Needed: Home Cleaning Tips

mrs75 · Jul 6, 2005

I'm doing some research, your help would be very much appreciated.

What I need is some home cleaning tips. Is there a way that you make air fresheners for your home, something you use to remove a stain, etc... Example of what I'm looking for, Using used dryer tosses to dust with.

Please post any home cleaning tips you have.

Thanks in advance.

Stephanie · Jul 6, 2005

Sorry, I put myself in your shoes for a sec - writing a "how to clean your house" article. I'd have to file mine under "fiction".

However, my MIL is a neat-freak and one thing she's always done that's strange but true--she sweeps the carpet. She's got a broom with iron-like bristles and it honestly does a much better job at picking up pet hair and dust than vacuum cleaners.

(I, on the other hand, open my windows on windy days) :roll:

PVish · Jul 6, 2005

White vinegar is great for removing stains from a carpet.

Baking soda deodorizes carpets. Sprinkle, let sit for a while, then vacuum. Good to sprinkle inside smelly sneakers, too. Also good kitty litter deodorant.

To remove cat hair from the computer keyboard, fold a post-it note in half so the sticky side is out. Run that edge between the keys. Hair sticks to the sticky part.

MacAllister · Jul 6, 2005

two words:

Floor drains.

maestrowork · Jul 6, 2005

Club soda takes out pet stains on upholsteries...

Then there's Shop Vac (at least for the guys) and Windex... that's all you need.

Unique · Jul 6, 2005

When the clutter gets out of hand, I invite my friends over for a party. Great motivating force to get the job done.

SeanDSchaffer · Jul 7, 2005

When I was a Janitor years ago, we would dust off furniture and stuff using ordinary rags slightly dampened with simple water. It worked just as good as did Pledge or Endust or any other dusting spray. (I use the sprays at home these days, simply because they smell good, and because they shine up wooden surfaces better than does water. But for basic dusting, a rag slightly dampened with water is all you really need.)

On a related note, my Aunt Lena used to use old worn bathrags for dusting, instead of fancy specialized dusting rags you find packaged together at the local store. They worked just as good for her as do the fancier store-bought versions but are more readily available and cost less.

Also, one of my neighbors used to use liquid dish detergent to mop her floor with. It worked just as good for her as would Pine-Sol or something to that effect, but cost quite a bit less as she used the grocery store's own brand.

Fern · Jul 8, 2005

Word of caution about using liquid dishwashing soap to mop with --- speaking from experience, having busted my rear more than once after using it . . .

On some lineoleums it will make it slicker than snot. Always follow it with a clear water rinse with a little vinegar in it to strip the "soapy" film.

DTNg · Jul 18, 2005

Vinegar is great for cleaning and freshening the air. Dryer sheets are a great way to freshen drawers and closets and removing the musty smell. Baking soda is a wonderful carpet deodorizer too. I have many such tips, household hints are a specialty of mine. Feel free to contact me if you still are looking for assistance.

[email protected]

Rabe · Jul 18, 2005

It may sound funny, but tabasco sauce can be a great cleaner for tile, grout and concrete.

I discovered this once after I dropped a case of it on concrete and went to mop it up. Cleanest I'd ever seen that bit of floor! Of course, though, it was only that bit that the tabasco sauce was on which made an interesting pattern.

I'm sure you already know about toothpaste for silver polishing.

I read a tip somewhere were you could put shaving cream on your bathroom mirror and then wipe it off until there's just a film left...supposed to help defog the mirror. Didn't work out so well for me though, but then again, I'm not sure if it was becuase the tip is bogus or the type of shaving cream I used.

Rabe...

DTNg · Jul 19, 2005

One of my favorites - Use mayonaise to remove water marks from wood furniture.

Also, if you spill red wine on your carpet or clothes, chase with a glass of white wine. This will neutralize the stain.

sassandgroove · Jul 20, 2005

SeanDSchaffer said:
Also, one of my neighbors used to use liquid dish detergent to mop her floor with. It worked just as good for her as would Pine-Sol or something to that effect, but cost quite a bit less as she used the grocery store's own brand.

