Now that I'm a housewife I spend less time cleaning than when I worked. I think that's because I developed all sorts of short cuts over the years. Maybe you already know these things. In case you don't, I'll tell you some of my secrets.
Of course, a good vacuum (and its attachments) is your best friend when it comes to cleaning, but have you ever thought of adding a yard stick to your dirt busting arsenal? I use a yard stick to pull dust bunnies and the occasional piece of kibble from under the stove, frig, washer, and dryer. I also wrap the end of the yard stick with a damp paper towel, secured with a rubber band. The damp towel really grabs the dust, just be careful that you have enough clearance under the appliance so the towel doesn't catch and get stuck.
Who needs to spend money on those Swiffer dusters? I prefer to use old socks. I wet a sock, wring it out really tightly, and put my hand inside. I can dust everything from flat surfaces to curlicues just by rubbing my hand over the surface. When the sock gets dirty, I can turn it inside out for a clean surface, or get a fresh sock. I have even cut the pockets out of sweat pants to use as dusting mittens though they are not quite as good as socks.
If you have stainless steel appliances, you know that they look cool, but they are a b---- to keep shiney. Every finger print and doggie nose print shows. The easiest way to keep stainless steel clean is to dip a soft cloth in vinegar, wipe, and dry with another soft cloth.
Do you dread window washing? Try Windex Outdoor and one of those soft brushes on a telescoping pole. If you wet the window with the Windex solution, brush, and rinse, the windows will dry without water marks. I work my way around the house washing the siding and the windows. Once you buy the Windex dispenser, you can refill it with homemade solution.
Here's a recipe for fake Windex, the kind you would spray on a mirror and wipe with a paper towel:
1/8 cup ammonia
1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
1/4 teaspoon dish washing detergent
1 quart water
I make my fake Windex Outdoor solution a little (but not much) stronger because the water from the hose dilutes it.
Mike says I can get any kind of stain out of his clothes. What he really means is that I can get greasy dribbles from pizza and hoagies out of the front of his shirts. I don't buy expensive detergent. Whatever is cheap and on sale to boot, is my choice. It's the spot cleaners that are important.
I buy Zep Citrus Degreaser by the gallon. I spray it on collars and greasy food stains. I use dog destinkerizer, Simple Solution or Nature's Miracle, to remove many organic stains. It desolves grass stains, blood, and many food stains. Rubbing alcohol removes ball point pen ink. There is one really big gun that I'll bet most people don't know about - WD-40. Depending on the fabric, WD-40 might be a last resort for removing an impossible, greasy stain, like motor oil. Spray the stain with WD-40 and scrub the area with a soft brush. If the stain is loosening, add laundry detergent and scrub some more. Rinse and check the results. If you are able to get the stain out, you will be left with an oily WD-40 mark on the fabric. Saturating the area with citrus degreaser and/or detergent, letting it sit for a while, and rewashing should do the job. A friend once asked me to remove a greasy stain from her son's favorite Philadelphia Eagles jersey. After the WD-40 treatment, I had to wash the jersey five times to get the WD-40 out! In the end, it saved buying a new football jersey, and my reputation for being able to clean anything remained intact.
I can only think of one situation where dirt should remain untouched. Check out this funny Dutch TV commercial (it's subtitled):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ym-oPuVkj8
No comments:
Post a Comment