Spring Cleaning Tips

I was searching for great cleaning tips rolling into Spring.  It's great to know that there are inexpensive and creative ways to get starting on your Spring cleaning checklist.  You have probably heard of most of these but I think it a great reminder.   Enjoy!

1. When you dust, start at the top and work down.
2. Leave baking soda on carpeting over night will absorb musty odors
3. Wash walls from the bottom up, to avoid streaking.
4. Use old socks as mitts for cleaning difficult wood work.
5. Wash small knickknacks instead of dusting.
6. To removing heel marks , take pencil eraser and rub them off.
7. Don’t mix cleaning products. Ammonia and bleach are toxic.
8. For interior walls: Use wall cleaner, mix 1/2 c. ammonia, 1/4 c. white vinegar, and 1/4 c. baking soda to 1 gal. warm water.
9. For cleaning textured walls use nylon socks instead of a sponge or cloth to avoid leaving material chunks behind.
10. To dust wall paper, tie a dust cloth over your broom and work from the top down.
11. To remove pencil marks & other non-greasy spots from non-washable papers, use an art-gum eraser .
12. To remove greasy spots or crayon, apply a paste of cleaning fluid and fuller’s earth and cornstarch. Let the wall dry and brush off residue. Repeat the treatment until the spot is gone.
13. For exterior walls: Use a water hose to spray the outside of your house. This will remove siding cobwebs and dirt.
14. Textured siding ? Attach a car-washing brush to the hose to remove dirt.
15. For windows: Make your own spray cleaner. Fill a spray bottle with 3 tablespoons ammonia, 1 tablespoon vinegar & the remainder with water.
16. Dust blinds by wrapping a cloth around a ruler. Spray cloth with a dusting spray and run the flat end across each blind.
17. Shine windows using old newspaper.
18. Clean windows on an average temperature, preferably overcast day to avoid streaks.
19. Dry windows outside in one direction then inside in the other direction. If you see a streak, you will know which side is the offender.
20. To clean window sills, pour diluted rubbing alcohol on a cloth and rub the entire surface.Then dust off the sill with a clean cloth.
21. For the Bathroom: Rubbing alcohol can remove the dull haze from mirrors.
22. Use rubbing alcohol to remove spots from bathroom fixtures.
23. Glass shower doors will sparkle if cleaned with white vinegar.
24. To clean the shower, use a solution of 1/2 cup vinegar, 1 cup ammonia, and 1/4 cup baking soda added to one gallon of warm water.
25. Lemon furniture oil will remove water spots on metal frames.
26. Rusty tile marks can be removed with kerosene.
27. Running the shower on hot for five minutes will steam the dirt loose.
28. Grout need cleaning? Wash with 2 tablespoons chlorine bleach in one quart of water. Dry thoroughly, then apply several coats of lemon oil. Let dry one hour between coats.
29. Dull walls will shine when washed with vinegar and water and polished  with a dry cloth.
30. Lighter fluid will remove most stains from porcelain sinks and bathtubs.
31. For the Kitchen: Pour club soda on counter and clean with a soft cloth, rinse with water then wipe dry.
32. Baking soda or club soda will clean and shine stainless steel sinks easily.
33. Remove stubborn water spots from a stainless sink with a cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol.
34. Spots on stainless steel also can be removed with vinegar.
35. Rub stainless steel sinks with lighter fluid if rusty .
36. For a sparkling white porcelain sink, place paper towels across the bottom of your sink and saturate with household bleach. Let sit for 8 hours & rinse. Never use bleach in colored sinks.
37. Vinyl Floors: Sweep then damp mop using a gallon of water and a dash of dishwashing detergent.
38. No-wax floors eventually need waxing, this will help to prevent further deterioration.
39. Cleaning Carpets: To clean dry spots, loosen soil and vacuum away prior to moistening it.
40. When taking out stains, always use a white cloth.
41. Wax dropped on carpet or upholstery? Set a clean, absorbent cloth over the wax stain and hold a hot iron on it. Then remove the cloth.
42. Coat mildly greasy stains with aerosol shaving cream, use a hair dryer to speed dry. Then vacuum.
43. Sprinkle a greasy stain with baking soda, cornstarch or talcum powder. Leave on at least 8 hours, then vacuum.
44. Did you know that Bounce, the stuff you use in the dryer has many cleaning uses?

• Eliminates static electricity from your television screen. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling.
• Dissolves soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a used sheet of Bounce.
• Freshens the air in your home. Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang one in the closet.
• Prevents thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce to eliminate the static cling on the thread before sewing.
• Eliminates static cling from pantyhose. Rub a damp, used sheet of Bounce over the hose.
• Prevents musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing.
• Freshens the air in your car. Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.
• Cleans baked-on food from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in the pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, andsponge clean. The anti-static agents apparently weaken the bond between the food and the pan while the fabric softening agents soften the baked-on food.
• Eliminates odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket.
• Collects cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the loose hairs.
• Eliminates static electricity from venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resetting.
• Deodorizes shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight so they’ll smell great in the morning.