Interesting facts about clutter

Everything we possess that is not necessary for life or happiness becomes a burden, and scarcely a day passes that we do not add to it.  ~Robert Brault

• We get more mail in one month than our grandparents got in a lifetime.
• Attention deficit disorder, depression, chronic pain and grief can prevent people from getting organized or lead to a buildup of clutter. 
• Being disorganized and having lots of clutter costs families an average of 10-15% of their income.
• About 80% of the clutter in your home is a result of disorganization - not lack of space. 
• Getting rid of excess clutter would eliminate 40 percent of housework in the average home.
• 23% of adults say they pay bills late (and incur fees) because they lose them.
• the average American burns 55 minutes a day looking for things they know they own but cannot find.
• one-quarter of people with two-car garages have so much stuff in there that they can’t park a car.
• we spend one year of our lives looking for lost items.
• 1 in 11 american households rents a self-storage space and they spend over $1000 a year in rent.
• Clutter can hinder sale of your home.  Many potential buyers may not see past dirt and clutter. If the house is crowded with the owner's "stuff," they will assume that the house is too small for their possessions.
• Buried alive!  Every year a number of people are literally buried alive in their homes by clutter. Sometimes, their spouses, search dogs and police cannot locate them for weeks after their disappearance.

STUFF

I remember when I moved into my first apartment and I didn't have hardly anything. I was 17 and pregnant. I had my bedroom set from my tween years, a super uncomfortable waiting room couch that my mom bought at an auction at her job, and a 13" TV and VCR that sat on top of a box in my living room. A couple months later my daughter's nursery was furnished with all the gifts that my friends and family provided at my baby shower. Anyway, I remember not having any problems finding anything I was looking for, never bumping into stuff that had no home. Nothing was ever out of place. There was a sense of order in my sparse apartment...but it didn't feel furnished. I had no decor, I barely had anything to put in my sea of cabinets (which in hindsight wasn't really that many), my fridge and freezer were organized because they weren't overflowing with groceries, my bedroom was always clean.

I liked my new sense of responsibility and freedom, but my home felt unfinished. However, I didn't have the funds to make it look the way I wanted. Two and a half years later, I moved to my second apartment and I was making more money and collecting more stuff. I had a little more space in apartment #2 and so I obviously HAD to get more stuff. I had no sense of "less is more".  My goal was to cram as many paintings and pictures on to my walls and knick-knacks in every nook and cranny. Some how I felt that knocking over a bunch of crap on my window sills every time I opened my blinds made the house feel lived in.

Now fast forward 13 years and 3 more apartments. I have finally seen the folly of my ways and now know that STUFF does not make a home. I have been working hard over the past 2 years to minimize my belongings. Donating and tossing as much as possible and it has definitely made a vast improvement. Not only in the way my home looks but in the way my family and I feel and interact with one another. Everyone just seems happier and the mood is lighter.

There simply is a lot less stress when there is a lot less stuff.

GET 'ER DONE

Sometimes there are things that need to be done but you just don't do them.  This could be for a number of reasons:

• lazy
• tired
• overwhelmed
• procrastination
• lack of organization
• poor time management

Regardless of the reason, the fact remains that the chores, errands, exercise, etc are not getting done while you make excuses.  We all fall into a rut now and again, and it is very easy for things to get out of hand when we do.  There will always be an excuse NOT to do something that requires work and effort.  I'm not talking about when you are sick and depleted of energy or when an emergency arises.  These things are unavoidable.  

I'm talking about just turning a blind eye to the clutter that surrounds you because you just don't feel like sorting and removing it.  Putting off chores that need to be done because you are being lazy.  Not exercising and eating right because maybe you are not organizing your time efficiently.  Perhaps when you consciously or subconsciously made the decision to put off the task(s) at hand, you felt it was the "right" thing to do.  But you must realize that when you do that for one day, you have doubled your work for tomorrow.  Two days, you have tripled it.  Three days, quadrupled.  Shall I go on??  

