9 Ways to Keep Your Bathroom Clean Longer

By: Unknown on 07:03

9 Ways to Keep Your Bathroom Clean Longer



We hear you. When we polled 5000 Good Housekeeping readers about their cleaning habits, it came through loud and clear that the bathroom is not only one of your home's most important rooms to keep clean, and but also one of the most difficult.

Here's how to get more mileage out of your efforts and help this high-traffic room stay fresh longer.

1. Stop moisture in its tracks.
Nothing helps delay mildew stains like a dry shower. Hang a squeegee over the shower head and make it a rule that the last one to take a shower wipes down the walls, tub, and shower doors. A couple extra minutes of work can really minimize cleaning time in the long-run.

You can also quickly zap moisture by opening a window and turning on the exhaust fan while showering. Leaving the door open, even a crack, helps it dissipate. And don't forget to stretch the shower curtain open when it dries, too.

2. Coat shower walls and doors with a water repellent.
We like EnduroShield or RainX. They help water, minerals, and soap scum bead up and run off, so there's less for you to scrub away.

Source: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a31929/bathroom-cleaner-longer/

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5 Big Mistakes You Make Cleaning Windows

By: Unknown on 07:01

5 Big Mistakes You Make Cleaning Windows



Washing your windows is the sort of annoying chore that you want to get right the first time. To make sure you only have to tackle this project once, note these common mistakes before you start spraying and wiping.

1. You choose a sunny day.
Do this job in the blazing sun and the cleaner will dry onto the hot windows before you get to wipe it off, leaving hard-to-remove streaks. Instead, choose a dry, cloudy day. But if the sun's out and you're itching to clean, start with the windows on the shady side of the house.

2. You don't dust the sills and sashes first.
Skip this step and any liquid that drips onto the window frames will create a muddy mess. Always vacuum the frame, sill, and sash first before tackling the glass.

3. You don't use enough window cleaner.
Don't be afraid to generously spritz your windows with cleaner (we like Hope's Perfect Glass), especially if they are extra dirty. You need plenty of cleaner to dissolve and suspend the dirt so it can be completely wiped away. Skimp and you'll be seeing streaks!

Source: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a32040/mistakes-cleaning-windows/

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The Best Way to Clean the Kitchen Sink

By: Unknown on 06:56

The Best Way to Clean the Kitchen Sink 
Try this strategy for sending stains, grime, and germs down the drain.



Get Rid of Gunk 
Just about everything that happens in the kitchen — cooking, cleaning, kids' craft projects, and more — involves the sink, so it gets stained easily. Splotches show up most obviously on light porcelain or solid resin surfaces, but even stainless steel is susceptible. The speediest way to remove marks from these surfaces: Use an eraser-type sponge like Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. (Extra-stubborn spots may need a spritz of an all-purpose cleaner with bleach, and more "erasing.") Then rinse.

Sanitize Wisely 
To sanitize any sink after cleaning, plug the drain and fill the basin with a gallon of warm water. Swish in a tablespoon of bleach. Dip in a sponge; wipe down the faucet and handles. Let sit at least five minutes. Rinse and allow to air dry.

Make It Easier Next Time 
Stash baking soda under the sink, sprinkle it on stains before they set in, and just wipe and rinse. Bonus: Baking soda fights drain odors.

Source: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com

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21 Cleaning Problems Simple Baking Soda Can Solve

By: Unknown on 06:49

Getty skhoward

Sure, it's a essential for grandma's amazing chocolate chip cookies, but baking soda's real claim-to-fame is its power to freshen and clean many spots in your home. It's a super-effective (but gentle) abrasive and is a great natural deodorizer, so it's helpful in all sorts of trouble spots. All of these are reason enough to stock up now.

1. Stained and stinky plastic food containers
Leftovers have a way of leaving their mark. To freshen your containers, wipe with a clean sponge sprinkled with baking soda. Or erase tough stains by soaking in a solution of four tablespoons of baking soda and a quart of warm water.

2. A foul-smelling fridge
They sell those fridge packs for a reason. Baking soda will absorb strong food odors so they don't linger or change the taste of neighboring foods.

3. Unrinsed fruit and veggies
Mixed with water, baking soda can remove dirt and the waxy coating on produce.

4. A filthy kitchen
Nearly every dirty spot in your kitchen can benefit from a baking soda treatment. With water, use it to clean countertops, stainless steel sinks, mircowaves, range hoods, and cooking utensils.

Don Mason/Getty

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5. Extra greasy dishes and pans
Give baked-on food the one-two punch by dialing up your dish detergent's power with baking soda.

6. Stale-smelling sponges
Soak these kitchen staples in baking soda and water to freshen them up so you can use them a little longer.

7. Musty upholstery and carpets
Deodorize the soft, cushy places around your house by sprinkling surfaces with baking soda, letting it sit for 15 minutes, and then vacuuming it up.

8. A stinky pet bed
The same goes for Fido's favorite spot! Sprinkle, wait 15 minutes, and vacuum.

9. Grimy toys
Naturally fight the effects of your little one's grubby hands by wiping them with a sponge dipped in a baking soda and water solution.

Fuse/Getty

10. A crayon-covered wall
And when your kid's artistic efforts end up all over that wall you just repainted, scrub lightly with a damp sponge sprinkled in baking soda.

11. Dusty stuffed animals
These dust-collectors will be easier to clean if you place them in a large plastic bag with a cup of baking soda. Secure the top, take the bag outside, and shake well. The baking soda helps draw out soil and dust. After you remove them from the bag, vacuum everything away.

12. Dingy laundry
Both whites and colors will come out of the washing machine brighter if you add a cup of baking soda to your load. Combined with liquid detergent, it helps balance the pH levels to get clothes cleaner.

13. A mildew-y bathroom
Scrub your tub, tile, sink and shower curtain with a damp sponge and baking soda. Rinse to reveal gleaming surfaces.

14. A clogged drain
Clear a stubborn drain by pouring a 1/2 cup of baking soda down it, followed by a 1/2 cup of vinegar. Cover with a wet cloth to contain the science fair-like effects (remember DIY volcanoes?). Wait five minutes and then flush with hot water.

Richard Newstead/Getty

15. Smelly sneakers
Freshen up after your Zumba class by sprinkling some baking soda inside your shoes (and your gym bag while you're at it.). Just tap it out before you wear them again.

16. Garbage can odors
Place some baking soda in the bottom of your can to fight trash stink.

17. An oil spill on your garage floor
Got an offending spot on your concrete? Pour on a little baking soda and scrub with a wet brush to make it disappear.

18. A messy grill
Combat a summer's worth of cookout grime by sprinkling some baking soda on your grill-cleaning brush before you scrub away.

19. Dirty patio furniture
Before you pull out your lawn chairs for the season, give them a wipe-down with baking soda and water. And before you put them away at the end of summer, place baking soda underneath the cushions or inside their storage bags to keep them fresh.

Bartomeu Amengual/Getty

20. A dank linen closet
Just like in the fridge, an open box of baking soda placed near your sheets and towels can fight musty smells.

21. Dull jewelry
When your sterling silver stops shining, get rid of tarnish by making a paste (three parts baking soda to one part water). Apply it with a lint-free cloth (not a paper towel, which can scratch), and rinse.

Photos: Getty

Source: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com

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