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The Fast Formula for Getting Your Kitchen Back in Shape During the Holidays

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Preparing for big holiday dinners is by no means a one-day affair. If you're hosting, you've been getting your house and kitchen ready, and spent days making lists, shopping, and cooking. Once the feasting is over, the last thing you want to do is spend hours cleaning up—and you shouldn't have to! Here's our fail-proof, get-it-done method for getting your kitchen back in shape so you can relax.

First, Your New Motto:


Four Words: Clean as You Go


This should be a standard working-in-the-kitchen habit, but when you're making large portions of multiple dishes, the principle will save you from epic messes and keep your kitchen running smoothly even as you're still cooking.
Clean up small messes as you go. Put a paper towel under the teaspoon you're using to measure vanilla, and wipe spills from counters right away with the rag you have at arms-length. Also clean cooking utensils as you're done with them. We recommend filling one side of the sink with hot water and the One Soap and toss used tools in there until you’re done cooking.
If you've split your preparations into a few days' time, cleaning as you go is especially manageable. The goal is a clean kitchen at the end of each preparatory task.

Get a Helper, if You Need to


Solicit the help of a friend or family member who can wash dishes while you're cooking. This will save you time and energy, and you'll be giving someone who wants to help the opportunity to be useful and keep you company while you're working
When it comes time to clean after your meal, let everyone who wants to lend a helping hand. But don't be afraid to communicate how you want things done: If your china doesn't go in the dishwasher, let your helpers know how to handle it or give them another task.

The After-Thanksgiving Plan


Clear the table


First things first: Clear the table thoroughly. This is an easy way to have others pitch in. Try to have a close family member or someone familiar with your household involved so they can immediately put away things like salt and pepper shakers, etc. in the right places. Have helpers scrape any uneaten food from the plates into the compost and toss any paper napkins as well. Make sure the table is all the way cleared, to the point that it can be wiped. Now you've got one all-clean space and you can turn your attention to the kitchen itself.

Put away leftovers


Besides the food safety reasons for not leaving food out for too long, getting the leftovers put away first thing allows you to move on to the next step of sorting the types of dishes you will need to wash.

Soak pots and pans


Inevitably, there will be some cooking items that you weren't able to "clean as you went." Soak difficult-to-clean pots, pans, and any empty serving dishes that are aren't being used to store leftovers with hot water and the One Soap. Depending on your kitchen's layout, consider setting these soaking dishes on the stove top while you address everything else.

Hand wash and load the dishwasher


While heavily soiled dishes are soaking, tackle the rest of the pile. You're going to batch process so everything goes as quickly as possible. Again, this is a great job for helpers. Wash items that require handwashing, if there are any. Finally, you'll be left with dishes that, since they're already clear of food bits, simply need to be loaded into the dishwasher. Load them, and start the wash cycle with the Dishwasher Powder!

Wash the big stuff


Only one big washing task is left in your nearly-clean kitchen. While you might be tempted to stop here, remember that cleanliness begets cleanliness and it'll be easier to encourage yourself and others to maintain a clean kitchen if it's clean in the first place. However, definitely don't be afraid to delegate! Since all the other dishes and food are put away, you'll have plenty of room to scrub the roasting pan, etc. and when you're done with these, you are just about couch ready.

Give the kitchen a quick clean


Ride the momentum of whipping a kitchen into shape and give your counters, the outside of your fridge, and your sink a quick clean. Your floors could also probably use a cursory clean-up. Don't deep clean by any means, but getting your kitchen in tip-top working order will prevent a messy kitchen from overshadowing your post-meal glow. The All-Purpose Cleaner will take care of any mess, leaving you with a sparkling kitchen once again!
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Nellie's Holiday Gift Guide

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With the holidays just around the corner, it’s already time to start ticking things off your holiday gift shopping list! We wanted to help, so we’ve put together a list of Nellie’s favourite must-haves. These are the items that are perfect for your grown-up baby living at university or in their first apartment, new & expecting mamas, the hostess with the mostess, or any other wonderful person in your life. Everyone could use a little more clean and sparkle, especially this time of year!

WOW Mop


It’s no secret that the WOW Mop has become a beloved must-have! The cordless, lightweight, and rechargeable mop makes cleaning your floors effortlessly easy. Featuring oscillating pads, a high-frequency motor and a long-grip handle, you can tackle dirt and stains with just a swipe! For the full package, the WOW Mop Bundle comes with everything you need: Nellie’s WOW Wet Floor cleaning pads, Nellie’s WOW Dry Floor cleaning pads, and a 50 load pouch of Nellie’s Laundry Soda to clean the pads!

