Better Homes and Gardens magazine recently interviewed people who clean for a living to share their secrets and shortcuts for doing it as painlessly as possible. For starters, they say to clean a room from top to bottom, left to right. That way you won’t miss often forgotten spots.
Here’s 9 household cleaning tips and tricks:
1. MATTRESSES – Have your kids jump on the bed to bring up dust from inside. Then, vacuum the mattress top.
2. WINDOW TREATMENTS – Instead of taking them down, just shake them out to remove loose dust. Then vacuum from top to bottom using the upholstery attachment.
3. WINDOW TREATMENTS PART II – Pop curtains in the dryer along with a damp rag. It will knock off all the dust and leave them nice and clean.
4. RUGS – Turn the rug over and use a vacuum with a beater bar to loosen deep dust, allergens and spores. Then vacuum the top.
5. CLOSET FLOORS – To keep closet floors clean, be sure to keep them clear & uncluttered. Clothing sheds dust particles constantly and you can’t remove dust from cluttered floors. Plus, every time you open the closet, you bring all that dust into the air.
6. BLINDS – Put an old sock on one hand and spritz it with water. Grip each panel of the blind and pull from one end to the other, removing dust from both sides of the slat at once.
7. UPHOLSTERY – Remove cushions and vacuum using an upholstery attachment. Scrub stains with a toothbrush dipped in dish soap and water. Then pat the area with a wet cloth until the stain lifts away.
8. SPOT CLEANING FABRICS – Baby wipes are effective because they contain very little moisture, have gentle cleaning agents, and dry quickly. Just don’t confuse them with cleaning wipes, which may contain bleach or other harmful chemicals.
9. COMFORTERS – You can wash comforters in front – loaders as long as the comforter fills only half the washer. Dry with tennis balls or dryer balls to keep the stuffing from collecting in one corner.
We recommend having all of the above HOUSEHOLD items cleaned professionally periodically but we hope these tips will save you some time year round as you tackle the household cleaning on your own.
If you have household items you’d like us to clean, call us today and we’ll come pick them up for free!
– S.O.
