This post is sponsored by The Clorox Company but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
Some call me crazy for having a house that is predominately white, and some just want to know my secret for keeping it clean. Y’all ready for it – the big secret? It’s bleach.
How I Keep My White Living Room Clean
Buying the white couches was a total gamble from the get go. My first post about these couches was after a year of owning them, at the time I was cleaning them according to their care tag which said no bleach and hang to dry. Well after an encounter with a mysterious stain I couldn’t get out with my current cleaning routine, I decided it was worth a shot to wash them with bleach. The result – the stain was gone and the covers survived. I’ve cleaned them with bleach ever since. I also now put them in the dryer. I used to hang them to dry only, because the care tag said to, but one lazy day led to a tumble in the dryer, and guess what? They survived, and they wrinkled less. So, I also dry them now too. I would say I wash these couches once a month or so and I still consider them to be one of the best things I could have purchased for our house.
Although I’m not picky about my bleach, I recently tried a few new versions, Clorox® Control Bleach Crystals™ and Clorox® Zero Splash™ Bleach Packs™, which have proved not only to take up less space in my laundry room, they’re spill proof too, which means no accidental bleaching. Like most things, I ordered mine from Amazon, and I know my mail lady appreciated that the box wasn’t heavy and it fit in my mailbox.
I use Clorox® Zero Splash™ Bleach Packs™ in the washer, and you simply toss the pack right in the drum (skip the HE spot). For better results you can toss one in the washer after it has filled with hot water, but I put one in right at the start of the cycle because my washer locks. I also mentioned the Crystals, I’ve been using them around the house too, just not on my couches. I made a little video showing just how easy and simple this whole process is.
How I Clean My White Rug
This is the second rug I’ve had in our living room. The first one – may it rest in peace. The kids and my dog did a number on it. When it came time to get another rug, I knew I didn’t want to spend a ton, since the first one didn’t last – and I was the luckiest girl ever when I scored this huge rug on sale for $28.00. It was so cheap, I half expected it to be a scam and not come in the mail at all after ordering it. But, it did, and it’s been a great purchase. The beauty of this rug, is the fact that it too can be bleached, and that is where the Clorox® Control Bleach Crystals™ come in. I just mix up a cap full of bleach crystals with warm water, and dab at the stain. The crystals aren’t active until they’re mixed with water, so there is no chance of spills. Plus the cap comes with measurements so you use the right amount. I haven’t met a stain yet that couldn’t be removed this way. We’re going on a year with this rug, and it’s still white and bright.
When it comes to my home, I live by Joanna Gaines’ philosophy, I want it to be beautiful, but also a place my kids and play and grow in. I chose to have a white living room, but I don’t scold my kids every time they shoot a juice box across the couch, or leave a chip hand print on a pillow. I’m grateful for a washable space, and always impressed with what a little bleach can do to keep it white and bright.
-Brooke