Maybe you ditched last night housework or Self work to go out with friends.  Of course going out with your friends and having a few drinks and delicious food is more appetizing than doing chores or working out.  But if you are constantly making excuses you will never get the prize; whatever that may be... a clean organized home? A slimmer healthier you?  A house that is company ready at any time?  It doesn't matter what your goals are, you will NOT reach them if you do not actively work to obtain them.  

I am definitely not saying to throw your social life away.  I'm telling you that you can go have fun after you have finished your task(s) at hand.  If you organize your time more efficiently, you can get everything done and still have time to party.   For example, if your goal is home related, then you MUST work at it daily.  If you are trying to declutter, you MUST remove items daily so set aside 15 minutes everyday for weeding through your stuff.  Tackle one area...NOT A WHOLE ROOM.  Work on clearing off that table or this corner.  And that is it.  Even if you aren't able to finish in the time you have available, you have made progress.  Tomorrow you do some more.  If everyday you are chipping away at your clutter, soon you will be clutter free.   

No matter your goal(s), you MUST organize your time otherwise you are just setting yourself up for failure.  

Perhaps your lack of motivation comes from being overwhelmed.  Maybe you see yourself as so far away from achieving your goals and are overwhelmed and have just given up because of the amount remaining on your plate.  This is when we need to snap out of it and get our heads back in the game.  

I definitely have those days when I don't feel like doing anything.  I am tired from being at work all day and the commute.  I come home and know I have dinner to cook and dishes to wash and whatever other chores are on my schedule for the day.  If I haven't worked out yet in the day, I should be squeezing some exercise in before the night is over.  I need to prepare my breakfast, snacks and lunch for the next day.  And semi-prep tomorrow's dinner.  Oh yeah, I have that family that I want and need to spend time with.  I am sometimes overwhelmed by the amount of time and energy that is required of me to keep myself and my family happy, SANE and provided for!  And in order to do so I know that I must finish what I have put on my plate.  Not food!  Just everything I have laid out for my day.  Putting it off does not make it disappear.  No helpful fairies or gnomes come in to take care of it for me.  I have learned the hard way that if I don't do it today, I will just have to do it the next day, which makes tomorrow doubly busy with housework.  I end up exhausted, cranky and depriving myself of family time and any "ME" time I might have had available.  I no longer push my daily chores off, I just get 'em done.  Then I have more time for my family and myself.

Weight-wise for me, I sometimes feel very overwhelmed.  3 weeks ago I had 86 pounds to lose to reach my goal weight.  EIGHTY SIX!  That sounds totally overwhelming and unattainable.  That sounds like YEARS of dieting and exercising and TORTURE!  But instead of dwelling on that large number and trying to calculate how long it might take me to reach my goal.  I have decided to just take it one day at a time.  I will reach my goal whenever I reach it.  Getting healthier everyday in the process.  I have set mini goals of 5lb increments for myself.  This is most definitely helping to keep me focused on the prize.   In 3 weeks I have reached my first mini goal!  And those weeks flew by.  I know I have a long road ahead of me to my ultimate goal, but I don't feel overwhelmed anymore.  

I firmly believe that making a list of what needs to be done, goals you want to reach, and a wish list is helpful in whatever you are working towards.  See examples below.

WEIGHT LOSS

Be healthier

decrease my chances of heart disease and cancer

live longer to enjoy life with my family

look better

better wardrobe

easier clothing shopping

more energy

healthier skin

I set my household stuff up on a few lists.  I have a TO DO LIST which is a list of projects I want accomplished around the house, more of a wish list...not chores.  I have my DAILY CHORE SCHEDULE, which lists all of my cleaning spread out over the week. 

