Clean This Today: Baseboard Heaters

Good morning, household managers!  Today’s cleaning chore is to clean the baseboards in your house.

Baseboard heaters are probably not an item which you have on your cleaning checklist for each room.  This is all the more reason to dedicate one day a month to cleaning the baseboards in the whole house.

The baseboards in bathrooms, laundry rooms, and near kitchens are often the most dirty and have buildup of grease, lint, hair products, and more.

Clean your baseboards at least once a month to keep them from getting buildup that takes heavy duty scrubbing to remove.  We’ve even got a trick that will help to keep the dirt from being attracted to your baseboard heaters in the first place.  Who doesn’t love to make housework easier?! 

How to Clean Baseboards: Complete Directions

We’ve created the perfect easy-to-follow step by step instructions for how to clean baseboards.  Make sure to print out the directions and put them in your household management binder for quick reference.

The short version of how to clean baseboard heaters:

1. Clean all the baseboards in the house on the same day.  Clean one room at a time.
2. Bring a vacuum with a tube attachment, a sponge, dryer sheets, and a bottle of antibacterial cleaner or vinegar with you to each room.
3. Vacuum the dirt out of the radiation fins first (these are inside the baseboard and look like a bunch of metal pieces side by side standing upright). -or-
4. If you don’t have a vacuum with a tube, use canned air (the kind used for computer cleaning) to blast out the dust from the fins.
5. Next, spray the sponge with cleaner and wipe down the outside of the baseboard.
6. Once dry, rub the outside of the baseboard with a dryer sheet to keep dirt from settling on the baseboards.

Click now to read the full directions for how to clean baseboards.

Now get started cleaning your baseboard heaters and come back next Tuesday for Clean This Today to transform your house into your Home Ever After!  If you have more energy and want to try more extra cleaning projects today, then go back to our Clean This Today list.

We originally published Clean This Today: Baseboards on February 15, 2011.  This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday and 11th Heaven.

My family has had the chance to test out the Neato robot vacuum this summer.  We received this little robot helper from Neato Robotics to see what we thought about his capabilities and helpfulness around the house.

I fully understand that the Neato vacuum is supposed to save people time because it automatically does the vacuuming for you.

However, it is so much fun to watch a robot cruise around your house eating fuzz and dust bunnies off the floor that we often found ourselves watching Neato as entertainment!

Obviously, watching the vacuum work was not a way for us to save time. Several times, we piled the entire family onto the couch so we could stay out of Neato’s way and watch him vacuum.

I videotaped the Neato robot vacuum vacuuming my living room, which you can watch in the video below.  (Subscribers will have to click this link to watch the video.)

Neato XV-11 Robot Vacuum: The Good

Robots are neat:  If you grew up watching the Jetsons cartoon like I did (I know I’m on dangerous ground now, showing just how old I am by my references to childhood pop culture), you’ll understand what I’m about to say. There’s just something about having robots to do your bidding – especially household cleaning and chores bidding – that makes you feel so millennial! Remember the Jetsons’ robot housekeeper, Rosie? She kept everything clean, was always there to serve, and even wore a little maid apron! Better still, she was like part of their family.

Now, household robotics may not have quite evolved to the point of Rosie yet, but that doesn’t mean that cleaning robots aren’t just as helpful and endearing. I had all these thoughts running through my mind as I waited for our very own Neato robot vacuum to arrive so I could try him out as a housecleaning helper. Little did I know that Neato would end up becoming our new family pet. Let me explain.

Programmable days and times: The LED window on Neato is the main method of communication between you and your Neato robot vacuum. It allows you to program which days you want Neato to vacuum and then what times of those days he should start.

Super cleaning power:  The first time you use Neato in your house, you have to run him several times in a row through the whole house to get all the extra debris you can’t see in the carpet. We ran him three times in a row and emptied the dirt cup several times, showing us just how much dirt there was in our carpet that we didn’t know about.

The Neato Robot vacuum’s dirt cup is moderately sized considering how small the robot is, which means you don’t have to empty the dirt cup as frequently as you might think.

He knows how to go to his home:  From wherever in the house Neato stops his vacuuming job, he can drive himself back to his charger, turn around, dock himself, and power down to charge. 

Neato XV-11 Robot Vacuum: The Bad

He works alone: Unfortunately, Neato really needs to be alone in a room (without moving people) or he gets confused.  When we stayed up on the furniture or just outside the room, he didn’t have any problems.  The mapping functions for the robot need to make sure that nothing is moving around in the room, like an animal or a person, so that they can really make an accurate picture of where Neato needs to go.

If you need to get something out of the room, you’re better off to wait until Neato is done and out of the room.

He’s still a machine: Just like all machines, robots can break when things go wrong. After only 2 weeks, our poor Neato vacuum’s LED screen (which is where you program his cleaning times and set options) stopped working completely. Without the communication center, the Neato couldn’t really help me any more. He didn’t know what I wanted him to do or when, and I had no way to tell him.

Luckily for me, the customer service department was incredibly helpful.  They let me know that this is a very rare problem which does not happen to many customers.  They were quick to help me diagnose the problem over e-mail.  Next, they offered me a toll free number where I could call to get a replacement Neato robot right away.  The Neato robotics customer service is shipping out a brand new replacement robot to me and a call tag so that I can send the broken Neato back to the company.

I couldn’t have asked for a better resolution or nicer people to be dealing with to fix the problem.  Neato Robotics’ customer service is fantastic.

He gets stuck: Neato got stuck on a few items in my house which were confusing and impassable.  One in particular was the baby jumper.  Neato tried to go over the metal tube, but he got stuck on top of it after getting his front over it.  He couldn’t go forward, he couldn’t go back, and he didn’t really know what to do.  I gave him some time to see if he could figure it out, but after a while he just sat there and did nothing.  After I took the Neato robot vacuum down from the tube, he managed to figure out where he was and go back to his vacuuming job.

It was very rare that Neato got stuck, even in areas where I thought he would.  This was very impressive, as he can lift himself up over some pretty tall things.  Also, his wheels are rather large and rugged and make it easy for the Neato robot vacuum to navigate terrain.  But remember, he’s just a machine and he may need a little help every once in a while.

