seems like vacuuming is a never-ending chore around the house. No matter how meticulous we are about it, there always seems to be a Cheerio, fur or some other kind of dirt particle that materializes as soon as we pack that darn vacuum away. Where it comes from is anyone's guess...it's just another household mystery, much like that one sock that seems to disappear from every laundry load. Our children actually like to vacuum, though (we know, we don't get it either). It is just too heavy for the younger ones and too cumbersome to constantly take out every time we see a speck of dirt on the floor. But, hey...if the kids want to help us keep our floors pristine, who are we to argue with them?

Yes, this soon became another job for an As Seen on TV product. We had seen the infomercial for the Swivel Sweeper and were really impressed...not enough to actually buy it from the television at first, though. We found it hard to believe that this lightweight product could do everything it claimed. When we saw it at our local Bed Bath and Beyond store, though, we decided to use our gift card (and 20% coupon) to try it out. Almost a year later, our kids are still fighting over who gets to use it on a given day.

Our family agrees...the Swivel Sweeper is a fabulous, must-have household item. At least we did after we adjusted our expectations a bit. Though we knew it wouldn't replace our traditional vacuum, we did expect it to work on carpeting as demonstrated in the infomercial. It really doesn't, unless you have only very short pile carpet...we recommend that you play it safe and only use it on tile or hardwood floors. That said, we were (and still are) completely impressed with the Swivel Sweeper for those small jobs that are typically equipped for a broom and dustpan. This product is so lightweight (about 2lbs), that our four year old is able to carry it around the house without a problem. The Swivel Sweeper absolutely lives up to its name; a 360 degree swivel base and powerful rotating cleaning brushes that pick up dirt and messes from all four sides of the sweepers' head. Yes, you read that right...all four sides...how "kool" is that? Our children can even pick up debris right up to the walls and corners with this remarkably easy to use sweeper.

One of our favorite features is the magnetic storage latch that enables the As Seen on TV Swivel Sweeper to fold up for convenient space-saving storage. We also love that the Swivel Sweeper
is cordless. We have read quite a few complaints about the durability of the rechargeable battery, but have been lucky enough not to encounter any issues with it. We will say, however...it is important to really follow the directions that come with the Swivel Sweeper to reduce the likelihood of problems. We made sure to adhere to the 8-hour initial charge instruction and not to exceed 24 hours when recharging the battery.

There are a couple of other things to keep in mind with the Swivel Sweeper. Make sure to clean the brushes every once in a while...sometimes fibers will get caught in them. Also, don't ever consider using the Swivel Sweeper to clean any kind of wet spill...you will likely ruin the brushes and corrode them. If you decide to purchase the Swivel Sweeper, make sure you do so from a reputable company with a good refund policy in case you do have any problems.

As Seen on TV has made a terrific choice in representing the Swivel Sweeper. We understand that there is a new version called the Swivel Sweeper G2 which has additional features such as a touchless dirt tray and backsaver elbow joint to reach under beds and other furniture. We are so happy with our current version, though, that we probably won't be purchasing the Swivel Sweeper G2 anytime soon.

The Swivel Sweeper has allowed us to give our children a fun household task that they love, and one that definitely helps us keep our floors cleaner than ever. What a "kool" way to help kids gain confidence in a job well done...not to mention extra help to us as parents. Happy Cleaning!

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This Week: Yes, Cleaning Can Be Kool!

Okay, we admit it...we at The Daily Kool believe that all children should have chores. Thirty-six hours of labor for video game obsessed kids who barely lift their feet up so we can clean up their mess? We sooo don't think so!

Don't get us wrong...we are all for messy activities. After all, how can you possibly bake a cake as a family without a rousing flour fight? Finger-painting, Playdough, sandbox and water play wouldn't be nearly as much fun if we obsessed about cleanliness. It could even stifle creativity in our children.

Teaching your children at a young age to clean up after they play will go a long way towards their sense of responsibility in other areas down the road. The trick is not to overwhelm them...keep it to small, easy tasks that are fun to do. To help keep it simple, The Daily Kool will be featuring a week's worth of "kool" cleaning ideas that will help your children contribute to the household, albeit on a small scale. But who are we kidding...with our hectic schedules, every little bit is bound to help!

Here's a hint of what tasks we will be addressing this week. Come back every day for a "kool" idea!

Monday - cleaning floors
Tuesday - dusting
Wednesday - laundry
Thursday - windows
Friday - other stuff

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