 

TO DO LIST

Hang wainscoating in bathroom

Remove and replace bathroom tiles

New area rug for living room

Declutter loft/exercise room

Finish kitchen floor

Mend the baby's ripped Capt. America costume

DAILY CHORE SCHEDULE

EVERYDAY - make bed, wash dishes, load of laundry (washed, dried, put away), swish & swipe bathroom, prepare tomorrow's breakfast, snacks and lunch and semi prep tomorrow's dinner, 2 minute hotspots (cleaning up of those areas that are dumping grounds, ie. kitchen counter, table, nightstand, etc)

Mon - clean microwave, Dust kitchen ceiling fan, sweep/mop kitchen, sweep back stairs and back hall.

Tues (day before trash day) - Clean out fridge (all spoiled food in trash), all trash emptied and barrels disinfected, purge all mags/junk mail/circulars, dust and vacuum living room

Wed - Wash and condition leather sofa, wash highchair, change baby's sheets and changing pad cover, dust his ceiling fan and vacuum, spray dog's with deodorizer

Thrs - Pick up baby's room, wash side table in living room, wash glass on TV table and fireplace, clean out underneath the couch (recently added as I followed my nose Saturday to a sippy cup filled with rotten milk of an unknown own age.)

Fri - Clean out purse, clean out car, wash bathroom rug, sweep/mop bathroom, wash dog's feeding stations

Sat - Dust bedroom ceiling fan and furniture, change sheets, sweep/mop bedroom, wash dog's bed

Sun - Sweep front hall and stairs, tidy up front hall, plan week's dinner menu, spray dog's (again), prepare clothes for work week

MONTHLY

wash dogs

vacuum out fireplace

wash windows

wash inside of fridge and freezer

get rid of baby's outgrown clothes and toys

tidy tupperware cabinet

tidy linen baskets

Those are my tips for sticking with your plans, seeing results and continuing until you achieve your goals.  This has helped me and I hope that this will help anyone who might be lacking the motivation right now or possibly even the know how.  Baby steps to success!  Now GET 'ER DONE!

 

Get the kids involved

There is no reason why a child two years or older can't help with cleaning up. You can't expect too much from them, but they can help with small things. I actually ask my 2.5 year old son to do one of the chores that I dislike the most; dusting. HE LOVES IT! I give him the microfiber duster and he walks around the living room and dusts the TV table and side table, window sills, the fireplace, even the floor... which is not necessary, but it keeps him busy, so have at it!

One of our dog's is obsessed with shredding up paper and paper towels. I dread having to pick up all of those little scraps of paper. They are too big for the vacuum cleaner, but the scraps are on the carpet so I can't just sweep it up. My son loves picking up all the little pieces and throwing them in the trash. It may take him a lot longer than it would take me, but in my eyes, SO WHAT!? He is helping Mama clean and he is keeping himself busy. And he is also learning to clean.

Children this age can also be taught to clean up after themselves.  Since my son has been about a year old, I have tried to involve him in cleaning up his toys. Making it fun, singing the "Clean up Song" and dancing around, so he thinks of it as a game. When he is finished with a snack, he throws any wrappers in the trash and bowls or cups in the sink. These small things are VERY helpful.  Him cleaning up after himself, leaves less work for Mama.  Sometimes he loses his mind (haha!) and will throw his trash on the floor, but I kindly remind him to pick it up and ask him where it is supposed to go.  He picks it up with no problem and says "trash" and proceeds to the kitchen trash barrel.  Cleaning up toys is usually pretty stress free.  I've tried to teach him to put one thing away before taking out another.  But that does not always happen.  Toys like legos and puzzles are the worst (clean up wise) and there are times when he asks us to help him clean up and we are totally fine with that. Once we toss a couple pieces in the bin, he usually just takes over and finishes.

