Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Get Ready, Get Set, Get Clean!

You've seen Kansas City's top 9 (10) tips to increase the salability of your home, I thought I'd help you spruce up a little and get a jump start on your spring cleaning too. PS- I'm not even going to try to take the credit for this one, especially for those of you who know me and my lack of cleaning habits.... I stole these from my husband's Handy Man magazine....
  1. Speed-clean chandeliers- apparently there is a spray-on chandelier cleaner out there... (nancysilver.com or chandelierparts.com) You just spray quite generously- ok, douse chandelier until it runs and the dirt will literally just drip right off and evaporates spot-free! Just make sure to use a drop cloth and maybe even some protective goggles too!
  2. Cut grease with a hot sponge- When cleaning cabinets, wood or metal, spray first with an orange oil cleaner, then take a damp sponge and microwave for 20-30 seconds until hot and wipe off the cleaner. Wipe in the direction of the wood grain, rinse and reheat the sponge as necessary and finish wiping with a cool damp cloth for a nice shiny coating.
  3. This one is my favorite.... SCUM-PROOF YOUR SHOWER DOORS! Ok, first you have to start with clean doors- it's suggested to clean with a glass cleaner, Magic Eraser (I LOVE those!), or razor blade for tough stubborn build-up and then dry with a cloth. The secret then is to treat the doors with Rain-X! Just spray on and wipe off with a microfiber cloth and water is repelled for SIX MONTHS!!! I wonder if this would help on the shower floor too?! I've also found that the Automatic Shower Cleaner works wonders too and would highly recommend it to anyone!
  4. Clean hard floors faster- gotta love the Swiffer! And another personal recommendation- Orange Glo for Hardwoods! I bought the "system" when we bought our new house and it really is great! It comes with it's own microfiber cleaning cloth- similar to the swiffer, but you wash it in the washer!!! It really does clean up the floors nice and the refinisher/polisher is great too!
  5. Switch to microfiber cloths- as if I didn't mention it enough above, that's the way of the future. I have one for windows and glass, one for my floors and one for my eye glasses as well. Apparently the fibers rub together during the cleaning to "magnetically" attract the dust and dirt with or without special cleaners. They also have sharp edges that scour well, but are non abrasive so they won't scratch surfaces either. You can use them for anything- appliances, sinks, electronics, dishes, windows, etc.... and I didn't know this, but you can pick them up at discount stores for $20 for a 10-pack?! And they're streak-free, lint free, absorbant and washable!
  6. Blow-out the garage. No, don't just leave the overhead doors open on a windy day, but close.... Use the leaf blower and go to town! Great for getting behind big heavy things and around large objects.
  7. The right stuff for rust- For stubborn sink, tub and toilet stains use a stain remover like Super Iron Out or any product with diluted hydrochloric acid, or hydrogen chloride, HCL or muriatic acid. Do not use bleach as it will only set the stain.
  8. Remove pet hair with duct tape- yup, another great use for duct tape! It's an industrial size make shift lint roller in all aspects. Simply take a paint roller and wrap duct tape around the roller sticky side out and get to work. Use a sponge or cloth with duct tape to get into crevices and corners.
  9. Remove bathroom soap scum- again with the soap scum..... First wait for the soap scum to dry, then scrape it with a plastic putty knife and use the wonderful Magic Eraser for grout lines and textured surfaces. And did you know that using a synthetic soap (any in liquid or gel form and some bars) will actually help prevent soap scum build up and tough films?!
  10. Spot-clean food and drink spills- Just like preventing stains in your clothing, you should catch those spots and treat them as soon as possible on your furniture and upholstrey. Tide To-Go and the Clorox Beach Pen are great to have on hand and work wonders! Just be sure to test first and avoid using the bleach pen on colored fabrics.

So, in case your bored, tired of watching the lunar eclipse or need something to do when we get snowed in again tomorrow.... now your armed and ready to clean! No more excuses!!

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