cleaning tips & picks

I have been very blessed lately with ample work.  I don't clean a lot of houses compared to some but I clean enough for me.  And while I have not been cleaning for 20+ years, I have learned a few things over the past 2 1/2 years.

#1--If you have shower doors, always wipe them out.  We remodeled my bathroom about a year and a half ago.  I have not had to scrub out my shower once with any toxic cleaner because I wipe it out every day.  It may seem time consuming.  But in the long run, it's totally worth it.  When I notice that the water gets a little murky on the doors, I wipe it out with dish soap.   That's all and it works like a charm.  Now, I have to say that before the remodel, I did not wipe my shower out.  The house we bought had shower inserts, not tile.  But if you buy a new house or do a remodel, try to keep up on those shower doors.  You'll be glad you did! 

#2--Vacuum the pet beds.  Shaking them works just ok.  But I have found that running the vacuum right over them works like a charm.  Then use a "sticky" lint brush to get any other stray hairs.  I have tried this on large dog beds and on small cat beds and it works for both.

#3--If you have a non-washable, woven rug {ie--a jute rug} and you have a pet, run a "sticky" lint brush over it every once in a while.  You will be surprised at the pet hair that hasn't been caught by the vacuum.

#4--Use a little vinegar in water to wash wood floors.  I did a post once on my old blog about all of the different ways I clean wood floors.  It seems like everyone cleans them different. But if you use too much cleaner on them, sometimes they may look murky.  A touch of vinegar in simple hot water may do the trick!

#5--We don't generally use mops at our house but if I can use a mop while cleaning for others, I do!  It's a real knee-saver.  The best mop I have found is by Libman.  I call it the "floppy mop."  Try to avoid a sponge-mop.  They leave weird dirty-sponge marks at the end of each stroke.  The floppy mop can get under a small portion of a fridge.  If you live in an old house with hard floors and old-fashioned radiators, the floppy mop can reach underneath.  Plus, you can stick it in the wash which is a real ++.

#6--{This is a combination of 4 &5.}  Steam cleaners generally work great on wood floors.  I use them in a couple of houses.

#7--Does anyone have old-fashioned radiators in their house?  One house I clean has these.  They use Swiffer 360 dusters.  They have a cat and a dog so doing this periodically helps keep the dust and hair at bay.

#8--Use Bar Keepers Friend, Ajax, or Comet on a stainless steel kitchen sink.  It will shine brilliantly!

My picks:

best vacuum--Dyson or Oreck
best all purpose cleaner--Green Works all-purpose cleaner
best dusting spray--Endust
best window cleaner--Windex Crystal Rain