 Dusting:
When you dust, start at the top and work down. Take all
your cleaning tools, avoid unnecessary trips back and forth.
Clean as you go! It takes a lot less time to remove new
dirt than old. Leave baking soda on carpeting over night
will absorb musty odors Make a checklist of chores to get
organized first. Wash walls from the bottom up, to avoid
streaking. Use old socks as mitts for cleaning difficult
wood work. Wash small knickknacks instead of dusting. To
removing heel marks , take pencil eraser and rub them off.
Don't mix cleaning products. Ammonia and bleach are toxic.
Remember common cleaners such as windex and comet meet this
don't do rule. Allowing cleaners to set for several minutes
will ease the cleaning job.
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Interior Walls:
Wall cleaner, mix 1/2 c. ammonia, 1/4 c. white vinegar, and
1/4 c. baking soda to 1 gal. warm water. For cleaning textured
walls use nylon socks instead of a sponge or cloth to avoid
leaving material chunks behind. To dust wall paper, tie a dustcloth
over your broom and work from the top down. To remove pencil
marks & other non-greasy spots from non-washable papers, use
an art-gum eraser . To remove greasy spots or crayon, apply
a paste of cleaning fluid and fuller's earth and cornstarch.
Let the wall dry and brush off residue. Repeat the treatment
until the spot is gone.
Exterior
Walls:
Use a water hose to spray the outside of your house. This will
remove siding cobwebsand dirt. Textured siding ? Attach a car-washing
brush to the hose to remove dirt.
Windows:
Make your own spray cleaner. Fill a spray bottle with 3 tablesoopns
ammonia, 1 tablespoon vinegar & the remainder with water.
Dust blinds by wrapping a cloth around a ruler. Spray cloth
with a dusting spray and run the flat end across each blind.
Shine windows using old newspaper. Clean windows on an average
temperature, preferably overcast day to avoid streaks. Dry windows
outside in one direction then inside in the other direction.
If you see a streak, you will know which side is the ofender.
To clean window sills, pour diluted rubbing alcohol on a cloth
and rub the entire surface.Then dust off the sill with a clean
cloth.
Bathroom:
Rubbing alcohol can remove the dull haze from mirrors. Use rubbing
alcohol to remove spots from bathroom fixtures. Glass shower
doors will sparkle if cleaned with white vinegar. To clean the
shower, use a solution of 1/2 cup vinegar, 1 cup ammonia, and
1/4 cup baking soda added to one gallon of warm water. Lemon
furniture oil will remove water spots on metal frames. Rusty
tile marks can be removed with kerosene. Running the shower
on hot for five minutes will steam the dirt loose. Grout need
cleaning? Wash with 2 tablespoons chlorine bleach in one quart
of water. Dry thoroughly, then apply several coats of lemon
oil. Let dry one hour between coats. Dull walls will shine when
washed with vinegar and waterand plished with a dry cloth. Lighter
fluid will remove most stains from porcelain sinks and bathtubs.
Kitchen:
Pour club soda on counter and clean with a soft cloth,
rinse with water then wipe dry. Baking soda or club soda will
clean and shine stainless steel sinks easily. Remove stubborn
water spots from a stainless sink with a cloth dampened with
rubbing alcohol. Spots on stainless steel also can be removed
with vinegar. Rub stainless steel sinks with lighter fluid if
rusty . For a sparkling white porcelain sink, place paper towels
across the bottom of your sink and saturate with household bleach.
Let sit for 8 hour & rinse. Never use bleach in colored
sinks.
Refrigerator:
An open box of baking soda will absorb odors for a month or so.
A few drops vanilla extract on a piece of cotton placed in the
refrigerator will eliminate odors. Wipe refrigerator with vinegar
to prevent mildew. Use your vacuum on the front of the coils and
motor to remove dust and dirt.
Appliances:
Stop yellowing of white appliances. Mix 1/2 cup bleach, 1/4 cup
baking soda and 4 cups of warm water. Apply with a sponge and
let set for 10 minutes. Rinse and dry thoroughly. Wax large appliances
with car wax to make them shine and to remove small scratches.
Wood
Floors:
Floor cleaner is a solution of 1/2 cup of white vinegar in 1 gallon
of warm water. Damp mop with a mop squeezed nearly dry. It is
safer to mist the mop with the cleaner than to apply to floor.
Do a section at a time and throw an old towel on the floor and
scoot back and forth with foot to dry and prevent streaks. Standing
liquid from mopping, spills, and pet accidents can damage floors.
The greatest damage done to wood floors is from grit. Mats at
doors are necessary to collect grit and it's important to keep
these clean. Frequent dust mopping in high traffic areas to collect
grit is the best prevention. This should be done based on the
amount of traffic, which may require dust mopping several times
a day in an active household. The brush attachment of a vacuum
can be used (no beater bars). Felt and furniture protectors should
be installed on furniture. Never scoot furniture on wood. Put
a piece of waxed paper under your dust mop. Dirt will stick to
the mop and the wax will shine your floors. Use a paper bag over
spilled candle wax then lightly iron.
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