WOW Stick


With all the imbibing this time of year, we’re bound to end up with some stains! Enter the WOW Stick Stain Remover. Made with natural ingredients and free from dyes and synthetic fragrances, the WOW Stick contains lemongrass and sweet orange essential oils, which work in combination with the cleaning ingredients for a delicious clean. It’s perfect to use on food, wine, and coffee stains - and even blood (but don’t ask us how we know that one).

Oxygen Brightener


Make it a white Christmas with the Oxygen Brightener. White tablecloths, towels, linens, bed sheets… they all get dirty quickly when the aunts, uncles, cousins, and in-laws are around! Use the power of oxygen to penetrate stains, stripping away dirt, odor, and grime to keep your colours bright and your whites white. Our chlorine-free formula is colour-safe, septic-safe, hypoallergenic, environmentally-friendly, and biodegradable.

Fruit & Veggie Wash


We all know a friend that is health-food obsessed, but you can ensure they’re eating clean fruits and veggies! Most fruits and vegetables are covered in pesticides and contaminants – yes, even the organic ones! Nellie’s Fruit & Veggie Wash helps remove surface pesticides, preservatives, and other contaminants from your produce. Most importantly, it’s odorless and tasteless, gluten-free, biodegradable, and made with no animal by-products. Yum!

Take Care of it All


For the hostess with the mostess, take care of everything in a pretty box! Perfect as a gift to yourself or the one that’s hosting the holiday dinner this year, Nellie’s Host Bundle includes all the necessities you need to breeze through the holidays! It includes some of our favourites, like the Fruit & Veggie Wash, the 50 Scoops Dishwasher Powder, the One Soap in Melon, and the WOW Stick, AND a secret mystery item! Limited availability, so order it now!
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Get Ready for Winter! The Season's Must-Do Checklist

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Last weekend was Daylight Savings – did anyone else have a tough time getting out of bed?! We're officially switching gears and getting ready for winter, and that means getting some things done around the home. These things should be done about every six months, and they’ll help you settle into autumn and get ready for winter!
First off, of course:
Reset your analog clocks back an hour if you haven’t already.
Then, use the next week to tackle any of these tasks that apply to your home life:
Change your smoke alarm batteries. Whether or not they’re drained, do it now. The low battery alarm never sounds at a convenient time, and a smoke alarm is not something you want to be running low on juice.
Flip or rotate your mattress. Newer layered foam mattresses aren’t designed to flip like those simple old-school spring mattresses, but you can still rotate them around to even out wear. Better yet, use this time to clean your mattress! Click here to see our how-to blog post!
Flip and switch your couch cushions. Moving things around will ensure even wear and keep your couch looking nice and cushy longer. While you're at it, give them a refresh with the Wrinkle-B-Gone to ease any creases and take care of any odours.
Reverse the direction of your ceiling fans. During winter, your fans should spin clockwise to bring warm air back into the living space from the ceiling. While you’re at it, give the fans a wipe with your All-Purpose Cleaner!
Decorate. If you haven’t already, set out the decorate pumpkins and squashes, hang a seasonal wreath, or plant some mums.
Declutter winter wear. How many mittens are missing their mate in your closet? Start cold weather dressing off right with winter wardrobe staples pared down to the best, the favourite, and the necessary.
Clean your gutters. Most of the leaves have left the trees by now, so use this time to remove dirt and leaf build up from your gutters.
Change filters. HVAC, air purifier, water, refrigerator – all of them!
Try out a new evening routine. Taking after-dinner walks may no longer be an option when it gets dark earlier. What might you do instead? We recommend a family game night – whether it be Monopoly or a simple card game!
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Introducing the Limited Edition Host Bundle!

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Just in time for the coming holidays, Nellie is here to help you out! She’s the green hostess with the mostess, and she’s got you covered with everything you need to make hosting this season as easy as pie. Whether you’re hosting the in-laws for Thanksgiving or your sister is having the family around for Christmas, the Nellie’s limited edition Host Bundle makes for the perfect lifesaver for yourself or a friend.
What’s in the bundle? Everything you need to breeze through the holiday season this year PLUS a MYSTERY ITEM! Keep reading for more details!

