Giveaway - Tell Us Your Favorite Cleaning Tip
With the help of our readers, I am putting together a list of some of your favorite cleaning tips. Is baking soda one of your favorites or maybe vinegar? Maybe just a good vacuuming makes your house look fresh and clean. Maybe it’s a homemade air sanitizer. Whatever your favorite cleaning tip is, we would love to hear it.
To enter our giveaway: please enter your favorite cleaning tip in the comments section below. One entry per person. The contest will end at midnight on August 22, 2008. Winner will be announced Saturday morning, August 23, 2008.
What do you win: Dana at Old Red Barn Co. was happy to provide these handmade, all natural bath and body care essentials. Their handmade sugar scrubs and goat milk soaps are made with all natural vegetable oils and they smell absolutely wonderful. I’m so glad I got a chance to see some of their products and would highly recommend them.
If you would like more information about their products, please visit Old Red Barn Co.
Good luck and if you have any questions, please feel free to leave us a comment.
August 18th, 2008 at 7:20 am
My favorite cleaning tip: Take pictures with your digital camera of what your space looks like when it’s perfectly clean and organized. Use it as inspiration to remind yourself what it can look like for the next time you’re feeling uninspired to clean. Sounds silly, but it worked for me, once upon a time. I have more of a routine now than I used to, but it works beautifully for people who tend to let the mess pile up before they tackle it…not that there’s anything wrong with that!
Spoodless last blog post..What Second Amendment?
August 18th, 2008 at 8:34 am
Cardio music! That almost always gets me in the cleaning mode. Especially when it’s just me in the house!
It’s like working out, and you’re doing housework at the same time. 
It’s a win-win situation!
Lisa/starbursidereuss last blog post..gardening update
August 18th, 2008 at 9:47 am
With four kids, I have had an “evening checklist” typed and posted on the fridge forever. It rotates montly, but everyone gets a turn at trash, recycling, taking care of the cats, and cleaning our screen porch. Then, there are just items on there to remind them of what they should do every day (hang their shoes up, pack lunches, etc.). I had hoped it would just become second nature to them, which it hasn’t, but at least it gets everything picked up and tidy every night.
Debbies last blog post..Criminal Activities for Dummies
August 18th, 2008 at 11:31 am
I assign each day of the week a different section of the house so that cleaning gets broken up into manageable amounts and it’s not too overwhelming to me to do it in chunks like that. Larger projects like cleaning out the refrigerator or washing out light fixtures etc. have monthly assignment dates. It’s been working for me for over 20 years!
August 18th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Having set days for things like laundry and shopping seems to help me a lot, as does cleaning as I go!! I try to take 5-10 minutes every night before I lay the baby down, to pick up toys, clothes, books, etc. This way it’s at least tidy when we wake up in the morning!
August 18th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
I keep a container of Lysol wipes in each bathroom under the sink. In the event that the men in my house (3) leave disgusting toilets and/or sink messes, I know I can just grab one of these wipes and be done with it!
Leslies last blog post..A new generation of debates
August 18th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Hi! Well I’m starting a new schedule for cleaning where say monday I’ll do 5 loads of laundry, fold them & put them away and I’ll do like my bathroom: scrub shower/tub, toilet, sink, shake the rug, wipe down mirror, etc. Then the next day I’ll do a different room floorboards to ceiling and so on through the week til all rooms have had one day through cleaning. Each night I make sure the other rooms are tidy before I go to bed.
My favorite product for cleaning: Comet (or Barkeepers Friends…but it’s harder to find) This stuff always!, no matter how gunky my sink is makes it sparkly again and completely rids my stainless steel of rust! LoVe It! Thanks
melissas last blog post..Calendar Checks
August 18th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Of course I’m never in the mood to clean, but I find if I tell myself that I’ll do just 15 minutes on a project, I’ll keep going after that. I love Lysol wipes- they are so handy in the bathroom and kitchen.
August 18th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
My favorite cleaning tip? In two words: White Vinegar. I use it to clean stains out of the carpet (black shoe polish, food stains, kitty vomit stains, etc). Just mix one part vinegar to 3 parts water. Saturate the stain and scrub. Then blot up with a towel. Works every time for me. I also use Vinegar when I’ve accidentally left a load of laundry in the machine for too long and it stinks. Just add 1/4- 1/2 cup vinegar to the wash cycle and your clothes won’t stink. And they won’t smell like vinegar either. You can also use vinegar instead of fabric softener.
August 18th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Vacuum the floor and spray febreze in the room, especially on the curtains. Even if you haven’t done anything else, it smells like you’ve been busy all day.
One of my favorite hints is to keep a container of clorox (or whatever brand) of wipes in my bathrooms, and an envelope of glass wipes too. I can do a quick swipe of the toilet and sink each day and the bathroom stays cleaner. Some will say it’s not economical, but I think it is, because it makes it easier to clean up without tons of effort. I cut costs in other places.
Hollys last blog post..Summer Fun
August 19th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Downey dryer sheets…put them in the bottom of your garbage can under the bags and also in your vents so when the heat or air comes on your house smells april fresh. Especially if you have dogs..
August 19th, 2008 at 10:16 am
I keep the bathroom cleaner underneath the bathroom sink so that wiping down the sink (which always gets really dirty at our house) only take a couple of seconds.