Neato XV-11 Robot Vacuum: Take It or Leave It

Must Have Appliance of the Year: I can’t say enough good things about the Neato robot vacuum, and at around $350 he is well worth the money spent.  My kids are so in love with that Neato vacuum that I’ve decided to take the family pet idea a step further. 

I’ll be heading to the craft store to buy some large adhesive googly eyes to affix to Neato’s front and some kind of material to make a smiling mouth.  Yes, my Neato robot vacuum is getting a face, mostly because my children still insist on hugging and kissing him good night before they go to bed!

Where to Buy Neato XV-11 Robot Vacuum

You can purchase the Neato robot vacuum from Amazon with free super saver shipping. 

–

Disclaimer:  In compliance with the FTC Guides, updated 10/5/09, this article has material connections.  IS World Media (ISWM) received no fees for the writing or publication of this article.  This article is a product review written by Danelle Ice and is her honest opinion.  A Neato XV-11 robot vacuum was provided to ISWM at no cost by Neato Robotics to facilitate the review process. 

So many readers have asked, "Where Can I Get Lists of Housekeeping Tasks to Keep my House Clean?"

To help with setting up effective housekeeping plans, I made available my new series: Printable Housekeeping Checklists – Forms for Your Life.  The best part is, these printables are yours for FREE! 

Print this housekeeping checklist now:  How To Clean the Kitchen Checklist

As you go through the list, you’ll notice that we clean any room from top to bottom, starting with the highest point and leaving the floors for the last.  The kitchen cleaning checklist incorporates the dining room, which you can put on a separate list if it is not part of the kitchen.

Every house is different, and not all the tasks on our lists will apply to every home.  However, this will give you a great starting point to get your house into shape and customize your own housekeeping plan.  There are even blank lines at the bottom to add in tasks specific to your home.

Click on the picture at left to print the How To Clean the Kitchen Checklist.

I recommend printing the checklist then laminating it so it can be used over and over with a dry erase marker.  If you do not have a laminator, you can just print multiple copies.

Our checklists make it easy to delegate housekeeping chores to family members.  If you’ve ever assigned someone to clean the kitchen and then been asked, "How do I clean the kitchen?," you will see that this checklist is justly named!

Take your children and/or spouse through the list step by step, explaining and demonstrating each job.  Hang the checklist in an accessible place in the room.  (Clipboards work very well for this purpose.)  Insist that the name and date is filled out at the top of the list and each item is checked off by the person cleaning the room.

For the first few times you’ll be double checking that each task was completed and done properly, but practice makes perfect.  Our lists ensure that the job will be done the same way every time and no tasks will be missed or forgotten.

You’ll never again wonder when a room was last cleaned, and you won’t hear "How do I clean the bathroom?" anymore!

Need more help setting up a plan to manage your housekeeping?  Check out our great materials for homemakers: How to Set Up a Housekeeping Plan.

We originally published the Printable Housekeeping Cleaning Checklist: Kitchen on June 16, 2008.  It’s been updated since then, so we thought we’d remind everyone to get theirs printed today!

Clean This Today: The Microwave

Good morning, rulers of the roost!  Today’s cleaning chore is to clean your microwave.  I know it probably looks pretty scary in there, and yes, there are probably splatters of pasta sauce and butter on the microwave ceiling. 

I’ve always wondered- do most of us really cook that much pasta and buttery food in the microwave?  How does that stuff always end up on the microwave walls and ceiling?

Clean your microwave once a month if you dread it or once a week if you’re ambitious.  The once per week microwave cleaning schedule ensures that you’ll never have too daunting of a cleaning task before you.  Don’t put off cleaning your microwave anymore. 

It’s easy to clean a microwave when you know the simple steps to follow.  Do it today; you’ll be so glad you did!

How to Clean a Microwave: Complete Directions

We’ve created the perfect easy-to-follow step by step instructions for how to clean a microwave.  For you green cleaners, we’ve got plenty of non-chemical cleaning alternatives for you.  These include how to clean a microwave with baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and lemon juice.

Click now to read the directions for:

• How to Clean a Microwave 
• How to Clean a Microwave with Baking Soda
• How to Clean a Microwave with Vinegar
• How to Clean a Microwave with a Lemon
• How to Clean a Microwave with Lemon Juice

Cleaning your microwave with safe, non-chemical cleaners is really the best, since you can’t submerge any of the microwave’s surfaces in water to get a thorough rinse.  Remember to  print out the directions from each article and put them in the cleaning section of your household management binder for the next microwave cleaning day. 

Now you’ve got your cleaning instruction for the day.  Remember to come back next Tuesday for Clean This Today to transform your house into your Home Ever After!  If you have more energy and want to try more extra cleaning projects today, then go back to our Clean This Today list. 

Clean This Today: The Microwave is linked to Works for Me Wednesday and 11th Heaven.

Clean This Today: The Garage

Good morning, household managers!  Today’s cleaning chore is to clean your garage. 

With every day we’re getting closer and closer to spring, and that means spring cleaning.  Lucky for you, if you’ve been doing our weekly challenges to “Clean This Today”, you won’t have much work left to do in your spring cleaning!  

It’s easy to clean a garage when you know how to handle the project and you don’t make it a bigger project in your mind than it really is. 

Clean your garage at least twice a year, but really it works better if you do it with each changing of the season.  Get your garage cleaned today; you’ll be happy and so will your car!

How to Clean a Garage: Complete Directions

Of course we have easy-to-follow step by step instructions for you on how to clean a garage.  In our directions, we recommend taking everything out of the garage first.  However, since it’s still winter and there is snow on the ground in a lot of places, let’s change that to moving the car out of the garage and relocating items to an empty side while you clean. 

Make sure you make a note in your household management binder of the date you cleaned the garage (today) so you’ll know when to clean it next time. 

Click now to read the directions for how to clean a garage. 

Now you’ve got your cleaning instruction for the day.  Get started on your garage cleaning and come back next Tuesday for Clean This Today to transform your house into your Home Ever After!  If you have more energy and want to try more extra cleaning projects today, then go back to our Clean This Today list. 

Clean This Today: The Garage is linked to Works for Me Wednesday and 11th Heaven.

Clean This Today: The Coffee Maker

Good morning, home mavens!  Today’s cleaning chore is to clean your coffee maker.  How long has it been since you cleaned the coffee maker?  Wait- has it EVER been cleaned? 

