Trish Suhr's Cleaning Tips

Trish Suhr from the Style Network's Clean House is giving cleaning tips to help you clean more, faster.

Keeping Housework Simple and Cleaning

The primary housekeeper has an important job in maintaining a safe and inviting atmosphere in the home. A housework checklist, whether it is written down or simply kept by memory, is an important tool in keeping track of what is necessary for the basic functioning of a household and for what is uniquely comforting and relaxing for each family. This checklist can be essential for the physical and mental wellbeing of the entire family during difficult times.

We all function better during stress if we can maintain or re-establish a clean, comfortable, consistent base. We all want to depend on the ability to wash in clean water with soap, and to dry our hands on a clean towel. We expect to be able to sit down on a comfortable chair or to lie down on a clean bed. If our clothes are clean and we can eat a nourishing meal, it is easier for us to cope with life’s challenges. But, because the primary housekeeper may need to expend all of his or her energies on the crisis or problem, it may not be possible for them to give their houses a thorough cleaning during a stressful time. Whether the stress is caring for a new baby, meeting difficult deadlines at work, caring for a family member after an accident, surgery, or during an extended illness—or if life has been disrupted by a long-term power failure, a fire, or a natural disaster—we and our families still have basic needs to be met. Keeping a clean house in stressful times can be a challenge. These are the times to focus on the basics and to keep things simple and clean.

If you have a basic housework checklist, and if you concentrate on the chores that will make the most difference to you and your family, you can let the rest of those chores go until life settles back down. If everybody has clean clothes, if there are clean dishes to cook with and eat from, if the garbage is collected and removed from the living areas, everyone will feel a little better. Everybody has different household stressors. Some people can let everything else go for a while as long as their bathroom is clean. Other people are uncomfortable if their beds are not made. Still others “have to have” their kitchen floor washed immediately after cooking a meal. These stressors are unique to your family, and should be on your basic housework checklist.

Remember to prioritize while you are focusing on the basics of simple and clean. Focus first on the basics: dishes, laundry, and garbage. Rinse dishes immediately after they are used. Load them into a dishwasher if one is available—or soak them in hot, soapy water until the water cools, rinse them, and let them air dry. Be sure to keep towels, bedding, underwear, pajamas, and comfortable, casual clothing clean, folded, and put away. If your laundry room is already set up with a basic detergent that is safe for most fabrics and if you have an effective, easy-to-use spot remover handy you will be able to keep up with this task. Remember, folding clothes can be therapeutic—and even small children can fold towels and underwear. A shared task will help even the youngest member feel valuable to the family, especially when the adults may be preoccupied. At set times during the day, for instance after meals and at bedtime, pick up the trash to be thrown away. This is another task that can be shared.

Next, branch out to doing things that help keep your family well, like stocking up on and preparing healthy snacks. Also, make sure everyone gets enough rest, including the very young.

One important task can help fight the spread of infectious disease--wiping off the bathroom fixtures with a sanitizing solution once a day. In a pinch, pour a little alcohol on a folded length of toilet tissue and wipe off the chrome fixtures in the bathroom, including the toilet handle and the faucets and water knobs.. The sinks and counters can be wiped down as well. Then, flush the tissue. Some products make this task extremely easy and quick. For instance, try the disposable clothes that are treated with disinfectant If there is time after these basics, focus on chores that will have the greatest psychological effect on you and your family, whether that is making the bed, keeping cold drinking water in the refrigerator, or making the house smell like chocolate chip cookies. Everything else will keep until a better day.


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About the author:
Author Vincent Platania represents the Fuller Brush Company.
Fuller Brush has been in business since 1906, and offers safe, environmentally friendly products for keeping your home and your body clean.
Visit http://www.fuller-brush-products.com

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Housecleaning Tips : How to Keep your Home Clean & Smelling Clean : Basic House Cleaning Tips from a Professional

Learn some basic housecleaning tips to get started with your housecleaning chores, in this free video

Some Cleaning Tips For Your Apartment

Every now and then I pick up some great tips and ideas to help give my place that clean, gleaming feel with as little stress as possible. Cleaning and keeping your apartment in tip-top guest shape can be an overwhelming thought when you are limited for time. Then, sometimes, no matter how hard you clean and try to keep your place in shape, it just gets out of shape again...
Here are a couple of tips to help you keep your place suited for visitors and keep them from going "Ewww."
Sparkling Mirrors
I used to get so frustrated that every time I cleaned my mirror, it always ended up spotty. Turns out I was doing a major thing wrong. I was spraying the mirror directly with Windex rather than on a clean lint-free cloth. To get sparkling results in your mirror cleaning spray commercial window cleaner on a lintless cloth like an old T-shirt and wipe down the mirror. Dry immediately with another clean lintless cloth to prevent streaking. Do this once every couple of weeks and you'll be sure to impress when your guests are glancing back at themselves.
Handle the Wobblemeister
Have a wobbly chair or table? Don't pull the restaurant fix and shove a folded napkin or sugar packets underneath. A much better solution is to re-use old corks. Just take an old wine cork, cut a horizontal slice, and place it underneath the leg of the chair or table that is doing the wobble-wobble.
Fresh Flowers
Don't receive flowers as often as you'd like? Let your man know he needs to pick up his game and then try extending the life of the ones you do get. A common solution for this is to make sure and cut the stem of the flower at an angle rather than straight across , but for even better results and a longer lasting flower, add a little bit of sugar and a small amount of an acidic ingredient like Sprite, which allows for better water absorption. But, you should still get on your man about stepping up his game...
I hope you take these tips and are able to use them in ways you've never used tips before. You better not start calling me "Martha!"
Jeff's just a regular guy with a funny goatee that really enjoys people and life. On top of that he is a bit of an expert on apartments, living in them, and getting the most out of the apartment living lifestyle.
As a Managing Partner of Apartment Home Living Jeff wants to help you find the right apartment by getting to know you. Not only where you want to live & what you want to pay, but what you like. This way, we can help you find an apartment that fits your personality, not just your budget.
At AHL Apartmentites have a platform to share their own stories, get great info & tips on apartment living, read Jeff's entertaining blogs/stories, find Answers to a wide array of apartment related questions, and have a ton of fun sharing their love of apartment living with others. Don't forget to go and set up your own MyPlace page to really get the full Apartmentite experience!
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