In his bedroom, there is no clutter.  We rotate toys on a regular basis, if we see that he is not interested in a particular toy for a period of time we will put it away (out of his room).  Once he has outgrown a toy or clothes/shoes, they are donated.  Why have them taking up space.  I take inventory of his stuff usually once every three months.  He has this organization shelving system from Ikea, and I found pics of his toys online and printed them on sticker labels and put them on the drawers. And he almost immediately grasped the concept of putting the toys back in the drawer with the right picture on it. And he always knows where to look for whatever toy he wants to play with. I hung these baskets on his wall and put all of his crayons in one, markers in another and magnetic letters and numbers in a third. I mounted these little containers on the wall above the baskets. One houses all of his chalk, another has his hair brush and lotion, one I designated for found toy/game pieces.  The next time we play with that toy or game I collect the missing piece(s) and put them back in the box it belongs to.  I also hung some of these hooks around his room at his height so he can hang his towel, robe and hoodies "like a big boy".  I also hung one in the bathroom to hang his potty seat on.  He gets the seat when he has to "go" and he replaces it when he is finished... most of the time.

The idea here is that everything has a place and that the child is learning to be organized. When you put things away where they belong there is no problem finding it when you want or need it later.

Do NOT give children any "chores" that are going to stress you out.  For example, I refuse to let the boy wash dishes right now.  NO WAY!  The two times I have let him play in the sink there has been a tsunami to clean up afterward.  He may have had fun, but making another chore for Mama is not helping me.  And let's be honest, can a small child really clean dishes?  Of course not.  I knew that.  I just thought letting him play "wash the dishes" would give him some practice and honestly, just keep him out of my hair for 20 minutes so I could do some cleaning up.  This will NEVER happen again until he is pushing double digits.

If you don't already have your children involved with helping out around the house, what are you waiting for?

Here are my tips:

• First, if you have a bad attitude about cleaning, so will your children.  If you walk around hemming and hawing about cleaning then your children will never want to clean either.  If you don't clean, your kids will have no positive example to follow.  If this is you.  CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE.
• Children should be supervised, I hope that goes without saying.
• Never give children cleaning products.  Even my now beloved vinegar will burn eyes if it gets in them.  But other cleaners can be fatal if ingested.
• Never give them a bucket of water, children can drown in the smallest amount of water. 
• Give them small tasks that are quick and easy so they can stay focused on it for the small amount of time their short attention spans allow.  
• When they are playing, teach them to put away the toy they are no longer playing with before taking out another.
• Don't punish children for not cleaning up.  Explain why it is helpful if they do.  Also explain that when they put their items away where they belong it will be easy to find them later.
• If they ask for help, help them.  I've found that my son will do most of the work if I just squat next to him and chuck a couple toys in the bin every now and then.
• Eliminate clutter
• Teach your kids that there are children less fortunate than they are.  Explain that when they donate their toys they are making other little boys and girls happy.  
• Toss younger kids toys while they are sleeping or away from home.  Trust me, if your child sees you tossing their toys in a trash bag, they will most likely have a fit.  Even if it is a toy they have ignored for 6 months.
• If your children are older and really resistant to letting go of some toys/games, maybe offer to buy them ONE new toy or game for every five or ten that they part with.  I know some would disagree and say that is bribery.  But if it works and keeps the peace is there anything really so wrong with that?  You will most likely be buying them that toy in the near future anyway.
• Praise them for their hard work.  Kids love and need to be encouraged with positivity.  When my son sees me cleaning sometimes he will tell me "Goot job, Mama!" or "AWE-TUM" (Awesome) and it always makes me smile. So imagine how good it makes your child feel when you tell them. :)  Not to mention you are boosting their vocabulary.  My 2.5 yo says words like, fantastic, beautiful and amazing.  In his own cute little pre-school pronounciation of course.  But he has learned all of these words from our constant praising of his achievements.
• Buy them a mini set of cleaning tools, ie. broom, dustpan and dry mop.  Most kids like to emulate what they see their parents do.  So having their own set of tools just like Mom and Dad's will hopefully inspire them to clean like Mom and Dad.
• Make them believe that cleaning is fun.  Sing the "Clean up" song. 
• Remember you are the parent, it is your responsibility to do the cleaning.  Do NOT pawn your household chores off on your children.  What you should be aiming for is teaching your children how to clean up after themselves.  If they enjoy doing some other safe chores, ASK them to help you.  When they are older, I'd say 9-10'ish, then you can assign real chores.  Like taking out the trash, sweeping, washing dishes, teaching them to do (supervised) laundry, etc.