It’s easy to clean a coffee maker when you know what to do.  Cleaning the coffee maker is important because it will keep buildup from forming not only in the coffee maker machine but also in the carafe.  Plus, your coffee will taste better – you just can’t lose!

Unless you brew a lot more than 1 pot of coffee per day, you’ll want to clean your coffee maker about once per quarter.  Don’t put off cleaning your coffee maker anymore.  Do it today; you’ll be so glad you did!

How to Clean a Coffee Maker: Complete Directions

We’ve created the perfect easy-to-follow step by step instructions for how to clean a coffee maker.  In our directions, there are 8 quick steps to get your coffee maker looking as good as new.  You can even print out the directions and put it right into your household management binder for quick reference next time. 

Click now to read the directions for how to clean a coffee maker. 

Now you’ve got your cleaning instruction for the day.  Go tackle your coffee maker with confidence and come back next Tuesday for Clean This Today to transform your house into your Home Ever After!  Clean This Today: The Coffee Maker is linked to Works for Me Wednesday and 11th Heaven.

This simple chore must be done at least twice a year, and is best saved for spring cleaning and while getting ready for winter.

Take your pick of cleaning the screens inside or outside – we’ve included directions for both below.

How to Clean Window Screens Indoors

Supplies:

• Scrub brush
• Bucket or large bowl
• Household cleaner
• Bath tub or large sink
• Shower head or kitchen sprayer

Directions:

If the weather is cold, you’ll want to clean your screens inside the house.  A bathtub works well for this chore.  If you can’t use the bathtub, try using a large sink basin.  Follow these steps to clean screen windows inside:

1.  In a wash bucket or large bowl, add warm water and a household cleaner (choose from antibacterial cleaner or vinegar for greener cleaning).

2.  Spray down your screen with water first to loosen and dirt, debris, or bug parts.

3.  Next, it’s time to scrub.  Using your scrub brush and cleaning water/cleaner mixture, scrub down the first side of the window screen.  Then turn the screen over and scrub down the second side.

4.  Rinse off the cleaner with the shower head or sprayer.

5.  Dry the screen.  To do this, you have several options.  If you have a lot of time, leave the screen standing up in the bathtub to air dry.  If you have less time, you can either wipe the screen off with a towel or use a hairdryer on a cool air setting to dry the water out of the grid.

How to Clean Window Screens Outdoors

Supplies:

• Scrub brush
• Bucket or large bowl
• Household cleaner
• Hose
• Tree, staircase, or porch

Directions:

If the weather is nice (say, during spring cleaning), try cleaning the window screens outside instead.  Here’s how to clean screens outside:

1.  In a wash bucket or large bowl, add warm water and a household cleaner (choose from antibacterial cleaner or vinegar for greener cleaning).

2.  Spray down your screen with the hose first to loosen and dirt, debris, or bug parts.

3.  Using your scrub brush and cleaning water/cleaner mixture, scrub down the first side of the window screen.  Then turn the screen over and scrub down the second side.

4.  Rinse off the cleaner with the hose.

5.  Dry the screen.  If you’re cleaning outdoors, you may as well let nature do the drying for you!  Find a place to stand up the window screens so they can air dry.  Try propping the screens up against a tree trunk, staircase, porch, or the wall of the house.

Cleaning window screens is an easy chore, once you know how to get it done.  Start cleaning yours today, one room at a time, until the whole house is done.  Those nice clean window screens will let you enjoy a long summer of pretty views and a cozy winter of candlelit hues! 

Read more how to articles before you go.  Photo by Wesley Landis.  How to Clean Window Screens is linked to Works for Me Wednesday and 11th Heaven.

Owners of stainless steel pots and pans know how great they look when you first get them and what a nightmare they are to keep looking that way after you cook in them!  Without the non-stick surface that many of us are used to cooking on, it can be a whole new world to use and clean stainless steel pots and pans. 

Cleaning your stainless steel cookware is a lot easier than you think, as long as you know the right way and the have the right tools. You’ll need to pick up a special cleaner for stainless steel called Cameo or Barkeeper’s Friend at your local grocery store.

The video below shows how to clean stainless steel pots and pans.

(Subscribers will need to click through to this article to watch the video.)

Want more? We’ve got lots of How To videos and instructions!

Frugal homemaking causes us to find ways to eliminate wasting supplies and, in turn, wasting our hard earned money. 

Commercial cleaners which come in spray bottles can be pricey and seem to stop spraying before the cleaner is used up. 

Don’t toss that spray bottle of cleaner when it stops spraying, though.  It’s not really empty yet! 

Many people think that when a bottle stops spraying, it is empty enough to throw away.  The Home Ever After team decided to find out just how much liquid is left inside a spray bottle of cleaner once pulling the trigger no longer makes liquid spray out. 

We tested a popular kitchen cleaning brand’s spray bottle of kitchen cleaner (brand to remain nameless).  Measuring the liquid that remained in the bottle allowed us to get a rough estimate of what percentage of cleaner would be wasted if you threw away the remainder.

• Starting contents of bottle:  32 fluid ounces
• Cleaner left inside after bottle stopped spraying:  5 fluid ounces
• According to these measurements, 15.6% of the cleaner is still in the bottle when you can no longer spray it out. 
• If your cleaner cost $5, that 15% is worth 75 cents! 
• Multiply this by one bottle of cleaner a month, and you could possible be throwing away $9 per year.

Don’t waste 15% of your cleaning spray!  The remaining cleaner can still be used in buckets of cleaning water or in mopping water.  Here’s how:

1.  Unscrew the sprayer from the bottle and discard.

2.  Use a plastic zipper bag or plastic wrap and rubber band to cover the top of the bottle.

3.  Put the bottle with your cleaning supplies.

4.  When mopping or cleaning, add the remaining cleaner to a bucket of warm water.  This mixture will clean and disinfect using a sponge, scrub brush or mop just as well as if you were spraying it out of a bottle.

Never waste cleaning liquid again!  Cut your family’s household expenses by getting the most out of what you’ve already bought.  What other products can you apply this principle to?

“Wait – That Bottle of Cleaner Isn’t Really Empty!” was originally published on Home Ever After on August 8, 2008.  Check out Frugal Friday for more great tips.  Photo courtesy of stock.xchng.

