HOUSEHOLD HINTS
CLEANING TIPS
Prepared by Luz Leigh April 2007

If there is something in your house, garage, or workshop, that you don’t like or need, give it away.  Consider recycling it instead of having to clean it.  If it’s not there, no need for cleaning.  Right?

Oh, and I love this one.  The surfaces that are not readily seen by visitors, like the top of a cabinet, don’t have to be cleaned regularly.  Take time to put some paper down; when paper gets too dirty, just remove and toss it out.

Think on this.  Things that are not dirty….no need to clean them.  Sometimes just a touch up will do.    Say there is a hand print on your otherwise clean mirror….just wipe the hand print off with a paper towel moistened with glass cleaner.  No need to clean the entire mirror.

I once purchased a book entitled How to Clean Practically Anything, by the editors of Consumer Reports Books with Edward Kippel.   Much of my advice is loose, and I do mean loose, translations from that book.  But, I do want to give credit where credit is due.  I knew I was in trouble when I opened the book to page 1.   There were the words that are almost foreign to my vocabulary….”Organized” and “Planning”.  Upon further inspection I found that cleaning should be broken into 5 categories; these being daily (WHAT?), weekly, monthly, seasonally or semiannually, and annually. 

Before I became totally discouraged, I skipped to page 153 where I found tips for cleaning various and sundry household items, all listed in alphabetical order. To clean your computer keyboard, it is suggested you vacuum regularly, using the soft brush attachment.  Flip the keyboard over and whack the back side with the flat of your hand to dislodge those cracker crumbs.  Using a soft lint-free cloth that has been dipped in rubbing alcohol, give the keyboard a good cleaning.   Oh, by the way,  BEFORE you begin this task, unplug the keyboard or shut the computer off.

Here are some suggestions for cleaning that messy kitchen.
 

            Ready to do your spring cleaning?  Tackle those windows with this homemade window cleaner.  Mix 5 cups water and 1 cup white vinegar.  This will clean and shine nearly everything in the house, including your eyeglasses.  For stale food odors in kitchen containers, use vinegar full strength.  For unpleasant cooking smells, dilute it with a little water and boil it on the stove.  Oven walls can be wiped down with a cloth dampened with vinegar to prevent grease buildup.  Got a greasy stovetop?  Wipe with cloth or paper towels that have been dipped in vinegar.

            If your stainless steel sink has yellowed a bit or has some coffee or tea stains, pour a few tablespoons of ammonia on a sponge.   Wipe out the sink with the sponge, paying close attention to any stains.  Rinse both the sponge and the sink with hot water.

            For a short term solution to a smelly trash can, pour in the morning coffee grounds.  Or pour a couple cups of CLEAN kitty litter into the garbage can.  This is only for an overnight answer to the smelly problem….get rid of the trash early the next morning.  Before you place a clean liner in the garbage can, place a dryer sheet on the bottom.  The perfume from the sheet will cover any odors left behind when you remove the filled liner.

            Suppose your refrigerator has gotten just too smelly to ignore any longer.  After emptying everything from fridge, using a clean rag soaked in vanilla extract, wipe down the walls and shelves.  Use a clean dry rag to wipe again.  I little scrubbing maybe necessary, but the vanilla will add a clean smell.

            A great book to have around is Yankee Magazine’s Vinegar, Duct Tape, Milk Jugs & More from which I gleaned some of my ideas.