These are just my tips.  All children are different and you know your child best, so use or adjust these tips as you see fit to help your child become more organized and learn responsibility.  Good luck!

Thanks for stopping by!

Paper Schmaper

Today it was clear to me, once again, how ridiculous I am sometimes when it comes to cleaning and decluttering certain things.  I have my whole "to do" list but I just can't seem to cross certain things off of it.  Usually these things involve paper.  I don't know why paper is so overwhelming to me, but it is.

Today I stood in our bedroom on my side of the bed and my nightstand was SCREAMING at me.  The top is not a mess.  The drawer is a mess (but it doesn't bother me so much since it is closed and I can't see it).  But the cubby on the bottom of the nightstand is damn EMBARRASSING!  I don't know why today was the day, but I could no longer stand it.  I pulled all of the papers, folders, books and magazines out of the cubby and threw it all on the bed.  I sorted everything into 3 piles.

1. KEEP
2. SHRED
3. TRASH

I am not kidding when I tell you that this task took me all of 5 minutes!  I don't know why I have been putting this off for months.  I tossed most of the stuff in the trash.  I have a 1/2 dozen craft books that I originally thought I would give to Anj... but I decided that is an enablers action and I will not unload my clutter onto someone else who is trying very hard to declutter as well.  I am not an enabler!  Instead I will donate those books to one of those "Got Books?" drop off bins, I pass one on my way to work.  Ready for my most embarrassing discovery in the cubby?... I found 2 super overdue library books.  ARGH!!!!!  I remember taking them out when I was pregnant...in 2008.  OMG!  Those books will be put in my basket that I keep at my launch pad and I WILL bring them back to the library this weekend.  Good thing our library no longer charges late fees.  Can you imagine?  I think instead of going in and facing the librarian I will just drop the books in the return box with an apology note.  How embarrassing, but that's what I get for being a disorganized procrastinator.  I should force myself to go in and out myself, in person, to the librarian.  Maybe getting a good old fashioned scolding will leave a lasting impression on me.  Any time I start slacking off, that scowl and my embarrassment will be my motivation to take care of everything right away.  haha!  Stay tuned for my decision.  Anyway, out of all the stuff that was in the cubby, I only kept five items.  One was a small photo album, one was my old laptop and the last three were documents that I need to file.

My next task is my nightstand, I plan to do that before the night is over.  And then the monster paper project will be the file cabinet.  I am seriously dreading that.  It is only a two drawer cabinet, so it's not SO bad.  I plan to just pull out 10-20 file folders at a time and go through them, discarding where appropriate.  I also have a tendency to just throw papers and crap in the drawer not in the correct folder, just where ever it will be out of sight.  So I will file those items and all future items the right way once it is all organized.  Again, I am NOT looking forward to this chore, but I know it won't take me as nearly as long as I am imagining it will.

Here is my aforementioned to do list.  They are not in an particular order, it's just what needs to be done.

• clean nightstand drawer (completed 9/8/11)
• clean nightstand cubby (completed 9/8/11)
• clean out closet and drawers (completed 9/3/11)
• pick out cabinet for the bathroom (purchased 9/10/11)
• install cabinet in bathroom (hubby installed 9/10/11)
• get rid of platform bed (gave to a friend 9/4/11)
• organize toy storage behind couch
• print photos, frame and hang in bedroom
• organize fabric by material then color (completed 10/1/11)
• organize food cabinets
• organize tupperware cabinet (completed 9/10/11)
• organize file cabinet drawers (completed 9/9/11)
• bring rocker upstairs (Hubby brought up tonight 9/8/11)
• Air conditioners down to basement (Hubby brought down 10/1/11)

I will get all of these things done.  I am giving myself until October 15th to complete this entire list.  I will update this post as I make progress.

