How To Clean Kitchen Tile Grout

Until I moved into this house, I had no experience with tile floors. I had bathroom tiles, but they were always sealed and easy to clean. This new flooring presented a very big cleaning challenge: keeping the grout looking nice.

I've tried a multitude of cleaners, both commercial and homemade products. I'd even tried using straight bleach to get the grout back to its original color! But nothing seemed to work. I was resigned to scrubbing it by hand with rags and special brushes, and never truly getting it clean.

Until, on a whim, I decided to try toilet bowl cleaner. I don't know why- I was desperate. And it worked! It was wonderful! It cut my cleaning time in half and did a much better job than I ever had. I'm a true believer now, so I'll share with you how I do it.

I've tried several different types and brands of toilet bowl cleaners, and by far the best has been the Target brand generic cleaner.

The process is pretty simple. Squirt the cleaner directly into the grout. If you get some on the tiles, it's fine, but the floor will be slick until cleaned off, so be careful.

Cover all the grout you wish to clean. I don't have the patience to do my entire kitchen at one time, so I split it up into sections and work on it over a few days. I like to leave the cleaner on for at least 20 minutes, so I wait until the kids go to bed and get to work. I just cover the grout in the area I'm working on, then go take a shower or put away some laundry for a while.

You can see the cleaner start to bubble as it works out all the dirt. Because the grout is very porous, it holds onto dirt and crumbs. This bubbling really helps dig it all out.

Next, I just take a towel and wipe it off. You'll be amazed at the dirt and grime it picks up!

While the grout is still wet, it will appear darker. But rest assure, it's much cleaner! If you are worried about residue on the floor, or have pets and toddlers who eat off the floor, a quick rinse with a wet rag or sponge mop will clean it up.

Behold, your now clean grout!

DIY Craft Table Remodel

My husband had been talking about getting me a craft table for months. We scoured Craigslist and thrift stores but couldn't find anything to fit our space and budget. We finally stopped looking and decided to just put the idea on hold.


A couple weeks ago, as I was sprawled out on the bedroom floor painting, we decided I needed some kind of work area.We had very little available space and even less room in the budget. So I went hunting in the garage for extra pallets, spare parts, anything I could turn into a small table. Then, I spied my old nightstand. It was close to twenty years old and had seen better days, but was small enough I could squeeze it into my bedroom corner. It would have to do.

Hubby sanded it all down, stripped the hardware, and smoothed out the edges. We used a couple cans of spray paint we had from another project, and gave it a couple coats of clear sealant.

It was perfect, so easy, and very cheap. We cleaned out a corner in my bedroom and pulled up a chair. I now have a small surface that matched my decor and can house most of my craft supplies.

Sausage Pancake Bites

If you are like most families, breakfast time can be a little hectic. Everyone is on a different schedule and there is never enough time. Making breakfast ahead of time can be a real life saver, but I've never been a fan of reheated eggs and bacon just isn't going to last overnight around here. But we love pancakes. We even eat them for dinner once a week to save time and money. So making pancakes the night before was a no-brainer.

Of course, you can't have pancakes without syrup, and my kids have yet to master the art of syrup without making a giant mess. So, I had to get creative. I started mixing the syrup into the pancake batter. It was delicious! But, I still wanted syrup for my sausage. Why not combine them all? I started making these little pancake muffins forever ago, but only recently did I discover the joys of sausage pancakes.

Ingredients needed:

pancake mix (or homemade batter, whichever you prefer)

sausage

syrup

muffin pan

 Brown the sausage

 Mix the batter, adding desired amount of syrup. I used about 1/3 cup syrup for 12 muffins, but I like mine really sweet. Do whatever makes you happy.

 Mix in the sausage

 Pour into greased muffin pan or non-stick pan

 Bake at 350* for about 20 minutes. I like mine darker, so I bake a little longer. If you did mini muffins, you could bake in about 10 minutes.

 Pop them out, set on a plate, and breakfast is ready to go!

I have also made a large "casserole" version of this dish, in which I layered the ingredients instead of combining, and baked in a large pan. It was great for larger batches and sit down meals, but I prefer the muffin form for the daily grind. I've also made versions with bacon, blueberries, and other favorite pancake toppings. The process is the same, and you can even keep the batter as-is, pour into muffin tin, then add different ingredients to each one. Everyone gets their favorite and it doesn't require much effort. I also make several batches and freeze them in small portions for easy weekend breakfasts.

Do you have any favorite make-ahead breakfast recipes?