A clean house begins with organization.
With a few simple tricks and tips, necessary household chores and cleaning obligations are made easy. Cleaning, cooking and staying organized is simply a matter of owning the right products and using time-honored cleaning techniques. In doing so, time spent at home with family and friends will be relaxing and enjoyable. Does this Spark an idea?
Keeping Clean
Make vacuuming fallen debris the last step in cleaning.
Eliminate cleaning supplies in the bathroom by keeping a box of sanitizer wipes in the bathroom cupboard. Quickly wipe the toilet, sinks and counters at least every other day. In the kitchen, throw a sponge in the microwave on full power, for two minutes, to kill 99 percent of its bacteria. When cleaning the living room, for example, start from top to bottom. Clean windows and dust sconces, bookshelves and furniture before vacuuming.
Cooking Strategies
Meal preparations go faster when children help.
If the night's supper consists of chicken, salad and rice, for example, bread the chicken and prepare the salad--without the dressing--that morning. Place it in the refrigerator and save half the cooking time that evening. In addition, kids as young as 4 can peel hard-boiled eggs, mix ingredients and set the table while an adult is using the oven and slicing meats and vegetables. Clean-up is a breeze if casserole dishes are lined with foil before baking.
Organizing
Eliminate mail from piling up.
Cut down on the amount of mail that enters your home. Request that your name and address be removed from the Direct Marketing Association, tell credit card companies not to share your information and avoid entering contests. In addition, keep a home office uncluttered by using ice cube trays as desk drawer organizers and hook-and-loop strips to secure dangling cords to a desk's underside. Keep plastic grocery bags tidy by placing them in empty tissue boxes and storing in a cabinet.
Clothes
Be mindful of which colors and fabrics touch in the washing machine.
In a child's closet, store similar clothes together at eye level so getting dressed is easy. Keep sweaters nicely folded on top of one another by placing the bulkiest on the pile's bottom and the thinnest at the top. If clothes that bleed are accidentally washed together, simply rewash in detergent and color-safe bleach while still wet. If allowed to dry, getting the stain out is next to impossible. Also, wash towels, dishrags and washcloths together to keep lint off of clothes.
Decorating
Give floors a makeover with paint.
Have furniture double as storage. Ottomans open up to reveal blankets and a den coffee table hides toys in baskets underneath. In small spaces, decorating with Lucite chairs and glass tables gives an open impression. Design guru Nate Berkus says to paint wood floors and add a pattern or stencil in the middle. This instantly changes a room's decor without having to replace furniture.
Combating Smells
Vinegar is versatile and economical.
Cover up the smell of pet urine by sprinkling baking soda and then vacuuming. To eliminate cooking or tobacco smoke from walls, combine one part vinegar to five parts water and wipe with a clean cloth. To remove room odor, use a candle and vinegar. On the coldest side of the room place a bowl of vinegar; light a candle on the warmer side. This pulls in a pleasant scent and removes unpleasant odors at the same time.
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