Thanks for reading :)

Have a good night!

I heart Hoarders!

Sometimes when I have no ambition to clean and get my home in order, I turn on the TV and find an episode of Hoarders On Demand. I LOVE IT! I get so disgusted with what I see on my television screen, I can barely watch a whole episode without getting up and cleaning. My apartment is in no way comparable to any of these homes, but I do battle with clutter.

I watch the show with a mixture of emotions. Pity, disgust, confusion, anger, hope. And not to mention it is very entertaining. I know that hoarding is a disease. I just do not understand it. When your home is so filthy and cluttered that the Board of Health has deemed it unfit for humans to live in and Social Services has given you a deadline to have it cleaned up or they will remove your children... how is it so hard to CLEAN UP!?!? It is baffling to me. If I was in their shoes, I would just call and have a half dozen dumpsters delivered to my house and just throw everything in it except for what was actually needed. Like I said I know that it is an illness but I just want to slap these people in the head. Knock some sense into them.

I know that the therapists and professional organizers are educated in what they do and have obviously developed a way to deal with these extreme cases, but I disagree with some of their practices. Coddling these people and holding up every single item in the house and asking the hoarder if this item and that item can be donated or discarded is just ridiculous to me. I know they must do it this way for a reason, there must be proven results with this method. I do understand that if the hoarder does not feel that they had total control over what gets tossed than they will just go right out and start their hoard all over again. In almost every episode the hoarder is like no, I need that. I can't part with this bin of bottle caps. No, I can still eat that rotten pumpkin and yogurt...REALLY?! WHY is this even an option?! LADY, your home is going to be demolished, your children will be removed from your custody and you will be homeless if you don't clean up within the next 3 days! Is the clutter worth all of that to you? Again I know hoarding is an illness but seriously, it is just insane to me that people are having such a dilemma in deciding to keep or toss a bowl of rotten liquefied fruit that was discovered under two tons of clothing in their kitchen and an old ripped nightgown that they remember wearing the first time they saw Gone with the Wind in order to keep their family together and avoid eviction from their home??!!

I have developed my own system of depleting my homes clutter. My plan involves not even looking in boxes or bins that I have not opened in over 2 years. If I have not had any reason to open these containers in 2+ years, then the contents obviously are of NO importance to me. Why even bother opening them up and going through every item and making a decision as to what will stay or be tossed? I have no interest or time to bother with that. Last year I did a partial clutter clean in my basement. I had 4 huge Rubbermaid tubs marked Maleeka's clothes. I do recall packing those bins with clothes when I had gained a lot of weight and they no longer fit me. (story for another post.) I gained the majority of my weight over a DECADE ago! I moved those bins with me to THREE apartments!! Never opening them once. I finally woke up while I was sitting on the stairs to the basement. It became so evident that I will never wear this shit! First of all, I am still too big for these clothes. Second, these are fashions from 10-14 years ago! Even if I was able to fit into them, would I even wear them? Hell no! We're talking late 90's - early 2000's fashion here, hahaha! I dragged those Bad Larrys to the backyard and went online to Big Brother/Big Sister and scheduled a donation pickup. OUTTA HERE!

Since then, I have stuck with this plan. I have made a major dent in my clutter problem. I have donated over 15 trash bags, 5 boxes and those 4 huge Rubbermaid containers full of items to Big Brother/Big Sister Association and hopefully they will be useful to someone else . The boxes/bags that I do go through I only take a second to make my decision if it will stay or go. I ask myself, "have I used this item in the past 6 months to a year?" If the answer is no, then I decide if I will donate or toss in the trash. If I decide to keep the item than I need to find a home for it immediately. If I can't find a home for it, then I ask myself again, "Self? Do you really want to keep this?" 9 times out of 10, I decide to toss or donate.