Colorful natural and artificial dyes in vegetables and fruits can stain and discolor the white plastic of a juicer.  If you’ve juiced a lot of carrots, you can probably see the orange stains on your juicer parts, no matter how quickly you wash them off after juicing.

The short video below shows how to deep clean a juicer and remove the stains to keep it looking great!

(Subscribers will need to click through to this article to watch the video.)

Want more? We’ve got lots of How To videos and instructions!

Tools Needed to Plan Spring Cleaning

First, you’ll want a pen, paper, and something hard to write on, such as a clipboard.  You’ll be carrying these writing tools with you as you go from one room to the next to make notes, so that’s why a clipboard will come in handy.  If you don’t have a clipboard, you can just use a hardcover book.

How Much Time to Spend Spring Cleaning

Next, you’ll need to decide how much time you can spend on your spring cleaning.  If you have only a little time, such as one afternoon, you’ll have to tackle only the most important spring cleaning tasks.  However, if you have a whole week to spend (or have helpers to lighten your load), you can add more detailed tasks and deep cleaning projects to your Spring Cleaning Plan. 

Decide the amount of time you’re willing to spend on spring cleaning and stick to it.

How to Make a Spring Cleaning Plan

1.  Draw a line down the center of your paper.  On the top left, write “Things To Clean”.  On the top right, write “If I Have Time”.  Make one sheet for each room, and write the room name at the very top of the paper.

2.  Grab your clipboard and go outside of your front door.  Now open the door.  What is the first thing you see that looks dirty or cluttered?  Write it down on the left side of your Spring Cleaning Plan.  Look around the room and write down all the things that must be cleaned on the left side of your Spring Cleaning Plan.  Now put down all the extra projects (repainting the room, having carpets cleaned, etc.) on the right hand side that you will only do if you have extra time at the end.

3.  Go from room to room, taking a good look around for what tasks need to be included in your spring cleaning.  Remember the time limit you set for spring cleaning and be realistic when you write down your cleaning, organizing and decluttering tasks.  Remember to also walk through the garage, attic, back yard, storage shed, etc. looking for spring cleaning jobs.

4.  When finished, read through the sheets and see if any other tasks come to mind.

It’s Time to Spring Clean – with Help

Now that you have a clear plan of what needs to be done, it’s time to carry out your Spring Cleaning Plan.  This is the great part: you get to enlist helpers!  Whether you choose to have your kids and spouse help or pay a neighbor or teenager to help out to earn a little extra money, you’ll speed your spring cleaning. 

Give each helper one room’s sheet from your Spring Cleaning Plan.  Go to the room with them and read through the tasks, explaining how you’d like each one completed. 

When the whole house has been spring cleaned and you still have extra time, you’ll be able to tackle the extra projects in the “If I Have Time” column.  Happy spring cleaning!

Visit Works for Me Wednesday and and Homemaker Mondays for more life organizing tips.

Any of the 5 quick clean up methods will make your house appear cleaner, but you don’t have to do all 5 in the same day.  You could even try one per day and watch your house improve as you go along. 

Using the 5 quick clean up techniques will give you fast relief from a messy house and help you make a dent when you don’t know where to start.  However, remember that these quick fixes are just a starting point.  Following up with sorting, organizing, and putting the items back into their homes will give you lasting relief from a house overrun with mess and clutter.  

No matter how messy your house is now, there’s no reason you can’t jump in and start getting it cleaned up today.  Before you know it, your house will be back to comfy, cozy and clean again and will be a place you enjoy coming home to!

Did you miss any of this series?  Read it now:

1. Is Your House a Disaster?  5 Quick Clean Ups That Can Save Your Messy House
2. Quick House Clean Up #1: Dirty Dishes
3. Quick House Clean Up #2: Trash
4. Quick House Clean Up #3: Dirty Laundry and Clothes
5. Quick House Clean Up #4: Toys
6. Quick House Clean Up #5: Papers

Forgot to read the introduction? Before reading on, read 5 Quick Clean Ups That Can Save Your Messy House.

Quick house clean up #5:  Stack All Papers Together.  It’s no shock that paper clutter can make your home look like a tornado hit, since it takes up 8”x11” of space in each spot and can easily fall or be relocated from the slightest breeze (read: kids running by during a close game of indoor tag). 

While sorting and filing papers can take a lot of time,  stacking them together does not. 

For now, we’ll focus on consolidating the mess by gathering all the paper clutter in your house and stacking it into nice neat piles.  Later, as time permits, you can process one stack of papers at a time and make the papers disappear.  In the meantime, having all the papers together will work wonders for making your messy house appear cleaner in a jiffy.  

Here’s How: 

• Choose a room to start in and a spot for your stack of papers (preferably one in a place out of reach or children and not near the edge of a table or counter). 
• Pick up all papers in the room, no matter if they are unopened mail envelopes, receipts, magazine articles, or other types. 
• Put all the papers into one single stack to be sorted, organized, filed, scanned, or shredded later.  Each room will get its own stack of papers, unless you’d prefer to move them all into one room, such as a home office.

Next, read Quick House Clean Ups: The Bigger Picture

Forgot to read the introduction? Before reading on, read 5 Quick Clean Ups That Can Save Your Messy House.

Quick house clean up #4: Pick Up All Toys.  Kids can create a disaster area out of your house in less time than it takes for you to take a nap!  Luckily, if you have children old enough to play with toys, they’re also old enough to put the toys away.

Here’s How: 

• This is one quick clean up that your kids can help you with!  Put some music on and go for a “toy treasure hunt” with your kids. 
• Give each child a trash bag or laundry basket and instructions to go through the house and pick up any toy not in its home.  They should put the toys in their bag or basket until no more can be found. 
• Offer different prizes for the “winner” (the child that finds the most toys) and the runners up. 
• Then, mom gets to take the toys directly to the kids rooms and dump them into the toy boxes.

Next, read Quick House Clean Up #5: Papers

Forgot to read the introduction? Before reading on, read 5 Quick Clean Ups That Can Save Your Messy House.

Quick house clean up #3:   Pick Up Dirty Laundry and Clothes.  Good preventive measures will keep clothing mess from becoming a mess issue in the first place, but if strewn laundry has taken over your house, never fear!  Getting all the clothes laundered and back into the closets and dressers will make your house look much cleaner.     

