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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Arthritis / April 2005OTP: Spring cleaning hits
GETTING ORGANIZED STEPHANIE DENTON Experts' tips ease spring cleaning April 27, 2005 QUESTION: I've made a deal with two girlfriends. We are all going to help each other spring-clean our homes. We plan to rotate to a different house each of the next three weeks. Do you have any time-and money-saving tips for us to keep in mind? ANSWER: The Maids Home Services, a leader in the residential home-cleaning industry since 1980, suggests these unique cleaning tips that really work and require nothing more than items you already have in your home. They're sure to make your house sparkle for the spring: Remove vents and wash in soapy, hot water, using a paint- brush to reach between slats, if needed. Rinse and dry well. Use baby oil on stainless-steel sinks and faucets and lemon oil to clean shower doors to make them sparkle. Use a toothbrush to clean hard-to-reach areas. To remove dirt and grime from wicker furniture, wash with a solution of two tablespoons of ammonia and one gallon of water. The best way to get the candle wax off a glass table is to soften it with a hair dryer, and remove the residue with a soft cloth. Once you have absorbed all the wax, polish your table as usual. Use air freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and leaves a lovely smell. Keep leather furniture supple by polishing with a solution to prevent yellowing. Clean the television and computer screens with a used dryer sheet; this will reduce the static and prevent dust resettling. Baking soda works great for carpet deodorizing; just sprinkle onto the carpet before going to bed and vacuum in the morning. The Maids and Oil of Olay are holding a sweepstakes this spring. Prizes include free housecleaning for a year by The Maids Home Services and products from Olay. Enter online at www.maids.com. QUESTION: My sister and I are both big do-it-yourselfers. We organize, make repairs and renovate constantly. We're always looking for more sources of ideas and information. Can you suggest some good Web sites we can use as references? ANSWER: The Web site for TV's DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com) is a great source of step-by-step instructions. There are more than 15,000 projects archived there, detailing what has been shown on the TV shows. On-demand video is also available through the site. You can find information on home building, home improvement, automotive and boating, crafts, gardening, living and woodworking. Consider subscribing to the e- mail newsletter to get updates on the latest do-it- yourself projects and resources, as well as news about upcoming DIY programs and sweepstakes. Reference information tailored specifically to women can be found on the new Be Jane Web site (www.be-jane.com). This resource is for women looking for products, tips, referrals and educational know-how to facilitate their personal project needs. There are message boards designed for women do-it-yourselfers seeking a collaborative "peer environment." Through the Ask Jane column and Be Jane Community message boards, you can seek expert advice, share questions and answers, receive referrals and advice from other "Janes" and hear about new how-to videos, animated tutorials, celebrity stories, and more. > GETTING ORGANIZED STEPHANIE DENTON > Experts' tips ease spring cleaning [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > brush to reach between slats, if needed. Rinse and dry > well. VENTS??? i'd have to use a ladder to reach the vents under my soffits. nah, the spiders can have the vents. > Use baby oil on stainless-steel sinks and faucets and > lemon oil to clean shower doors to make them sparkle. SPARKLE???? are shower doors supposed to sparkle? mine didn't do that when they were new. > Use a toothbrush to clean hard-to-reach areas. WITH OR WITHOUT TOOTHPASTE???? toothbrushes are too short to reach most hard to reach places, and those places are generally ceiling high. > To remove dirt and grime from wicker furniture, wash > with a solution of two tablespoons of ammonia and one > gallon of water. DIRT AND GRIME???? i thought that was patina! dang! > The best way to get the candle wax off a glass table is > to soften it with a hair dryer, and remove the residue > with a soft cloth. Once you have absorbed all the wax, > polish your table as usual. i tried this one. NOT A GOOD TIP! i kept hitting the candle wax with the hair drier to soften it up, but the glass top broke before the wax got soft. i had to use a broom and dust pan, instead of a soft cloth, to remove the residue. but, i did polish the rest of the table as usual. > Use air freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job > and leaves a lovely smell. this was kind of self-defeating, because i left noseprints on the mirror, while testing to see if it was true. > Keep leather furniture supple by polishing with a > solution to prevent yellowing. WHAT SOLUTION TO PREVENT YELLOWING???? i think my black leather hasn't learned how to yellow, yet. lucky me! > Clean the television and computer screens with a used > dryer sheet; this will reduce the static and prevent dust > resettling. maybe, but it doesn't get the "BWAHAHAHA" stains off! > Baking soda works great for carpet deodorizing; just > sprinkle onto the carpet before going to bed and vacuum > in the morning. DON'T EVEN TRY THIS, if you have cats and they use baking soda based cat litter. trust me. kate > The Maids and Oil of Olay are holding a sweepstakes this > spring. Prizes include free housecleaning for a year by [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > and hear about new how-to videos, animated tutorials, > celebrity stories, and more. actually, i DO use the maids. four of them come together every two weeks. they whip through my house in an hour and it smells wonderful and the dog hair and little chewed up twigs and spills on the stove are gone, at least for a day. diane > actually, i DO use the maids. four of them come together every two > weeks. they whip through my house in an hour and it smells wonderful > and the dog hair and little chewed up twigs and spills on the stove are > gone, at least for a day. > > diane i soooo miss the maid i had helping me when butch was so ill. haven't been able to find another one, that i can afford for a couple of hours twice a month, since. kate >> actually, i DO use the maids. four of them come together every two >> weeks. they whip through my house in an hour and it smells wonderful [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > kate For me it isn't even that they clean. Its having the whole house clean all at once. We had someone come in once every two weeks years ago. And no one else was allowed in the house until I got home first. The kids knew. It they even came inside after school they better not touch ANYTHING. My daughters also understood that dirty dishes in the sink when I got home from work meant I would not cook dinner. I will not clean up the kitchen to make a meal and then have to clean it up again after. The grandsons really don't care if they just have to microwave something. Charlie will clean up the kitchen. But then he would just as soon I don't cook and mess it back up at that point. He cleans up the kitchen, odds are pretty good we will go out. Jo > GETTING ORGANIZED STEPHANIE DENTON > Experts' tips ease spring cleaning [quoted text clipped - 67 lines] > yourself projects and resources, as well as news about > upcoming DIY programs and sweepstakes. I've got an even better tip. Call the maids in to do the cleaning. Leave for a spa day, come back with sparkling toenails and a sparkling faucet! > I've got an even better tip. > Call the maids in to do the cleaning. Leave for a spa day, come back with > sparkling toenails and a sparkling faucet! I LOVE the way you think, Uv!! I'd love to get a maid in here even a couple of times a month. Oh, and a day at a spa would send me into heaven right about now :)) Carole |
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