Dishwasher Powder


The new Nellie’s Dishwasher Powder pouch easily tackles tough stains, grease, and food particles to leave every plate spotless! It even takes care of stubborn baked-on foods, so you have nothing to worry about with your mother-in-law inspecting each plate and fork. What’s more? Our phosphate-free formula provides an eco-friendly cleaning experience

Nellie’s Fruit & Veggie Wash


Before roasting those Brussel sprouts to perfection, make sure they’re clean! Did you know that most fruits and vegetables are covered in pesticides and contaminants from traveling from the farm? Yes – even the organic ones! That’s why we launched Nellie’s Fruit & Veggie Wash, which helps make sure that the healthy food you and your guests are eating is clean (just like your home). The Fruit & Veggie Wash helps remove surface pesticides, preservatives, and other contaminants from your produce. More importantly, it’s odourless and tasteless, gluten-free, vegan, biodegradable, and made with no animal bi-products. Yum!

One Soap


There’s no way around it – there’s a lot of washing up to do around the holidays! Plus, when you’re getting the whole home ready and sparkling, you need one soap to tackle several jobs. Why use three soaps when you can just use one? Our One Soap is safe for hands, dishes, dogs – anything you would use a sudsy soap for! The colour-free, SLS, SLES, and toxin-free formula effortlessly strips away food and grime, creating hypoallergenic results for every surface.

WOW Stick


When you’re hosting and everyone is indulging, spills and stains are bound to happen! With the WOW Stick, you don’t have to worry about them anymore. Red wine on a white tablecloth? No problem! Made with natural ingredients and free from dyes and synthetic fragrances, the WOW Stick contains lemongrass and sweet orange essential oils, which work in combination with the cleansing ingredients to combat odors caused by the offending stain. A delicious smelling bonus!
Order your limited edition Nellie’s Host Bundle today!
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Nellie's Green Clean Essentials

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In every well-stocked cleaning arsenal, there are a few workhorses that can tackle a variety of cleaning jobs. Thankfully, you don’t have to resort to using cleaners with harsh, toxic ingredients! Nellie’s has a variety of multi-functional cleaners that will help you clean up just about any mess, without the toxicity! Keep reading to learn more about our must-haves.

WOW Mop & Floor Care


Cleaning floors has never been so fun or easy with the WOW Mop! The cordless and lightweight mop features oscillating pads, a high-frequency motor, LED lights to illuminate under large furniture, and a long grip handle so you can tackle dirt and stains effortlessly. The WOW Mop comes with the WOW Mop Wet Floor cleaning pads, specifically designed for the WOW Mop. They clean up spills, stains, and dirt with ease, leaving your floors spotless. Plus, the cleaning pads are eco-friendly and machine washable, and can be used up to 100 times. Use the cleaning pads with our plant-based Floor Care. The tough-on-stains formula tackles any household dirt and odors. It’s perfect for hardwood, laminate, tile, and more - you can even use it on carpet! Keep reading to find out how you can make stains disappear on carpet with the WOW Mop!

Oxygen Brightener


Not just for whitening your whites and brightening your colours, the Oxygen Brightener can tackle stains on carpets! Whether you’re dealing with coffee, wine, or worse, have no fear! Create a solution of 1 tablespoon of Nellie’s Oxygen Brightener per 500ml (16oz) of water. Soak up any excess liquid from the stain before applying the solution. Wait 1 to 5 minutes, and then soak up with a white towel. Repeat if necessary, and then rinse thoroughly with water and blog dry. If it’s still not lifting, bring in the WOW Mop! The oscillating pads are perfect for lifting tough stains effortlessly. Simply apply some of the solution, place the pads over the stain, and go!

One Soap


We think there’s a lot to be said for simplicity – why use three different soaps when you could just use one? Our One Soap is safe for hands, dishes, dogs, cars – anything you would use a sudsy soap for! The colour-free, SLS, SLES, and toxin-free formula effortlessly strips away food and grime, leaving you with a hypoallergenic result on every surface. Plus, it comes in for options – Peppermint, Melon, Water Lily, and Fragrance Free. Get to sudsing and scrubbing!

Fruit & Veggie Wash


The latest addition to the Nellie’s lineup, the Fruit & Veggie Wash helps make sure that the food you’re eating is clean (just like your home). Most fruits and vegetables are covered in pesticides and contaminants from being transported – yes, even the organic ones! The Fruit & Veggie Wash helps remove surface pesticides, preservatives, and other contaminants from your produce. Most importantly, it’s odourless, tasteless, gluten free, vegan, biodegradable, and made with no animal by-products. Yum! Simply spray directly onto your fruits and vegetables, or dilute a tablespoon with water in a bowl. Rub gently for thirty seconds, and then rinse thoroughly with clean water. Nellie recommends washing your fruits and veggies right away so they’re ready to eat when you are. Enjoy!
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