Spring Cleaning Tips

Spring cleaning is here. To make it easier for us, here are some few tips to follow:

1. Clean in an organized manner.
2. Clean the things you'd never think to clean. Other never-thought-they-needed-to-be-cleaned areas:

• Telephone receivers.
• Indoor garbage cans.
• Shower curtains.
• Automatic dishwashers.
• The fireplace.
• HVAC filters.

3. Dust with worn-out wool socks or a corner of an old wool blanket or sweater.
4. Polish silver with toothpaste.
5. Open your drains the nontoxic way.
6. Clean your windows the healthy way. And don't forget these tools and tips:

• Use a sponge wand to soak the window in suds, rather than a spray bottle. Wet the windows thoroughly and let the solution do its work for about five minutes.
• Avoid cleaning your windows on sunny days or in bright sunlight. The sun dries the solution too quickly, which can result in streaks.
• Use a black rubber squeegee to dry the window. Make sure every iota of water comes off; otherwise, you're leaving dirt on the window.
• Use paper towels to dry the squeegee after each pass.
• For serious dirt, try an oversized razor blade wet with soapy water.

7. Forget Formula 409; make this fabulous all-purpose cleaner.

8. Sanitize your toilet bowl safely.

To disinfect the toilet completely, wipe all surfaces with a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol or with some of the alcohol-based hand cleaner available in stores.

9. Clean your kitchen floor the easy way. Don't try to disinfect it, says Findley. "Unless you disinfect your feet, disinfecting your floors serves no purpose." Instead, use these homemade floor cleaners:

• Hardwood and laminated floors.
  
• Marble, tile, and granite floors.
  
• Linoleum floors
  

10. Clean out your washing machine and dryer.