Housecleaning tips

[wolfsoul]

As some of you know, I'm doing an entire house cleaning. I've picked a few things up along the way and was thinking that maybe we can start a thread for good tips on keeping the house fresh and clean.

Here are some things I find:

-A tidy floor equals a tidy house. It seems no matter how much clutter you have on the counter and tabletops, if the floor is swept and washed, the house still looks very decent.
-When bleaching, dip a rag in bleach and use that instead of spraying. That way the bleach doesn't get into the air as much as doesn't make streaks.
-Putting an air freshener inside the garbage can works wonders. You never really realise how much smell the grabage can makes until you do it.
-If you have a fabric shower curtain, wash it like you would your clothes.
-Sprinkle baking soda in the littter box.

Any other tips or suggestions?

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Those are some great tips. If I read/hear any good ones, I'll make a point to post them. Good luck cleaning!

[cyber-sibes]

Good tips - I think I'll pick up an air freshner for the garbage bin next trip to the store!. Another tip - Learned this when we bought this house with beautiful wood floors - wash wooden floors with a 1/2 c. vinegar to a gallon or so of water. Wipe dry with toweling...sparkling! No need to use special cleaners or polish.

[zoey]

^ I do the vinegar thing too. (It's good for cleaning glass too.) On wood floors, you can add a couple of drops of olive oil into the bucket, with the vinegar and water too, to add moisture and shine.
I always keep spray bottles of bleach and water available and use this for a myriad of things. 10 to 1 solution, with the bleach being 1, is best.
Regular vacuuming really keeps the dog's allergies at bay.
That's all i can think of right now.

[MajesticCollies]

If someone can show me how to get our dogs to clean house then thats really a good tip!!!

(sorry for my sarcasim tonight)

[zoey]

Daisy cleans. Cleans that bowl clear down to tha shine!

[wolfsoul]

It seems that my cleaning has brought out the creppy crawlies. I sat down here and saw something across the room. The HUGEST wolf spider!!! This thing was almost the size of my palm. I looked at it for a second and it has the biggest eyes and fangs. EEEEEEEEEE!!! Needless to say, it shall rain tomorrow.

I can stand ANYTHING but spiders. Anyone have any tips to keep them away? Essences, pesticides...magic spells? I knew there were spiders because I'd wake up with bites, but they are too afraid of the rats to come out except on occasion. Obviously my cleaning has disturbed them. Not that I'm upset about it...atleast now maybe I have a chance at getting them gone for good before the winter comes.

Btw -- my friend came over today and says the only room that smells is the bathroom (my rats are in the bathroom and I haven't cleaned it yet). She's very proud.

A couple more tips--

~Clean the inside of your dresser drawers before putting your laundry away. I use bleach-water and Febreeze. I spray and then leave the drawers open to air out. Your clothes will always come out smelling fresh and clean!
~Sprinkle a bit of baking soda into your pillow cases

[Pam]

very proud.
~Clean the inside of your dresser drawers before putting your laundry away. I use bleach-water and Febreeze. I spray and then leave the drawers open to air out. Your clothes will always come out smelling fresh and clean!
~Sprinkle a bit of baking soda into your pillow cases

I have read somewhere to put an air softener sheet, like Downy or Bounce, inside the drawer where you keep your undies.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Have problems with removing cat-hair from your curtains? Take a slighly wet cloth, and you get all the hair away!!

[Rachel]

Oh I love cleaning tips. My favorite is washing floors with the two bucket method. One has your cleaning solution in, the other is plain water. You use your sponge or rag (micro fiber from the dollar store are great) and then rinse it in the plain water. Then immerse the sponge in the sudsy water and clean away. This way your sudsy water doesn't have all that dirt in it and you don't have to change it.

I dust furniture before I vacuum. For many years I did it the other way around. Wonder what the rest of you do?

[Pembroke_Corgi]

I can stand ANYTHING but spiders. Anyone have any tips to keep them away?

Get a cat! LOL Seine is the best little bug catcher, I haven't seen one in months! She's always on the look out for bugs to catch.

Dry swiffer sheets are great for dust mopping the floor and catching pet fur- we have hard wood floors so the hair always seems to collect underneath things, but those sheets have enough static cling to grab the hair.

I like to use a bit of fabric spray on the couch & rugs after I have done a good job vacuuming. It's very subtle and smells great. I have lily & jasmine.

Plain dishwater is great for removing stains.

[anna_66]

I don't really have any personal tips, but Robin (aka Robilee) gave me the link to a great site and ever since I've not had dirty dishes piling up in my sink
Flylady

[wolfsoul]

Get a cat! LOL Seine is the best little bug catcher, I haven't seen one in months! She's always on the look out for bugs to catch.

LOL now that you mention it I remember a few weeks ago, Sketch had caught a spider. I worry so much that he might catch a dangerous one (black widows are very common here, and occasionally hobo spiders). He's a hunter, that little guy.

[mruffruff]

Did you know that lamp shades might be cleanable?

I washed (gently) two pleated lampshades last week. They were in good condition with plastic linings, but very dirty. I used a stiff brush, but that wasn't enough. So I hosed them down carefully in the yard and let them dry in the sun.

Worked great!

I always start at the top and work down in a room. Ceiling fans first, floors last.

[lv4dogs]

To keep things smelling fresh & clean in the winter months, put a dryer sheet in your floor register. (You lift up the register & put the sheet between the register & the floor so it is held in place)

I dust furniture before I vacuum. For many years I did it the other way around. Wonder what the rest of you do?

I usually dust then vecuum too.