Cleaning Tips

. Do not mix ammonia and vinegar together. They will neutralize each other.

. Vacuum cobwebs instead of smashing them on the surface with a broom or dust mop. They are sticky and can leave a stain.

. Wash your painted walls instead of repainting. It's faster and cheaper. You can have them professionally washed for a fraction of the cost of repainting.

. When washing walls or floors, use two buckets. One with a cleaning solution, one with clear rinse water. Rinse your sponge or mop in the rinse water before placing it in the solution bucket. Change the rinse water frequently. You will use less cleaning solution with this method.

. Remove crayon marks from painted walls with lighter fluid.

. Remove black shoe marks from flooring with an eraser.

. To wash window screens, lay them on a flat surface with an old sheet underneath. Apply cleaning solution, scrub them gently with a brush, rinse with a hose and shake off excess water.

. Rotate area rugs so that they soil and wear more evenly. If they have a pad under them, vacuum it annually.

. Use a hair dryer to blow dust from dried flower arrangements or silk flowers before vacuuming the room.

. Remove candle wax from holders by placing them in the freezer for an hour.Then peel off the frozen wax.

Clean Secrets

True or False: You can make your water clean better and clean easier.
True: To a sink of sudsy water, add 1 tablespoon of bleach to kill germs and a few drops of water softener to make cleaning agents penetrate faster.

True or False: There are more harmful germs on your bed sheets than on your sofa.
False: Sofa's have more germs because they don't get cleaned enough, while sheets are washed often.

True or False: For dust allergy sufferers, hard floors are better for health than carpets.
False: Properly maintained carpets are better, because they hold dust instead of letting it blow around.

True or False: Guests decide if you are dirty or clean by the appearance of your carpet.
True: 60% of your guest's first impression of the inside of your home is formed around the carpet.