I just read Hollys and she said the same thing. Oops!
I will say that our “Little Green Machine” has been a lifesaver. It gets pet stains out and I’m even going to try to use it to clean the couch!
August 19th, 2008 at 10:24 am
In an effort to be healthier we have gotten rid of our “non-stick coated pots and pans”, unfortunately my husband, who loves to cook, tends to BURN all things in the stainless steal pots and I thought they had been ruined until I discovered that baking soda can soften even the worse baked on mess. Simply sprinkle baking soda on the burned pans and slightly wet it and leave overnight–in the morning the mess just wipes out with little effort
August 19th, 2008 at 10:28 am
Thank you for such a wonderful giveaway! Not only it’s very generous of you, but all the tips I’ve read here so far are great - I will be sure to come back!
Whenever my sink gets dull, I clean it with a half of lemon: not only it sparkles instantly, it also smells great and no chemicals are involved!
August 19th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Like Elizabeth M said, my most helpful cleaning tip is to break up your week, focusing on a different area of the home each day. That way you don’t get overwhelmed with an entire home to clean, but tackle it in sections.
Another tip I have is clean together! My husband and I actually enjoy cleaning together - not all the time as he is a full-time grad student, but often he’ll pitch in - saves time, energy and makes it more fun
August 19th, 2008 at 10:56 am
I find that I get my best cleaning done when I put on some good music, and jump in and just tackle things. My mom always taught me to work top to bottom, and that has always been a big time-saver for me. For me, the mood of the room is a big thing… if I light a candle and put some music on, I’m inspired to finish the job and get things sparkly!
August 19th, 2008 at 11:08 am
My favourite cleaning tip is to hire a maid…just joking! (And no, I don’t have a maid.)
More seriously though…I like to make my own general purpose cleaner using a combination of water, white vinegar, dish soap, and a few drops of essential oils. It is safe enough for my kids to use and makes the house smell great. It works well on bathroom surfaces, appliances, and even mirrors or windows. The best part is that it costs just pennies per spray bottle.
Thanks so much for the giveaway.
August 19th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
I just started using this combo of vinegar and water. Oh me oh my! How eco-friendly and GREAT it works!!
August 19th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
My favorite cleaning tip is to always make sure that your kitchen is clean before bed so you wake up to a fresh clean space
August 20th, 2008 at 12:17 am
I know this is an odd thing, but for tough dried-on stains on appliances or dishes, or whatever–just remember to use a really wet rag or sponge with your cleanser, and DON’T bother to scrub so HARD. Waste of time and energy. You need to get the top stain off first, so take more and easier, light swipes on it–the top part will come off and then the rest will follow. You don’t need elbow grease, let the moisture do the work for you. It really WORKS-you’ll see right away!
August 20th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
For streak free cleaning of stainless steel appliances, use Orange Glow Cleaner. It’s better than any other “stainless steel” cleaner.
August 20th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Love all the tips! But my cleaning tip is for your hands, I love to cook and use alot of garlic!
So after chopping you can wash and than rub a lemon on your hands or rub your hands on your stainless steel sink, no more garlic on your hands! Its amazing. It truly works.
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:58 am
These aren’t exactly cleaning tips but the end up making cleaning so much easier!
1. Get rid of the carpets and go with hardwood floors! They are so much easier to clean, much more spill friendly and they don’t hold any odors.
2.Three letters- D-A-V! When you have less stuff, you ahve less to clean up. I am always going through toys, clothes and odds and ends to see what we can get rid of.
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:23 am
Put your children to work as soon as possible. Seriously. My 5 year old LOVES to clean. I caught him in the school bathroom this morning, sweeping the floor “because it’s dirty mom!”
August 22nd, 2008 at 12:06 pm
silver cleaning with NO WORK!
What You’ll need…
a glass baking dish.
aluminum foil big enough to line the baking dish.
steaming HOT water to fill the foil lined baking dish.
Salt
Baking Soda.
Tarnished silver.
Line your baking dish with aluminum foil.
Fill your foil lined baking dish with steaming hot water.
Add 2-3 teaspoons Salt
&
2-3 teaspoons Baking Soda.
and give it a little stir to dissolve the salt.
add your silver into the solution.
You want your silver pieces to be touching each-other
And touching the foil.
Let your silver soak in the salt/baking soda solution for about 5 minutes.
If you watch closely you can actually see the tarnish leave your silver!!
(It’s like a flashback to 7th grade science class man!!)
After soaking, remove your silver… rinse it off..
dry it (you can buff it to a high shine if you want)
and look at the tarnish free silver!!
See how purty and sparkly it is now?
and I didn’t even get my hands dirty!
You wont break a nail!
(so I’ve been told.. cause my nails are long gone to gardening)
pictures and directions are also listed on my blog
http://homesteadinghousewife.blogspot.com/2007/12/tarnish-free-silver-with-no-work.html
September 23rd, 2008 at 12:21 am
with a house full we quite often find ourselves with a mystery stain on clothing. I have found that a dab of Dawn on the spot, just enough water to wet it and a little gentle rubbing, then wash as usual. It just pulls that nasty little stain out! I use this with our cloth dipes too.