Here’s How: 

• Rule # 1 for clothes is this: If they’re on the floor, they’re dirty. 
• Using either a laundry hamper or large trash bag, go through the house and put any clothes you encounter into the container.  Be sure to check floors, couches and chairs, kids’ rooms, closets, and all surfaces for clothes which should not be there. 
• Once done, take the bags or hampers to the laundry room and get started washing the dirty clothes. 
• Be sure that as clean laundry comes out of the dryer, you immediately fold or hang it and put the clothes into closets or dresser drawers to prevent future clothing mess. 

Next, read Quick House Clean Up #4: Toys

Forgot to read the introduction? Before reading on, read 5 Quick Clean Ups That Can Save Your Messy House.

Quick house clean up #2:  Throw Away all Trash.  Trash is probably the easiest of the 5 offenders to deal with because all you have to do is bag it and put it in the dumpster! 

Whether your problem is piled up junk mail, unread newspapers, trails of goldfish crackers from your toddler, or empty food wrappers, trash will make your house look like a pig sty in no time if you don’t get it under control.  By the same token, clearing out the trash will make your house look cleaner instantly!     

Here’s How: 

• Grab a trash bag and just start walking through the house. 
• Be ruthless and make sure that all trash goes into the bag without a second thought. 
• If something makes you think for more than 10 seconds about whether or not it counts as trash, set it aside for later when you have time to declutter and organize.  
• Once full, immediately tie the trash bags up and put them in the dumpster or the trash barrels for garbage day.

Next, read Quick House Clean Up #3: Dirty Laundry and Clothes

Forgot to read the introduction? Before reading on, read 5 Quick Clean Ups That Can Save Your Messy House.

Quick house clean up #1:  Gather all Dirty Dishes.  If you or your family members eat in rooms other than the kitchen / dining room, dirty dishes can accumulate in places they shouldn’t.  Dirty dishes can not only pile up and cause a mess, but the old food in them will start growing mold or bacteria if not washed. 

Just the act of getting the dishes back to the kitchen will have a big visual impact and give your house a cleaner appearance.     

Here’s How:  Depending on the size of your house and degree of the mess, there are 2 ways to go about cleaning up mess from dirty dishes. 

• Small House:  If your house is small, pick a room to start in and gather all the dirty dishes from that room. Take the dirty dishes to the kitchen and load into the dishwasher or stack them all neatly on 1 kitchen counter to be washed by hand.
• Large House:  If your house is large, you’ll need to use a rectangular laundry basket.  Go from room to room, putting all dirty dishes into the laundry basket as you go.  After you’ve been through the entire house, take the basket to the kitchen and wash the dishes.

Next, read Quick House Clean Up #2: Trash

5 Quick Clean Ups That Can Save Your Messy House

Is your house such a disaster that you don’t even know where to start?  Cleaning up a messy house can seem like a huge project and you may not even know where to start.  We can teach you how to clean up your house the easy way! 

While looking around at piles and clutter, you may think that nothing you do is going to make a difference because the mess is too much.  Take heart!  Your dirty house is not beyond saving.

These 5 quick clean up tasks can make a world of difference even in the messiest of houses.  There are 5 main items that get scattered throughout homes and create chaos in your space.  Learn to tackle the 5 big mess-makers and get a jump start on cleaning up your messy house today!

Read Quick House Clean Up #1: Dirty Dishes

Photo by xJasonRogersx.

Don’t be embarrassed!  We all have places we forget about and neglect when cleaning.  Print this list out now and get started on checking these items off as you clean and sanitize.  Find out how to clean each item below, then put them into your cleaning schedule for this week. 

13 Things You Haven’t Cleaned in 6 Months

1.  The top of your refrigerator.  No matter what you keep up there, from kitchen appliances to lunch boxes to hot dog buns, chances are that the top of your refrigerator hasn’t been cleaned and a long time! 

• How to clean the top of the refrigerator.
• Learn how to keep the top of your refrigerator from getting dirty once it’s clean.

2.  Under the bathroom sink (kitchen sink too). How much stuff is under there, and how old is it all? Probably pretty old.  Read this now: How to clean and organize under a sink.  It is especially helpful to have a clean, organized area underneath your sink in case an emergency ever arises, such as a broken pipe.  A clutter-free cabinet will leave much less of a mess for you to clean up from water damage.

3.  Your keyboard.  Many of us type on them all day long, transferring germs from everything else we touch.  The particles that accumulate under the keys can be pretty disgusting as well.  See for yourself -just turn your keyboard upside down right now and watch everything that falls out.  Don’t worry, though!  You can get your keyboard up to par with the following tutorials:

• How to clean a computer keyboard.
• How to wash a keyboard in the dishwasher.

4.  Your mouse.  Ever think about how many germs you pick up from touching things that get transferred to your mouse? Learn how to clean a computer mouse.

Since one of our most frequently asked questions is how to become a better housekeeper, it’s clear that many of us like little tips and tricks that give us the edge on cleaning our houses without spending a lot of time on them.  

5.  The outside of your trash can.  Food splatters are only the beginning of what can cause bacteria to grow on the outside of a trash can.  Keeping it clean will provide a much more pleasant smelling kitchen!

6.  The inside of light fixture covers (lamps, wall lights, ceiling lights, etc.).

7.  Your kids’ backpacks.  Chances are that your kids’ backpacks haven’t been clean since the first day of school!  Those backpacks have gone from place to place collecting dirt and germs for months.  Depending on the material and construction of a backpack, the method of cleaning will be different.  It will either have to be hand washed or machine washed, and this guide for how to wash a backpack explains how to do both.

8.  Picture frames hanging on walls.  They look great showing off your family and friends, but picture frames collect all the dust and particulates from the air inside our homes.  Watch a video that shows how to clean picture frames (for you visual learners) or read how to clean a picture frame here.

9.  The drawer under the oven/stove. 

How to clean this often-forgotten storage space:

• Pull out the drawer completely.
• Remove all items from the drawer.
• Using your vacuum cleaner hose, vacuum out all food particles, crumbs, dust, etc.
• Spray inside of the drawer with anti-bacterial cleaner or vinegar. Allow to sit for a few minutes, then wipe clean with a damp sponge.
• Leave the door open to air dry.
• Once dry, replace the contents of the drawer and close.

