Tiff's Tips on Cleaning

I know, I know, I am not the most logical person to give tips on cleaning. I do have a bit of knowledge on the subject, it is just not always put to use in my own home. However, I thought I'd share with you a few tips to save money and time doing household chores.

1. I try not to use chemicals whenever possible. The warning labels alone freak me out, and I do not want my kids breathing that stuff. Also, chemicals are pricey. I use vinegar and water for most cleaning, vinegar is a natural disinfectant and the odor goes away when it dries, so you do not smell vinegar all day. I mix a spray bottle with about one-third vinegar to two-thirds water. You can dilute it more, but I like the ultra-strength. A gallon of vinegar is $1.99 at the grocery store, and will last a long time.

2. Windows and glass do well with ammonia and water. Wipe with newspaper instead of paper towels and there will be no streaks! Ammonia is cheap, too!

3. Wooden cutting boards can absorb a lot of stains and odors, to remove these, sprinkle a liberal amount of table salt on the wood and scrub with a sponge soaked in the hottest water you can stand. Scrub the salt in circles and the stains and odors will go away. Salt is a natural disinfectant, too!

4. Cleaning the stuck on junk in the microwave is a cinch, all you have to do is take a lemon, cut it in half, and nuke it for thirty seconds. Let it sit in there a minute, then open the door and take the lemon halves and wipe the inside of the microwave with them. Wipe it all with a paper towel and it will come right off. Yes, even chili will come off super easy this way.

5. Shine copper by taking a lemon, cut it in half, and dip the open side in salt and scrub in a circular motion. Super easy!

6. Come Halloween, decorate in that fake spiderweb stuff. Use a lot and do not worry about dusting the entire time it is up, no one will know the difference. HeeHee!

7. I love the swiffer wet-jet. I know, the rest of this is about using less chemicals, but when you mop every day, you go for convenience.

8. Swiffer dusters are great for dusting. Kids love them, and love helping. Let them do all the lower shelves and surfaces, and expect to vacuum afterwards since they will inevitably shake the thing out over the carpet. Or each other's heads. You can vacuum those, too, with the little hose thing.

9. Kids also love taking the hose of the vacuum and doing the edges of the carpets, where it meets the wall and dust collects. pay them a dime to do the whole house. If you decide to pay them more, do not let them tell my kids how much they get, mine are happy with a dime.

10. Keep an old toothbrush in the shower and scrub a little every day during your shower. It only takes about ten to fifteen seconds a day, and you never have to worry about the thorough cleaning, unless you have friends coming over who might be looking for the ultra-shower-shine. If this is the case, get new friends. Seriously.

11. Make bets with your husband for chores you normally do yourself. For example, bet cleaning the fridge on who can get closest to the actual amount of the grocery bill. If you lose, you would have cleaned it anyway, but if you win, hubby does it. He really can't complain, since he lost fair and square.

12. Maxine once said to buy several Get Well Soon cards and keep them on your mantle. That way, if someone comes by unexpectedly, they will think you have been sick and unable to clean. HeeHee!

Hope you have found something useful here, and happy cleaning!