I have no fear of tossing important documents or sentimental items as I do actually put those things in a particular place. I'm not saying that these areas are organized but there is no chance of documents or items of utmost importance being tossed or donated since I do not just jam them in random boxes. Cleaning my file cabinet is on my to do list.

Not sure if my way is the right way for anyone else, but it has worked wonders for me. I don't make much progress when I am coddled. Tell me what to do to make these changes and MAKE ME DO IT! If I fight you with excuses, FIRMLY explain to me how stupid my excuses are and redirect my attention to the big picture...Dutch Aunty style.

Now if I could just develop a plan for weight loss that works as well for me as my decluttering plan.

Dudu-Osun Black Soap

Ingredients:

Pure Honey
Shea Butter
Osun (camwood)
Palmkernel Oil
Cocoa Pod Ash
Palm Bunch Ash
Aloe Vera
Lime Juice
Essential Oil Blend
Water

I wanted to give a review on a new soap I have been using. A friend came over for dinner a couple weeks ago. After dinner we were sitting around talking and I mentioned the heat rash that I had on my arms for a couple months. She went out to her car and came back with two bars of Dudu-Osun black soap. She told me that she had acne recently on her face (which I did not believe until she showed me some pics, since her skin was flawless!). She used the soap everyday on her face and in no time at all, her skin was clear. At this point I was willing to try anything, my skin was so dry and itchy and I had scabs from scratching so much. I had tried hydrocortisone, a medicated anti fungal gel that a woman from work let me use, (which did help temporarily), different lotions, no lotion, different soap, aloe vera from my plant, etc.

I used the Dudu-Osun soap that night, and I immediately noticed an improvement. SERIOUSLY! My skin was smoother and softer than it ever had been before. The soap has a clean smell, but nothing perfumey or pretty...just clean. I like that and so does the hubby. It has a nice lather and is great to shave your legs with as well. This soap is going to help with my bathroom clutter since I will not need shaving gel any longer :) I also had Keratosis on the backs of my arms for years. Keratosis is a build up of keratin on your skin, looks like tiny white bumps. Harmless but who wants white pimple looking bumps on the backs of their arms?! I didn't even think about this soap helping that, but as I was admiring my new skin a few days ago, I realized that all the bumps were now gone! This is all in less than two weeks!

I used it on my son as well, who is two and half. I typically buy him those kiddy soaps with the funky fun names and fruity scents. He has his special Spider Man soap, but when you read the ingredients on all of those soaps, they rarely contain a single natural ingredient. This soap is made from 100% natural ingredients. He had no reaction to it and his skin felt even softer than a babies typically does. Once we finish off this bottle of Spiderman body wash, that is it. All natural for him. You can also use the soap as a shampoo and I do on him.

My hubby loves the soap as well. He likes the scent and the way his skin feels. He also uses it to shave his head and his head felt even smoother than usual. So again, this soap is eliminating bathroom clutter left and right! How awesome is that!?

The soap is black-brown in color and I have read other people's reviews where they complain that the soap stains their white wash clothes. Ummmm, bleach much!? Stains on my wash cloth are definitely worth the way my skin has been transformed.

It does melt quickly so we go through a bar a week and it is more expensive than the Lever 2000 that we typically used for years, but so worth it. You can find it in African beauty supply stores for about $3.00-$4.00 a bar, or you can find it much cheaper on Amazon.com. 12 bars for $25.00 and free shipping.

I have read in reviews that this soap has helped people with their acne, eczema, psoriasis, blemishes, stretch marks, preventing razor bumps when used for shaving, liver spots and much more.

I am so glad that my friend introduced me to this soap. We will never use "regular" soap again; bar or liquid. I did order a bottle of liquid Dudu-Osun with Shea Butter so I will give a full review on that as well when I have received it and tried it out.

Thanks for reading!