10.  The tops of your bookcases. 

How to clean the tops of tall bookcases:

• Find a step stool, small ladder, or sturdy chair to help you reach the top of the bookcase. 
• Remove any plants, knickknacks, or other items that might be on top of the book shelf.
• Dust the top surface with a feather duster or dusting cloth.
• Spray the surface lightly with an appropriate furniture cleaner, then wipe clean with a cleaning cloth or dish towel.
• Replace all items.

11.  The produce / crisper drawers in your refrigerator.  It’s not difficult to learn how to clean refrigerator drawers, see for yourself.

12.  Your purse or handbag.  The amount of E. coli and other bacteria found on the surfaces of purses is astonishing!  According to Nelson Labs in Wisconsin, 25% of all purses tested were carrying E. coli bacteria. If you’re ready to be disgusted, horrified, and mortified into cleaning your purse immediately, read this, this, and this. The main reason for the large amount of bacteria found on purses is because they are transferred from place to place and set on the floor often.  Learn how to clean your purse, no matter what kind of fabric it is constructed from.

13.  The steering wheel, gear shift, and radio surface in your car.  This video shows you how to do it all.

To learn how to clean a coffee maker properly, you need to understand what you are trying to clean. In addition to daily coffee residue, your coffee maker accumulates water deposits, excess coffee oil that turns rancid when left to build up and basic debris and impurities.

A thorough monthly cleaning will expand the life of your coffee maker, allowing it to run more efficiently and produce better tasting coffee.  Don’t worry! We’ll teach you exactly how to clean your coffee maker with the easy step by step instructions below.

How to Clean a Coffee Maker

1.  First, you will need to flush the coffeemaker with a homemade cleaning solution:

Mix one part white vinegar with 2 parts water. Use enough mixture to completely fill the coffee pot.

(If this is the first time you are cleaning your coffeemaker, you may choose to use a less diluted mixture of 50% water mixed with 50% vinegar. Future cleanings will only require the original concentration mentioned above.)

If you run out of vinegar, you can make an alternate cleaning solution by mixing one part baking soda with four parts warm water. In addition to being less expensive than commercial cleaners, these homemade solutions are an all natural alternative that are free from chemicals.

2.  Next, pour the solution into the coffee well where you would normally add the water when making coffee.

3.  Add a coffee filter as usual.

4.  Switch the coffee maker on and let the solution brew just as you would do when making a pot of coffee.

5.  After the cycle is complete, allow the solution to sit in the pot for 15 minutes. This will help to remove coffee residue that build up inside the coffee pot.

6.  Dump the pot after 15 minutes and remove the coffee filter.

7.  Refill the reservoir with a full pot of cold water and turn the coffee maker back on.

8.  When the cycle completes, dump out the water (there is no need to let this pot sit for 15 minutes, it is not a cleansing pot but rather a rinsing pot) and your coffee pot will be ready to use.

Now that you have learned how to clean a coffee maker, remember to do so on a monthly basis to keep it running like new!

Photo by stock.xchng.

House cleaning is one of our least favorite tasks.  The number one reason people give for why they can’t (or don’t) clean their homes is that they don’t have enough time.  Understandably so, since we live in a world where more is expected of us than ever before.  We’re required to balance home, family, work and personal tasks every day. 

Luckily, cleaning your home doesn’t have to take a lot of time.  Check out these quick cleaning activities that deliver big return for the minimal time investment of one minute or less!

13 House Cleaning Tasks That Take Less Than 1 Minute

1.  Put dirty clothes in the hamper.  Dirty clothes strewn across the floor create the appearance of chaos.  In under one minute, dirty clothes can be thrown into a hamper, decluttering the floor.

2.  Put away clean clothes.  Stacks and piles of clothes may be clean, but if they aren’t in their proper homes they contribute to messy bedrooms.  Do other family members know which piles are clean, or do clean clothes sometimes end up in the dirty laundry?  Save the confusion and the mess!  Hang up clothes that belong in the closet and put others in dresser drawers as appropriate.

3.  Dust the TV screen.  If your TV has the finger-written words “wash me” on the screen, it’s time for a dusting!  Using a used dryer sheet as a dusting cloth, wipe down the screen, sides, and top of your television to eliminate dust and keep it from resettling as often.  Watch how quickly a tv can be dusted.

4.  Dust the computer monitor.  Watch how to clean a computer monitor.

5.  Empty food stoppers in the sink.  Old food sitting in the drain can make the sink one of the nastiest places in the house.  It takes mere seconds to pick up the stopper / strainer, drop the food into the trash, and replace.

6.  Make the bed.  Pull up the blankets, smooth them out, and put the pillows in place.  Making beds is a fast and easy way to create a cleaner looking room in under a minute.

7.  Empty the trash.  An overflowing trash can doesn’t lend to the visual of a clean space.  Take out full trash bags and replace with empty bags for a quick cleaning task that takes less time than a commercial break.

8.  Put on clean pillow cases.  Quickly and easily toss the dead skin and oil trapped on your pillow case in favor of a fresh case.

9.  Clean the mirrors.  A quick spritz of glass or window cleaner and a cleaning cloth will get rid of the spots and provide a clean reflection.

10.  Replace burned out light bulbs.  Brighten up a dark room by replacing burned out light bulbs.  Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) wherever possible to save energy and cut down your utility bill.  With a lifespan of 10 times longer than a standard incandescent bulb, changing a burned out bulb to a CFL ensures that you won’t be changing the same light bulb for a long time!

11.  Wash counter tops.  A few quick sprays of antibacterial cleaner or vinegar and a sponge can restore a spotless, germ-free surface in under a minute.

12.  Wash the stove top.  Just like in number 11, a quick cleaning job on your stove top is possible and will eliminate food and germs in no time.  Plus, such an easy cleaning task will make your whole kitchen look cleaner in a snap!

13.  Wash off the dining room table.  Antibacterial cleaner or vinegar and a sponge will get your dining room table ready for meal time with minimal effort.

The good news is that any of these tasks that take less than a minute to do will provide enormous return in keeping your home clean and maintained.  Keep up on these little tasks when you only have a few minutes to spare, and you’ll be saving big time in the housekeeping department that you can spend doing the things you love instead!

Originally published August 7, 2008.  Photo courtesy of stock.xchng.

