Cleaning Tips

In the Kitchen

Circle Your Way Around. Always begin on the right side of your stove, then move clockwise around the room. The stove is typically the dirtiest part of the kitchen, so ending with it keeps you from spreading dirt and grease.

Do Dishwasher Duty. Once a week, shake baking soda on a damp sponge and wipe around the machine’s edges to remove stuck-on food or stains. To clean the inside, run an empty cycle with a dishwasher product designed to kill bacteria.  The dishes should be safe and sanitized after the rinse cycle is finished.

Zap the Sponge.  We all know that sponges can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Disinfect yours every night by squeezing it out; when is old and shredded, replace it.

In the Bedroom

Start with the Bed.  If your bed is made, your bedroom looks neat.  When you wake up, pull the covers up to your chin, then scissor-kick your way out of bed so it’ll be half made. Finish the job before you walk away.

Address Your Drawers

Most women have drawers full of clothes they don’t wear, and their dresser tops then become repositories for things they can’t store. Get rid of things you haven’t worn in a year and vow to put away your clean laundry each week.

Mess-a-Laneous:

Time It

If you actually time how long it takes to do certain chores, you won’t mind them as much. Believe it or not, most chores only take 10 minutes.

Multitask

Tasks go faster by doing two things at once. While on the phone, laundry can be fold, fluffs pillows, picks up stray magazines and books etc.

Know the Hot Spots

Papers, toys and other things usually pile up on the dining room table or kitchen counter. Once you’ve got your table cleaned off, file papers or toss them.

Make a Lost-and-Found

Every house needs one. Use a cute vintage lunch box or lidded storage container to stash lost game pieces, stray screws and buttons, and similar small items. When you need the item, you’ll know where to look first.

Do Quick Rescues

Do a 5-minute sweep through each room, taking a laundry basket with you. Place in it anything that doesn’t belong in that room, then put away the stuff that does belong there.

Stop Clutter at the Front Door

Mount a plastic or cloth shoe rack inside your front entry closet door, and use it to stash all kinds of living room and family room miscellany—toys, hats, gloves, magazines. You can even designate one of the pockets for mail you’re not sure whether to save or toss.