Toothpaste Magic

I like showers.
Preferably everyday.
Long, hot showers.

With 3 kids 4 and under, choosing the time for this event can be challenging. If I sleep past 6am inevitably at least one of them is awake. And when they're awake things happen. You know, playing in the toilet, coloring the walls, hiding important items, and attempting death defying feats, yeah those things.

So the other day, I put Sam and Anna-Kathryn down for their afternoon naps and Madison was playing quietly in her room. I tell Madison I'm going to the shower and to continue playing quietly in her room and she agrees. I sneak off to the shower.

Oh.glorious.day.

While I'm basking in hot water, Madison finds a yellow ink pad. I'm not really sure where it came from. I'm pretty sure we've never stamped anything. Ever. So, this was a novel concept for her. And apparently she decided to test all the different ways you can use an ink pad. . .

I don't notice right away. I'm still in my happy place from an uninterrupted shower. I get ready. Madison gets ready and the littles wake up from their nap. I get them ready and loaded up in the van. As I walk back through the house, I notice the bright yellow glow from the bathroom. At first I think: PEE. How did someone pee on the counter? But as I inspect closer I see that it isn't in fact pee, it's marker, or so I think. Then, as I remember that the kids are buckled in the van and I need to get back out there, I see a yellow ink pad. It looks as if someone has scrubbed the bathroom counter, and the toilet, and the bathtub with a yellow ink pad. Oh yeah. Kids. Van. Must go.

I get out to the van and as we proceed on our way, I interrogate Madison about what happened. Eventually, she confesses she "cleaned" the bathroom. Sigh.

Later that night, we get home and part of Madison's punishment was to help clean up the bathroom, the right way. First, we just try a rag with water, you know, I was dreaming that it would just wipe away easily and we could all go to bed. Then we tried windex. No luck. I noticed that while it wasn't coming off the counters, even with vigorous scrubbing, it rinsed right down the sink bowl. Hmm. What was different about the sink? It had old toothpaste in it. Gross, I know, but it's how we roll around here.

So, I take the pink princess toothpaste and rub a little bit on the yellow counter, and lo and behold if the golden glow didn't wipe right away. Thank you Lord! We rub the rest of the counter, toilet and bathtub in pink princess toothpaste and it didn't work. No, just kidding, it worked like a charm. And it all smelled bubble fruit fresh. Yes, the toothpaste flavor is "bubble fruit." What is that? I don't know.

I'm not sure if my 15 minutes of peace was worth discovering that you can clean with toothpaste. But now I know, and I've shared it with you. Please feel free to facebook, tweet, or pin this amazing housekeeping tip. I call it toothpaste magic.

Lindsey

P.S. I've started taking showers at night, when Glen's home and the kids are asleep.