Housekeeping: The Power of Soap and Water

If you’ve been following along every Tuesday, you’ve probably read my short bio that sits above the article. If you’ve read that, you’ll know that I am all about keeping things as simple as possible when it comes to all things homemaker. That’s how my grandmother did things and probably how your grandmother did things.

So many companies out there want us to believe their product is so much better than the basics. Isn’t there a different cleaner for every type of surface these days? When it comes to cleaning, there is no reason to pay store prices for chemicals that harm people when you breathe them in.

150 years ago, after dealing with mothers and infants who were dying from bacterial infections, doctors used soap and water for simple hand washing. They realized this technique was saving lives.

Soap and water remains one of the best defenses against germ-borne illnesses in hospitals and homes. Believe it or not, antibacterial soap is even less effective than using soap and water! In fact, it may even pose some potential risks.

There’s no longer a need for each surface of your home to have its own special cleaner. Get back to the basics with soap and water! Soap and water can actually take care of cleaning dishes, window screens, hand-washable silk materials, most hard-surfaces, floors, stainless steel sinks/appliances, and porcelain fixtures.

Where soap and water doesn’t do the job, there are plenty of other basic products to use for cleaning. They are all nontoxic, inexpensive, natural, and effective. Most of them are things you probably already have in your kitchen cabinet or pantry. Other cleaning remedies include using vinegar, salt, baking soda, or lemon juice.

I’m sure you know soap and water won’t clean the grime from your oven. Instead, combine 4 tablespoons of baking soda with 4 tablespoons of steamy water to create a paste-like soap. Apply it to the inside of your oven using a soft bristle brush – such as a toothbrush. Let it sit for one minute and then scrub it with the brush. Wash with water and a sponge until no traces of baking soda remain. For really tough grime, mix 1 cup salt, 1 cup baking soda, and 1 cup of water. Apply to inside of oven and then heat oven to 500 degrees and let it sit for 1 hour. Then wipe clean with a moist sponge and rinse well.

For a good all-purpose cleaner, combine 2 tablespoons of Borax, ¼ cup of lemon juice, and 2 cups of water. Dissolve Borax in the lemon juice and water. Then put it into a spray bottle and use it like you would a conventional all-purpose spray.

IMPORTANT: Don’t mix homemade cleaning products with conventional cleaners. Keep these and all cleaning products away from children. Keep large batches of cleaning products in tightly sealed containers or reusable spray bottles.

Find more helpful hints at Works for Me Wednesday.

Disclaimer: Treatments and cleaning methods are recommendations only from personal experience and research.  Please use common sense in using these methods and understand that damage may occur to certain materials.  IS World Media is not responsible for any damage that may occur due to the cleaning methods described.

Housekeeping Heaven: How To Clean A Rug

Over the past few weeks I have discussed how to take care of your carpet and begin loving it again. I realize not every home has carpet flooring. Wood and vinyl flooring has become a popular trend in new homes because it’s easier to take care of.

That being said, many people who choose wood or vinyl flooring often buy rugs to decorate the living area, bathroom floors, and sometimes even bedside to keep their feet a bit warmer in the mornings when crawling out of bed. As a homemaker, I have been in home décor stores often enough to know that rugs are not cheap. If you choose to spend good money on a rug, you need to know how to properly take care of it.

There are three simple rules for taking care of your rug.

1. Do not beat your rug! You may have seen your grandmother or mother take a rug out back and beat it with a baseball bat to get it clean. Please do not do this to your rug! This can cause the woven threads to loosen and damage the back of the rug. If poorly made, your rug could separate completely from the backing with only one whack. The only rug that can tolerate a beating is a doormat.

2. Do not use carpet shampoos or sprays! Shampoos usually attract more dirt than they take away. Plus, the brushes from a shampoo machine can damage your rug. Never drench your rug with water as it could damage the backing of the rug and any floor surface underneath the rug. Carpet sprays have a tendency to discolor rugs. To spot clean, use a gentle stain solution when necessary. Your best bet for deep cleaning your rug is to have it professionally cleaned.

3. Vacuum your rug! Vacuuming is key to keeping your rug clean. It’s best to do it once a week and no less than once every two weeks. To vacuum your rug, you will need to vacuum the top side to remove excess dirt. Then flip over the rug and vacuum the backside. Finally, flip the rug back over and vacuum the top side once again. If your rug has fringe, do not use the beater bar on your vacuum! This will suck the fringe into the vacuum causing it to get caught around the beater bar and damaging the fringe and possibly even damaging your vacuum. If your vacuum comes with a curtain cleaning tool that allows you to adjust to a low setting, use this.

Of course, the best way to keep your rugs clean is to avoid stepping on them. Remove your shoes. Wearing socks or going barefoot is easier on the carpet than hard soled shoes or heels. Following these tips will help give extended life to your rug and allow it to look good year after year.

Next week, check out Housekeeping Heaven for “The Power of Soap and Water”. Make sure you don’t miss any of Courtney’s housekeeping and cleaning posts by getting our free updates now!

Disclaimer: Treatments and cleaning methods are recommendations only from personal experience and research.  Please use common sense in using these methods and understand that damage may occur to certain materials.  IS World Media is not responsible for any damage that may occur due to the cleaning methods described.

Housekeeping Heaven: How To Treat Pet Stains

Fact: Most puppies are cute. Fact: Puppies are suddenly less cute when you get them home and find out they aren’t potty trained. Fact: That’s gross. How do you control the stains and smells? Never fear! I have tips!

Try an enzyme product. You’ll find enzyme products at pet stores, RV or marine stores. They are used in the holding tanks to dissolve solid material. Pour enough over the stain to saturate the pad and the entire area twice as large as the stain. Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there. The urine hits the pad underneath the carpet and spreads. This is why you want to make sure to cover an area twice as large as the stain you do see from the surface. Let that sit for a couple of hours.

To work on the odor and any part of the stain left behind after the above treatment, baking soda and peroxide should take care of the rest. Mix 30/70 solution of peroxide to water adding ½ teaspoon of baking soda per cup of mixture. It will bubble and fizz, but it will also remove the stain and smell. Blot what you can with an old towel and rinse well with a 1/3 cup vinegar per quart of water.

Remember, peroxide is bleach and may discolor the carpet. Be sure to test a small hidden spot of carpet for colorfastness.