I found this out when I used Dawn in the dishwasher. Umm...not a good idea. Dish soap and dish washer machine liquid are not the same! Suds spilled out of the dishwasher endlessly! I mopped it up and had one shiny floor, and one heck of a silly story.

Oh, a housecleaning tip,

Use vinegar and baking soda in a slow drain. Leave it overnight and rinse thourougly. A lot cheaper than drano, but not as fast.

l.stormgaye · Jul 20, 2005

Hire a sexy nanny...she'll polish your husband's knobs.

http://michaelhodges.com/stuff/funny/2008cc1.swf

ideagirl · Jul 20, 2005

In case no one's mentioned this already, you can cut your use of laundry detergent in half by using baking soda. Just use half the normal amount of detergent, and then, for a full load, 1/2 cup baking soda. Reduce the amount of baking soda proportionally for smaller loads. If you use liquid detergent, put the baking soda in at the beginning; if you use powdered, put it in during the rinse cycle. If the clothes are truly filthy, use borax instead of baking soda.

Credit where credit is due: I got this from a book called "Clean House, Clean Planet: Clean your house for pennies a day the safe, nontoxic way" by Karen Logan. I only bought the book a couple of days ago, so this is the only tip in it that I've tried. It works! The clothes are just as clean as if I'd used the full amount of detergent!

Nicholas S.H.J.M Woodhouse · Jul 20, 2005

chop a potato and put the inside (the non-skin part) against any dirty window.

Patricia · Jul 20, 2005

Use dampened Q-tips to get into those hard to reach nooks and crannies that most dust cloths and brushes cannot reach. I am fortunate in that I can now have help with the house cleaning. Think I can get the cleaning persons to use my trick? Nope! I find myself still every so often going about doing the "detailed dusting."

Good luck with your article or book!

DTNg · Jul 20, 2005

Dryer sheets are great for removing soap scum from shower walls and doors. It's best to clean as soon as the shower is over while the walls are still wet. If not dampen a dryer sheet and wipe soap scum away.

l.stormgaye · Jul 21, 2005

Have kids...

This is the best cleaning solution by far.

Maryn · Jul 23, 2005

Our house is a mess, cluttered with books and shoes and newspapers and sometimes dirty under the clutter as well.

And you know what? I don't care. My husband and kids are never going to reminisce about that time the counter shone like glass, how their socks never picked up hair when they walked across the carpet, or how dust-free living felt.

They'll remember kick-*** homemade Halloween costumes and prom dresses, movies and popcorn at least once a week starting at age 8 (and not just kid movies, either!), learning together how to make pizza from scratch, only the pepperoni pre-packaged, and a mom who had time to read to them by the hour, lie on our stomachs examining ants or on our backs for clouds, painting bedrooms any color they chose, and lots more.

A clean house is no competition.

Maryn

Edit to add: That said, I do have a household tip which I forgot, so wrapped up in my little rant did I become! (Oops.) We inherited silver and it is pretty when it's polished. Line a shallow pan with aluminum foil and fill with water, adding one tablespoon of baking soda per two cups of water. Heat to 150F, and lay the silverware in the pan, making sure it touches the foil. The tarnish will disappear (theoretically) or lighten (reality). Especially good for tableware (spoons and such) and ornate trim on edges, lids, and handles. Use a really big pot and you can even do pitchers and serving pieces.

Rabe · Jul 26, 2005

And you know what? I don't care. My husband and kids are never going to reminisce about that time the counter shone like glass, how their socks never picked up hair when they walked across the carpet, or how dust-free living felt.

Y'know, I grew up in a house with homemade donuts, homemade potato chips (guess I really I really should call them crisps) a lot of handmade Halloween costumes and family games. Watching the clouds and picking out constellations on 'porch nights'. I remember big family holiday dinners and large twinkling trees filled by dawn's early light with brightly wrapped presents.

