Sweep Steps

Most household dirt — 75 to 80 percent — is tracked in from outside. Keep it outside by regularly sweeping driveways, porches, sidewalks, and garage doors. Then, add a doormat to both the inside and the outside of the door.

Clean Door Mats

Vacuum or shake entryway rugs and mats when you clean the rest of the house and wash them once a month.

Remove Shoes

Keep grit and scuff marks at bay by asking family members and guests to remove their shoes when coming into the house. Keep a basket of slippers by the door for guests to borrow.

Umbrella Stand

Place an umbrella stand near the door to keep wet umbrellas from dripping all over the house.

Clean Paw

Use a towel to wipe down pets paws and coats when coming in from muddy weather.

Kitchen Fan

Use your exhaust fan in the kitchen. Smoke and grease are sticky magnets for dirt and dust.

Save Wood Floors

Protect the wood floors under your wooden rockers by placing masking tape or painter’s tape on the bottom of each rocker.

Plan to Clean
Understand the three levels of clean. Level One: Tasks that must be done every day or several times a week; Level Two: Tasks that must be done weekly or monthly; and Level Three: Tasks that must be done once or twice a year.

Specific Chores

Make a detailed task list. Don’t just say “clean the bedroom” — is today the day to change the sheet? Dust under the bed?

Clutter Free

Do it all, no matter whatever you decide to clean, even if it’s only a cluttered desk. Cleaning one thing halfway, and another halfway, means nothing gets completely cleaned, and you never get the satisfaction of seeing the job done right.

Work in the Light

Try to vacuum when the natural light in the room is at or near its best. You’ll do a better job and won’t have to come back for touch-ups.

Listen to Music

Put on the radio or some music while you clean. Music will boost your energy and make you more productive.

Find Time

Clean during television commercials — for every hour of television, you’ll gain 20 minutes of cleaning time.

Dust Knick Knacks

Try using compressed air to dust those impossible to clean items. It blows away dust on dried flowers, candles, intricate vases, figurines, and carved wood pieces.

Clean Lampshades

Use a padded lint brush to dust fabric lampshades

Book Care

A clean, dry paintbrush will whisk away dust from the pages of a book.

Dust-Free Fabric

Vacuum your couch and upholstered chairs regularly, even if they don’t look like they need it. When invisible dirt and dust are left on the surface of the fabric, people sit on it and grind the particles deep into the weave of the fabric. Over time, this builds up and becomes noticeable, and by the time it does, it’s too late to vacuum.

Nightly Chores

Do one last thing at night, no matter how tired you are. Whether it’s emptying the dishwasher or just wiping the bathroom sink and faucets, it will be one less thing to do tomorrow.

Fresh Bathroom

For natural and continuous air-freshening, douse cotton balls with your favorite fragrant oil and stick one or two in corners and in the medicine cabinet.

After-Bath Clean Up

Clean the bathroom after your shower or bath, when the steam has loosened the dirt.

Bright Tiles

Rub your ceramic tiles with car wax, let stand for ten minutes, then buff them as you would for your car. They’ll gleam!

Clean Shower Curtains

Wash the shower curtains — whether you have fabric, plastic or vinyl curtains, throw them in the washing machine to remove all the soap scum, shampoo, and mildew.

Wash Grout

Mildew in the grouting between tiles looks like dirt, ranging from gray to black. Eliminating it may not be as difficult as you think. Try the easiest way first — fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and apply directly to the affected grout, wait ten minutes, then rinse. If this doesn’t do the trick, dip a clean toothbrush directly into the vinegar and scrub gently. The grout should come clean with surprisingly little effort.

Dirty Faucets

To get cloudy faucets gleaming, first wipe the faucets, then swab with vinegar. Soak a cloth or paper towel with vinegar and wrap it around the faucet. After an hour, remove the wrappings and give the fixtures a final rub with a fresh towel.

Regular Maintenance

Prevent soap scum and residue from building up on shower doors by getting into the habit of rinsing and wiping them down after each shower.

Natural Cleaning Products

Use lemon oil to remove soap scum on shower doors. Once they are clean, use the oil once a week to prevent build-up.

Bathroom Ventilation

Prevent mildew in the bathroom with good ventilation. Run the bathroom fan to dry the tub and shower completely after use, and draw the shower curtain closed to prevent mildew from getting a toehold in moist, damp folds. Washing the tub and tiles with a disinfectant cleanser, then rinsing and drying thoroughly, will also help keep mildew at bay.

Clean Air

If your windows always seem dirty, make sure you aren’t inadvertently blowing dust back into the air. Check the filters in your heating and air conditioning systems, and make sure your registers and vents are clean.

Wash Away from Sunlight

Bright sunlight causes glass to dry quickly, which promotes streaking. Choose a cloudy day to wash windows, or do it late in the day, when direct sunlight no longer strikes the glass.

Wash Tops First

Clean and dry a one-inch strip at the top of each window first; starting a squeegee on a thoroughly dry surface will prevent drips.

Streak-Free Windows

Use vertical strokes on one side of the glass and horizontal strokes on the other. If there are any streaks after cleaning, you’ll know which side they’re on by the direction of the streak.

Homemade Cleaner

For a quick and easy homemade window cleaner, combine one-third cup water with one-third cup rubbing alcohol and add one teaspoon vinegar.

Wipe Smudges

If smudge marks develop between washings, try spot cleaning. Finger and paw prints may come off simply by swiping with a clean chalkboard eraser.

Window Frames

Discolorations on aluminum window frames are caused by oxidation. Keep them from forming by washing and drying the frames thoroughly, and then applying car wax to the frames

Dust Blinds

The fastest and most effective way to dust blinds is to put on a pair of inexpensive soft cotton gloves, give them a shot of dusting spray, and glide your fingers over the slats.

Adjust Blinds

Get into the habit of adjusting shades and blinds to moderate your home’s energy. In cold winter months, lowering shades and blinds as soon as the sun sets provides an extra barrier of protection against the cold.

Use Curtains

Curtains also help control indoor climate. Bright, light-colored fabrics reflect sunlight and encourage air flow. In cold climates, heavy drapes absorb cold air that lingers around windows. You may want to consider having two sets of window treatments, and changing them with the seasons. If this isn’t practical, simply making curtain liners of heavy fabric and threading them on an expansion rod, which can easily be popped in and out of the window, will go a long way to saving energy in the winter.