Wood and vinyl floors are generally easier to care for. This is why most people put their dogs in the kitchen or bathroom when they aren’t home and the puppy can’t wait for them to get home before needing to “go potty.”

For wood floors, gently scrape the floor to remove the solids. Wipe the area with a cloth dipped in warm sudsy water and then rinse with a cloth dipped in clear cool water. Wipe dry. Wax or polish as usual. Treat vinyl floors the same way.

Next week, check out Housekeeping Heaven for “How to Clean a Rug”. Make sure you don’t miss any of Courtney’s housekeeping and cleaning posts by getting our free updates now!

Disclaimer: Treatments are recommendations only from personal experience and research.  Please use common sense in treating household stains and understand that damage may occur to certain materials.  IS World Media is not responsible for any damage that may occur while treating your pet stains.

I am currently trying to get my preschoolers more involved with doing chores. And anyone with children knows it’s all about making things fun- or else you “lose” them. When I was given the opportunity to try out Deck of Chores, I thought it sounded like a cute idea.

The packaging is simple. The cards are roughly 5”x3” and printed on heavy stock paper. There are 5 sets of each chore- washing the car, vacuuming, empty/load the dishwasher, etc. Each chore is illustrated with either the apparatus used ( e.g., a dishwasher) or a cute scenario, however, when a chore has a person in it, it’s an adult. I’m wondering how effectively that would be if you’re trying to get your kids to do the particular chore.

Supplied in the package is a card that suggests a few games that the deck can be used for. They were cute ideas, but a little too over my children’s head. I used 3-4 chores with their pair and played a memory game with my 4 year old. She really enjoyed getting a match, meanwhile being exposed to chores that are needed around the house.

Some of the chores (washing the car, vacuuming, dusting, etc.) are a bit much for young children. I’d really recommend this for kids age 7 or better- when they’re really able to grasp what they’re doing and how to do it effectively, let alone reach what they’re doing. There were a few chores that my children could handle, and ones I use daily- load/unload the laundry, emptying and loading the dishwasher, etc.

This is a really cute alternative to the standard chore chart posted on the fridge. Especially if your child(ren)’s learning style doesn’t particularly fit into the chart style.

Disclaimer:  The following is a product review conducted by one of our writers, Erin Phillips.  The set of cards was provided to IS World Media at no cost by Deck of Chores to facilitate the review process.  This review is the honest opinion of our reviewer and is not paid content.  No fee was received for the writing of this review.

House Cleaning: Treating Carpet Stains

Are your carpets loving you back yet? Still have some stubborn stains? Try some of these tricks!

Most food stains can be cleaned by spraying shaving cream over the stain and letting it sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with a vinegar and water solution. For more stubborn food stains, pull out some brake cleaner. Yes. Brake cleaner. Brake cleaner contains the same chemicals professional dry cleaners use to clean the stains on your clothing. Dab some on a clean cloth and blot the stain. Rinse with soap and water. Do NOT pour brake fluid directly onto the carpet.

Did someone spill red wine during that awesome party last weekend? While club soda generally gets rid of red wine, to remove any red stain (popsicles, juice, etc), mix a 30/70 solution of peroxide to water. Peroxide is a bleach so be sure to test it out on a small area if you have colored carpet. Wait 30 minutes after applying the mixture and then blot to remove as much moisture as possible. Rinse with a vinegar/water solution. If needed, apply a little more peroxide to a new mixture and try again.

There is an over the counter product called Desolvit that works wonders on other carpet trouble. It works great for grease, oil, ink (including magic marker), and even gum. For gum, I recommend freezing the gum with ice cubes and break it away from the carpet with the dull side of a knife. Then Desolvit will take care of the rest.

Dripping candle got you down? Freeze the wax spill with ice cubes and chip it off using the dull side of a knife. You will need heat for total removal. Test a small area before using heat as some newer carpets are sensitive and can scorch easily. I recommend using a hair dryer on the hottest setting. If using an iron, set it to a low to medium heat. The less heat you use, the less scorching to your carpet. Take a white paper towel or paper bag with no writing on it (the dye can bleed into the carpet). Put the towel down on top of the wax and iron the towel for no longer than two seconds. Move the towel and redo if necessary. Generally once is enough.

Next week, check out Housekeeping Heaven for “How to Treat Pet Stains”. Make sure you don’t miss any of Courtney’s housekeeping and cleaning posts by getting our free updates now!

Changing your air conditioner’s filter regularly will:

• keep your air conditioner functioning properly
• keep the air in your home clean and free of dust, spores, and allergens
• and help you save on utility bills by not making your air conditioner work harder than it has to.  

Thanks to Tim Gibson for making this great how to video for how to change an air conditioner filter. 

House Cleaning: Love Your Carpet

Let’s start this one off with a little brain tease. Close your eyes (slightly opening them enough to read the rest of this article). Think about a piece of sand paper. Now think about the dirt on the bottom of your shoe and how it can be just as rough as that piece of sand paper.

Now think about your oily skin – especially when sweaty. Now think about the bottom of your bare feet and how much oil and sweat secretes from there on a daily basis. Just those two things alone explain so much when you wonder why your carpets can’t get clean.

The first step to loving your carpet is to wear socks or slippers around the house.  You are now a socks and slippers gal. Your carpet will love you back for this one.

You will also need to vacuum regularly and avoid using liquid shampoos on your carpet. The liquid shampoo cannot be completely rinsed out and leaves a sticky residue that attracts all that shoe grime and various other things that come in contact with it.

Use a carpet cleaner that cleans with water only. Mix 1 cup vinegar for every 2 ½ gallons of water and clean according to directions. Go over the carpet again with warm water only. The vinegar will help pull out the grime the old shampoo left behind. You will probably need to do this a few times to see complete results, but your carpets will once again feel soft and grime-free.

Treating Carpet Stains

Never rub a stain! Just blot. Rubbing breaks down fibers and just smears it everywhere. Got food stains?  Break out the shaving cream and spray it over the stain. Do NOT rub in the shaving cream. Just let it sit for 15 minutes and then rinse with a vinegar and water solution.

Need more cleaning tips? Come back next week for more carpet cleaning tips or visit Works for Me Wednesday!  In the meantime, you can read How Do I Set Up a Housekeeping Plan?