What else do I remember? How I stopped wearing socks in the house because on those days in gym class when we took of our shoes to play, the bottoms of my socks always looked dirty - how my clothes looked wrinkly and - looking back - how often I would not invite my friends over because the place was a mess.

So, y'know, memories work both ways and sometimes, memories like that, aren't always pleasent.

It's funny though...my friends had just as much fun with THEIR families and didn't live in the same kind of mess. Even now, I try to keep my place picked up and presentable because I *want* to invite people over and not be ashamed by drop-by guests.

Rabe...

DTNg · Jul 27, 2005

Rabe said:
And you know what? I don't care. My husband and kids are never going to reminisce about that time the counter shone like glass, how their socks never picked up hair when they walked across the carpet, or how dust-free living felt.

Y'know, I grew up in a house with homemade donuts, homemade potato chips (guess I really I really should call them crisps) a lot of handmade Halloween costumes and family games. Watching the clouds and picking out constellations on 'porch nights'. I remember big family holiday dinners and large twinkling trees filled by dawn's early light with brightly wrapped presents.

What else do I remember? How I stopped wearing socks in the house because on those days in gym class when we took of our shoes to play, the bottoms of my socks always looked dirty - how my clothes looked wrinkly and - looking back - how often I would not invite my friends over because the place was a mess.

So, y'know, memories work both ways and sometimes, memories like that, aren't always pleasent.

It's funny though...my friends had just as much fun with THEIR families and didn't live in the same kind of mess. Even now, I try to keep my place picked up and presentable because I *want* to invite people over and not be ashamed by drop-by guests.

Rabe...

I have similar memories - a lot of brothers and sisters and parents who worked and went to school full time. The house was always a mess and I was embarrassed to invite friends over. Clothes weren't ironed. If I lost a button, rather than sew it back on, my mother would run the shirt through the sewing machine -- no matter what color thread might have been inserted. As a result I might be wearing a white button down blouse, sewn closed down the front with green thread.

My mother stressed the importance of being creative (without her, I'd never have been a writer) and enjoying life over cleanliness and organization. That's fine, but at what cost?

I have wonderful memories of growing up in my large family, and one day it will be a book. I also remember being teased in school because of my clothes and the less than neat appearance of my home.

My sister recently told me her teenage daughter told her she never had friends over because she was embarrassed. (My sister has my Mom's sloppy habits.) Now they take Saturday mornings to do a few chores.

Jenny · Jul 27, 2005

Lemon and salt can clean a shower - but it's harder work than using a commercial product. And this isn't really a tip, but I love those electro-static cloths (like Enjo) which clean everything - wet they take stains off upholstery and dry they take that smog/fog stuff off the inside of car windows.

A. Hamilton · Jul 27, 2005

those new oxygen cleaners are the best i've found yet for cleaning shower doors and walls and old formica. i use a powder version i found at the Dollar Tree. (called Awesome Oxy Cleaner) it also works great for cutting stovetop grease and cleaning the bottoms of pans.

SLake · Jul 27, 2005

Shotgun

Home cleaning tips?

1/ For dusty dryer -- Florida and use washing line.
2/ Otherwise, maid/manMaid.
3/ Threatening looking maid/manMaid supervisor.
4/ Hotel room with good fire-escape access.
5/ Ex's house keys.
6/ A sucker.
7/ Excuses.
8/ Insurance, flamethrower and friendly connections in investigative Dept.
9/ Dog with large tongue.

Hope that helps.

A. Hamilton · Aug 10, 2005

Almost forgot my favorite tip.
Hydrogen peroxide takes out blood stains, rinse with cold water.

Needed: Home Cleaning Tips

Cat hair collector

'Twas but a dream of thee

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SeanDSchaffer

practical experience, FTW

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the living dead

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the living dead

Going through the motions

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